the road less travelled…

We’re all familiar with the Robert Frost poem The Road not Taken… two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and after some contemplation he chose the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference

After recently listening to Matthew Mccaughnahey’s Greenlights on Audible the symbolism of his road less traveled has taken on an entirely new meaning. In a section called “dirt roads and autobahns” he writes about “the road less travelled” and how, in Germany, he was finding his which so happened to be the autobahn via motorcycle. He explained that the road less traveled isn’t necessarily some yet undiscovered, brambled, unpaved dirt path as much as it a place you’ve not yet travelled.

dirt roads and autobahns

The road less traveled may not be a dirt road; for some, it may be the autobahn.
Robert Frost was right, taking the road less traveled can make all the difference.
But that road isn’t necessarily the road with the least traffic.
It may be the road that we, personally, have traveled less.
The introvert may need to get out of the house, engage with the world, get public.
The extrovert may need to stay home and read a book.
Sometimes we need to get out there, sometimes we need to get in there. Some days our road less traveled is a solitary dirt trail.
On others it’s the subway on the 7 line.

There aren’t too many undiscovered roads these days, but there are plenty that we’ve not yet ventured onto. This past weekend I spent several days in northern Vermont where, there, on the way up and on the way back I found so many roads less travelled. Accidentally getting lost trying to find a restroom as we ventured off the highway we traveled down rural country roads for miles and miles, discovering little towns that reminded me of Richard Russo’s Empire Falls, Olive Kittredge’s fictional town of Crosby, Maine or any novel setting by Stephen King. These off the beaten path towns were depressed yet beautiful with stunning early 20th century architecture. I ventured into charming Vermont towns and meandered into farmer’s markets and in and out of charming shops and restaurants. It was a weekend of discovery that wasn’t unchartered territory, but until that point, undiscovered by me.

For the duration of the summer I’d like to take as many road less travelled as I am able.

Where will you be going?