SERENDIPITY

American Heritage Dictionary -
ser·en·dip·i·ty (sěr'ən-dĭp'ĭ-tē) Pronunciation Key n. pl. ser·en·dip·i·ties
The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
An instance of making such a discovery.

Setting out today for a long drive designed to get us from one place to another and not much more we didn't realize we were in for a day of serendipity. Last night we stayed in Lexington, Virginia and today our goal was Lexington, Kentucky. To achieve this goal we drove over the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Appalachians and the Allegheny. Our first serendipity was the fall color. The hills were alive with the sound of fall colors. Absolutely spectacular. The rain last night and a little today, helped with the beauty of all we saw. Clouds, wet roads, cold, all elements that give that feeling of fall. Our necessary trip turned into one of astounding beauty.

Around 1:00 we stopped for lunch and an oil change for the car. Having put over 6,000 miles on the poor thing to date, it was time to take care of the car. Then, back on the road with Lexington Kentucky as the next stop. I was born in Lexington while my father was in school at Asbury Seminary near there.

My connection to Kentucky is very tenuous. Almost an accident. My father was in school and so I was born there and then my parents returned to California when I was 2 months old. I don't have any memories of Kentucky nor do we have any other relation to the state. However, I found myself strangely affected today being in Kentucky. I do have a relationship to this place. This is my birthplace. Doug and I found the hospital where I was born, the house my parents lived in and the school where dad studied. Feeling connected to this place was a serendipity. Something I definitely did not expect to find.

This is the chapel at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore Kentucky.

Judi standing in front of the Good Samaritan Hospital where she was born just a few years ago.

Before we left Lexington to head for Wilmore, home of Asbury Seminary, we stopped at the home of Mary Todd Lincoln. Her home is on the same road as the hospital. That was a fun discovery. Also, the home of Henry Clay is the opposite direction on the same road. We did not have time to drive there. We also stopped by the Shaker Village but were too late to tour it. Our travel philosophy is that it is always good to leave some things to do the next time you visit. On this trip, there are many things that fit into that category as we keep discovering new things to do and see.