To Go Boldly

I commute 17 miles to work.

It’s not a bad commute when the weather’s nice. It’s not bad when it’s really cold, I just have to put on more gear, wear thicker gloves.

If I’m running late, I’ll take the highway. But if I’m not in a hurry, I take the access road that runs parallel to the highway. The south access road.

I know every dip and turn and bump of the south access road and I can ride it in the dark, the light, when it’s rainy or when it’s snowing.

But the other day, just for fun, I took the north access road.

I saw houses I never knew where there; business I had never seen before. I had no idea where the bumps were or where the turns were. Different animals. Different cars. Different smells.

I was only 100 yards north of where I usually ride, but I had discovered a whole new planet in which to explore.

It turned my ride into an unexpected adventure.

It’s so easy to get trapped in a routine. Do the same thing the same way, every day, day after day.

Sometimes it’s best to shake things up and try something new.

To clear away the cobwebs of everyday living.

To do the unthinkable.

To go boldly.