Had an “Aha” moment at the Naples Botanical Gardens. Tucked in the greenery was a sign:  “The key to life is how well you deal with plan B.” The truth behind that statement is almost glaring in its simplicity, but I had never really thought about it before.

On the day of our visit to the gardens, we were in the midst of Plan B. Our original plan involved spending a week with our friends, Peter and Janet, at their condo in Naples. As we were traveling in their direction, we got word that they were both down with bronchitis. Given that we were projecting a week with the kids at Disney followed by a cruise, it didn’t seem prudent to put ourselves in contact with them. Besides that, they were really sick and didn’t need to add us to the mix. So on to Plan B.

A positive attitude and the willingness to be flexible led us to places and adventures we wouldn’t have otherwise had. We spent a few days in Sarasota, managing to connect with neighbors from home for dinner. During our time in Sarasota, we fit in two visits to the amazing Ringling Museum, and had the best Cuban sandwich ever at Columbia Restaurant.

North of Naples, we saw an eight foot alligator in the wild at Corkscrew Swamp. We reveled in the beauty of the Botanical Gardens. Adding to the delight were the touches of whimsey provided by the glass sculptures sprinkled around the grounds. We found Opa, a great Greek restaurant that we both loved.

The week wasn’t what we had planned, and we missed spending time with Peter and Janet, but it was memorable and fun. I’m going to try hard to remember that quote when other situations inevitably arise necessitating reverting to Plan B.