Prepping for RightTurns – Life’s Driver’s Ed

Last time, I introduced myself as RoadRunning Rita — a woman chasing freedom, healing, and joy on the open road. But behind that name, and behind this blog, there’s a story. A story about loss, survival, surrender, and the unexpected RightTurns that shaped the road I’m on today.

When I was twelve years old, my dad died. My brother told me bluntly:

“You better learn how to hold your own hand, because no one’s gonna do it for you. Dad’s dead, Mom’s not gonna be around forever, so you better learn how to take care of yourself.”

That one sentence probably had the most profound impact on my life. Right then, I decided I would survive by becoming completely self-sufficient and self-reliant. For many years, it worked.

I built a career. I worked hard, played hard, and always figured things out. I didn’t depend on anyone — I navigated life on my own.

Until I couldn’t.

After surrendering, I eventually built a career, but before that, I was on a downward spiral. I was a walking train wreck, trying to outrun childhood trauma that had been chasing me for years.

For a long time, I did everything the “right” way. I drove between the lines. I colored inside the boxes. I worked hard to build a life that looked stable and successful.

But underneath it all, I was exhausted. I couldn’t keep pushing my will around in the wheelbarrow of life anymore. When the bottom finally dropped out, something in me shifted. I decided I would rather ride than push.

So I stopped trying to force life to go where I thought it should go. I loosened my grip, let the universe steer the path for a while, and that’s when I started noticing the RightTurns.

RightTurns are the unexpected shifts — the detours that appear just when you’re convinced you know exactly where you’re going.

Some RightTurns you fight tooth and nail because they go against everything you believe about yourself. Others you choose without knowing the outcome — and they end up bringing joy, freedom, and exhilaration beyond anything you imagined.

My nomadic life has been full of RightTurns.

Times when I had to put down the wheelbarrow of my own will and let life steer me somewhere better. Times when I had to accept that I don’t need to have all the answers. Times when changing my mind, loosening my grip, and saying yes to uncertainty opened the door to unexpected magic.

This blog is another RightTurn.

I don’t know if anyone will read it. I don’t know if it will help anyone. But I hope it will. I hope someone out there sees a piece of their own story in mine — the pain, the laughter, the resilience, the messy middle, and the joy that comes from leaning into life instead of fighting it.

So when you see the words RightTurns with RoadRunning Rita, know this: it isn’t just about navigation or travel.

It’s about the pivots we never planned for, the detours we resist, the leaps of faith we take, and the surprising beauty waiting around life’s corners.

This blog is my way of sharing those stories — the hard ones, the funny ones, the healing ones — in hopes that they light up your own path too.

Because maybe your next RightTurn is waiting just ahead.