"Good job, Mommy! You did it!"

I was indeed proud of myself. Everywhere I looked, there were trees and fallen branches. I was standing on a cluster of flat rocks in the middle of a creek. I hadn't been this far down the creek on our hikes before. My five-year-old son and my husband were usually the ones hopping across the rocks while I stuck close to the sides or stayed up on the path. 

I had an appointment a few towns over recently, so I fired up the navigation in my car. It estimated I'd arrive with more than five minutes to spare. Perfect! But then... construction detours. Three of them, to be exact. Welcome to northern NJ! Here's what happened... and what I learned.