Today is day 14 of my 4-month Next Chapter Best Chapter road trip and it’s also my 56^th birthday! Last night, I arrived in La Jolla, CA, where I will spend the next 16 days visiting my daughter. I’ll also be working my full-time job, exploring the area, taking in the beautiful weather, and doing a few unexpected things!

In honor of my 56 years on this spinning rock, I have come up with a list of 56 things I want to experience on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. A bucket list within my bucket list! Keep in mind that this list was created with the help of two friends and one (ok, maybe more) of Uncle Mike’s famous margaritas. And there is one item on this list that I was double-dog dared to add, but will not actually do… a blog post Easter Egg if you will! For fun, put in the comments which experience you think is the Easter Egg!

And, if you have any great ideas I should add, let me know in the comments as well! I’m happy to add more to the list!

Fifty-six bucket list items to experience on my
Next Chapter Best Chapter road trip:

(“New States” are: Idaho, Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin)

1. Hike Devil’s Bridge in Arizona

2. Get a tattoo or two

3. Glamp at Joshua Tree National Park

4. Visit Yellowstone National Park

5. Go on a solo hike

6. Visit Zion National Park

7. Visit Petrified Forest National Park

8. Take a selfie at Imperial Sand Dunes

9. Go to a concert

10 Go to a drive-in movie theater

11. Make a friend while hiking solo

12. Go to a gun range

13. Eat out at a restaurant by myself

14. Eat food I have never eaten before

15. Dance on a bar top

16. Receive a ticket or violation of some kind

17. Go to a strip club

18. Get a photo with a random person in every new state

19. Get a selfie with a celebrity

20. AirDrop a funny photo to a random person

21. See a moose in the wild

22. See a bear in the wild

23. Go to the dog beach in San Diego

24. Go whale watching

25. Giving surfing a try

26. Watch a sunset in every new state

27. Have a one-night stand

28. Watch a sunrise in every new state

29. Stargaze in every new state

30. Eat a potato in Idaho

31. Relax in an Idaho hot spring

32. Go to a brewery in every new state

33. Eat salmon in Alaska

34. See a bald eagle in Alaska

35. Eat a bison burger in Montana

36. Eat chokecherry jam/pie in North Dakota

37. Eat cheese curds in Wisconsin

38. Get a selfie with a cowboy

39. Swim in the Pacific Ocean

40. Swim in the Atlantic Ocean

41. Exercise on the beach

42. Exercise in the mountains

43. Go to a rodeo

44. Go to a professional sports game

45. Go fishing

46. Complete my Random Act of Kindness cards

47. Collect a Christmas ornament in every state I sleep in

48. Listen to the entire Annie F. Downs EnneaSummer Series Podcast

49. Go to Disneyland

50. Learn how to make the perfect Old Fashioned

51. Lose 10 pounds

52. Visit a psychic

53. Go skinny dipping

54. Take a scenic drive without a GPS

55. Zipline

56. Book my flight to Hawaii (my last of the 50 states to visit)

I hope you have enjoyed riding shotgun on my road trip so far! Fourteen days down, 108 to go!

Organization and Travel Items

Safety Items

Portable Air Compressor

I feel much more comfortable knowing I have this portable air compressor in my trunk as well. I’m doing most of the driving portions of my trip by myself and I want to make sure I have as many bases covered as possible when it comes to safety!

I purchased this one at Best Buy: Air Compressor

Clothes and Personal Items

• 35 hours in my car
• 2,110 miles driven
• 8 states traveled through (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona.
• 1 National Park visited – Petrified Forest National Park
• 8 friends visited with 124 years total since I had seen them
• 10 Gas Fill Ups
• $3.39/gallon in Wichita Falls, TX on 3/7/22 – Lowest gas price
• $4.59/gallon in Gilbert, AZ on 3/10/22 – Highest gas price
• 1 Hike at the San Tan Mountain Regional Park
• 3 Instagram Reels, 4 TikTok Videos, and way too many Instagram and Facebook Stories to count!
• 1,000,000 – the number of times I have said “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS MY LIFE!”

Lessons learned in Week 1:

Don’t let friendships get lost in the day-to-day busyness of life: I reconnected with seven friends I hadn’t seen in years and in some cases decades. While we easily and quickly fell back into the step as if we had never been apart, I think of all the wasted years in between. Life gets busy, I know that as much as anyone. But relationships are what life is about. Set aside some time to reach out to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Go have coffee or a zoom happy hour and catch up. I promise you won’t regret it.

Don’t stop at gas stations with dog runs: Somewhere in the middle of Mississippi, I stopped at a Love’s Travel Center that had a dog run. I thought it was a good idea. The dog run was small and had 3 large dogs in it, so I decided to just walk Mowgli around the grassy area. Bad decision – there were SO MANY smells, Mowgli got so worked up, it took him an hour back in the car to finally calm down. And people who travel with their dogs and stop at truck stops don’t believe in cleaning up after their dogs. You guys – it was DISGUSTING!

