the art of getting lost

I've been trying to get lost more often. taking long walks through unexplored areas of our neighborhood, discovering new alleys and nooks, spotting hidden temples.

in so many areas of life, I try to operate in the most efficient manner. I want to accomplish as many important things as I can in as short of time as possible [without sacrificing the quality of the outcome, of course.] the way I wash dishes. how I hang the laundry to dry. which road I take to get to downtown when running errands.

logistics are my jam. seriously. when grocery shopping can involve 3 or 4 stops you either learn which routes make sense or you waste a lot of time and gas. my sense of direction is better than most. my memory is scary good with details. and my spacial analysis skills... well I do have an engineering degree. [which I don't use anymore, so just let me brag a little here ok?]

so once I get a sense of how to get from point A to B to C and back again, I plot the most efficient route and tend to stick to it.

not today though. I went out on the scooter and got lost, intentionally.

I took myself out on a sushi date for lunch. the dishes were dirty and Husband came home and suggested I just go, rather than clean them. [in fact they are still not clean because I'm sitting here typing instead of scrubbing... but I never claimed to be a perfect little housewife.]

after lunch I had planned to head to the park and shoot some photos for an upcoming post. but it was windy. really windy. but I didn't want to go home and just sit in the apartment listening to the remodeling they are doing upstairs and thinking I should wash the dishes. so I decided to just drive around instead.

maybe it's because we are moving to Taipei in 6 months and I want to explore more of Hsinchu while I still have the chance. maybe it's because I was subconsciously thinking of my "resolution" to bring an attitude of adventure to this year. maybe it's because I live right by the dang mountains yet can never seem to find a good vantage point for taking pictures of them when we have a clear day. or maybe I just really didn't want to wash dishes.

I just drove around all afternoon. I went downtown and took roads and alleys I didn't recognize. then I headed out towards the hills and got myself good and lost.

and then of course I found my way back. my cheeks were pink and my hair whipped into a wild tangle where it escaped from under my helmet. I didn't find anything out there I had been looking for, except for maybe a bit of myself.

linking up with Nicole