The new-to-us GPS unit we recently purchased from my father instructs us to turn left. We ignore her, and turn right instead… our way seems more scenic.
‘Re-calculating‘ she proclaims.
She comes back with instructions to get us back on her previously researched route. We’re obstinate. We ignore her and continue on the route that calls us stronger her than voice. She keeps re-calculating to get us back on track. Her track.
Re-calculating! Make a u-turn! Re-calculating!!
We anticipate that any moment smoke will start pouring out of her ports from all the re-calculating.
Our GPS unit doesn’t seem to have a setting for ‘Route via Serendipity’.
Our serendipitous nomadic life doesn’t have much room for pre-planning. We’ve intentionally designed our lives to be in tune with serendipity and remaining agile to choose to follow it. Some might call it pronoia – or trusting that the universe is conspiring in your favor. Some might call it godly winks, synchronicity, fate or just darn good luck.
This past week, since we agreed to accept an unsolicited offer to quickly sell our current home and deliver it to Virginia, has been a huge leap of faith in serendipity. A clear plan ahead just hasn’t made itself known to us, the clock is ticking and we’re constantly exploring the options at a dizzying pace.
Despite brief stark moments of terror at the realization of what we’re doing, we keep mentally moving forward following serendipity’s beacon. While we physically move northward with our re-calculating GPS .
One moment we’re researching a vintage bus that seems promising, and start plotting a logistical path to move towards it. And then we diverge, and consider an entirely different path.
- Find a short term apartment!
- Go crash with a friend!
- Rent a van!
- Get a storage unit!
- How about the condo in St. Thomas? Oh wait.. that was a joke.
- Get a cheap temporary home-on-wheels!
- Ooops… finding a worthy cheap motorhome is too time consuming.
- Ooo.. look at this bus!
We’re re-calculating what our next turn is often. Sometimes several times a day.
When it happens, we now grin at each other and say ‘Re-calculating‘ in our best GPS voice.
I’ve got a non-talking gps that i use for track logging (showing where I’ve been), figuring out what direction i’m going, and map display. I never bother letting it know where i’m planning on going.
I hate that “recalculating” thing! We had/have it on a garmin that we left back home. It’s like the municipality telling me how much they’ve spent on snow removal. I don’t want to know. Just do your job.
The built-in model that we have in our current set of wheels is the erudite “English accent” model, and she’s very polite. She also likes to remind us to “where possible, make a LEGAL U-turn”
Most times though, if I miss a turn, and that can happen in most any European city, she just comes up with a new route. I’m OK with that.
My husband HATES technology stuff like GPS in the car. The last time he drove one that kept telling his wrong directions (directing us on a route we know very well to drive 50 or 60 miles out of the way) he finally yelled, “Make her shut up!!!!”
He’s the last of the Mohicans when it comes to technology – doesn’t even have a cell phone. People can’t believe it, but he explains it this way: “I’m a pharmacist and the phone is often the enemy …. it’s always trouble when the phone rings (other than refills or scrips, which he doesn’t deal with anyway). When was the last time someone phoned you just to say, you’re doing a hell of a job, good work! Never! Why would I want to carry the enemy around with me on my time off?”
Thanks for introducing me to the word Pronoia! This post struck the heart of what my hubby and I are going through as we anticipate retiring (very early!) in the next year. We are primarily focused on hitting the road fulltime but the options are endless and distracting!
I occasionally get into arguments with mine. Apparently _she’s_ never driven on the Beltway around DC; she still thinks it’s a good idea. Fortunately, I know better.
We’ve had our GPS about ten days now and I’ve already become fond of the “stop navigating” button. When we pick our new route we can always start it again. 🙂
Impulsively and seredipity go hand in hand, methinks. My gps gets hives when I make impulsive moves. Serves it right for being so certain!
Haha…that’s too funny. Now if you had an English GPS you’d get a very proper british accent telling you “if possible, make a U-turn”
Oh man, I hate that GPS voice. Choose the “Italian male” mode, it may not make any sense, but at least it SOUNDS better – ha!
You just added a new buzzword to our ilk! 🙂 I think I recalculate every other day! I love that freedom.