Every now and then you stumble into just the right moment.

This happened to me over the weekend. I was meeting a friend at a bookstore. I was in the parking lot searching for her car, when I spotted a white sport van with out of state plates and an older lady with stacks of totes and storage containers. She was organizing. The closer I got I realized she has quite the setup.

I parked in a spot next to this van and stepped out of my car, staring in awe at the woman that appeared to be my future self. I was going to walk into the store without talking to her, but I couldn’t help but stop, and wait to make eye contact with her before approaching closer.

Once she realized how intrigued I was, she welcomed me with a big smile. She was traveling from Virginia all by herself. She let me peak my head in at her incredible van set up. She had a fold-out bed as well as a sleeper above the van, a portable toilet, a sink, and plenty of storage space. And a dog that was relaxing in shot gun.

You see, this woman had stumbled right into the perfect opportunity to do one of the greatest things a woman can do: travel independently. She explained her story to me, in vague but heartfelt detail with almost tear-filled eyes. A divorce after 35 years and losing her farm were major factors in deciding to say “the heck with ya’ll!” and taking the trip that would put her in Maine on a sunny fall afternoon.

Talking to the woman rekindled my love for wanderlust. It inspired me. Whether you’re on the road or not, celebrate not only where you have been, but where you are heading. And most importantly I realized: sometimes we just run away so we can go home again.