Now, I have to tell you something, and I really prefer it stay between us: I am an unapologetic fall girl.
The changing leaves. The first pumpkin spice latte (I know. Really, I know.). Warm drinks on chilly mornings. Scarves, cardigans, wool coats, and clogs. Give me all of it.
So when my son, my dad, and I decided to visit a corn maze tucked into the mountains of North Carolina, I could not wait.
The drive alone was worth it. Rolling hills covered in trees bursting with reds, golds, and oranges. Crisp sunshine. The sort of autumn afternoon that makes you want to bottle it up and keep it forever.
And then we arrived at the maze.
We were told it would take about twenty minutes. I, being wildly overconfident in my navigational abilities, was certain we'd conquer it in fifteen.
Our first mistake.
After wandering aimlessly through rustling cornstalks for at least thirty minutes, we emerged, bewildered, back at the entrance to retrieve a map. Convinced, at last, that we were now unstoppable, we ventured back in.
Another thirty minutes later, we made a rather extraordinary discovery.
There was no exit.
Not a hidden exit. Not an exit we couldn't find. There was literally no exit marked anywhere on the map. And let me assure you, gentle reader, we explored every path on that map.
My best guess is that you were supposed to wander through the entire maze and then return the way you came, which, I think we can all agree, makes absolutely no sense.
Several times, we contemplated simply forging our own path through the corn. Instead, we developed a highly sophisticated navigation system involving a few, um, borrowed corn husks and a trail of crumbled kernels.
Please don't tell the farmers.
I feel I now know why Smashing Pumpkins chose its name because by the time we headed back out the entrance a second time, the need to smash something was, well, certainly there.
I still have questions. So many questions. But here's the funny thing.
Despite our questionable navigation, the missing exit, and my increasingly vocal opinions about corn maze design, I had the loveliest afternoon.
I was outside in the sunshine, surrounded by golden cornstalks, laughing with my son and my dad. We were making memories in the middle of a field that apparently had no intention of letting us leave.
And there was beauty in that.
Not because everything went according to plan, but because there was something wonderful right in front of me, if I was willing to notice it. For me, getting my nails done does something similar. If nothing else goes right for you, you can have a little beauty with you every day on your nails.
A little something to be grateful for. A little reminder that good things happen to you.
If you’re in need of that right now, you can book your appointment here.
In the meantime, if anyone knows why a corn maze wouldn't have an exit, please do get in touch.
