Follow Hope Wherever It Leads You
Day of Hope #130 - Friday October 13, 2023
Goal: Follow Hope wherever it leads me
Quote: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu
Extended Day of Hope, and picture overload!
Settle in. This is a long one.
When I discovered there was actually a town called Hope, Idaho, I knew immediately that I had to go. Seriously. How could I spend more than ten years taking a Day of Hope every month and not visit a town named Hope? Even better, October had one of my favorite days coming up: Friday the 13th. There was no question. I was going to Hope. What I thought would be a few-day getaway turned into one of the most memorable Day of Hope adventures I had ever taken.
October 11 – The Journey Begins
I left Boise and drove north toward Nezperce, Idaho, where I planned to spend the night with my aunt. The drive was beautiful. I stopped in McCall for a break, enjoyed the fall scenery, and even saw a rainbow along the way. I also took lots of pictures of highways and scenery that I could potentially use for Hopes Highways.
That evening happened to be my cousin's birthday, so I got to join her family for a homemade birthday dinner. And when I say homemade, I mean homemade. Chicken noodle soup with real homemade noodles followed by pumpkin pie for dessert. Her hubby and the kids did a fantastic job, and it was wonderful spending time with everyone.
It was already a great beginning to my adventure. But the next morning, I was heading to Hope.
October 12 – I Found Hope
The drive into northern Idaho was breathtaking. The mountains. The water. The fall colors. I realized how easy it is to take for granted just how beautiful Idaho is.
And then I arrived in Hope. I can't completely explain what happened when I got there. I just felt... peaceful. At home. Connected. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced quite like that before, and everywhere I looked, there was Hope. Literally.
I checked into the Pend Oreille Shores Resort, right on Lake Pend Oreille. My condo looked out over the water, and the resort had just about everything I could want, pool, hot tubs, sauna, steam room, gym, courts, movie rentals, and, most importantly, a coffee shop where I could get my morning tea.
I had found my kind of place. But before I even got settled into my room, something happened that would eventually become part of my story forever.
The Picture That Became My Book Cover
I was carrying my luggage toward my condo when I passed a walkway. The sunlight was hitting it just right. I stopped. The pathway looked almost mystical to me, like a walkway leading into another beautiful world. It literally took my breath away.
I dropped my luggage and took a picture. Throughout the trip, I kept going back and looking at that photo. There was just something about it. I already had another image in mind for the cover of my book, but suddenly I knew: This was the picture.
A photograph I hadn't planned. Taken in a town I hadn't known existed until recently. On a trip inspired entirely by my search for Hope. And now that image would become the cover of A Day of Hope. I couldn't have planned it better.
Maybe that's why I love the picture so much every time I see it on my book. I know the story behind it. I went looking for Hope—and found my book cover along the way.
A Perfect First Night
That afternoon, I had a massage scheduled at the resort. It was called a raindrop massage and incorporated a variety of essential oils into the treatment. Afterward, I went back to my condo, made pasta, and sat outside watching one of the most amazing sunsets. My patio looked directly over the water. It was beautiful.
I finished the evening with a movie, popcorn, and a fire. I quickly decided that watching the sunset from that patio needed to become my nightly ritual. And somewhere during that first day, another thought started creeping into my head: I don't want to leave.
October 13 – Friday the 13th
My official Day of Hope arrived. Friday the 13th. I went to the front desk and asked for a miracle. Was there any chance I could keep my same condo for another week? Yes.
My miracle was granted. The condo was available. So I extended my stay. Just like that. I had never done anything like this before. Normally there would have been a hundred reasons why I couldn't stay. Work. Responsibilities. Plans. What other people might think. But this time, I didn't care. There was too much I wanted to see. Too much I wanted to experience. And something inside me was saying: Stay. So I stayed. For me.
Hope Was Everywhere
Since I was going to be there longer, I needed groceries and, naturally, Starbucks. I explored Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry and then returned to Hope. The resort office had Hope merchandise. There were Hope signs everywhere.
And then I discovered the Icehouse Pizzeria. Oh. My. Goodness. I sat on the upper patio overlooking the lake, ordered pizza and a glass of wine, and took in the view.
