Sometimes we choose to be in a storm, more often not. Most times storms are arbitrary, large, and totally inconvenient, we get caught. For us, we chose the weekend but not the storms.
Our schedule was made in peace and planning, but would not be storm free.
We heard about them in advance, that’s correct, them, but we still chose to continue. They were the second biggest things on our Doppler. Our role was to keep the schedule as much as we could. The rest would depend on the weather and others dealing with it.
Our first storm started with freezing rain, followed by wet snow, then powder snow, and lots of wind, the perfect snowstorm. We managed to stay in the centre of this storm’s front, for 9 out of 11 hours, for 790 km. We observed that it was at least a 30 car-in-the-ditch storm, a brutal nature’s bashing, long hard day. Later we discovered that 140 accidents happened in that storm that day.
Not to be intimidated, we got up the next morning at 3:00 a.m. to catch a flight (?) into potentially the worst storm in Vancouver Island’s history since 1964. No, we are not Storm Chasers. We are just parents who have adult children that live away from us. From Convocation to relaxation the week was pre-booked frugally executed, and full of adventure.
The second, ‘storm of the century,’ downgraded, once we arrived, and ended up being just rain and wind, average for this time of year.
We could have totally altered our plans, cancelled flights, and booked hotels, but then our goal would have been needlessly wasted.
Metaphor:
Invariably, the moment we decide on a goal and begin pursuit, a storm happens. If we quit, we miss out. We probably won’t even know how much we lose, because we never arrive.
What about next time, head through the storm and live the adventure.
Lesson?
Do not fear. Just absolutely respect.
You Don’t Have To Live; You Get To!
