Lesson from the interstate

I just returned from a quick trick to Nashville to pick up Hannah from church camp. It was a wonderful visit with family and friends and has again made me a little homesick. But true to form, life delivered a lot of gain in exchange for some pain. I’ll talk about the blessings in another post, but tonight I want to share a lesson.

It’s not glamorous or anything, but I was surprised at how completely distracted I became and just how easy it was to deviate from plan. Here goes…

Driving ten hours (I’m sure it was THOUSANDS of miles) is absolutely BORING! And what does someone with my past relationship with food do when she is bored? She eats. And eats. And EATS!! Well, it wasn’t all that bad, but I did think about food a lot; sometimes it felt like I was obsessing about it. I ate quite a few things that weren’t so good for me. Oddly enough, this time around the junk wasn’t satisfying. That’s a good thing.

While I was stuffing junk into my stomach, I was actually yearning for something healthy. I’m becoming used to eating salads, grilled chicken, and even the occasional fruit. Unfortunately, most of those things aren’t available driving down the interstate.

What’s a girl to do??? This time, the answer came to me very quickly.

Just like I have to plan my meals, grocery lists, doctors’ appointments, etc., I need to plan my meals when travelling. And what I’m about to share is COMPLETELY REVOLUTIONARY, so hold on to your hat.

I need to pack things (fruit, veggies, sandwiches, etc.) in ADVANCE!

Did you know that you don’t have to stop at every single McDonalds along the way? Shocking, I know. Seriously, where did they all come from? When I was a child, all we had were the occasional Stuckey’s. And we NEVER got anything from there, no matter how much we pleaded that we HAD to have the box of salt water taffy. OK, I digress…

Back to the point, with a little planning and a little packing, the kids and I could have had some very nutritious snacks and meals, and I would have saved a ton of money. I will remember and prepare the next time we head down Interstate 70.

As I close, I want to remind you (and myself) what we do with mistakes and bad decisions – we let them go and leave them in the past. What is done is done.

I’ve learned something to make myself stronger. Isn’t that one of the primary points of this journey?