Recalculating

So....this weekend we were supposed to be in Montreal to watch my daughter play football.  We like to make this excursion into a short vacation, and this year was no exception.  

We had lots of plans.   We'd go to the House of Jazz Restaurant we love so much.  We got tickets to see Straight No Chaser at the Place des Arts.    We would visit Hubby's favorite record store.  We would stop at a Maple Sugar Shack restaurant on the way home.   It was a very much anticipated trip.

And then we hit a roadblock.   I lost our passports.  They have simply vanished.   They're not where I usually keep them, and they're not anywhere else in the entire house.  I know, because Hubby and I scoured the house from top to bottom.   And it wasn't just the passports.  It was the whole envelope containing our birth certificates and marriage license as well.  

After going absolutely buggy-insane with frustration and disappointment, I  had no choice but to accept the unacceptable.  We are not going to Montreal.  And we have to move fast to replace the lost documents in time for our trip to Niagara Falls in three weeks.

A local musician and friend, Tom Smith, has a wonderful song on his new CD.  It's all about how his life is like following a GPS, and many times he has to "recalculate".    The essence of the lyrics say, "when life puts a roadblock in your way, simply recalculate, turn right and move on." 

And that's what we did.  After getting over my initial upset, Hubby and I moved on.  This morning we spent running around, from Lowell to Methuen to Salem  - to get everything we needed to apply for new passports.   And then we went to the beach.

Because when I took the time to think about it, the reason I was so disappointed was that I didn't really  need a vacation in Montreal.....I just needed a vacation.  I needed some time away from regular life.  I needed some alone time with my Hubby.

And thankfully, Hubby understands that.  We spent the day together at the beach.  Tomorrow I've agreed to spend the day at home working together on our yard.  And Sunday we'll spend the day together in the White Mountains. 

Sometimes, the unexpected detour can work out just as well.