My wife and I have embarked on “Alphabet Dating.” This is where you take turns and plan a date that is themed around something starting with your assigned letter. Last night, I had “B.” We jumped in the car, and I had prepared a baguette with brie and a bowl of blueberries to tide us over until we reached our destination: bluegrass at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV.

I would like to take credit for planning a great evening. In all truth, it came together by a series of happy accidents and was not at all what I thought I was planning. A good friend had texted me a couple of small venue concerts/performances. When I saw Furnace Mountain, something drew me to it, and I thought… BLUEGRASS! An awesome “B” date. We have been encouraging each other to do things that we would never ordinarily do, and this was perfect.

I impulsively clicked on the link, purchased my tickets, and then thought I should plan ahead and map the venue. I was surprised when I realized that the Purple Fiddle was almost two hours away. Not gonna lie, it seemed like a big lift for these two old people. Four hours in the car for a two-hour concert and dinner. I came very close to bagging the plans altogether. In the end, I thought, “What the hell, might as well give it a go, and we’ll see what happens.”

It felt SO good to step out of our routine and do something really different. The drive out flew by as we munched on our snacks, appreciated the spectacular countryside, chatted about our week, and reminisced about past adventures. The venue was warm and welcoming. The food was simple but really good. And when the band stepped out, I realized why I was drawn to them. One of the band members, David Van Deventer, was our son Luke’s first music teacher. I had forgotten about his part in this band.

The drive home was much quieter. Pam napped while I reflected on the experience and how refreshing and restorative it had been to step out of our routine and embark on an adventure. There is something about exploring, stepping into the unknown, trying something new and different that is good for the soul and good for relationships.

In those quiet moments, I also thought about my relationships with my horses. I thought about how easy it can be to settle into a routine. How there is safety in what is known and comfortable. This kind of consistency plays an important role in strengthening our relationships with horses. But don’t forget the power of adventures to help keep relationships vital and engaged. ~ Paul

PC – Erin Gilmore Photography

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