Discovering What’s in My Own Backyard
May 2020. The world was closed. This was before vaccines, before we knew how long it would last, before ‘new normal’ was even a phrase. I had cabin fever. No concerts. No travel. No theater. All the things that usually made me feel alive. My anxious part worried about safety. My grieving part missed my friends and activities.
That’s when I asked myself: What if I got curious about what was right here? What was in my own backyard that I could do safely outside. That’s how I discovered a self-drive tour of covered bridges in Bedford County, just thirty minutes from me. Curiosity offered those parts a safe focus: exploration.
An Adventure Close to Home
My friend Ellen, one of the few people in my “pandemic circle” agreed to go along on this adventure. On a beautiful spring day, we set off with directions in hand. Finding the bridges felt like a treasure hunt down back roads, sometimes narrow, with goats and even wild turkeys blocking our path. We laughed, turned around when we needed to, and never gave up until we found each bridge.
Some bridges looked alike, but each was nestled in its own pocket of Pennsylvania greenery. Driving across them, we felt the wooden planks creak beneath the car, imagining the time long ago when horses and buggies made the same sounds. Walking through them, we smelled wildflowers on the breeze, took photos of beams and shadows, and paused to take in the quiet beauty around us.
Deepening the Exploration
The tour began at Old Bedford Village, a living history museum with nearly 40 authentic 18th and 19th century structures homes, shops, and trade buildings moved from their original locations. On another day, we explored the village itself, stepping inside the general store, the blacksmith and tinsmith shops, the jail, the candlemaker’s workshop, and more.
My curiosity even led me to try out the pillory, a memorable (and slightly awkward!) experience that gave me a very tangible connection to the past. Each place deepened our sense of connection to the people who once lived and worked in this region.
Along the way, curiosity took us on a detour. Ellen had always wanted to experience Gravity Hill, a nearby spot where the land creates an optical illusion. The slope looks uphill, but cars left in neutral appear to roll up against gravity. Watching our car drift “uphill” made us laugh and shake our heads in disbelief. It was a reminder that curiosity often rewards us with surprises we never would have found if we’d stayed home.
What IFS Teaches Us About Curiosity
Curiosity is one of the 8 C’s of Self in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. It is the quality that allows us to approach our inner world and the world around us with an open and nonjudgmental mindset.
During the pandemic, a frustrated part of me felt stuck and confined. But by choosing curiosity, I was able to connect with an adventurous, playful part that craved exploration and discovery. I realized I loved novelty in far-off places, but wonder was waiting 30 minutes away. My adventurous part didn’t need a plane ticket. It just needed permission to explore.
Curiosity didn’t push that frustrated part away. It made room for it, and somewhere between the covered bridges and Gravity Hill, the frustrated part that loved exploration felt heard and understood.
In IFS, we use curiosity to explore our inner parts with compassion and openness.
A Reflection for Your Journey
Curiosity didn’t just give me something to do during COVID it gave me a way to feel alive again when the world felt closed off.
Sometimes curiosity leads us far away. And sometimes, it simply asks: What’s waiting to be discovered right here?
- When was the last time you felt truly curious? What sparked that sense of wonder?
- Is there a part of you that feels stuck or frustrated? How might curiosity help you explore new possibilities?
- What’s in your backyard literally or metaphorically that you’ve never taken the time to explore?
This post is part of my monthly series exploring the 8 Cs of Internal Family Systems, a framework that shapes how I teach, write, and support healing. The 8 Cs are qualities described by Dr. Richard Schwartz, founder of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model.
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I loved the reminder that adventure doesn’t have to be far away to feel meaningful. Trusting the journey right in our own backyard can be its own kind of magic.
What started as simple curiosity ended up being so much fun. Imagining when the old bridge was built and then wandering through Old Bedford Village and realizing how different life was not so long ago. It was eye-opening in the best way.
I think that’s the gift of curiosity. We can crave faraway places and big adventures, and yet discover surprise, joy, and connection in the places we see everyday. I walk the same park daily, sometimes twice, and each time something new catches my attention. My favorite is the great blue heron. I’ve seen it many times, and every single time I’m in awe.
So thankful for those journeys in our own backyard!! Even though I crave the big and faraway adventures, sometimes other adventures happen in ways we never imagined! For me, this writing journey is one of those adventures!!! Very curious about all my future adventures on this path!
This is one of my favorite things about you: you don’t wait for the world to hand you an adventure, you go find one. Covered bridges thirty minutes away! I once went out looking for moss for a terrarium and found a hidden beach on my island I never knew existed. Curiosity really does reward you when you follow it.
I do love adventures! Gotta have cool stuff for those Shutterfly memories lol. That is so amazing that you found a hidden beach! Very curious to hear about it.
Reading this reflection made me think about what curiosity looks like for me. I do enjoy traveling, but what I’m most drawn to are the quiet parts — walking in nature, learning about people, and understanding their stories.
When I thought about what is in my own backyard, I immediately thought of the Flight 93 Memorial. It’s not far from where I live, and I’ve often wanted to go. What draws me there is not just the history, but the humanity.
I find myself wondering about the people on that flight — who they called, what they said, what they were feeling, and how they found the courage to act as they did. I think about the impact their actions had on our country and the deep loss their families experienced.
The Flight 93 National Memorial honors 40 passengers and crew members. I feel curious about the lives behind those names and the relationships that mattered in their final moments.
In Internal Family Systems, curiosity is one of the 8 C’s of Self — an openness that allows us to approach even painful stories with compassion. Reading this article inspired me to finally make plans to visit in the very near future and quietly witness something meaningful that has been in my own backyard all along.
Thanks for sharing. I highly recommend making the trip to visit the Flight 93 Memorial. It is hard to put in words, but it was a very powerful experience.
I have always been curious about human behavior. What motivates people to think and do and what they believe. In my own backyard I observe my family members, especially my sister. My sister is curious about everything and as a result she knows many things. All my family members are intelligent and kind… And curious!
Humans are very interesting for sure! What a great combination-intelligent, kind and curious!!