Ever feel like you’re just a single pin sticking out of a map? From an early age, we’re taught to plot our course: college, career, marriage, kids, retirement — all in neat little boxes, checked in perfect order. It’s like having a GPS for life.
Me? I’ve never really had a map.
I’ve lived more like a wanderer without a compass — the kind who takes a wrong turn and finds a diner with pie that tastes like somebody’s grandma baked it from scratch. I’ve chased curiosity, even when logic said otherwise. And over the years, I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that detours aren’t mistakes. They’re the story.
Off the Map and Onto the Journey
I never had a 10-year plan. Honestly, I didn’t even have a one-year plan most of the time.
I was engaged right out of high school and married with a daughter by 18. By 19, I was divorced. At 21 — the day after my birthday — I was holding my second daughter in my arms. For years, I walked the road as a single parent until one of the hardest turns in my story: at 25, after moving out of state, I lost custody of my two daughters when their fathers refused to let them go.
It left a gaping hole — more questions than answers, and almost no hope. But even then, the story didn’t stop.
At 30, I remarried. A few years later, I became “Mom” again — to two boys who arrived when I was 34 and 38.
Not having a plan can feel like free-falling — spinning without knowing where you’ll land. It can feel like everyone else has the directions while you’re just out here guessing which way to turn. But here’s what I discovered: wandering has taught me resilience, creativity, and faith in the messy middle.
What Detours Teach Us
Here’s what detours gave me — and maybe they’ve given you the same:
- Resilience
When my life crumbled, I still had to get up the next day and keep going. Even when my heart was heavy, I learned I could carry more than I could have ever imagined. - Creativity
Without a set path, I had to figure out how to survive and then thrive again. I tried new things, took risks, and sometimes had to invent a whole new way forward. (Honestly, it’s how this blog was born — another “detour” that’s shaping into something beautiful.) - Faith in the In-Between
I began to see that waiting places weren’t wasted spaces. They were where I grew roots, even if it took me getting older and maybe a little wiser to recognize it.
The best stories aren’t written in a straight line. They’re found in the curves, the pauses, and the surprise turns.
An Invitation for You
Life without a map can feel messy, but maybe that’s the point. The curves, the pauses, the surprise stops along the way — they shape us in ways a straight line never could.
If you’ve ever felt like you were wandering without a plan, hear this: maybe you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Your detours matter. You’re not lost — you’re learning.
👉 So, I’d love to hear from you:
What’s one detour that ended up changing your story? Drop it in the comments — your words might be the encouragement someone else needs today.
From my road to yours, happy wandering.
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