I sat in the Prince William County courtroom next to Riley and listened. What in the world was I doing here? I was supposed to be somewhere else…on a European vacation. The judge read everyone the riot act. Her speech lasted almost an hour. It was June 2018. Riley was there to get his driver’s license. A parent must attend this “ceremony”, so I went to be supportive of my younger son. This event trumped our summer vacation plans.
Summer vacations are never set in stone
I do a fair amount of planning for my summer vacations, especially since I spend them in Europe these days. Both of you have been there with me. The funny thing is that my summer vacation plans are never set in stone. It seems like each summer something happens that throws a monkey wrench into the plan. Last year I canceled the vacation to Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) with Riley because of his court date. The year before Gavin could not go to France due to work. Legitimate excuses that cause chaos if I am not flexible.
Why I wrote this billboard
I went a little crazy with my trips for 2018 and ended up paying the price. I locked in travel plans to include plane tickets early in the year. I thought I was being proactive and would save money. Instead, I was being a dumbass and it cost me. I wrote this billboard as a reminder to myself to be flexible. Having a Plan B is always a good idea. Identifying a Plan C is even better, and Plan D may be best. I ended up using Plan D for my summer trip.
Nothing went as planned in 2018
Riley and I planned to visit France for Spring Break. I thought it was a good idea since he was taking French in high school. As both of you boys know, I pull together several options for each trip to Europe. We discuss the options and then you decide. The three options were in sunny Southern France – Riviera, Provence, or Languedoc-Roussillon. Riley chose Provence. Spring in Provence – what could be better than that?
Spring Break trip did not happen
The plan for Provence was set. Next came great news – Riley made the men’s varsity high school soccer team. He was excited, and so was I. The not as good news was that Riley needed to practice during Spring Break. He would jeopardize playing time if he skipped the workouts. Monkeywrench #1 – trip canceled. Provence would have to wait. Going solo did not seem like a great idea at the time. I ended up repurposing the money to buy Riley a used car. He was rather pleased with this chain of events.
Summer vacation plan also changed
Neither of you boys wanted to visit Europe during the summer of 2018. Kim and I decided we would go together instead. As per my usual, I pulled together three options so that Kim could choose. I stuck with France and offered three options – Riviera, Provence, or Burgundy. She chose Provence. Excellent. I tweaked the plan from Spring Break. It was going to be an awesome time – full of fun, food, and French culture.
European summers have been hot
The past few summers in Europe have been hotter than usual. It turned out that 2018 was going to be a scorcher. Suddenly Provence did not seem like a great idea. Part of me thought – screw it, we will just power through. But, I remembered how miserable the hot weather in Normandy the summer before made that visit. Almost ruined the trip. I could not imagine Southern France being pleasant. We decided to pivot the plan. Instead of France, we would visit the Netherlands in Northern Europe. I had never been there before and hoped it would be fun.
Plan D was way better than expected
Kim and I had a blast in the Netherlands. It was an awesome trip, and the weather was spectacular. I have written before about visiting the fascinating country of the Netherlands and what makes the Dutch people special compared to others. I am really pleased we ended up going there, despite the fact that it was Plan D. Plan A was Spring Break in Provence. Plan B was Benelux summer vacation. Plan C was a summer vacation in Provence. Plan D was summer vacation to the Netherlands.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
Nowadays I include several options for every trip I plan. I know that having more options is a better approach. It allows flexibility when things change. No vacation has gone as planned for the past five years. Even this summer I had to change the plan. It was my first trip with Kim and her kids. As always, three options were offered – France, England, or Germany. England was chosen. Turns out I needed to be in Belgium for a business meeting, so we went with Plan B. Three capital cities – London, Brussels, and Paris. It was a great trip, even though it was Plan B.
What about you?
Are you putting multiple options on the table so that you make good decisions? Are you able to pivot when plans change, or do you fold the tent? I encourage you to increase your flexibility by proactive planning that includes multiple options – just in case you need another path forward.
Always have a Plan B, C, and D. You may need all three of them.
Dad