On a Journey :)

With my present summer job, I drive a total of 90 minutes every day to and from work. It is because of this that I have been constantly reminded of journeys, and what is involved. Then, because those 90 minutes can be rather boring, I started to think and to link it to life and I was amazed at how appropriate the saying "Life is a journey" really is. A certain girl reading this will get the private joke associated with that phrase ;) The following is a list of things that are a part of a journey and how they apply to life :)

- Dates: This is rather straightforward, as our birth date is the beginning of the journey and our death is the end.
- Preparations: Booking flights, hotels, transportation etc is vital to having a successful time! What is life without goals and dreams? To drift through aimlessly is such a waste - prepare! (for more on this see my post "Time...then Eternity").
-Luggage/Baggage: I had an interesting thought on this the other day. Many times when we say someone has a lot of 'baggage' re. life, it is often shed in a negative light and sometimes, the baggage may be negative. Yet think how ridiculous it would be to go on a long journey and have absolutely no baggage! It would be crazy. It is perfectly fine to have 'baggage' so long as it is the right kind. What is the right kind? Good baggage includes experiences (not regrets), memories that help (and not weigh one down), the love of family (not their disapproval), and the support of friends (not their rejection). It would be rather puzzling if someone, say teenagers and up, had no 'baggage' whatsoever. That would show that they had not taken risks, that they had not gained from poor experiences etc.
- Destination: Eternity :) Life is just the stepping stone...the bridge between. But remember, life is not a dress rehearsal. We only get 1 life - live it well.
-Distance: Sometimes, if we have never gone to a place before, we are unsure of how long it will take. These days, things like Map Quest, GPS or Google Maps, can aid in that. But think of the days before those things existed. When settlers on the prairies moved out West, they had NO idea how long it would take them! I think you can make the connection, that life can be taken at any time - no one knows how long they will live.
- Entertainment: It is always important to keep the destination in mind, so we can travel the journey accordingly. However, the flip side of that is don't get so caught up in the end that you miss the here and now. Don't miss the cool mountains, the ocean, the other funny things you may see on the side of the road. Don't blow past tiny towns or breeze through crazy cities. Enjoy the trip. Music, conversations, friends, family etc. always make literal trips fun! Life needs fun :)
-Difficulties: No trip is complete without something going wrong! Whether it be the car breaking down, or losing luggage or missing connections, something is bound to happen. Yet when the trip is over, those 'trials' become fun memories that add to the experience of the trip! An anonymous person once said, "If the mountain (life) was smooth, you couldn't climb it." Turn the difficulties into something good. :)
-Food/Fuel: Also vitally important! The first is for you, the second is the means to keep you going! If you ignore either, the journey ends. "If you fuel your journey on the opinions of others, you are going to run out of gas.” Suicide is a dreadful thing and most of the time it is because the individual has lost the will and motivation to live. How sad. They didn't fuel the fire of life. Make time for these important stops - it will make a difference in the long run!

This was longer than I anticipated - but the next time you go on a journey, whether it be short or long, think of life. Make your life the best trip and journey ever! And have fun along the way :) If I have missed something, or you would like to add something - please do!