They say that getting there is half the fun. I don't know if that's true, but I do think that getting there is hard work, no matter where the destination lies--internal or external, this world or the next. In this particular context, I'm thinking and writing about the elaborate, intricate, detailed planning that has gone toward my upcoming trip to England and the Cotswolds. The internet has been both a godsend and a source of frustration. TMI! Sites, information overload, and keeping track of it all requires organization, printing out much more paper than one might think, and always, always the coordination, cooperation, and agreement from spouse before anything gets finalized. But we are almost there. B&Bs have been booked, train/bus schedules printed out, car rental agreements perused, pubs bookmarked. Five years ago I wouldn't have known how to do all the searching around on the internet, but old dogs can learn new tricks and now I'm a pro at searching. Hopefully, proper prior planning....etc, etc.
The ability to plan ahead is one thing, and both my husband and I are aware that in the case of overseas travel and moving to new accommodations every night, it's absolutely necessary. But in my fantasy of going to England and puttering around, I always imagined the road opening up ahead of me, adventure unfolding like petals of a flower, and serendipity sprinking down like golden rain. I've found that sometimes planning too much leads to expectations that are never quite met, plans going awry, and timetables falling by the wayside to leave the travelers weary, frustrated, and disappointed. On the other hand I've experienced the reverse--no plans leading to spinning wheels, missed connections and missed events ("If you'd just been here yesterday...last week...an hour ago..."). So what's a body to do? Hopefully, this trip will be a combination of planning for beds to sleep in, checking to see that the manor house is indeed open on a Tuesday for example, and then leaving the rest to chance and adventure. We'll see and my daily posts from the road will tell the true story.
I wonder if life in general follows the same rules: some plans--some open-endedness. You can't plan too much because life is messy and intervenes at the most unexpected places. Murphy's Law incorporated. But no plans make for downward spirals into entropy, depression, and doubts. At least for me. As my over-organization and tendency to worry leads to micromanagement, I need to loosen up most of the time. Strike a balance, go for the middle way. Let chance swoop in and take me places I never expected or planned. This tendency to organize gets more entrenched as you age, so keeping open is very much on my list of Things-To-Do-To-Avoid-Becoming-Concrete. Learn new stuff (blogging, for example), follow the trends, accept new ideas, music, technologies.
At any rate, the upcoming trip (exactly one month from today) will be a test for going with the flow, allowing for wiggle-room, and enjoying the process of travel, with all its unknowns and unforeseen happenings.
