May 13, 2021

You Never Know Where Things May Lead

This is the twenty-fifth in a series of short essays I wrote as part of the Ship 30 for 30 program. You can read all thirty essays here.

I still remember buying my first car in my early twenties. I was excited to exercise my newfound freedom, so to satisfy my sense of adventure, I took a pin and stuck it in a map of England. I decided I would take a weekend road trip to wherever the pin landed.

As luck would have it, I had stuck the pin in a scenic part of the countryside, near to a stone circle. I called up my girlfriend and asked her, “Do you want to visit a stone circle this weekend?” She said to count her in.

So we packed up the car and drove out there. It was tucked away and hard to find. Eventually, we came to a clearing at the end of a footpath and found nine stones, each about 18 inches high, arranged in a circle about fifteen meters across.

The circle wasn’t exactly Stonehenge, but the setting was lovely and had a great vibe. Quite a few people were camping there, and someone explained that it was a well-known camping and party spot. We didn’t have tents, so we spent a sunny afternoon there and vowed to return.

A few weeks later, I introduced the place to some friends. We became regular visitors and have had many memorable weekends there over the years. Two decades on, we still visit when the stars align. It has become something of a sacred spot for us.

It was impossible to know back then that sticking a pin in a map would lead to a lifetime of memories between a group of longtime friends. But good things with a lasting impact come your way when you keep an open mind and follow your curiosity. So lean into your sense of adventure. You never know where it may lead.