Even when you’re traveling in an RV across the country, trying to find your forever city, life is still happening for everyone else in their cities and their families. In June, I felt that acutely when I received word that my former co-worker, friend, and mentor had passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
Sarah was a beautiful soul. Yes, we were “only” co-workers, but she had the ability to gift everyone with being present. When you were talking to her, her focus was on you and helping you grow through understanding, patience, and feedback. We traveled together on numerous work trips between 2020-2022, so we had a chance to get to know one another and spend non-work time together, including this trip when we had a chance to go to Universal Studios in Florida after a work meeting.
The first time I met Sarah, I was impressed. She was just a wee thing – younger and shorter than me. She walked into a tricky situation and came out shiny and bright. I was excited to work with her, but it wouldn’t be for another year or so before we would get to work together more closely.
It’s natural to feel a bit jealous of a colleague who is so skilled and also such a great person. I probably was, but it didn’t matter because there was such an opportunity to learn from her. What was extra amazing about her was that she didn’t just share her awesomeness with just me. Sarah seemed to have limitless energy for others – for her loved ones, her co-workers, her former colleagues, everyone.
So, when her fiancé contacted me about her services in late June, I had to figure out how to make it work. Thankfully, I have a friend who lives outside of Chicago, and she offered for Arthur and I to camp in her driveway. We parked the RV at an indoor parking facility, and I took the shuttle to O’Hare and flew to Jacksonville and rented a car.
I was very grateful that a co-worker, who lives north of Atlanta, could drive down to meet me. We spent some time with her fiancé – who was also a former colleague of ours – and his friends. We reminisced about her, we had cupcakes, and a lemon drop shot in her honor – served by a bartender named Sarah. (Our Sarah had been a bartender when she was in college.) We celebrated her at a beautiful tribute highlighting her life and her spirit and how she loved.
This detour was important – like most detours are. Detours force us to slow down – to arrive late to our next destination. Most of the time, it shows up as inconvenience, but not everything goes to plan. We, the planners of the world, love an agenda, an itinerary, but we must allow for route changes – to take an unexpected journey now and then. It can be a planner’s instinct to get angry or frustrated, but that’s not the point – is it? Take the detour.
The Adventures of Ms Haps & Arthur 