Ariel Atom 3 | Photo: John Whiting
After a long year-plus of sticking close to home, I’ve experienced a bit of wanderlust. With family far-flung around the country and an insatiable appetite for adventure, I needed to find ways to appease my restless spirit and curiosity that didn’t include long distances. Maybe you can relate.
I treated this new way of life as an adventure, and it didn’t disappoint. At first, I searched for isolated spots where I was safe to take my dogs on long walks and breathe in fresh air. In the process, I discovered a newfound love of hiking. The extended time alone taught me how to better enjoy my own company. I channeled my energy into other aspects of my life that had taken a back seat — healthier cooking, for one, rather than eating out all the time, and decluttering my living space (on that, however, I have a long way to go). I reconnected with some friends from my past, and the family Zoom meetings, which began in lieu of holiday get-togethers, have become the most treasured hour-and-a-half of my week. Despite the miles between us, we are so many ways closer than ever (I believe I really do have the best family!), and I am certain our virtual tradition will continue long after life resumes closer to what it was pre-COVID.
As businesses ease restrictions and social activities and public gatherings resume, I’m sure I’ll venture out more and more. But now I am keenly aware that new discoveries are waiting to be found around every corner. Trying a new restaurant — heck, just ordering something different off the menu! — can satiate my inquisitive self. So can striking up a conversation with a stranger, stopping at that store that I’ve always passed by, and making the effort to tune in to my surroundings. Allowing my instincts to guide me on that unfamiliar, unproven, and occasionally uncomfortable road-less-traveled often shifts my perspective and sheds new light on a well-worn path.
During the months of May and June, Insite Brazos Valley Magazine has often served as our destination issue. We’ve frequently focused on staycations and easy-to-get-to spots in and around the Brazos Valley. Now’s as good of a time as any to explore them, and we hope you’ll scout out some that we think are worth the trip.
As you peruse the pages, you may notice an undercurrent that highlights the mechanics of how we get from here to there. I might not be quite ready to board a plane, take a train, or embark on a road trip that’ll take me very far. But in the last year, I have learned that no matter what the distance, an adventure is always within reach.
Best,
Ellen Ritscher Sackett
