I’m the kinda girl who likes to have my head firmly wrapped the things that are goin’ on in my life. I like plans. I keep a schedule. I make 2do lists.

I’m the kinda girl who likes to be reliable. I make commitments. I keep my word. I don’t cancel one thing just because a more exciting opportunity has presented itself.

I also crave spontaneity, something that all too frequently gets penciled out of my calendar.

Then 17 days ago, a refreshing anomaly … a moment of spontaneity briefly overtook my life as Friday night conversation led to an early Saturday morning flight and a two-day road trip. As I packed a single small bag and left for the airport full of kid-in-a-candy-store anticipation, I developed a theory: spontaneous acts seed joy, adventure, fun, and a whole lotta awesome memories. To test this theory, I tracks the use of three words among Twitter-ers: spontaneity, spontaneous, and spontaneously.

I tracked these words for one week. I collected over 60 tweets by almost as many Twitter-ers.

I have yet to do anything with the raw data.

As the days following my spontaneous road trip unraveled, I began to realize that the conclusions I drew from this data, whatever they may be, mattered little. It’s not that I’m not still curious about the validity of my theory, but it has little bearing on my sentiments regarding the trip that may well have been my most dramatic act of spontaneity yet.

I have photographic evidence. This is spontaneity. It is also the culmination of immeasurable enjoyment…

Image color correction courtesy Adam Nollmeyer of AcmePhotography.