along the way

Along the way is rarely the part you plan for.
It’s what happens between leaving and arriving.

A service station stop.
A bench by the road.
Someone asking the same question again.

When you’re travelling with children, the way stretches.
Time loosens its edges.

You notice things you would normally pass.
A puddle.
A sign.
The shape of clouds moving slowly overhead.

There’s waiting.
There’s wandering.
There’s movement that doesn’t lead anywhere in particular.

Not everything needs to be efficient.
Not every pause needs explaining.

Along the way, conversation drifts.
Stories start and stop.
Silence appears without being awkward.

You’re not there yet.
But you’re already somewhere else.

Later, when you think back,
it’s often these moments you remember -
not the arrival,
but everything that happened quietly in between.

explore: this memory lives in our conversation cards