Intrepid Traveler
As I write this, I’m waiting to board a flight to Denver for a work trip. It’s mind-boggling to think that just a short month ago I was able to visit Greece with my sister and niece for my niece’s senior/graduation trip. It was a memorable experience, see more below on that. However, since that time, not only have I been in Greece for 11 days, I returned and almost immediately headed to Chicago for a couple of days, then Traverse City for a week for work, then DC for a weekend and now headed to Denver for a few days. It’s been a FULL few weeks and I am missing my bed, my home-based routine, and my community there. I am completely aware of my exhaustion and working diligently to pace myself as much as possible and to find ways to incorporate self-care strategies. It also helps to know this is the last time I have to be away from home for an extended period of time for the foreseeable future. (I’m sure that will change in time but for now I’m holding tight to that sentiment).
Prior to our departure to Greece, my mom texted my sister and me calling us “intrepid travelers.” Initially, I was offended as I mis-remembered the definition of “intrepid” and mistakenly thought she called us trepidatious. (I had to google “intrepid”). Perhaps my assertion of being “trepidatious” was my own perception as I was in all honesty a little nervous about traveling internationally alone with my youngest sister and her still-a-minor-for-a-couple-months daughter. (When I visited there previously my mom and I had gone with a tour group, which provided a heightened sense of security-being in a large group with a paid tour guide).
However, we felt (mostly) confident in our extensive planning. We borrowed itineraries from previous Greece travelers and conferred with a friend who lives in Athens to gather ideas for places to stay and sights to see. We had our google docs, printed itinerary and confirmations. We were well (over) packed and ready for the adventure that awaited us. And what an adventure it was. Despite having my suitcase broken by the airline, we arrived safely and had the trip of a lifetime. We experienced a couple bumps along the way, which we easily rectified and overcame. We bounced around from location to location, navigating flights, ferries, and taxis. We met some delightful people, ate extraordinary food, and saw indescribable views. We laughed, I cried, we rap-battled, relaxed and WALKED… a perfect balance of experiences. And on a nearly daily basis (perhaps it was daily) we reminded ourselves that we were intrepid travelers. It empowered us especially when we were met with uncertainty about which way to go as we navigated Greek street signs to the restaurant or hotel or faced unidentifiable food on our plates. With each step we bolstered our inner abilities with the reminder that we were intrepid travelers.
Maybe it’s obvious how this phrase supported my personal self-care (or that of my sister and/or niece) but how does it help yours? Why am I sharing this experience with you? What can you take away from it to empower yourself? I’d be curious to know your thoughts on that. I believe it can help in two ways. One, is there a phrase that you find beneficial to you? Is there something you can say to yourself (or out loud even) that reminds you of your strength, prowess, abilities, greatness? What is that statement? I like “You got this” as a go-to. Or “Let it go.” Or “You are strong” as examples. It was surprising to me how much power those two words carried with them for me/us. The second takeaway in my opinion is the importance of travel (funny coming from me right now who wants nothing more than to be home in her own bed). Take the trips! Go exploring. Unplug. (I intentionally did not get the international cellphone package, so I had a legitimate excuse to only connect to folks when I had Wi-Fi and was back at the hotel for quiet time). It helped to completely step away from work. I don’t do that often (enough) but for me it is essential to truly take a break! Maybe you don’t go to Greece (although you absolutely should…and spring is a good time to go, it’s cheaper and the weather is moderate and it’s not as crowded) but go somewhere. Even if it’s a hotel in the next town over. No one needs to know where you are but getting away makes a difference. As summer approaches, this is a perfect opportunity to find ways to focus on you. And if you are trepidatious, it’s ok…find your inner voice (or your friends or moms) that reminds you that you are intrepid. You got this!