Today I have been asked to reflect on what people thank me for. What would I do (or do I do) for people if I didn't get paid? I could immediately answer this question because I literally just did this--travel advice. I tend to think everyone knows what I know because I make assumptions everyone travels like I do. But then I come across people who haven't and need that extra encouragement or advice. And, it makes me feel good knowing that I may help them make a lifetime of memories.
Do you need the courage to travel? Are you unsure where to even start? Are you holding off on the trip of your dreams for a more ideal time (more time, more money, not under a worldwide quarantine?). I'm happy to offer some consultation. And, when the world is no longer closed, I can help you plan an adventure for a reasonable price!
But for now, I encourage you to make an adventure in your home. This weekend, plan to go somewhere you've always wanted to go. Make a themed playlist, dress in the clothes you would pack, cook a cuisine you'd eat at this place. Relax, play a game, go on vacation in your living room! I'm going to make plans and I'll share them with you soon!
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
I Wander to Not be Lost
A vacation for many is a time to relax, sit by a beach, and sip a frozen drink. That actually sounds pretty good right now as the world is in quarantine. Americans are facing a complete lockdown. No travel outside of the United States. This makes me more than anxious. Not because I had plans to go anywhere, but because if I wanted to, I couldn't. I'm much more of a free-spirit than I allow myself to be. And, when I take vacations I unleash that little magical nomad that has to hide the rest of the year. Travel is my antidote to the mundane. It's my liberation from daily expectations. It's the closest to magic I can achieve.
When I talk about my travels, I can feel my eyes twinkle. Travel provides my core need to wander, to explore, and to be free. Shamefully, I'll admit I can be pretty judgmental on how people travel because I feel many miss the boat on the experience of an adventure. There is a difference between a casual annual vacation and an actual adventure. Casual vacations by the beach sound wonderful. They're relaxing. And, as I mentioned earlier, I think this sounds wonderful. But what makes my heart skip a beat is planning an actual adventure. My inner Bilbo Baggins comes out every single time I plan.
What are the differences between a vacation and an adventure?
Vacations:
When I talk about my travels, I can feel my eyes twinkle. Travel provides my core need to wander, to explore, and to be free. Shamefully, I'll admit I can be pretty judgmental on how people travel because I feel many miss the boat on the experience of an adventure. There is a difference between a casual annual vacation and an actual adventure. Casual vacations by the beach sound wonderful. They're relaxing. And, as I mentioned earlier, I think this sounds wonderful. But what makes my heart skip a beat is planning an actual adventure. My inner Bilbo Baggins comes out every single time I plan.
What are the differences between a vacation and an adventure?
Vacations:
- Relaxing location
- Access to tourist activities like shopping, entertainment, and restaurants
- Usually well known and very accessible
- Commercial appeal
- Cookie-cutter and common
- Easy to plan
Adventures:
- Not relaxing in the sense of lying around and sipping pina coladas, but relaxing in the sense that you are "away" from the "known"
- You'll struggle to find tourist activities and have to rely on local establishments--that's part of the fun!
- Off the beaten path and sometimes off the grid
- You won't find brochures on them at the travel agency
- Requires research and risks
- Time-consuming to plan
- You'll probably come back tired
So, why would anyone take an adventure over a vacation? Because there are some of us that need to explore. Our daily life is so predictable that we just want to get away from people, tourist traps, and bullshit. We want to drive around mountain ranges. Take a hike to a waterfall, wade in crystal clear waters, feel the rain hit our bodies in the middle of a hike, stumble upon wildlife (and if you're crazy like me, talk to them).
Adventures fill my soul. And, these days, my soul feels pretty empty. I don't necessarily mean in a spiritual sense but in the enjoyment of my everyday life. As I sit on my couch and admire my framed photography from my past travels, I can smile looking at each of them that was based on an adventure. I can hear the sounds, smell the air, feel the wind. I'm taken away as one of the Pevensie siblings from the Chronicles of Narnia.
As I deal with these quarantines like the rest of the world, I'll work on planning my next adventure when the time is right. As the famous quote from J.R.R. Tolkien goes, "Not all who wander are lost," I'd like to add that I wander so I'm not lost. And, right now, I'm feeling lost...so I need an adventure.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Finding Me
It's been a very long time since I've blogged...on this blog. Somewhere in all the craziness of my job I packed up my voice and put it away. I've been given a writing challenge so I'm unpacking my dusty writing voice and starting over.
I'm from a small town east of Cincinnati, OH. I came from a blue-collar family who provided a lot of love and all my basic needs. I worked very hard in school and was the first of my family to attend college. While in high school, I became obsessed with proving myself and competing academically with the "smart" kids. And, I held my own, graduating 10th in my class. But, I always knew I wasn't quite as smart as the other kids. I hard to work harder in science and math. I wasn't labeled gifted, and so badly wanted to be. So, in addition to working my ass off academically and giving myself a lifetime sentence of anxiety, I put my inferiority complex way down deep by dreaming really big dreams. I was going to be a corporate attorney. To me, that would show everyone I was smart and successful.
