I had a dream. To be clear, it was a personal dream.
It was January, 2020 and as I visioned my new dreams for the year, I felt a longing to travel arise within me. To see this beautiful world. To visit my favorite people and make new friends. It wasn’t just a vacation or two kind of dreaming. It was bigger than that. I was gonna learn how to travel a lot and build my current and new work into my trips. I was excited and raring to go.
Enter the pandemic.
With a nod toward my dreaming, I put it on a shelf and pivoted. I shopped for those who couldn’t go out. I cared for those who were sick. I spent time alone in Soul Sanctuary as I brought my therapy and classes online. I created a new website. I played a lot of board games, took drives with my daughter, and ZOOMed my friends and family.
I did what everyone else did. Grateful to be healthy and happy to be nourished at home.
Somewhere in the midst of 2022, I recalled that dream. And realized how all that pivoting allowed me the freedom now to launch myself and my computer across the friendly skies. Inadvertently I had been taking Tiny Actions toward this dream of expanding my horizons without even realizing it.
Such is the beauty and power of the Reticular Activating System. That google like part of your brain that works 24/7 on your visions and clear goals.
Hallelujah. I grabbed my computer and headed to Florida to see my kid.
In July. That’s funny. I went from one heat wave to another. As any parent knows, if your kid invites you to visit, you jump on the chance. Packing my sunscreen, beach clothes, and computer, I launched my year of exploring how to work while traveling.
I failed miserably at the work part and had a blast on the beach.
I learned it helps if you schedule something before you leave. In my subsequent trips to the Redwoods in California, Christmas in Florida, and a long jaunt to California and Hawaii, I’ve learned a lot about balancing this dream. Writing on long plane rides, mornings of scheduled time with lovely ladies, and on the go managing of business details seems to work for me.
I think I’ve come up with a new formula.
Leaving time for relaxation, meaningful visits with new and old friends, time in nature, and exploration of new places. Trying to fit in too much just leaves me a bit unbalanced, which defeats the whole point of leaving home.
My most important discovery is how my wanderlust has been fully awakened.
I met a woman on a deserted beach in Northern California. She shared some of her travels through the 23 countries she had visited. I left that conversation with a longing to see this beautiful world and a feeling that I’ve missed that boat.
Talking with my husband, I recounted my worldly journeys through the years and discovered I had visited 17 countries. So maybe I’ve missed nothing even while my longing strengthens.
I’m back to dreaming about traveling again. My eagerness is balanced with a healthy dose of experience about how best to prepare, when to schedule work, my ideal travel pace, where to save or splurge, and how to become really flexible with expectation.
Oh yeah. And my preference for comfort.
Having been bumped up to business class a few times, I had no argument when my husband facilitated his own bump on the long flights to and from California.
I’m practicing my flexibility even now as I paused writing this blog to be served lunch. I just finished my lasagne, salad, and ice cream sundae. Much better than pretzels and water in coach. And space. I love the space offered by fewer people and quieter locales.
Crowded cities, traffic, beaches, and restaurants aren’t my idea of paradise.
Learning what makes the experience worthwhile is essential. I’m taking good notes this year of “practice traveling.” So I know when to work or not work. How to play slow or fast. And how to pack light. Well, that’s a work in progress, one which I hope to master very soon.
I’m ready to dream again this week in my Sacred Intent Visioning Retreat on Saturday.
I feel like my travel dream is launched and that research will continue naturally. My current longing for simplicity seems at odds with the wanderlust on steroids feeling I’ve got. Yet, I know my Soul is speaking to me and I’m looking forward to listening deeply.
My Soul has a dream. It’s a personal dream. And a dream for humanity.
I don’t understand how my little self and my small dreams fit into the larger picture. This much I know for sure: I don’t have to understand anything. Just drop within the stillness of my being and listen deeply. And walk through my moments with relaxed alertness so that I may find the clues which mark the perfect path.
I look forward to being home. Seeing my dog. Returning to Soul Sanctuary. And connecting meaningfully with the people and places in my own backyard.
I haven’t missed anything. And likely won’t miss traveling when I’m experiencing the joy of connection and purpose while at home. That’s another thing I learned. I’m not missing anything, even as I discover the worlds I never knew existed.
Wherever I go, there I am.
That’s a work in progress as well. To let the planning, dreaming, and moving happen organically while staying firmly grounded in the present moment. Full, complete, and at peace.
I’m getting a few hints about this budding dream of simplicity as I write.
About the nature of living in gratitude for what (who) is here, curious about what else is possible, and being open to a whole new (unknown) adventure. I’m going to read my book now (which means I’ll soon be napping), while I let this seed of a Soul Dream root deeply within my being.
I was just served my water and pretzels.
Seems there is goodness offered wherever I sit. I’ll reexamine my previous dismissal of this gift with an open, appreciative heart. And since I’m so full, I’ll pass them onto my husband.
If I can find him in this roomy cabin in the clouds.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
Are you a sensation seeker or an experience seeker? The former love adventure travel, jumping out of airplanes and eating crispy critters considered a delicacy in some cultures. While high risk, adrenaline adventures aren’t for everyone, they offer you a few valuable lessons. Go with the flow is more than a chirpy saying. It’s an entry into a flow state in which you are in sync with your experience, the environment, and others. Experiencing awe is another hallmark of the thrill seeker. These are two components to cultivate if you wish to flourish in life, rather than settle for surviving. You may want to bypass the cliff diving, but still have a strong inner desire to seek new experiences. Being flexible with expectations, going with the flow, and surrendering to awe are guidelines for all adventurers in this journey of life.
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
In September, I’m returning to the Temples of Humankind in Damanhur, Italy. It feels like an understatement to claim that this is a place of power, mystery, and majesty. Yet, I’ve found this to be true for myself and those I’ve met who’ve traveled within the extraordinary to the Temples and the community of Damanhur.
One cool Spring morning, I stepped on the treadmill at the gym looking forward to walking a few miles. Recovering from an injury, I had to walk at a moderate pace so I had brought my copy of What Is Enlightenment? magazine to explore. I always found something to inspire me within this publication focused upon consciousness, culture, and cosmos.
Stress is a natural experience in life. It’s often viewed as a doorway to disruption of wellbeing, peace of mind, and a clear navigational path in a challenging situation.
I’m a bit of a news hound these days. As one who hasn’t watched a newscast in years, I’m surprising myself. Ordinarily, I wait for the news to come to me. And it does. When something is important for me to know or respond to, I hear about it. Kind friends, clients, my husband, or a random stranger share a soundbite which cues me to look into a situation further. I’ve been very comfortable with this level of engagement for years now.
In the midst of our country’s woes, I’ve got Lucinda Williams singing in my head.
“You can’t rule me
you wanna go and tell me what’s good for me
you wanna tell me what I’m payin’ for
Well, the game is fixed, it’s plain to see
I ain’t playin’ no more”
I drove through a hail storm today. It began gently, offering a musical accompaniment to my journey. Intensifying, the hail noisily demanded my attention.
