I may have outdone myself a little.
At least when it came to planning the Chattanooga part of our vacation.
I had a pretty good itinerary put together, and most of it worked exactly the way I hoped it would. We visited Lookout Mountain, did some sightseeing, went to the Tennessee Aquarium, walked through both the river and ocean exhibits, saw an incredible IMAX movie about the oceans, got ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, and had lunch at Mellow Mushroom.
That was day two.
Day one had its own kind of rhythm. We went to Chattanooga Whiskey for a tasting, which was mostly for me because Daryl still insists that whiskey smells and tastes like gasoline. From there, we went to Nic & Norman’s for dinner, and afterward I suggested we stop next door for one more drink.
That was not exactly part of the master plan.
And that may have been the point.
We wandered in, sat down, and slowly realized we had walked into a night that was going to be a little more colorful, loud, and unexpected than anything I had scheduled. The room was full of personality. The people were relaxed, expressive, and clearly there to enjoy themselves. Before long, the entertainment began, and Daryl and I found ourselves laughing together at something neither of us had seen coming.
And honestly, it was fun.
Not the kind of fun I had planned. Not the kind of fun I had researched. Not the kind of fun I had placed carefully into the itinerary between sightseeing, meals, and ticketed attractions.
It was the kind of fun that shows up where you are not looking.
That may be the lesson I’ve learned recently that shifted my perspective.
I like a plan. I like knowing where we are going, what time we need to be there, where we might eat, and whether we need tickets in advance. There is nothing wrong with that. A good plan can save time, reduce stress, and make space for great experiences.
But a plan can also trick me into thinking the best moments will be the ones I scheduled.
Sometimes they are.
Sometimes the view from the mountain really is beautiful. Sometimes the aquarium really is worth the visit. Sometimes the movie really does leave you sitting there in awe of a world God made bigger, deeper, stranger, and more beautiful than we usually remember.
But sometimes joy slips in through a side door.
Sometimes it shows up after dinner, next door, when you were only planning to sit for a few minutes. Sometimes it comes in the form of a room full of strangers, a little music, a lot of laughter, and the person you love sitting beside you, sharing the surprise.
I don’t think the lesson is that every unexpected thing is wonderful. Some surprises are stressful. Some detours are frustrating. Some unplanned moments make you wish you had stayed on the original route.
But every now and then, the thing you did not schedule becomes the thing you remember.
That’s good for me to remember.
I can get so focused on making sure everything goes right that I forget to notice when something simply goes well. I can become so attached to the plan that I almost miss the gift sitting just outside of it.
This vacation reminded me that fun does not always arrive with a reservation, a confirmation number, or a highlighted spot on the map.
Sometimes fun shows up where you are not looking.
And sometimes the best thing you can do is notice it, laugh with the person beside you, and be grateful you did not walk past it.
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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
