Welcome to this month's edition of Adventurous Life!
In this issue:
I welcome your thoughts, feedback & suggestions for stories.
Please don't hesitate to contact me or swing by www.judywolf.com to see what's new.
Pass this newsletter along to a friend!
I had a crazy, been-too-long-in-this-country-again moment the other day. I'd gotten up to walk the dog and, still groggy, pulled on a pair of old, aerobics-style sneakers. It wasn't until I got to the trailhead where I usually start jogging that I realized I wasn't wearing my running shoes.
My shoulders drooped. I hung my head in frustration and disappointment. I actually started trudging down the path thinking, "I have on the wrong sneakers."
Then it struck me. I had on the wrong sneakers?! What kind of lame obstacle is that? I've seen porters in Peru and Nepal walk for days up steep trails carrying packs that weighed as much as they did...in flip-flops! It made me wonder: what other self-limiting assumptions am I carrying around?
The privilege we enjoy as educated citizens of relatively prosperous countries gives us unparalleled opportunities to expand our worlds. But it can also shut down invention and resourcefulness, which often leads to waste, not only in terms of opportunities, but materials (let's face it, an item breaks and we throw it away rather than fixing it, modifying it, or recycling parts). How many times have you not done something because you couldn't be bothered to think your way around an "obstacle"?
This month, choose a goal that you haven't acted on yet and take a second look at why. Whether it's the "wrong" sneakers, your car in the shop, or a lack of perfect funding, make a pact with yourself to get creative and do it (or some modified version of it) anyway. Send me your story!
Travel
Corner: Cheap Air Tickets -- Where
to Look &
What to Consider
One of the most popular topics among budget travelers -- one that yields endless hours of conversation -- is where to find the best deals on air fare. Before I go into this topic, let me add a caveat: while I absolutely agree that it makes sense to comparison shop and look for bargains, my first and foremost goal is travel. Period. If research becomes an all-consuming time vacuum and wheel spinner such that you never actually get on the road, then what's the point of saving $100? If researching bargains numbs your brain, but money stands in your way, then find a part-time job to make up the difference and get moving!
That said, under the topic of cheap flights, there are four key resource categories for you to consider: comparison shopping web sites, last-minute deals, consolidators (including "name your price" sites), and courier flights.
Read the complete article on my web site.
Travel
workshop:
Spread
the word! My next travel workshop "Get Going! Discover and Live Your
Travel Dreams" is scheduled for October 8, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, at Rochester
Info Courses. Register at www.infocourses.com.
To learn more about the workshop, look under their "Featured Courses" section, or visit www.judywolf.com/workshops.htm. Want to bring the workshop to your neck of the woods? Let's chat!
Writing
workshop:
Have you got a story to tell? Autobiography is a powerful and challenging
medium and uses many of the same fundamentals as creative writing. After all,
a good story comes not just from the content, but from how you choose to write
it. "Writing For Your Life" will discuss some of the techniques
used to create compelling fiction, and examine how you can apply those tools
to your own life stories. Whether you're capturing family history, interested
in enhancing your journal writing, or working on creative nonfiction essays,
this course will help hone your skills.
Tuesdays from 7 - 9 p.m., November 5, 12, 19 at the Kirkland Arts Center. To register, call 315-853-8871.
Dog
adoption:
We adopted a Border Collie! Looking for inspiration? This little guy was barely
alive when rescuers picked him up in Manhattan. If you've got a soft heart
for animals, you can learn more about his story at www.pngusa.net/~judywolf/.
"Like a ten-speed bike,
most of us have gears
we do not use."
- Charles Schulz
Top 5 Ideas to Inspire You This Month
- Go swimming where you shouldn't
- Get a massage
- Pick a spot on a regional map and go there for the weekend
- Buy a two-string kite and learn to do aerial tricks
- Learn everything you can about a country you barely knew existed
"If we have no peace,
it is because we have
forgotten that we
belong to each other."
- Mother Teresa
10 Great Reasons to Get Up in the Morning
This month's 10 Great Reasons were submitted by Andrea M. of Stamford, CT
"Hitting the snooze button! No really..."
- Finding out where my stuffed bulldog Elroy ended up in the bed
- Looking toward the window to see what color the sunlight is
- Hearing my husband snoring next to me with his face buried in his pillows
- Knowing the coffee is brewing in the next room
- Spending a few minutes relaxing and doing nothing
- My down comforter wrapped around me -- for some reason it's always most comfortable in the morning
- On the weekend, having purposely set my alarm for the normal workday time, the moment I realize that the day is mine
- Breathing deeply
- Wondering what the day has in store
- Feeling how lucky I am and remembering that life is an adventure not an obstacle course
About the author:
Judy Wolf is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor. She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
Learn more at www.judywolf.com.
What gets you up in the morning? What do you most enjoy doing?
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Copyright © 2002 Judy Wolf
