Huge thank you to Kia Motors for sending me to California to drive the Kia Niro PHEV, but more importantly, for teaching me a really important lesson about life, letting go, and relationships.

I have this desire for things to go by the book once they’re scheduled. I’m a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal, but I also like to know what I’m going to be doing in order to maximize my time at any given location. I guess it all really just boils down to a severe case of FOMO. I don’t want to miss out on anything.

The thing is, I can’t be in more than one place at a time because Professor McGonagall has not given me a Time Turner yet. I can just be me, exactly in the spot where I am.

This is the reason it has taken me so long to write about my last trip to California.

I wanted to be everywhere and to do everything and to win all the points, and in chasing that want, I wound up nowhere – but with very good company. As a result, I had to take time to reflect on our journey and what a powerful lesson it was for me as a woman, as a business owner, and as a human of the world.

For the record, it was never about the trip, and always about my own expectations. I wanted to do better. I wanted to *be* better. And sure, I can always strive to do and be the best version of myself, but I also have to learn to be content knowing that the me that I am currently is the best version of me, and to be happy with that in every moment.

Kas of Southern Bella’s Ways and I were paired up in Kia’s new Niro PHEV.

You read it right, a Crossover SUV that’s an electric hybrid.

Our mission was to drive from The OC to San Fransisco accumulating points along the way. Naturally, I wanted ALL the points and Kas wanted a relaxing trip with no drama where maybe we got to see some cool things, but definitely where we got to know one another better and just had fun.

Apparently she’s better at manifesting than I am.

Because in our quest to see all the cool Americana things in California, we got stuck in some serious traffic both days and wound up seeing a whole lot of dark, some fires, and several harvested vineyards from the highway.

It just wasn’t what I expected it to be, but it was still great. I swear, it was still great. It just took me a couple weeks to get home, get the holidays under my belt, and reflect on what I had just experienced.

What was my problem?

I had just been flown to California, by a super power in the auto industry, driven an electric vehicle from SoCal to SanFran, and wined and dined like I was the Empress of the Internet. Kia didn’t even know who I was three months ago, and there I was surrounded by people who really *get* this industry, and humans in general. IT. WAS. AWESOME.

I am the problem.

In chasing this dream of being “THE WINNER” (which we totally were NOT), I lost sight of the POINT. And that was to embrace the moment, whatever that moment was, to just embrace it.

I got caught up in all the social good that other groups did instead of enjoying the fact that we too spent time bringing light to people’s lives by dropping Starbucks gift cards at charging stations. I felt like we hadn’t done enough, but I was wrong.

We did just the right thing. For us.

We wanted to create moments of delight for people all up the coast of California, and we did that.

We wanted to get to know one another better, and we absolutely did that.

I had the pleasure of riding with someone I didn’t know well, but got to know quite well on the adventure. We talked about our pasts, the hard stuff, emotions, relationships, and we shared a bed. In a VERY pink room.

There was no drama, just a lot of talking and quality time, which is my love language.

It took a few weeks, but I get the point now. I don’t even care that I was like third string quaterback for this trip. Without it, I would have never gotten to know Kas the way I did, nor would I have ever, EVER stayed at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, but I did and now I want to go back. I wouldn’t have also met these other lovely souls any time soon or spent time with a dear friend from my early days blogging who has kicked Leukemia’s ass the past year.

And who knows when I ever would have driven the Kia Niro PHEV and found out that the cruise control on that vehicle is THE COOLEST THING EVER!! Like seriously, I can’t even stop talking about it. I think it’s going to save lives and prevent SO many accidents because it’s just the most comprehensive and amazing thing in automotive.

Thanks to this trip and the Kia Niro PHEV, I am taking time to stop and enjoy the moments I’m in just a little more. I’ve left my phone in my purse to drink in the moments with friends and family. I’m appreciating the little things like down time with my family and every second I have the opportunity to spend time with friends.

You just never know what the next minute is going to bring.

I’m going to stop worrying about that and focus on the journey.

So thanks, Kia Motors, for helping me see a little more clearly and for helping me enjoy this journey I’m on – every second of it.

If you want to learn more about the Kia Niro, visit Kia Motors’ page about the Sweet Hybrid.