By Jackie Mundt, Pratt County farmer and rancher
As we get older, we are taught to be responsible — to manage our schedules, organize our lives, prepare for the unexpected. Responsibility helps us build careers, care for families and thrive in adulthood.
But there is a tradeoff to always being prepared: sometimes we miss out on spontaneity.
At some point in life, I went from being an impulsive, fun-loving wanderer to being referred to by friends as a “walking-Trip Advisor.” I tend to get intense about knowing every detail of a trip before we ever leave home.
This summer has unintentionally sent me back in time 20 years. At some point we realized we are having a “no-plan summer” and enjoying living in unexpected moments.
Over Memorial Day weekend, we didn’t plan to get away for more than a day to attend a graduation party. The unpredictable nature of farm life makes scheduling trips difficult for much of the year. When it rained the week before and we realized we had a few extra days available, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
We loaded up the car on Friday and headed west with no destination in mind.
We ended up in Estes Park, Colo., and had an incredible weekend. The first day was filled with simple adventures — riding the aerial tramway, hiking above the city, trying the mountain coaster and taking a scenic drive through the park.
The second day required a little more determination. There were areas of the park we wanted to experience that normally would have required reservations and planning weeks ahead. Since Marc and I both enjoy adventure and don’t often get the chance to pursue it, we decided the inconvenience was worth the reward.
That meant waking up around 3:30 a.m. to get into the park before timed entry requirements began. If we had not been willing to make that early start, we would have missed the sunrise over the mountains and the opportunity to complete two hiking trails before 7:30 a.m.
It was a long day, but it was also filled with unexpected joy, beautiful scenery and a sense of accomplishment.
One spontaneous trip was a lark, but two must make it a theme. This past weekend, the stars aligned again and we ended up in Kansas City with overlapping work trips that allowed us to enjoy our evenings together. Once again, the lack of plans pushed us to seek out unplanned experiences.
We saw Darius Rucker, who I actually really like, at Starlight Theatre. It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I have experienced. The next night was Harry Potter night at Sporting Kansas City, and as a Potterhead, I obviously needed to attend. It was my first professional soccer match, and I had to use Google multiple times to figure out the rules. But it was high energy and I felt a little better not knowing the soccer rules because I did know what was happening during the Quidditch exhibition at halftime.
Without a plan, you have fewer options but also less stress. Many of these activities were things we normally would not have sought out. We had zero expectations and ended up having a great time because we were open to whatever came our way.
There is nothing wrong with planning. Preparation is necessary and responsible. But perhaps we need to be careful not to plan so much of our lives so much that we leave no room for surprise.
Some of the best memories are not created by following a schedule. They are created by taking a chance, changing direction and being willing to see where the road leads.
Sometimes the greatest adventures are the ones we never planned.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
