Kim Wilbanks

I wonder where that road goes? We should follow it one day.

My husband and I have this conversation every time we’re in the mountains of North Carolina.

Three Roads

When we go to North Carolina, we stay in the small town of Banner Elk, in the northwestern corner of the state.  It is our tradition to drive over to the even smaller community of Valle Crucis every time we visit.  The road we travel passes some homes and then the entrance to a park and The Annex, part of the Mast General Store.  Next is the tiny elementary school — I bet they don’t have trouble finding teachers to work there.  Then, you come to Mast General Store, a 100 year-old icon in the High Country.  A little ways past that is an old barn and cornfield, a very popular place in the fall.  The road then curves to the right and disappears over a hill.  We have never passed the barn.

Old House on Road – Valle Crucis

Mast General Store Valle Crucis

Corn Maze

North Carolina Barn

Corn Field

Every time we get to the barn and cornfield we have the same conversation:

I wonder where that road goes?  We should follow it one day. 

I did follow an unknown road up here several years ago.  My daughter and I set out to meet a woman who sold furniture and clothing for American Girl dolls.  This was way before smartphones so I called to schedule a visit to her home and scribbled down the directions on a piece of scrap paper.  Well, I missed a turn and asphalt road soon turned to gravel then dirt as we climbed up the mountain.  I couldn’t find a place to turn around on the curvy mountain road.  My heart was pounding as I started to see men with shotguns walking through the woods.  Finally, we got to a clearing at the top where I could turn my mini-van around.  There were dozens of pick-up trucks and men in camouflage carrying shotguns. Was that banjos I heard playing?  Thankfully, we got turned around, headed down the mountain and made it to the woman’s house.  Oh, yeah, I found out it was the start of hunting season.

One day last week, I drove our red jeep over to Blowing Rock.  I took the shortcut; a curvy mountain road — it’s not for the faint of heart but fun in the jeep.  At one point I was unsure of which fork in the road to take, I couldn’t remember.  I had a brief moment of panic — what if I get lost?  What if I can’t find my way?  I was relieved when I saw familiar landmarks that verified I was on the right path.  I made it there and back without any problems.

Roads Are Like Life

These three road stories reveal something about my true nature.  I tend to be cautious, not very adventurous.  I want to know where I’m going and that I will safely arrive.  I love maps — they show you where you are going, what roads to take to get from point A to point B.  But even with that information, a roadblock or a detour could interrupt the planned route.

It’s kind of like life.  We want to know what is going to happen to us, if we’re going to be safe in our journey.  We don’t like the roadblocks and detours, the things that disrupt our plans.  We get anxious when things are different, not what we expected.

What if we let go of the road map?  What if we let the One who loves us the most show us the way to go; one step at a time?  What if we stop being so afraid of what may be ahead and see the unknown as an adventure?

This is the year.  I’m going to get in our little red jeep with my husband and my dog and find out where that road goes.  I’ll let you know what we discover.