Sometimes there’s a certain magic in not knowing. A uniqueness that unfolds when you let go of the need to have all the answers and allow life to surprise you. I suppose that’s what happens when we stop scripting every moment – we find ourselves caught in the unexpected, embracing moments that make us feel truly alive.
A long time ago when your mom and I were young, we were full of that restless energy that comes when you know the world is at your feet. We traveled to California, with no real plan in mind – just the thrill of what could be and the excitement of being together. One night, on a whim, we decided to leave our hotel, get in the car, and drive, letting the road decide where we would end up. This was before smartphones and Google Maps, before social media told you the places you needed to see or the routes you should take. It was just us, a paper map folded in the glovebox, and the freedom of not knowing where the night might take us.
We drove for hours, the night air rushing in through the open windows, carrying with it the scent of salt and promise. We took turns without thinking, each twist and turn of the road a mystery, until we found ourselves somewhere unexpected – at the The Wedge on the beach at Balboa Island, late at night. The road had led us to a dead end, and at first, we weren’t sure what to make of it. But then we saw it – the beach, spread out before us. We got out of the car to walk.
We had never seen anything like it. We walked into what may be a common occurrence for others, but for us, it was something entirely new. The waves. The waves were massive that night. They weren’t breaking out in the ocean; they were breaking right at the shore. They were huge! They crashed against the shoreline with a force that was both mesmerizing and a little bit terrifying. When they hit, there was a sound like someone dropping hundreds of massive boulders on the ground at the same time. And then the water – the water sprayed at least twenty feet into the air, illuminated by the moonlight in a way that made it seem almost unreal. It felt like we had stumbled into another world – one that existed just for us, just in that moment. The roar of the ocean drowned out everything else, and it was as if time itself had stopped. There was no plan, no expectation – just us, the moon, the ocean, and the incredible beauty of that unexpected place.
We sat on the beach and watched as the waves crashed under the moonlight. We didn’t say much – there was no need. The moment spoke for itself. It was a feeling of pure freedom, of knowing that we had let go of everything we thought we needed to control, and in doing so, we had found something more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. That night became one of those memories that stayed with us, not because we planned it, but because we allowed ourselves to let go and embrace where life was taking us.
It was on that evening that I learned this lesson. My life, up until that point, had never been carefully planned. I had always moved forward without much of a script, letting things unfold as they would. But that evening, as the waves crashed into the shore, I realized just how little of life can be truly anticipated. And perhaps, how little of it should be.
There was a freedom in the air, an unspoken promise that tonight was about the here and now – not tomorrow, not yesterday. It was the kind of freedom that opens your heart wide, making room for all the things you never dared to hope for. And I remember thinking to myself, this is what life is – not the schedules, not the plans, but the moments that catch you off guard.
We often chase certainty, believing it keeps us safe. By planning every detail, we try to protect ourselves from life’s heartaches. But in the pursuit of certainty, we overlook the beauty of the unexpected. Some of the most unforgettable experiences are those that catch us by surprise, beyond anything we could have planned. The best memories – the kind that stay with you long after the moment is gone – are often the ones that weren’t planned. They’re the evenings spent talking until dawn, the spontaneous road trips, the laughter that bubbles up for no reason at all.
Life is a series of moments – some good, some bad – but the best ones are often the surprises. The times when you’re standing on the brink of the unknown, your heart beating fast, and you decide to take the leap anyway. Sometimes, you have to live your life without knowing what is happening next. You have to let go of the need to control and trust that when you jump, there is something amazing waiting for you just beyond the unknown.
So, take that chance. Say yes to the invitation you’re hesitant about. Let yourself get lost on purpose, follow the road that’s not on your map, and sit beside strangers who might just become friends. Because when you look back, it won’t be the days that went according to plan that you remember most. It’ll be the ones that caught you off guard, the ones that made your heart race – the ones that reminded you what it truly means to be alive.
The best memories aren’t scripted – they’re lived, one heartbeat at a time.