Azores: A Driving Adventure Across the Atlantic Island (Unexpected Turns)

Unexpected Turns

When traveling to the Azores, I would highly recommend that you rent a car. There are so many gems that await to be uncovered and will only be experienced via happenstance. I personally can attest to this.

As my sister and I began to discover the stunningly beautiful island of Sao Miguel, we took an unexpected turn. We dared to travel off-course as we witnessed an old boat overlooking the harbor. My sister's pants had gotten soaked by the sea, so towel-wrapped, she hiked up to the top to get a more scenic view. I parked the car to the side of the road and followed her as I started to sing and dance. The wind blew and our hair went wild. The day became brisk and surged our hearts with adventure. I felt as if I were Ariel in the Little Mermaid singing out to her long-lost love. This unexpected turn opened our eyes to the beautiful wildness of the Azores. At that moment, it began to rain. We quickly rushed back to the car, only to discover that a large vehicle had sandwiched us in. I backed up and took another unexpected turn--directly into a standing stone wall. Bump! I heard and felt the thud. 'Oh no,' my sister exclaimed. 'That can't be good.' As I soon discovered, not all unexpected turns are pleasant. Some are downright annoying. I hesitantly exited the car only to discover that there was a slight scratch on the vehicle. I breathed a deep sigh of relief, got back in the car, and continued on our adventure.

The roads winded to and fro and the wind continued to whip. Many times, I felt like our small car was going to open up wings and begin to fly. As the well-known lyrics of Tom Petty's song blared through the stereo, I surrendered to the day and welcomed it for all that it brought to me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I'm learning to fly, around the clouds

What goes up, must come down

I rounded the corner and came to another unexpected turn: cows blocking the road as far as the eye could see.