On my big spring break trip in April, Goldi crossed an important milestone: 100,000 miles.
I’d been watching the odometer for days, knowing it was going to happen and wanting to see it. When the numbers finally rolled over, I almost dropped my phone trying to capture the moment on video. It made me wonder: why is watching an odometer click over so strangely satisfying?
I think it’s because milestones matter.
Whether it’s an odometer, a birthday, or a graduation, milestones remind us that we’ve made progress. They mark where we’ve been and hint at what’s still ahead.
The word “milestone” used to make me think of my working days, when projects were broken into segments that kept everyone moving toward a deadline. But the original meaning is much simpler: a marker along the road showing how far you’ve traveled.
Maybe that’s why I like the word so much. Life isn’t just about reaching the destination, but also about noticing how far you’ve come.
Most people think of milestones as the major events: graduating, getting married, retiring, or the inevitable beginning and end of life. But I hope we all get to celebrate more than just those handful of moments. (Cue the video: Birth, School, Work, Death.)
Lately, several of my closest friends have reached that final milestone, and it’s made me think more about how I want to spend my own time.
One of the biggest reasons I love road trips is to experience life in a deeply meaningful way. I want to see the places I’ve always dreamed about, visit friends and family, and spend time in nature where the constant noise of everyday life fades into the background. Those moments may never make anyone else’s list of major milestones, but they’re becoming some of the most meaningful ones in mine.
As for Goldi, here’s to the next 100,000 miles and all the milestones we’ll find along the way.
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