Sometimes I fear that I overshare here. There’s a method to the madness though. You see, as I look around this world, I am practically hit over the head with two drastically different types of messages. One is that the lives of other people are perfect. Perfect kids. Perfect food. Perfect homes. Perfect cars. Perfect looks. Perfect, perfect, perfect! Please read that in the voice of Jan Brady exclaiming “Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!”
Then there are the people who seemingly don’t even try to do something useful with their lives. They have excuses, sometimes good reasons and often just a bad attitude and it never seems to occur to them that they should try a different approach. They are happy doing what they do or maybe miserable but either stuck or ok with it enough to stay the course.
And then there’s me.
While these other two groups live on opposite sides of the spectrum, I’m smack dab in the middle in a place I like to call the radical middle.
I am flawed. I am a nerd who is fascinated by the world. I can entertain myself for hours just driving around looking at things or sitting in a corner watching people from afar. One of my guilty pleasures is a Taco Bell Black Bean Crunch Wrap and a strawberry lemonade. My kitchen is not Instagram perfect and my cat loves nothing more than to dig junk out of the recycling bin and drag it around the house. My hair is a perpetual mess and my idea of a great vacation involves museums and junk stores, alleyway murals, dirty hiking shoes and other assorted things that most people wouldn’t embrace on a normal day – certainly not on their vacation.
I glorify these things and write entire stories about places and spaces that have been all but forgotten. I make a big deal out of a single historic artifact or out of my own reaction to some random thing that caught my attention. I tell you that my thyroid sucks and that life is exhausting and stressful. I tell you that our family dog died and that I like spotting payphones.
Why?
Because if I’m a normal person with a non-social media ready life, I know there are other people just like me. Yet, this is not the image projected by anyone these days and I think we all need to be reminded that a normal life is ok. It’s more than ok. It’s something to aspire to in this insane world.
If you hang around here much you know that I believe winter is for rest and quiet. This hasn’t been the best winter for feeling rested but it has been quiet. I have been staying home, cooking most of my meals and not adventuring. At this time, I’m doing very little outside of work, seeing my fella, and barely keeping up with the basics of home.
Soon my workload will shift again and spring will usher in a new season of adventures. There are trails to hike and many roads to travel in search of enrichment. I have a mile long list of day trips and longer adventures and there’s no way I can get to them all this year but you can bet I’ll try.
I miss driving down a road just to see where it goes. I miss lingering in front of a painting I do not understand to think about how it makes me feel. I miss randomly choosing a restaurant because I like the outside of the building and assume that any place that looks so cool on the outside must be worth a try. Small towns, rural countryside and big cities are all a celebration of America and evidence of who we are and who we have been. They all are worthy of consideration and exploration if you ask me. They may not be the target of a social media influencer and they may not be a tourism destination but that doesn’t mean they are lacking in cool things to see and learn from in the most unexpected ways.
As the above picture illustrates, what good is all the light if it isn’t framed in a little darkness?
This is what I aspire to. My adventures aren’t so adventurous but I do find them exciting and fulfilling as I mostly celebrate the randomness and the normalness of the world around me.
Is this really so radical an idea? To embrace the real? To find the normal and to not just be good with it but to be satisfied, gratified and joyous that there’s nothing wrong with messy hair, a country road and an imperfect kitchen?
Everyone else can pursue perfection. I’m going to pursue the normal, small things of my ordinary life. I’m going to pursue what makes me happy and I’m going to remind you regularly that a normal life is not such a radical concept. It can be a great life after all.
This is a refreshing post! We are alike in so many ways. If you don’t be yourself, who else will? The world is a better place for you being you. I’ll be reading this post again. It is quite inspiring. Here’s to messy kitchen counters and plans that don’t quite work out and all the struggles which make us human!
Yes ma’am! Let’s celebrate the imperfections that make us who we are and that make life so wonderful!
It feels like we’re cut from the same cloth. Growing up, I was that girl who couldn’t resist the allure of an abandoned house, imagining the stories and histories held within its walls. And yes, I still give in to that temptation from time to time. There’s something magical about connecting with the past.
I have love for the old-fashioned charms of vinyl records, handwritten letters, and the now-nearly extinct payphones. There’s a tangible warmth in these things that today’s digital immediacy just can’t replicate. It’s like they carry a piece of the soul of their era, offering us a tactile link to times gone by.
My wife and I share a boundless curiosity for the world’s hidden wonders, so much so that we decided to channel this passion into our website, Obscure Curiosities. It’s our little corner of the internet where we dive into the peculiar and overlooked stories of our world. It sounds like you’d fit right in with our adventures in curiosity!
This summer, we’re planning to dial up the excitement and soak in all the vibrant experiences a Vermont summer has to offer. From the lush landscapes to the local lore, I can’t wait to experience all that my new-ish home state has to offer. If you ever find yourself in the area, I’d love to have you join us. Imagine the stories we could share and discover together!
It’s not often I come across someone who shares such similar interests and passions. I’m looking forward to seeing where your adventures take you next and maybe, just maybe, our paths will cross in real life. Here’s to a summer of exploration, nostalgia, and making new memories! 🙂
It certainly does sound like we have much in common. I’m so happy to hear you are already planning to explore the backyard of your new home. I have never been to Vermont but have heard amazing things. It seems like Robert Lincoln’s estate is in Vermont. And I know the state is rich with natural beauty. How exciting!!!
It is unusual to find people who share our interests, isn’t it?
Amazingly, my wife and I share the exact same personality type, INFJ. Perhaps that’s why we agree on almost everything and get along so well. 🤔🥰😀
Oh! Cool! I’m an INTJ!
Love this post and your free spirit! 🙂🌟
I love that you find the quirky and uniquely beautiful in the ordinary world around you and on the road. Things the “perfect” people overlook or deliberately ignore. They don’t know what they’re missing as they find themselves oh so bored. 🥱 One of my favorite things is to walk around a town or neighborhood I know nothing about and enjoy whatever people do to build their own comfort zone in and around their homes. The non-chain shops and restaurants. What you find on the walls in these places.
It’s harder to find companions who also enjoy that sort of thing.
Enjoy the rest of your quiet winter and anticipate your upcoming spring adventures.🤗
Do you know that the short walk we had with you in Durango was a true highlight of that trip? You gave some insight into the culture that the guide books don’t mention. It is remarkable to find friends who are happy just to walk around and look at things!
Adventure season will be here before we know it!
I’m always happy to play local tour guide with friends!
You are good at it too!
I share your philosophy of just living this way – “I’m going to pursue the normal, small things of my ordinary life. I’m going to pursue what makes me happy and I’m going to remind you regularly that a normal life is not such a radical concept. It can be a great life after all.”
It’s a great way to live.