When God closes a door, know he is protecting you or planning on something even better than you could have imagined: I feel like I have always known this, but sometimes it’s hard to remember. Sometimes we get reminded of it when a door we thought was wide open for us gets abruptly and firmly slammed in our face, as it did for me this week. For a hot minute, I was so angry and didn’t understand why this opportunity fell through. But when I took some time to pray and think about it, I know that God ALWAYS has my back. I’m not sure what that will look like, but that slammed door now has me SO EXCITED and on the lookout for what He has planned in my life. That slammed door has given me the freedom to be open to the outrageous and the unexpected. So…stay tuned, and let’s all hope God reveals that plan in the next four months! Wouldn’t that be exciting?

Listen to new music: There is comfort in the known and listening to songs that bring back memories of great times and places. But there is also something amazing about opening yourself up to new songs, new styles of music, and new memories.  Thanks to my son Zach for setting up some great playlists for me, and helping me to create new memories tied to those songs along the way!

Be nice: Being on the road for over 35 hours, it’s so important to be nice. It’s EASY to be snarky and short-tempered, but it’s so much better to be nice. Let the trucker in, even if he is going below the speed limit on a hill while passing another trucker. Move to the right, even when you don’t want to get behind that car that is going way too slow, but the person behind you is obviously in a hurry. Be polite and nice to the gas station attendants, they see weary travelers all day.

Take a detour: You don’t always have to be on a schedule. Some unplanned stops on my trip were some of the best resting and reset points along the way. Mowgli and I hung out in Tupelo, MS at Elvis’s birthplace where Mowgli got a ton of pets from all the tourists, and I got a need stretching of my legs. At the Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo, TX we met a super sweet couple who we chatted with for a while, and Mowgs and I got our first road trip picture together. And I got the best scenery pictures so far at the Petrified National Forest in Arizona. 

It’s ok to feel the feelings: I am an Enneagram 3 and the last thing an Enneagram 3 wants to do is feel our feelings. I am an expert at stuffing down my feelings, and quite frankly wear it like a badge of honor! “I’m fine. I’m good. I’m great. I’m awesome.” But, this trip is designed for me to heal and restore my soul so I can live a life of joy and freedom from guilt, shame, and others’ expectations. So, I forced myself to spent a lot of time on the road just feeling the feelings of the last 12 years of my life. From sadness to joy, heartbreak to happiness. And that was a good thing.

If you don’t already, follow me on Instagram and Facebook. I am posting daily on my stories of all my adventures!

But, it seems to be turning into SO MUCH MORE!

If all goes according to plan here is my Road-Trip-by-the-Numbers:

States I will visit: 29
Miles I will travel: 8,200
Gas I will purchase: Let’s please not even talk about this!
Friends and family homes I will stay in: 9 homes for a total of 59 nights
Airbnb’s I am renting: 7 for a total of 48 nights
Hotel rooms I’ll be staying in: 3 hotels for 3 nights
Airline flights: 4

I have so many friends who I am scheduled to visit, most of whom I haven’t seen in over 30 years. And this number is growing daily as I reach out, and as old friends hear about my trip and reach out to me. The simple preparation of this trip has reconnected me with countless friends from around the country, from all stages of my life. I have exchanged phone numbers, had email and messenger conversations, and even chatted on the phone with people!

My intentions for this trip have grown and developed over the weeks as well. I have spent a good amount of time in quiet, thoughtful prayer. I don’t want this trip to be something I just check off my to-do list. I believe and hope this trip will be transformative and restorative for me.  

If you are like me, and 50-something years old, you likely have some baggage weighing you down. You may have some trauma or heartbreak holding you back from making bold, courageous moves in your life. You probably have a self-destructive habit or two that keeps you from living the life God intended. I know I do. I am hopeful that this trip, will allow me the time, the space, the thoughtfulness to shed some of that baggage. To heal some of the heartbreak. To create new, constructive habits. To figure out my next best step in this life. To realize that I am worthy of all God intends for me. That I don’t have to settle for less than. I don’t have to settle for situations that don’t challenge me to grow and step into my greatness. I don’t have to settle for friendships and relationships that are contingent on me being who they expect me to be, rather than who I am…imperfect and flawed. Or settle for relationships that are half-hearted, one-sided, or uncommitted.

Of course, I’ll still be working my full-time job and my side gig. But, I’ll also be spending a lot of time outdoors. I’ll be journaling like my life depends on it. I’ll be spending time in the Word. I’ll be reconnecting with old friends, and hopefully making new friends along the way.

I’ll be getting raw, and real in my blog because I’m pretty sure some of what I am going through will resonate with you. And maybe, just maybe, will give you the courage and inspiration to change your life in little ways or maybe even in big ways.

Thank you for being along for the ride. I’m so happy to have you!