Someone had told me about a book written about towns named Hope throughout the United States, and they sold it right there at the pizzeria. Of course I bought it. Now I had even more Hope destinations to visit. Apparently, this Day of Hope thing was going to require additional travel.
I continued exploring and even discovered a place called Beyond Hope. Because apparently regular Hope wasn't enough. Now I could go Beyond Hope. Ha! That evening, I made stir-fry, ate on my patio while watching the sunset, and then curled up by the fire with popcorn and Eat Pray Love. It was an absolutely perfect Friday the 13th.
October 14 – Finishing My Book in Hope
The next morning brought another special experience. There was an annular solar eclipse, the Ring of Fire, and although it was somewhat cloudy, I was still able to see it. The rest of the day was rainy and quiet, which turned out to be exactly what I needed. Because I worked on finishing the manuscript for my book.
Think about that. I was sitting in Hope, Idaho, finishing A Day of Hope. I couldn't imagine a more fitting place to work on the final draft. Later, the sun came out and I walked around the resort grounds before settling in for another quiet evening of dinner and movies.
October 15–17 – Exploring, Writing and Living
Over the next few days, I continued exploring northern Idaho. I visited Bonners Ferry and drove up to Schweitzer Mountain Resort. The scenery was incredible.
I explored more of Sandpoint. I even drove into Montana. I worked on my book. I worked on my website stories. I read. I journaled. I took photographs for Hopes Highways. I watched sunsets. I ate more pizza at the Icehouse than I probably needed to. But it was soooo good.
Every morning, I woke up looking at the water and mountains and thought: I can't believe I get to be here. One evening, I rented Wonder Woman 1984 so I could prepare for my upcoming Wonder Woman Halloween costume. Research, people. I needed to get into character. And if I do say so myself, I ended up doing a pretty good job.
October 18 – One Last Sunset
Eventually, real life started creeping back in and I had to do some work. But around 4:00 p.m., I stopped. I picked up pizza for dinner, returned to my condo, watched my final Hope sunset, journaled, and watched movies.
This time, the sunset felt a little different. I knew I was leaving the next morning. And I was genuinely sad. I had arrived expecting a short trip. Instead, I had given myself permission to stay. To explore. To write. To rest. To think. To follow my curiosity. And somewhere along the way, Hope had started feeling a little like home.
October 19–21 – New Hope Road
On October 19th, I packed up and headed back toward Nezperce to stay with my aunt again. And wouldn't you know it? Along the way, I found: New Hope Road. Apparently, I was still on the right track. Ha!
That evening, I got to watch my cousin’s daughter play in her home volleyball game. Her team won, and she did great. The next day, my daughter and granddaughter joined us for a weekend getaway. We spent time with family and enjoyed yet another beautiful sunset.
Then on October 21st, after homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast, it was finally time to head back to Boise.
I Went Looking for Hope
When I originally planned this trip, I thought I was going to visit a town because it had a fun name. Hope. That's it. I didn't know I would feel so connected to the place. I didn't know I would extend my stay another week. I didn't know I would finish part of my manuscript there. I didn't know I would find more Hope destinations to explore.
And I certainly didn't know that while carrying my luggage to my condo, I would stop in the middle of a walkway and take the photograph that would eventually become the cover of my book.
None of that was on the itinerary. And maybe that's what made this trip so special. For years, my Days of Hope had taught me to intentionally make room in my life for myself. But this trip taught me something else. Sometimes making that space allows you to hear yourself clearly enough to say: I want to stay. And then actually stay.
I didn't immediately rush back because work was waiting. I didn't talk myself out of it because it wasn't the original plan. I didn't need someone else's permission. I gave myself permission.
For more than ten years, I had been setting aside one day every month to find hope. This month? I found an entire town full of it. And somehow, Hope gave me even more than I went looking for.
My Lesson of Hope: Sometimes you have to follow Hope without knowing exactly where it will lead. Give yourself permission to change the plan, stay a little longer, explore the unfamiliar road, and pay attention to the moments that stop you in your tracks. You may begin the journey looking for one thing and discover something far more meaningful along the way. I went to Hope looking for an adventure. I came home with memories, clarity, a finished piece of my dream, and the photograph that would eventually sit on the cover of my book. Sometimes Hope isn't just something you find. Sometimes it's a place you finally allow yourself to stay.
