On Backtracking

Last year I took a little getaway trip.

I took the scenic route on a Thursday from Colorado Springs to Cañon City via Cripple Creek. The aspens were in full transitional mode from vibrant green to brilliant yellow. The scenery was breathtaking.

Two days later, I had to go back to Colorado Springs and was trying to decide if I would take a different route. I chose to go back the way I came. It was amazing! By taking the same road in the opposite direction there were mountain peaks and vistas that I missed the first time around. The fall colors were glorious, and the perspective was different.

It got me thinking… sometimes I don’t like backtracking. Either it’s a waste of my time, or maybe I've failed to keep moving forward. This trip taught me that backtracking can be a good thing.

Backtracking allowed me to see something from a different angle. It allowed me to see things I missed the first time around.

The next time I feel frustrated about having to back up, retreat, or return to the beginning, I hope I will remember the vistas that were mine on my drive from both sides of the road. How stunning my view was simply by returning in the opposite direction.


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