By Kevin Estes

Vacation

We recently visited Sandpoint, ID!

Here's a pic from Schweitzer Mountain overlooking the town.

I took it on a spontaneous hike which led to a beautiful waterfall.

Wildfires

We'd planned to go on a long hike the next day.
However, something impacted our plans.

You can actually see the trouble across the bottom of the photo.

Change in Circumstances

The first day was great!
We went hiking, had lunch, and went ziplining on Schweitzer.
That afternoon, we cooled off with a swim in the lake.

Then the wind shifted and brought heavy smoke from Canada, forcing us indoors.

Vacationers cancelled, replaced by evacuees at our hotel.

Pivot!

We adapted.

Instead of swimming in the lake, we swam in the indoor pool.

We still ate food from our favorite local restaurants even though it was takeout eaten in the hotel.

At one point, the manager of the supposedly dog friendly hotel asked me to remove our dog from the common area.
He didn't help his cause by thinking she was a friend who wanted to play!

Outdoor activities were replaced by watching reruns, reading books, and playing cards.

That led to a precious moment with our dog laying on top of his crate while we played a card game around him!

Reroute

Our trip home was impacted by the Interstate 90 closure around Medical Lake due to the Gray Fire.

Traffic was bad on the rural highways.

We stopped at a small town hamburger joint to use a restroom which didn't work well.

However, we shared what may have been the biggest - and tastiest - huckleberry milkshake ever!

Lessons

Someone once said:

Vacation plus disaster equals adventure.

So true!

I wonder how I might apply that to everyday life:

• What can I do today that I might not be able to do later?

• What if I gave myself - and others - as much grace throughout the year as I do on vacation?

• How much more grateful would I be if I reminded myself how good I have it?

Vacationing while others were evacuating at the same hotel provided a vivid reminder of that reality.

My heart goes out to everyone who’s been impacted by the many wildfires. Thank you firefighters for everything you’re doing to contain the flames, save lives, and protect homes.

If you’re interested in gaining new perspective, feel free to…

Disclaimer

In addition to the usual disclaimers, neither this post nor this video includes any financial, tax, or legal advice.