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I am learning from seasons of personal experience that the place to start is simply to have a grateful heart. I don’t say this lightly and I know life can serve up some crazy and unexpected curve balls. Some hard hitting balls that hurt beyond what I will share. Tough stuff. But, hear me out before you kick me out of the game. Take a peek into one of the seasons of learning in my life….

One of my daughters has recently gone through a tough season of closed doors, no’s and many things not shaking her way. On top of that, within a 2 month time span, she experienced a car break in, laptop and iPad stolen, two car accidents, a totaled car, missed interviews that she was so pumped about, and believe it or not, I could go on. I’ll spare you. But, you are probably getting a clear peek, right? It’s been a hard season with lots of why me’s and other thoughts causing her to spin in that cycle of yuck and such. Cue the entrance of me…. Let me introduce myself:

Hey, hey! I’m Sheri, aka, empathizer, sympathizer, feeler of what you feel. If it hurts you, then it hurts me. You are sad and despairing? I’m tracking with you. It might as well be happening to me, too. I ask the ‘but why’ questions on your behalf. And hello again, I’m Sheri, also helper and want to be ‘fixer upper’ of you and your situation and sad heart. ESPECIALLY, if you are my family. Nice to meet you.

It’s always something, right? Always some yuck. Always some negative stuff. Always some things not shaking our way. But, there is always something else. But, there is always SOMEONE else. But, GOD. So much in those two words. So much hope, trust, peace, joy and a better way. A better outlook.

But, God. But, God has been teaching me for a while about Philippians 4:6-8, which says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and THANK HIM for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear bothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Such good stuff on its own. Such TRUTH!! But, God also had me in the book of James in our groups bible study during this season. Though I had studied it before, this time one of the verses kept ringing in my heart. It was front and center in my thoughts. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” Who doesn’t love a gift? But a good and perfect gift? Now we are talking!! But wait a minute. Can those good and perfect gifts from God not feel so “ good and perfect” sometimes? Hang with me here. Are no’s good and perfect gifts? Are hard seasons and trials good and perfect gifts? Is God to be trusted with the no’s in our lives as much as he is with the yes’s? He is Sovereign, right? Can the hard season be used as a refining and defining season? Can we choose to believe that the hard season will mature us in our walk with Jesus? Maybe you are wanting to shout, NO, NO and NO. I get it. But Again, YES, YES AND YES.

We can absolutely turn every anxious thought into choosing to pray with thanksgiving . We can be thankful that God sees, He knows, He is working it all out. He can be trusted. We can choose to think about what is true, right and praise worthy and be grateful, completely GRATEFUL, that the God of all creation is the One who is weaving our beautiful life tapestry together. He knows how every thread of circumstance, good and not so good, works together for our eternal good and He knows the stunningly, lovely, finished tapestry that will bring Him the most glory. But, God! The Great Artist. The Master Weaver. The Giver of every good and perfect gift. Even when we don’t see them that way. Even when the good and perfect gift is a closed door and another no.

So, back to that season. I began to choose to thank God for every closed door, every no that my daughter received. And the car stuff? What was good in that? She miraculously wasn’t injured. Thank you, Jesus! The other people involved had no injuries, either. Praise God! Kind people were involved at every turn, even offering to secure an interview for her in place of the one she had missed. Thank you, God, for the kindness of others! It was a choice to look for what was good and praise worthy and to think on those things. Now, let’s be real here. There were tears and feelings of being overwhelmed in all of these situations on my end. I’m human. This is life. Life can be crazy. But choosing to intentionally shift to a grateful heart led me to that peace that began to guard my heart and mind. That peace that passes understanding. That peace that is explained in one word. JESUS. The One and only peace giver. The One I can trust with all of life’s yes’s and no’s, the good and not so good. Being grateful for things not shaking out kept me from the pit of woes and despair. Mind you, I sometimes had to repeat “I trust you, Jesus” over and over until the words shattered the doubt that would try to sneak in.

My daughter has since received some yes’s. Doors opened by God’s hand and we are all so grateful and giving God the glory. But what I find myself the most grateful for is what God accomplished in each of our lives. Learning that we can have joy and peace in the hard season. Learning to trust Him and His unchanging love for us in deeper ways. Learning to be intentional with our gratefulness. Learning to persevere in prayer when we feel like giving up hope. You know, the lasting and eternal things. The things that only point to Jesus. Lean in for this. Hear it in your head and your heart. If you are in the middle of icky, negative thoughts of why me, if only, and despairing why nots, then begin to read and meditate on Philippians 4:6-8. Choose to turn every worry into praying with a grateful heart. Grateful that God is good and can be fully trusted. Choose to think on what is good, right and true. Choose to trust God with every no and even dare to thank Him. That’s right. Thank Him for His sovereign no’s. Because God knows what your completed life tapestry will look like. And trust me, we will be grateful He was the one weaving it and working the threads for our good and His glory and not us. What a tangled ball of thread we would surely weave.

A grateful heart? It’s a great place to start!!