Let me begin by saying that I'm not a spontaneous person. Most everything I do involves planning down to the last detail to ensure that everything goes as perfectly as possible. That ranges from everyday life when I plan what to wear and how the day will go, to a trip to New York City, when I have the days scheduled down to the minute. This past weekend, however, I did something spontaneous for once in my life, and it proved to be one of the best decisions I have ever made! it made me look at the world in a new light and think about how I live my own life.
This past weekend I went to New York City with my dad to explore and see two Broadway Shows ("Aladdin" and "Finding Neverland," which were both amazing and I highly recommend). On Saturday, we saw a matinee show that ended around 4:30 p.m. After waiting at the stage door until 5:00 to meet the cast, I spontaneously decided to fly to Florida for two days to see my boyfriend. It was an idea that I had toyed with, but not something I seriously considered doing. But in that moment, as I was texting my mom about flight possibilities, I jumped at the opportunity.
My dad and I scurried down the streets of New York City to make it back to our car and drive to the airport. The flight was leaving at 7:00 and although that may seem like plenty of time, New York City has a fair amount of traffic—especially at rush hour. Adrenaline was coursing through my body as we jumped in the car and made our way to the airport. I was thoroughly surprised at myself for what I was doing, but incredibly excited. I was completely unprepared for this last-minute trip to Florida, but I was ready to take on the adventure.
After arriving at the airport (now 6:00), I rushed through getting my ticket, security and taking a bus to another terminal. I made my flight with time to spare, but I still had a connection to make in Charlotte. I have a terrible history with flying and flights being delayed or canceled. I have been diverted to alternate airports for five hours, sat on the ground outside the gate at my destination for two hours and many other flying nightmares. Needless to say, I didn’t breathe the whole flight to Charlotte. And of course, Charlotte was having a storm. So after circling for 20 minutes and then sitting on the ground for another 20, I finally made it off the plane and ran to my connection—which magically happened to be the next gate over.
The entire way to Florida, I could not stop thinking, what on Earth am I doing? I could not believe that I hopped on a plane in New York to fly to Florida to spend a little less than 48 hours there. What was I thinking? What if it didn’t go well? With the flight worries behind me, the concern of the trip not going well faded away. I was still stunned at myself for making a spontaneous decision and that it was actually working out well. The rest the trip turned out well, too, and was so much fun! We went to a train show and the Dali Museum and got pancakes. It felt like a dream.
From this weekend, I learned an important lesson that I hope to remember through life: being spontaneous is important. It can be a little scary (especially if you are somebody who values planning) but it can also be hugely rewarding! I understand that taking a spontaneous trip is not always an option due to financial reasons, but you can be spontaneous in smaller ways. Do something that you wouldn’t normally do because of obligations, and do it anyways—especially if you know it will make you happy. Life is short, and it is important to take advantage of each and every day. Don’t look back on your life wishing you had done something—go out and actually do it! We are all a little crazy and sometimes being crazy can bring about wonderful happiness. And that’s what life is all about, isn’t it?
