Some moments take your breath away.
When I found myself sitting alone on the rocks at Catawba Island State Park, watching the sun throw orange flares across the waves, I had to laugh and shake my head.
How did I end up here?
There had been so many coincidences this month, so many times I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.
I thought back to how quickly I’d made the decision to commit to 31 adventures this month. The idea had come to me and I’d acted, almost before I’d had time to think.
And I thought about how quickly I’d made the decision to drive up to Lake Erie. Within minutes of hearing I could catch a fishing charter the next morning, I’d booked a sketchy hotel (more about that later) and hit the road.
And finally, the minute I’d spotted the orange streaks of sunset in the sky, I had hung a u-turn on 269 North and just followed the sunset and the signs for Catawba Island.
I was nearly speeding along the shoreline, expecting the last flares to disappear any minute. I had no idea what or where Catawba Island was, but I kept following the signs, hoping to catch the last fading flares of the sunset over the water.
I thought I would miss it.
And yet, one minute after I’d pulled in to the empty parking lot, the sun appeared just over the water in a dazzling sight.
There had been so many coincidences this month, so many times I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.
I sat for a long time watching it until it had sunk beneath the horizon, leaving a pink hue across the sky. A few distant fisherman stood on a dock to the west, but I was alone with my thoughts.
I wasn’t even sure how I’d ended up here. But here I was, and I knew this was exactly where I should be.