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long term travel preparation

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    Just Make It to Friday

    I feel like I just gave birth to a baby! And in reality, I did!
     
    My husband, Scott, and I had been under so much pressure and stress preparing for this year-long trip around the world that I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it.  
     
    Our departure date reminded me of the due date I was assigned for my daughter’s birth.  When I was pregnant, everything felt like it needed to get done before her grand appearance. And I had that same sense of urgency as June 15th, our day of exodus, approached.  
     
    The month before we left, Scott booked three speeches, a TEDx talk, a kids camp, was planning on finishing the website for Go Love Now, and creating all the video content for this youth program.  And I was trying to check off all the things on my never-ending to-do list as the looming date advanced.  
     
    Every night I would wake up at 3 am with my jaw clenched so tight that I thought my teeth would break.  Unable to go back to sleep I would stay up and work, feeling exhausted by sunrise.   

    Continuous second-guessing swirled around in my head, as the fear of the unknown crept in.  Were we doing the right thing?  Was this trip the best thing for our family?  Over and over I would repeat these questions in my mind, trying not to reveal my anxiety to my family.

    As the pressure rose, Scott would repeatedly turn to me with a look of overwhelm and say “We just need to make it to Friday.”

    One by one, our expectations of completing all our tasks fell apart and we eventually had to release all sense of control and let the universe take over. And not surprisingly, one by one all of our needs were met before we left, to include a down to the minute renting of our cabin, literally as we were lifting off on our flight (Thanks to Sam Pritchard with Harrison Pearson for all your incredible property management efforts).

    A feeling of relief swept through me, as we made it over the hump to cruising altitude. I sat there for a minute with a Bloody Mary in my hand staring at my two side-kicks.  Wow!  We’re really doing this! 

    And here I am writing to you from the other side, with a week of Costa Rican sun under my belt, knowing that although it may be challenging, any transition is possible.  

    Our first stop at Dreams Las Mareas, was the perfect opportunity to shift to our new lifestyle. I watched the miraculous unwinding of my crazed husband and enjoyed a week’s worth of the best sleep I’ve had in months.  Although skeptical of this whole adventure, my daughter Kayla quickly settled into the all-inclusive life by ordering limitless ice cream and drinks at the swim up bar. It’s amazing how relaxation can tame the wildest of minds.

    The process that my family went through to make this trip a reality is an excellent analogy of any transition in life.  Whether you are moving, starting a new career, getting a divorce or making a big life decision, the same evolutionary path will appear again and again.

    First, after marinating the thought in your head for a while, you will finally announce your intentions out loud to the world.  There will always be some naysayers that plant a small seed of “This is not possible”.  Ignore them and always go with your gut.  Fortunately, no matter how much we will miss each other, Scott, Kayla and I were lucky to have the full support of our friends and family for this grand scheme. 

    Second, as you put your plan into action, there will come a time on your journey when you question yourself and your capabilities. This is an absolutely normal and necessary stage of the process.  Referring to travel in his book Vagabonding, Rolf Potts expresses “Vagabonding is about gaining the courage to loosen your grip on the so-called certainties of this world.”  As with any large shift to your current existence, fear of the unknown is meant to keep you temporarily safe, providing time to make an educated decision about the situation.  But, fear is not meant to stop you from taking action. Push through the veil of apprehension and you will find a big, beautiful world of abundance and opportunity waiting for you on the other side.  

    Third, anything worth doing is worth working for.  Don’t be afraid of a little (or a lot) work to move towards your goals.  I love Rolf Potts’ statement of “The idea that labor is tied to freedom might seem depressing.  It shouldn’t be.  For all the amazing experiences that await you in distant lands, starts at home with a personal investment in the wonders to come.”

    And finally, once you’ve made it to the other side, sit back, acknowledge and enjoy all the fruits of your labor.  This past week, as I taught yoga on the beach to a beautiful group of people from around the world, I had to remind myself that this wasn’t a vacation.  This was our life!

    Every incredible outcome starts with a thought, is sprinkled with  effort and then grows to reality.  What thought can you nourish to fruition??? 

    Be spontaneous, book a flight and come meet us this Saturday in Costa Rica for a retreat of a lifetime.  There is a reason why this is our 8th year holding this retreat at the magical Anamaya Resort.   Scott and I would love for you to join us for this blissful experience at our Costa Rica Yoga Retreat June 30th-July 7th, 2018.  Click on the link for details and to register TODAY!

    Guatemala anyone??? I am so excited to partner with Rod Hairston on this Journey to the Heart Retreat on the shores of mystical Lago Atitlan in Guatemala November 3rd-10th. This is going to be a full mind-body-spirit immersion into the local Mayan culture through transformative workshops, yoga, ceremony, meditation, chanting and dance. Three powerful volcanoes and the beautiful lago will be our backdrop as we embark on a Journey to the Heart.  Visit www.growth-u.com/events for details and to register today!

    Interested in following our year-long, global travel adventure, as well as being the first to be notified of newly released worldly yoga videos by yours truly?  Please SUBSCRIBE to my Meditation Mutha newsletter.  I am planning on blogging about all our stops and people we meet along the way.  Hope you can join us!