today, i'm leaving for a spontaneous adventure...

I remember the days when I'd wake up in the morning and hop in the car (or, for many years, my now-gone-but-never-forgotten 1978 Southwind RV), and just see where the road took me.  Back when I lived in Colorado and Oregon - when I'd only had Mountains of the Moon for a year or two and would only stop home long enough to sew enough garments to refill my inventory - this was a regular part of my life.  My friends and I would take our goods and just drive, in search of a fun festival or concert parking lot or cool city with fun boutiques to sell our wares.  I was a gypsy, and there was nothing I loved more than the freedom of not knowing.

Times have changed, and life is different now.  As many of us know, something happens when you get older.  The comforts of home (and/or an airplane for travel) become more appealing than the open road.  You settle in, take on more responsibilities (and bills), and find contentment in having already seen and done many of the things you'd planned to see and do in your "youth."  This is a good thing.  It's nice to have some stability, and to learn to appreciate the simple pleasures of everyday life in place of feeling the need to constantly search for something different.

But sometimes, even for just a fleeting moment, the itch creeps back in.  When this happens to me, I usually daydream and remember, or smile at old pictures of my impromptu travels.  Sometimes I plan a future trip to somewhere far away, or look at Robbie's band's schedule to find a time in the upcoming year that they're playing an interesting place where I can meet up with him.  It's been a looooong time, however, since I've scratched this itch with no advance planning, no airplane, no passport, no frantic business scheduling and organizing for the days leading up to my departure...  Until today. 

Robbie and I decided yesterday that today, we'd wake up, get in the car, and drive.  In the 5-1/2 years we've been together, we've never done this, even though it was a regular part of both of our lives in our early and mid 20s. It's been a rough couple of weeks in these parts, and having Robbie away from home for the longest stretch since we've met made all of the stresses even more challenging.  The idea of a little time away to "hit the reset button" (as Robbie calls it) feels like the best idea ever right now.  And although we have a couple of places in mind to go visit and won't be going far or staying gone for very long (we'll be back tomorrow night), it's a spontaneous adventure nonetheless.  It's nothing extravagant - just a quick two days and one night away from the city, away from the computer, away from pressures and worry and constant planning and responsibility.  A brief period of time to trust in the universe and see where it takes you.  I'm ready.

I'll be back in a couple of days with some more details, pictures, and hopefully, cool stories.  You can also follow our mini adventure via my Instagram (user name bubbyandbean) and Twitter. Au revoir!

*UPDATE:  Due to unforeseen circumstances (grown up things like bills + work stress = no fun), our "spontaneous" adventure has been pushed back a day.  As I type this, I'm literally laughing out loud at the bad movie storyline this would make.  Although not quite as spontaneous as I'd initially hoped, we're still heading out with no plan.  We are now officially leaving Friday morning.  Check into Twitter and Instagram for updates along the way!

image sources >> wedding photos by bliss studios // 'life is either a great adventure...' poster found here // 'not all who wander are lost' print via urban outfitters // 'let's go on an adventure' art print via bubby & bean's etsy shop