Silly question right?
Everyone knows what a car is. An engine pushes it down the road, seats hold us in for the ride, speakers keep us entertained. We could get all of these things via other means of travel, sure, but should we? Recently I took a trip to California and splurged a bit on a convertible rental. Wait, why am I not telling you about my trip? Why have I spent an entire paragraph setting up an exposition on automobiles? Don’t tap the brakes just yet.
Before I left I browsed a set of intriguing pictures by a photographer I can’t remember. Every photo was taken in a famous location. The twist? He or she chose to rotate their camera 180 degrees. Instead of showing the Taj Mahal, we see travelers viewing it. If your metaphorical glass is half-empty, cell phones on selfie sticks were everywhere. Some of the locations are even surrounded by desolation or are generally unkempt. Or, if your glass is half-full, you might see the faces of families filled with joy, experiencing something they would remember the rest of their lives. Something they can experience again and again. This made me think about what we want to really remember as we attempt to make memories each and every day of our lives.
OK, remember that convertible I mentioned earlier? Hop in, I’d like to flip the camera 180 degrees on my trip.
The Famous Bixby Bridge
After flying into San Francisco I boarded a busy tram with other travelers hoping to also borrow a car. Looking around, I was also the only person wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Tourist alert, California is a little bit colder than the blistering summer heat of Texas. Exiting the maze that is the San Francisco Airport rental car parking garage, the gate worker gave me a huge smile and said ‘Welcome to California.’ I think he know I’d have some fun.
The next morning I woke up early, which, thanks to the change of time zone was super easy. I put the top down and set out for my destination, driving from San Francisco to Monterrey. After putting the route in Google Maps, I decided to ignore the computer and take the long way, the more scenic route.
This put me on Highway 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) which is something everyone should experience in their life.
With a smile on my face I rounded a windswept corner, the sun just rising over the peaks to my left and I saw the Pacific Coast in all its glory.
I quickly pressed on the brake and hopped out of the car with my camera in tow. Similar to the Grand Canyon, it’s difficult to put into perspective and for a picture or video to capture what you experience being there. I snapped a few pictures, posted some to social media, and got back in the car to get to my destination.
Wow, was that car fun to drive.
Over the next few days I did this repeatedly. Friends acting as part-time tour guides took me to their favorite spots and each time we hopped out of the car. How did I know what to take a picture of? What memories did I want to keep? Well, after a day or so, I began glancing back at the convertible as I walked away from it. Maybe it was just to double-check I had locked it. Maybe it was something else. Now… I realize this may seem shallow. I was potentially enjoying a physical object as much as one of the most beautiful locations on Earth. I get it.
On the last full day we set out for Napenthé, a beautiful restaurant high in the coastal hills and past Big Sur which I had hiked the day before. We stopped to pick up one of my friends’s friends. Even living there, she had never had the chance to drive the coast in a convertible. The look on everyone’s face as we, let’s just say quickly, accelerated up hills and rounded steep corners was priceless. Halfway through the hour-long drive I let her drive as I took everything in from the backseat. It was fantastic, albeit a little chilly. (Trip recommendation: bring a jacket.)
It was a fantastic trip and one I’d highly recommend to anyone.
I could go into more detail on so many points, but it’s been done before. Go to Big Sur, checkout the Golden Gate Bridge, or even get some clam-chowder on the Monterrey boardwalk. Seriously, go do it! I think what I got out of this trip is that it’s the whole experience that matters. While Napenthé was an amazing restaurant, one deserving of it’s own review, it was really the drive that I’ll remember.
You may hate cars. You may really enjoy performance; having your head thrown back in your seat as you accelerate from stoplight to stoplight. Or, you may enjoy having a nice stereo to blast awful 90’s songs with your friends. It’s easy to consider a car just a material means to an end, a device that gets you from Point A to Point B. Consider for a second that there’s actually some cool stuff between ‘A’ and ‘B’.
That silly, somewhat impractical, bright red convertible taught me something I didn’t expect that week.
Enjoy everything when you have the chance. Even though it sounds ripped from a Hallmark card, if you only focus on the destinations you’ll miss most of life. No matter if your destination is the Taj Mahal or work on a Thursday, think about the memories you can make just getting there. Don’t just drive through the work week to reach the weekend. Look around you, you are surrounded by the wonders of life every single day. People that love you, a choice of what’s for dinner, even the mundane oil change, all are a blessing if you choose to view them that way.
I look back at that convertible not because of the destinations it took me to, but because of how much fun I had getting there.
This article was originally published on Bonfire Thoughts August 13, 2016.