Choice & Change ... or How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Summer. 
My little car was packed with all of my most favorite things.
Maps and music.  Apples and string cheese. 
Road trip.  Arizona or bust.

Looking forward to new choices and changes.
Making new memories with friends and family.
Desert sunsets of soul-warming oranges and majestic purples.
Sweet wines, sweet times, sweet sharing of conversation.
Yes, I was going, home.

Summer Lesson Number One:  Life is all about choice. 
Choice involves consequence ... good and bad.
Your choices affect others as well. 
Choice sometimes involves change.
Choice leads us to discovery, adventure and educates for future choices.

I am so thankful for having choices. 
There's no need to fear choice; there's no need for 'choice' to be final.
No need for a situation to be 'either/or' ... it can be 'also/and'. 
Many find making life choices difficult and daunting;
procrastinating for so long they miss the opportunity.  

Lesson Number Two: When you listen to your heart, you can't go wrong.
Trust that 'heart-gut feeling'. 
Even if the outcome is different than what you had hoped,
it was an experience you wanted and learned many things.

Deep sigh. So, here's the thing,
it's impossible to know how any future scenario will play out.
There are way too many variables ...
(houses that should sell, careers, changing relationships.)

During my extended summer vacation ...
I've enjoyed the desert, good conversations with friends and family.
I've spent valuable time with my parents.
I've found answers to some of my life questions.

Late Autumn -- nearly Winter.
With absolutely no regrets,
my little car will be packed with less of my favorite things.
Road trip.  Pacific Northwest or bust.
I'm returning home.

Isn't life strange?
but, isn't life grand?
Choices?  Listen to your heart.