One Short Night

This past Wednesday afternoon after a long day of classes I decided a trip home was just what I needed. I packed up the essentials, put some gas in Jack and off to Nashville I went. It was a sunny afternoon and I LOVE driving with my windows down and favorite artists blaring out of Jack’s speakers. This drive included: Grace Potter, Jake Owen, and Eric Church. Shuffle it all and add some Starbucks, and folks there ya have it, a perfect day. 

Or at least top three for me, but what can I say, I am pretty easily entertained.

It was all going quite well until a little police officer started tailing me, then riding next to me, then tailing me again. Then the moment of truth, flashing lights and parked on I-40 I waited for my ticket. Oh but no speeding ticket in sight. I just had expired tags. Oops. Busy girl. Didn’t notice. Back on the road to Franklin I went and I arrived just in time for dinner.

I had a fun weekend at home with Robyn&Jimmy. I was lucky enough to see Taylor&Klay when he came home from Vegas. It was a nice laidback weekend. Everyone once in a while I just need to be at home again. A reality check of what matters, who matters, and what never will.

Robyn loves to suggest articles to read from the Nashville paper, and this time I took her up on it and read an article about a man who has committed to climbing the stairs of 10 of the world’s tallest buildings. My first thought was simply okay this is a publicity stunt to promote his book about building character and while it is indeed helping him, I was surprised how the message is something a bit more powerful. He says how our life is not made of huge deal breaking moments that change the direction of our life, but instead it’s small everyday choices that get us the life we want. I kind of love this. The goal should be to everyday live and make small choices that are helping us reach the desired goal, rather than waiting for the one moment that will change everything. Just like climbing stairs, its slow, tiring, but if you just keep moving your feet you will reach your goal. Small steps to the top.

I love this because as I am nearing the end of college, every choice that is coming my way seems monumental. But this newspaper article shows how if you don’t wait for your life to happen, but take chances and risks, you will end up at the top. 

Probably be a little winded but with persistence, commitment and a dream maybe anything is possible.

-SJP

My Kind of Crazy

A year ago I was driving my best friends and I to Alpha Delta Pi’s District Leadership Conference. This weekend the day had arrived to venture East once again. But the purpose of this trip was one that my dreams led me on.

My Alpha Delta Pi Pin.

A once in a lifetime opportunity to travel the country for a year. Finally. February 4^th. I could not be more excited to meet the women who I had been speaking with on the phone since December. Two months has gone by since the very first phone call. The time has come to pack up Jack with my matching Vera Bradley, a playlist of my latest favorite music, and my GPS to get me to my destination: Asheville, NC. I had ZERO issues on the way there which for me seemed entirely too good to be true. The afternoon went great. I was able to get ready while chatting with some of my favorite chapter members who also calmed my nerves. The big event flew by and two hours later, the journey home would begin. Hah, if I would have known how it would become quite the adventure I may have stayed the night to slumber party with the girls at the hotel. 

Hey North Carolina.

The beautiful state of North Carolina had just experienced a rockslide. My friend gave me a heads up about this and I thought it would be just an added delay but not a huge ordeal. BUT what is a day in Shelby Payne’s life if there is not something wild and weirdo happening?! 45 minutes down the road to Knoxville, the interstate just stopped. It was blocked off. Pitch black. Pouring rain. And there I was with not a clue what to do. My GPS was no help because the little British accent was just telling me to find a safe place to turn around. So in my panicked state, my first reaction was to follow the car in front of me. I mean, surely they were experienced, well informed drivers and everything would be fine. I was simply hoping I would magically reappear on 40W. Well after about 10 minutes of following this person I was terrified. We were on roads that were not paved, up in the mountains, with no street signs in sight. Having seen one too many Law & Order SVU episodes, I could just imagine these people I was following were leading me deeper and deeper into seclusion to abduct me. They waved at me in the dark to pull up next to their car, I was so desperate to find my way out of the mountains that I slowly approached their car. I have never been happier to see the smiling faces of an older couple that knew I was in need of some guidance. They did their best to guide me back to where the interstate stopped. Almost in tears all I knew to do was phone a friend from the great state of NC for help navigating me to safety and to calm my nerves. Well hours later I was back in Asheville, found the detour and was on my way to Knoxville.

Detours are funny things in life. When you have to take a different path than planned, it is incredibly disappointing and scary. When you can’t get to where you want to be right away, or when you make a mistake that now the best option is plan b, through a completely different place than you wanted to go through it's confusing. But detours are just different ways to get where you want to go. You still end up where you wanted to be, but going straight there was not right or at least at that time. The time that passed while on the detour was preparing the end result exactly how it should be. While preparing the driver to see the end destination in a new way. Timing in life changes everything. Something so perfect at the wrong time isn’t perfect at all.

 Patience to trust the detour is patience to trust that things work out exactly how and when they should. Exactly how the Creator of the detour planned it to get you back where you’re supposed to be, exactly when you are supposed to arrive there.

-SJP