Road Trips
I have not been much of a fan of road trips. If there's an alternate, easily accessible route where I can take a flight and reach my destination, I would prefer that.
Sitting in a car staring out the window for 7–9 hours is boring, especially if all you see are highways and cars.
But I went on a road trip last month, which didn't feel quite the same.
Yes, my route was mind-blowingly scenic, but that's not what changed the experience. I had a different experience because, for the first time, I was in the driver's seat.
Until now, every road trip I've ever been in was me sitting in the backseat, talking to friends or listening to music and staring out the window.
But this time, I was more engaged. I was in control of where my car went and which route to take, paying attention to other vehicles around me and any diversions or intersections that came my way.
It was an engaging experience that made all the difference. It made the journey fun and worth it.
I started driving, and the next time I checked the clock, it had already been two hours. If I had been laid back in the back seat, these two hours would've felt like an eternity.
The takeaway from this last road trip was how situations change when you look at or experience them from a different perspective. And it's valid for all areas of life.
For example, I make my commute to the office enjoyable by treating that one hour as a time to listen to music and be alone with my thoughts.
Shifting perspectives is a beautiful tool at our disposal that can change the game in a second. We should use it more often.