The most amazing insights come from when you make decisions and no one knows. No one can see what you do, and then you chose, and then you say, “That was really me.” Travel gives you that chance.
Do it
What is my purpose? What is my passion? How can I help?
What do I do now?
May of 2013 I began traveling the world alone with one pack on my back, staying in hostels, meeting all sorts of people, hoping to answer these questions. The experience exceeded all my expectations.
I was newly single, a new empty-nester, my job was in “transition”. I felt the need for purpose and passion. I wanted my life to matter, to make the world better. I wanted to like it, my life that is, and I didn’t like it. I really, really didn’t. But, what to do? I wasn’t resonating with any obvious option, nothing felt right for me. I began to make plan for concentrated time to hear God’s voice, my own heart and think, travel, volunteer, and just experience what was out there.
I traveled by plane, bus, train, bicycle, kayak, boat taxi, tuk-tuk, car, camel, scooter, motorcycle, hitchhiked and walked.
Not being in my old routine, or with people who expected things of me, being in unfamiliar territory, I became a bit unsure and a lot more open to learning. It gave me freedom to peel off the patterns and systems I so often relied on, then look deep inside. What really made me tick? What was left after all the supposed-to’s were gone? What was I going to do when I didn’t know how?
The adventures were amazing. Swimming in Ha Long Bay Vietnam in a thunderstorm, eating frogs carefully prepared for me by a Laos family, hanging laundry with old women at Mother Theresa’s mission in Kolkata, finding the End of The World. I will never run out of stories and continue to record them on my travel story page, lightfootdiaries.com.
The adventures were crazy good, but the people I met, even better. We sat around at night and talked about love and music, politics, the world economy, family and God. I laughed so hard, learned so much, was so surprised so much of the time. Friends from all over the globe held up a big mirror for me to peer into. How fascinating it was to understand how others see me, an American, a woman and a person who is being fully herself. They challenged me every day with questions like “Why do you do this?” “Why do you believe that?” “What do you think about this?” I dug deep and found answers sometimes, but sometimes found no answers at all. That was ok; I was glad to know that I don’t know.
Peace, confidence and a self-knowledge I’d never had before were the gifts given me, and I learned that one of the best ways to figure out what it’s all about is to shake everything up, get away from comfort, routine and things you know, then bite off a challenge; a bigger than you, scary as anything, more wonderful than you can ever imagine, challenge.
I’ve had so many women say to me “I wish I could do that”, or “I want to do that but I don’t want to go alone.” Well, you can, and you don’t have to do it alone.
You don’t have to know the language, you don’t have to have experience, you just have to have a sense of fun, adventure and an open heart.
Are you wanting the adventure of your life?
Let’s go. Let’s go on a trip designed by you and for you, a trip just for you. We can go anywhere you want. It will be a trip full of fun, challenge, self-exploration.
What’s out there? What’s in you?
The lengths and costs of adventures are flexible. Best of all, you won’t be alone, unless you chose to be. Travel with a group or with only me, one on one. Get in touch – contact page, or email me at leanne@lightfootcoaching.com
