Since I graduated college, I have been feeling a strong need to explore the world. Currently, I have weekends off, so it is super convenient to take weekend exploration trips.
For the first trip, my friend Raegan and I packed up and adventured out to Marble Falls, Texas. Thankfully, I got a new car not too long ago. Those of you who saw my old one are probably quite relieved. I digress. The car was an awesome addition to the trip because the gas mileage is spectacular.
This trip was completely spontaneous. We had no plans, no hotels booked and no idea what could happen. We completely let go and let life flow. I also decided that this trip would be a social detox for me. So I turned off my phone for the weekend.
I learned a lot about myself during this trip and the social detox.
On Friday after I got off work, we began the drive to Marble Falls. This was about a three hour drive for us.. Nothing too painful. When we arrived to Marble Falls, it was about 12 a.m. Everything was closed in this small town, but luckily we found a Hampton Inn to stay at. It was a gorgeous hotel overlooking a lake.
When we woke up the next morning, we were excited to explore. We also realized how beautiful our view was.
We chilled on the pool deck and soaked in the awesome view. Then we decided to head out on the town. We went to lunch at a place called Tea Thyme Cafe.
At lunch, we decided to head to Ink’s Lake for some canoeing. Ink’s Lake is only about 30 minutes from Marble Falls.
I had never been canoeing before, so I can finally mark that one off the bucket list. With that being said, we crashed into a fishing deck, a rock and a tree during my first canoeing experience.
After that, we went to Perrisso’s Vineyard down the road.
Can we say… YUM!? Wine is my fav.. and YES Texas wine is amazing! After all the deliciousness, we traveled about an hour to Wimberley, Texas.
We found a super cute place to stay called The Wimberley Inn. Everyone was SO nice (southern hospitality..can’t beat it). We shopped for a bit in the Wimberley square, then it was time to leave. But first, torrential downpour.
That’s right, it started pouring rain right before we headed out of town. It really put a damper (literally) on the drive home.
All in all, this trip was an amazing experience for my mind and my body. It is always good to get out of your comfort zone and go where the wind blows you. The social detox helped me refocus on what is really important in life. We put a lot of focus on our social media self, but forget that there is a real person behind the computer and phone screens. I encourage everyone to take a spontaneous trip and let go of control.
Stephanie Darnell 