The 100 Years Club Installment #36: Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Missing Rental Car Keys

I was a huge Nancy Drew fan in my youth.

Nostalgia was also a running theme during the first part of my East Coast visit this week.

During those few days I:

• Drove by the homes where my daughters grew up, which was especially poignant because my “baby” is about to have a baby of her own.
• Saw my first “real” office from when I started my own business 20 years ago. It is still a dump. But it was MY dump.

• Had meals with girlfriends from the ‘hood (although my former neighborhood was pretty bougie, and some of the gangs were mean suburban girls).
• Worked remotely from a charming inn. Watch for my travel blog for my critique of the whole “inn thing.”
• Worked out at LIFETIME Fitness. Belonging to a gym that has national locations is terrific, but their new policy on Medicare-reimbursed members totally sucks, and you will be hearing more about that from me in the weeks ahead. But let’s keep things upbeat for now.
• Supported the non-profit whose Board I used to serve on — Yonkers Partners in Education. It’s now being run by someone who went to my daughter’s high school, a reminder of the passage of time and the rise of new generations in life and work. I was so gratified to see young people choosing helping careers and to meet so many of the students they’ve helped! (My own daughters work in education and sustainability.)
• Misplaced my rental car keys (hence the blog title). I spent 15 minutes searching for them before they surfaced. I had put them in my electronics bag, along with all my gadgets. Mystery solved. Nancy Drew had nothing on me!

What did I learn from this trip that you can apply to your own life?

1. Returning to places that were meaningful in earlier stages can give you perspective on how far you’ve come. Don’t fall into the “those were the good ol’ days” trap. Just reflect (briefly) and move on to the present and future.
2. True friends are timeless. You can just pick up where you left off.
3. Making time to volunteer and support non-profits is both gratifying and life-changing for others.
4. When you stay at an inn, be prepared to carry your bags upstairs.
5. Keep your car keys in an obvious location.

I don’t know how many more mysteries of life I will solve in the next 33 (or so) years. But be sure to follow me here and tune into my podcast to find out.