With less than a week to go before our trip to Yosemite National Park, I navigated to the park’s website to check the latest trail conditions. In a split second, the excitement and anticipation that had been building for months with all our planning and preparation came crashing down as I stared at my computer screen in disbelief. The destination my youngest son and I had been so eagerly looking forward to visiting was closing and would remain closed for some, if not all, of our trip. Now what?
To say that this trip was a big deal would be a monumental understatement. Several months ago, my youngest son asked if we could travel somewhere this summer. This may not sound incredible, but it was completely out of character for him, a reserved homebody. Sensing that this was an opportunity for growth, and a chance to do something fun, I jumped at the request. Of course we could go on a trip!
Over the next few weeks, we discussed possible destinations and ultimately chose California, with Yosemite being the primary destination. Having never visited the area, I went into research mode and began planning. From everything I read, May seemed like an ideal time to visit. My son adjusted his college class schedule, and we chose dates for our trip. My oldest son decided he’d stay home. I made reservations for two and monitored them, adjusting things whenever the prices dropped. It was working out perfectly!
When a late season snowstorm hit the Yosemite area, I tried not to worry. Our trip was still months away, and everything I’d read said May would be fine. Leading up to the trip, my son and I enjoyed several outings together, shopping for various trip-related items which fueled our excitement. We couldn’t wait for our adventure!
Now, the snow was melting, and with the threat of potential flooding, the park would be closed. We had been so looking forward to our trip, and it was ruined. A decision had to be made. We could keep our reservations and potentially spend our days sitting in a hotel room, change our plans and go somewhere else, or cancel the entire trip.
Given my son’s school schedule, postponing was not really an option. He didn’t want to cancel, so we set out on piecing together a last-minute trip. I tried to set my sadness and disappointment aside as I searched for options, reminding myself that the focus of the trip was not the destination, but it was to grow and make memories together.
Being an over-planner at heart, last-minute planning is not part of my comfort zone. With much anxiety, I created a new itinerary, made reservations, and a few days later, we were on a plane headed to California.
Stepping away from what’s comfortable turned out to be the theme of the trip. Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, through the winding and steep roads near Mount Tamalpais, and up and down the hilly streets of San Francisco where I slowly inched forward in faith, hoping that the road actually existed beyond my viewpoint because I couldn’t actually see it, I was challenged. We were both forced to move beyond our comfort zones many times during our trip. I don’t know if that would have happened with our original Yosemite trip.
Sometimes, we grow more when we don’t get what we want, when we’re forced to make a change. It’s easy to give up when life doesn’t go as expected, but there’s always a greater plan at play. I’m grateful for this amazing trip with my son and what we experienced together. It may not have been what we originally planned, but I’m confident it’s what we needed.
