Magnolia. To some, that word sparks an image of a beautiful flower; to others, it conjures up an image of Chip and Joanna Gaines, HGTV, Fixer Upper, the Silos, and the couple’s passion for community, demo, and shiplap. I have to tell you, it was everything we hoped it would be and even more!

Not too long ago, Kristine and I vowed to take a minimum of one “sister trip” per year, just the two of us. It might be a city away, or the central coast, or it might be across the country. Either way, we settled on the idea that we needed a minimum of one trip per year and I’m so glad we did.

Our most recent trip was to Texas! We stayed in Austin and spent a day in Waco, checking out the Silos, hoping to spot Chip or Jo (which apparently does not happen often). Our three days included lots of laughter, amazing food and drinks, lots of walking, a rooftop pool, some tears, and some unexpected occurrences. I have to be frank here (no pun intended, of course…insert chuckle) and share that over the course of this past year, I’ve discovered that I consistently struggle with altered plans, unrealistic expectations, and a desire to limit discomfort for myself and my loved ones. I suppose it makes sense, considering what life has entailed the past handful of years. From a rental car issue, to multiple lost items; from mixed emotions, to 102 degree, 70% humidity temps in Waco; from a sudden, drastic shift in weather that included copious amounts of rain and some mild hydroplaning on the freeway, to a two hour flight delay, and finally ending with sprinting through the airport to make a connecting flight, the best word to summarize our trip was adventure. Needless to say, I learned a lot on this trip. Perhaps one of my favorite moments of the trip, besides our downtown explorations and time at Magnolia, was sitting across from Kristine in the Austin airport, scrambling to make new plans and determine all our options: we both went straight into planning mode, no questions asked and no hesitations. We rocked that strategizing time.

In a little shy of two months, we will make yet another sister trip to the Mid State Fair in Paso Robles. I feel incredibly blessed to even type that sentence, as I know many friends and family members do not have the opportunity to do the same. This time around, I look forward to entering our trip with an open mind and elasticity to allow for whatever may come our way. 🙂 Cheers to sister time.

Lessons that I am taking away from my time, with my number one partner in crime and this trip, are these:

1.) Life, and trips, are never what we fully expect or envision in our own minds: there are bumps and twists and turns; sometimes hydroplaning, sometimes moments of unexpected, deep emotions, but that does not equal “bad” or failure. It is my deepest desire to learn how to embrace the ability to more easily adapt to alterations.

2.) Life is sweeter when we celebrate one another’s differences and unique traits; to love our individual passions, desires, hopes, and expectations and share them with those we love most.

3.) Love and joy and celebration must start from deep within. Others can support our journey to finding happiness but it is up to us to create and foster it within, leaning on faith and confidence in the man/woman God created us to be.