60 Before 60 Project: #2 - Going Off the Beaten Path

Whenever we’re driving on a long distance trip, we are always passing through small towns and villages or driving past their exits on the highway. I often say we should stop and take a look around but we never actually do. We always seem too focused on getting to our final destination in the fastest way possible.

On our last trip, I decided to change this.

My husband and I went to visit our son who lives just over a couple of hours away. Near where he lives, is a small village called Wakefield. We decided to take some time and check it out.

Given Wakefield is the busiest in the summer months, this time of year was quite quiet. As we drove through the main street (which only took about 3 minutes), we wondered whether it was even worthwhile getting out of the car. We decided that since we were there, we probably should.

This was the strangest experience.

As we started walking around the village, we felt like we were in a Hallmark Christmas movie scene. The scenery was so beautiful and with the light dusting of snow on the ground you couldn’t help but feel the quiet serenity of the place.

We went into a gift store that was beautifully decorated for the holidays and immediately felt the festive spirit. We felt so welcomed by the store owners as they asked where we were from and shared a little bit of the history of the town.

We then found a local coffee shop and as we sipped our drinks my husband and I agreed that we should do this more frequently. 

Guess the only thing we need to do is make the time to take that exit ramp.

My 60 Before 60 Lesson: You can discover treasures in your journey if you take the time to look.

Check Out My Next in My 60 Before 60: I jump from a 27 story building

On her 59th birthday, Booming Encore's Founder - Susan Williams took a look back over the past couple of years and realized that her life needed a bit of a shake up. So she decided to do 60 different things before she turns 60 next year. She shares her progress and experiences for her 60 Before 60 Project.