1/20/26 #wherewerv, #solTuesdays
Are you a process or product person? Do you relish the journey or focus on the destination? Perhaps you do both. Or maybe you are like me, where you want that end “whatever” to be here so badly, you force yourself to pay attention along the way, in order to stay sane. (TMI??)
When my kids were younger, time crawled and flew simultaneously. That quote, “The days are long but the years are short,” is attributed to Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project (2009), but I can’t help wondering if this feeling has been around much, much longer. When my kids were little, I remember thinking that my kids’ next stage would surely be better than this one, only to learn that each stage had its delights and issues.
So much of life we spend rushing from one event to another, marked by those biggies – graduations, jobs, relationship milestones, “round number birthdays”. Do we pay enough attention to the spaces in between?
Why did I start writing this after I woke up, before I even got out of bed? Impatience is a habit I’ve slowly unraveled over the years, although it still lurks in my subconscious and whispers, “Why haven’t you already ______ !” I shush this voice by recognizing that whatever stage I am in has its reasons to be grateful and its lessons to be learned, which helps me develop patience.
And yet, I want to be centered, my One Little Word (OLW) for 2026. However, I chose it because in order to BE centered, I have to WORK on it. (Insert a big, deep sigh. I mean – slow, deep breathing.)
So. Here’s my plan.
– Focus on what centering is.
– Focus on what centering means to me.
– Figure out ways to get there.
– Practice repeatedly.
– Reflect and refine as needed.
Wish me luck.
P.S. I will add that camping has definitely worked on the “journey, not destination” practice. Even though we have multiple destinations in our trips, I’ve taken many pictures as we travel. Here are just a few from the last couple of years. All are taken either from a vehicle in motion or when we took a short pause.
WhereWeRV 
I do like the idea of being centered. So often we focus on reaching a end that we don’t take the time to enjoy what we have at the moment. I know, that at least for me, the anticipation of getting there eclipses the joy of getting there. Good luck with you OLW this year. Hope you strike a good balance between being centered and the joy of anticipation.
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That’s a good way to think about it – the joy of anticipation!!
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The Pacific centers me every day. I get caught up in the , “Why haven’t you…” prod, but now I’m letting that thinking go as much as possible. “Still” reminds me that most of what we hassle ourselves with isn’t going anywhere, so we should—to use a sixties phrase—Be. Here. Now.” “Practice repeatedly,” indeed!
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I love the ocean for that reason. I actually rarely swim in it – too cold – but I love to sit & watch/listen, or walk along it, and sometimes, put my toes in it. In fact, I love all kinds of moving water sounds. I used to use the sounds of a brook on my white noise app to help me fall asleep. (It varies. Now I’m back to “brown noise”.) I just need practice finding that peace, that centering when I’m not actually there.
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I had just started reading and experienced an immediate reader/author pause and answered your question, “Do you relish the journey or focus on the destination?” My answer, “Both, AND I savor the planning, the preparations, the anticipation. Your last photo of the beach and bikes is awesome! BTW, I frequently take photos from a “vehicle in motion.”
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Oh good! I was hoping a reader would do that! I am working to find the joy, to experience the gratitude in the planning, and the prep. Sometimes I do! However, I find if I am too ramped up about what’s coming, I focus too much on getting there, and not on what I am doing at that moment. I’m a work in progress. Aren’t’ we all?
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You have asked a mighty big question here, but one that I too think about as I grow older and watch my own adult children struggle with the parenting parts that once made me stressed. I think, if I am honest, that I did not enjoy the journey enough during most of the years of my life. I have however, realized that I have fewer and fewer destinations ahead and thus have focused on the present – and the journey. I have tried harder and harder to embrace the here and now. As for a OLW, I would say don’t stress and go with the word of the month – week – or maybe even of the day…that would be really living in the moment.
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You bring up some good points! Is there something in particular that helps you focus on the here and now?
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It’s more of a focus thing. When I am with my grandchildren, I take few photos and just try to enjoy them! When I travel, I try to soak up where I am rather than just a final destination. I remind myself I will likely never have that moment again!
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I like that. Thanks for sharing!!
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This has always been a goal of mine -great word! … just so very challenging for me.
I love how you talked about process and product and centering and camping – and it all flows together.
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