HItchhiker or World Traveler?

The other day, Jim and I were out running some errands. When we stopped at the drive-through ATM to make a deposit, a grasshopper jumped onto the hood of Jim's car. I wasn't sure if he was looking to hitch a ride somewhere or if he just miscalculated the distance of his desired landing site, but there he was, standing on the hood just looking in the windshield. It was quite hot that day and since grasshoppers don't wear shoes, his little feet began to feel the burn, so he kept lifting them up, a few at a time, doing the "ow ow ouchies" dance, similar to that of folks who start out walking across the beach barefooted, only to realize that the sand is hot. Eventually, Mr. Hopper jumped onto a windshield wiper, which was much cooler. We figured that he would make his exit once the car started moving, but he held on tight, bracing himself against the wind generated by the car's motion, his little antennae wiggling in the breeze. Our little friend stayed with us all the way across town, when he departed in the smoothie parking lot. Was this his destination or was he simply tired of clinging to the wiper blade? No time to find out as he hopped away to a new adventure.



Mr. Hopper goes for a ride


It made me wonder if he would realize that he was in a new place. Would he miss his grasshopper friends at the bank? Would he regret hitching a ride with us? Do grasshoppers have actual homes? I think that he was a brave explorer, seeking new adventures and territories, boldly going where no grasshopper has gone before! OK, so maybe that's a tad carried away, but he did give me cause to think about our own wanderlust. You know, that feeling when you have no idea where you want to go but you desire different surroundings? Those times when you just "gotta get outta here" and stimulate your brain looking at another place? I get that often. I don't think that I was made to sit in one place too long. Maybe that's why I like home decorating so much. I can change the look of a room or my entire home without having to travel. Not that I don't enjoy going places - I love a good road trip! Some of the most enjoyable ones are those where there is no set agenda; you just get in the car and drive. Uncharted territory is fine by me, although it makes Jim nervous and he always thinks we're lost (see my beach post from April). Similar to the "you never know if you don't ask" philosophy, I also follow the "you never know what's around the next bend" mantra. Maybe this is a leftover from my childhood, when my parents would take us out on Sunday drives. We'd just ride along, looking at the scenery and stopping at any place that looked interesting. I didn't understand it as a child, but now I do. My mom was from a very rural area of Wyoming and I think that she missed the open plains and the hills to explore. Mom definitely had the wanderlust in her soul and I know that I take after her. Gypsies in our hearts, we two.

So, I suggest that this weekend, or whenever you have the soonest opportunity, give in to your wanderlust, take the roads less traveled, get "lost" on an adventure and seek new experiences. Remember, you never know what's around the next bend! Love ya! Leena