10/10/2025
Last week we took a planned-but-not-planned trip. We planned it, postponed it, and then on a spur of the moment packed the car and went. I like to drive, stop, see places and meet people in small towns. My husband is the opposite: get in, drive straight to the destination and stop only to refuel and do the necessary things. It was a long drive, but the excitement kept us going.
The city felt like stepping back in time to a life of constant noise—traffic, crowds and more traffic. Familiar places and roads were all under construction, which only added to the city frustrations. It’s a life we once lived and, for a while, enjoyed: busy days, a distant hum of noise, nights filled with lights and pollution.
The hard reality hit when we saw the place we used to call home in obvious decay. Roads were poor despite construction, building maintenance was neglected, houses looked tired, and people seemed wrapped in negativity. That cloak of gloom was the thing that stood out most to me.
I’m not judging—everyone has moments of negativity, and it’s understandable when people are under pressure just trying to make a living. Even now as I type, my chest tightens a little because it’s real. We all face challenges, whether in a big city or a small town—traffic might be worse in the city, but problems are everywhere.
One night, sitting at our friends’ dinner table, we talked about this loss of sparkle. People seemed to have lost hope and the simple belief that the sun will come out after the rain. My husband and I told our friends how worrying that was; when you lose hope, you stop seeing the good around you. We reminded each other to be thankful for the little and the lot we have: friends nearby, family to share a home-cooked meal, laughter stirred by old and new stories, a mischievous puppy demanding attention, or the surprise tears and hugs when you meet an old friend after too many years. Those moments—picking up a conversation as if you’d seen someone yesterday—are friends for life.
Driving home was another long haul—we couldn’t book short-notice accommodation—but we reflected on the week. Sadness, heartbreak and disbelief surfaced, but we also felt certain we had made the right decision to move. Our path had its potholes and construction—life and relationship changes—but in the end we saw the sun again. We saw stars in a dark sky and woke to a rooster welcoming a new day—though sometimes you wish the rooster would oversleep.
In the end it’s about choices—some we can make, some we can’t. Whatever the reason for your choice, don’t lose your sparkle. Find the stars at night and that rooster that greets the morning. Let friendships, memories, laughter and hope hang like a warm cloak over your shoulders. Only you can create your own happiness.