I entered college as an international affairs major with a French minor. In my sophomore year of college, I joined ROTC with the goal of joining the JAG Corps. However, it became quickly apparent that I no longer wanted to be enrolled in my major or ROTC. So, I decided to switch majors. One of the subjects I have always been interested in is history. I love nearly everything about history. So, I headed to the history department only to be highly discouraged from becoming a history major. Feeling lost, I took a quick stock of what else interested me. Advertising! That sounds fun! So, I headed to the communications office but the advertising advisor was not in his office. However, the public relations advisor was and after a chat with him, I decided to switch my major and become a PR major.
By Christmas break of my junior year, I was married and by senior year I decided that I didn't want to go to law school. I was actually afraid of the LSAT and I just wanted to start working. But, the decision to not go to law school left me very lost. And, honestly, I have been ever since...20 years later! It's not that I want to be a lawyer, it's just that I don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I've spent my whole career in the non-profit sector convincing myself that I'm doing good, but really, I only think that non-profit is as good as I can do. I've spent my whole career working to prove myself, busting my ass to go the extra mile for half the pay my peers in corporate America make. I've told myself over and over that I'm making a difference, but really it's just the story I tell myself to make me feel better.
So, I am not at a mid-life crossroads. I don't want to do what I do anymore, but I've squashed my passion. The need to pay the bills and have flexibility as a wife and mother have taken precedent over my dreams. So, after watching many inspirational videos I came across a TEDx video about "Living Your Legend" and it resonated with me. Except, I don't know what my passion really is. I'm so interested in so many things. But, the one thing that lights me up is history and travel. I can literally feel my eyes twinkle when I have the opportunity to talk to people about these two topics---especially when they are combined. All our family vacations center around history. I have a coveted National Park Passport that looks like it survived the Titanic. Today, I joined Live your Legend and I'm hoping I can gain clarity about my purpose and find a way to use this to support myself financially. I'm ready to make my own history.
I'm from a small town east of Cincinnati, OH. I came from a blue-collar family who provided a lot of love and all my basic needs. I worked very hard in school and was the first of my family to attend college. While in high school, I became obsessed with proving myself and competing academically with the "smart" kids. And, I held my own, graduating 10th in my class. But, I always knew I wasn't quite as smart as the other kids. I hard to work harder in science and math. I wasn't labeled gifted, and so badly wanted to be. So, in addition to working my ass off academically and giving myself a lifetime sentence of anxiety, I put my inferiority complex way down deep by dreaming really big dreams. I was going to be a corporate attorney. To me, that would show everyone I was smart and successful.
I entered college as an international affairs major with a French minor. In my sophomore year of college, I joined ROTC with the goal of joining the JAG Corps. However, it became quickly apparent that I no longer wanted to be enrolled in my major or ROTC. So, I decided to switch majors. One of the subjects I have always been interested in is history. I love nearly everything about history. So, I headed to the history department only to be highly discouraged from becoming a history major. Feeling lost, I took a quick stock of what else interested me. Advertising! That sounds fun! So, I headed to the communications office but the advertising advisor was not in his office. However, the public relations advisor was and after a chat with him, I decided to switch my major and become a PR major.
By Christmas break of my junior year, I was married and by senior year I decided that I didn't want to go to law school. I was actually afraid of the LSAT and I just wanted to start working. But, the decision to not go to law school left me very lost. And, honestly, I have been ever since...20 years later! It's not that I want to be a lawyer, it's just that I don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I've spent my whole career in the non-profit sector convincing myself that I'm doing good, but really, I only think that non-profit is as good as I can do. I've spent my whole career working to prove myself, busting my ass to go the extra mile for half the pay my peers in corporate America make. I've told myself over and over that I'm making a difference, but really it's just the story I tell myself to make me feel better.
So, I am not at a mid-life crossroads. I don't want to do what I do anymore, but I've squashed my passion. The need to pay the bills and have flexibility as a wife and mother have taken precedent over my dreams. So, after watching many inspirational videos I came across a TEDx video about "Living Your Legend" and it resonated with me. Except, I don't know what my passion really is. I'm so interested in so many things. But, the one thing that lights me up is history and travel. I can literally feel my eyes twinkle when I have the opportunity to talk to people about these two topics---especially when they are combined. All our family vacations center around history. I have a coveted National Park Passport that looks like it survived the Titanic. Today, I joined Live your Legend and I'm hoping I can gain clarity about my purpose and find a way to use this to support myself financially. I'm ready to make my own history.
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