All who WANDER are not lost

After a run & walk today…. I sat in my back room doing some stretches and looked up at this “art work” I purchased and hung years ago.

Adventures. Wanderlust.

I both have/had both & feel myself missing adventures and being filled more with wanderlust. Sitting in this space of "shelter in place” and having increasingly limited ability to wander has been super difficult. May be that is part of the funk I’ve been feeling?

With so much more time to sit and think…

****it has been brought to my attention, this is perhaps not the best space for me, or others around me depending on what is unearthed in my “thoughts.”

I’ve been reviewing some lessons learned from some of my adventures, and how they have helped me really FIND myself.

Costa Rica. The second time I went I was by myself going to a yoga retreat with total strangers, in an area I had never been, to a retreat center I knew very little about at the time. Although it did not turn out as I had hoped it would, I learned I am far more BRAVE (I took on a wandering spider by myself in the middle of the night, isn’t that the definition of BRAVE?) than I ever believed I was.

Hawaii. I have both a fear of flying and closed in spaces. I went on a helicopter ride over Kauai anyway. I floated over the island, seeing the absolute stunning beauty of this largely uninhabited island, and found that even my biggest fears can be tapped down so I can see what I can really become.

Oregon. Hiking on the Pacific Coast Trail is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also scary for someone who is afraid of things that can hide in the brush and trails. Hiking & exploring the trail remains one of my favorite memories, of wandering without an absolute plan (I mean it’s a trail, so there inherently is a “path” to follow) but not knowing how long I’d be out there, or what would I see, or would I be capable to override my fears and insecurities to truly enjoy the experience. The answer is YES. I did. Remains dear to my hear for many reasons. Almost inspired me to be the next female to hike it alone…almost….

Wandering helped me realize I am NOT LOST. There are times I have forgotten who I really am, and in the wandering, I have been able to see her more clearly.

I love a good beach. I love a good pool. I love sitting back and taking it easy. I can “lazy” with the best of ‘em. But even I, with endless opportunities to do these things finds myself getting anxious. Restless. I can feel the bubbling to the surface energy that is longing for a good adventure. A good open ended space to explore and seek, without an agenda, without a desired outcome, and more increasingly without an actual path to be taken. In these spaces, I can feel the growth happening, and excited to see the version of me that emerges on the other side.

Wandering to some may seem like unnecessary energy to expend.

“What is the point? I am who I am and I’m not changingI”

I think of it quite differently now, but even I have been stubborn in this process. I don’t like not knowing the next steps or path. I like to have the illusion of being in control in all aspects of my life. It truly is an illusion. But I have learned by allowing space to WANDER and seek ADVENTURES, in those spaces the truth of who I am, and who I am becoming, are only then made visible.

So… when our world opens up again, where can you see yourself starting to wander? What adventures are you willing to vulnerably step in to seeking, without knowing the outcomes? What are you willing to do that is outside of your comfort zone, trusting in the end and more vibrant, confident, and balanced version of yourself will inevitably emerge?

I came across this quote that gave me pause….

“The world is BIG and I want to have a good look at it before it gets DARK.” John Muir

Our time on this Earth is finite. Adventures are not. Let us not live with regret in the adventures we were too afraid to take.

Peace…..