What a difference a few days of Spring Break made!  Our family is feeling refreshed after taking some time off from our daily routine. Mostly Zet, Mateo and I just stayed at home last week, resting, gardening and enjoying each other's company.  But we did have an interesting adventure in the form of an Almost Random Trip (ART).  This involved packing an overnight bag and driving off without a destination, knowing only that we would (1) leave town, (2) be back home the next evening and (3) take turns deciding when and where to turn or stop the car each time we came to a decision point, with the provision that anyone's decision to stop could be outvoted by the other two.
 
Over the course of the next 36 hours we took a fascinating walk on a nature trail near Floresville, then ate a regrettable lunch at a greasy spoon café in downtown Stockdale, which was quickly redeemed by the delicious, freshly-made pecan brittle purchased at the cutesy gift shop across the street - and the unusual linen jacket Zet bought at the Goodwill store next door.  A short drive later, we found ourselves staring in amazement at the historic, painted chapel in Panna Maria, the oldest Polish settlement in the country.  We wound up spending the night at a motel in Beeville, and visiting the BeevilleArt Museum the next morning, where we encountered a truly first-rate exhibit of contemporary Texas sculpture (on display through June - and well worth the trip all by itself!).  After that we moseyed into Goliad, where we had a lunch at a beautiful bistro, Panache on the Square, followed by a leisurely visit to the colonial Spanish Mission Espiritu Santo, where I spent a long time chanting in the amazingly resonant chapel in preparation for our ride back home.
 
In short, not only did we have fun encountering a number of interesting places we'd never seen before, but also our Almost Random Trip felt unusually relaxing for such a relatively brief adventure.  Why? I'm guessing that our shared decision-making process allowed all three of us to feel engaged and empowered, while no one was invested in the outcome of our decisions because we had no idea what it would be.  And since none of us knew where we were going, we probably paid more attention to the passing scenery than we normally would having, knowing that "my turn" to make a choice would be coming up shortly.
 
Reflecting on this trip a few days later, I find myself noticing that my "regular life" feels more like an adventure as I release my attachments to desired outcomes.  Can I sustain this? Will it be possible to continue with my daily routines, plans and commitments -- and yet be open to the miracles and magic that occur as I let go of my preconceived notions of what "should" happen next? Can I "own the power of my choices" and still embrace other people's choices as they arise?   Hmm...  I don't know, but as we head into Spring, the season of re-birth and renewal, it's certainly worth a try.
 
With blessings and hopes that you, too, are enjoying a burst of renewed zest and energy in your life,