What Getting Lost in Paradise Taught Me About Life
By Susan D. Rostkoski, Principal Consultant
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I was driving along the Hāmākua Coast, one of the most beautiful stretches of scenery on the northeast coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. With nearly 84 inches of rainfall a year, the region boasts lush tropical rainforests, stunning waterfalls, and tranquil green valleys. The Hāmākua Heritage Corridor which begins in Hilo, culminates in the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout, a stunning overlook of ocean in seven different shades, lava rock, and verdant, vertical mountains.
Upon leaving this lookout paradise, I continued my drive to Kona, my final destination—or at least that was my intention. How I got lost is a tale of converging factors that I hadn’t considered and some lessons learned by even this very experienced traveler.
Dilemma: My paper map was too small to be useful.
Lesson: I needed to expand my field of vision. Upon pawing through the glove box of my rental car, I found a large map of the Big Island, complete with a section of the roads I was traveling.
Dilemma: My phone’s GPS seemed confused by all the curvy roads that led to dead-ends and by the Hawaiian names that appear to be made up mostly of vowels strung together.
Lesson: I needed to account for unfamiliar, even confusing information and re-draw the picture I had in my brain to account for the actual conditions.
Dilemma: This area is lightly populated, with few stores, widely spaced houses, and lots and lots of open land.
Lesson: Sometimes one needs a friendly face and the advice of an elder. Mine was sitting in his yard and waved to me on the third time I passed him. His knowledge as a lifelong resident was exactly what got me out of my dilemma.
Dilemma: After I got back on the road, I decided to stop at the first coffee shop I saw. Even though I have traveled to all 50 states and 36 countries, many times by myself, I admit to being rattled, my confidence a bit shaken as to my ability to successfully navigate when I am lost.
Lesson: Admit to myself that there are times when this exact thing or something akin to it will happen. After all, the adventure is why I travel, why I take on new and interesting volunteer projects, and why my work continues to teach me new lessons.
My wish for you is that you learn that getting lost can often have its own rewards.
As always, please contact us with any questions you may have, or if we can help you accomplish your mission (www.strategic-cc.com).