Rain, rain, and more rain. I shook my head after reviewing the weather report. It was going to rain hard the entire weekend. Usually, I would not care, but this weekend was different. It was Memorial Day weekend in 2018. Kim and I were getting ready to take our first trip together, and the weather was going to suck – practically flood conditions the entire weekend.
The weather is beyond our control.
I thought about calling Kim and canceling the trip. Why fly down to Miami, Florida, for hurricane-like weather? We could easily stay at home instead. But we were both excited to go. Neither one of us had spent time in Miami before. Besides, we cannot control the weather. We decided to go anyway. Who knows – perhaps the sun would shine.
Why I wrote this billboard
I love traveling. It is truly one of my passions. I enjoy seeing the sites, sampling new foods, and relaxing in beautiful locations. One thing that is always a roll of the dice when I travel is the weather. I wrote this billboard as a reminder that I should never worry about the weather, much less let it ruin any day. Instead, make the most of each day, no matter the weather.
We chose to have fun despite the weather.
As predicted, the weather in Miami was awful. It rained hard and was windy almost the entire weekend. We could spend a little time on South Beach, only to stroll around and get our feet wet. The good news was that Miami was uncharacteristically empty, which made it easy for us. We decided to make the most of the situation and have fun anyway.
The weather didn’t matter.
We ate at several good restaurants. A friend of mine recommended Sunday morning brunch at Yardbirds. It was excellent. We hung out at coffee shops, did a little shopping, and even managed to find a few good breweries. One afternoon, we spent several hours at Abbey Brewing Company, a brewery that specialized in Belgian beers. It was an outstanding surprise.
What mattered was that we were together, not the weather.
Spending time together was the main point of the trip. We did plenty of that, and it was terrific. Kim and I got to know each other without any distractions around us. No work, no kids, no stress. Just the two of us sitting side by side. We usually play cards, enjoy a drink, eat some snacks, and talk. Sometimes I smoke a cigar. We discuss everything and nothing at times. We have gone on many trips since this one, and they all have been great.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
I don’t check the weather report anymore before traveling. The fact is that I don’t care. I am going to have a fantastic time no matter what the weather is. Sometimes, the skies are sunny, like last year during our trips to Holland and Jamaica. There was no rain at all. Other trips included plenty of liquid sunshine, such as when we went to Dublin and London. Both Irish and English weather stink. It probably explains why there are so many pubs.
What about you?
Are you worried about the weather? Are you letting circumstances dictate the quality of your experiences? Don’t fall into that trap. Instead, go out and have a great time, regardless of the weather.
Don’t worry about the rain. The perfect day does not exist. You must create it
Dad