Having a clear expectation of your goals is a sign of maturity and drive… or so I thought. So what happens when all your expectation disappear? I’ve been reflecting on 2015 as so many of us do this time of year and I thought I would share with you an opportunity that I had to grow and stretch myself more than I thought was possible.
In august, I had the pleasure of attending the ewomennetwork conference in dallas, texas for the second consecutive year. After attending the 2014 conference, as you might expect, I had some expectations for the 2015 conference. I knew there would be lessons to learn, wonderful speakers/presenters, connections to make with other smart, talented women from all over the world, and of course great food (I have to admit that one of my all-time favorite things to do while traveling, is to try something new that is local and can only be found in that area.
I was blessed with the company
The pressure was on to maintain professionalism, learn new skills/insights, and still be mom. Looking back I realize that is exactly the challenge of a good leader in any organization, business, or family.
Did you say india!?
My comfort zone was about to be completely shattered! While at the conference, I met a wonderful woman named carmell clark. She phone lists introduced me to the idea of traveling to india to attend. A personal and spiritual growth retreat called “inner transformation.” at first I thought she had said indiana… but she didn’t. The thought of traveling. To the other side of the world and visiting a culture that I knew very. Little about was intriguing and terrifying all at the same time. I believe that a person’s life should be an. Adventure and every person has the power to choose. How that journey will go. This trip was my opportunity to make a choice that I knew. Would challenge me and stretch me as a person, wife, mother, and professional.
I booked the airline tickets right away so
The adventure was just beginning. The process of booking airline tickets for connecting flights, applying for a tourist visa, finding any consistency in packing suggestions was just the start of my adventure.
The morning I was to fly out of sioux falls, I was shaking so much that holding a cup of coffee was a challenge. I spent the morning running a couple of errands and having coffee with a very dear friend, all of which helped me to stay distracted from the impending flight. After wrapping up lunch with my husband (not that I was able to eat very much), he drove me to the airport and we said our goodbyes.
Once I was dropped off at the IT Email List airport in sioux falls I was on my own. I felt the churning of butterflies deep in the pit of my stomach with each step. I knew that great things were waiting for me and yet I had no idea exactly what to expect. This was such an unnatural thing for me. I’m a planner by nature and yet here I am traveling to india all alone with no clear cut set of directions or expectations. I made the conscious decision to take each experience one at a time and be present in each moment. I kept telling myself, “it’s all part of the adventure.
