Welcome to this month's edition of Adventurous Life!
In this issue:
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The Benefits of Making Time for Your Self
Two months ago, my partner and I had plans to spend a weekend cheering for my mother (who, as you may remember, was competing in her first-ever ballroom dance competition) and visit my sister and her husband in their new house. Life had been hectic for a few weeks for both of us, loaded with work projects and long drives and the stress of big life decisions.
A few days before we were supposed to leave, Andrew turned to me (looking sort of apologetic) and said, "Is it okay if I don't go? I need a weekend on my own." I was simultaneously disappointed and delighted. Disappointed because I was looking forward to sharing the experience with him, delighted because I'm in a relationship where there's room to say such things.
How often are we each brave enough to do -- not what's expected of us -- but what we need to do to take care of ourselves? Whether it's a weekend off, a long-dreamed-of journey, or a great job on the opposite coast, Cheryl Jarvis (author of The Marriage Sabbatical) reports that taking that time for regeneration, following our creative passions, and simply remembering our own rhythms often strengthens relationships -- despite the initial unease people sometimes feel when considering the idea.
This month, look for ways you can make room in your own relationships (whether partner, friend, or family) for getting past the fear of disappointing people and giving them a chance to support you in following your delight -- and vice versa. Baby steps at first is fine, and will often get you where you want to go more reliably than giant, terrifying leaps (since it's easy to find excuses not to make those!). And remember, if it's a little bit uncomfortable, it's an adventure.
Jessie McComb remembers stepping off the plane, walking into the Madras airport, and thinking, "This place looks like nobody has been here since 1972."
Twenty-two hours before, she had left her comfortable, middle-class home in Leominster, Massachusetts (the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed and plastic pink flamingo lawn ornaments), and stepped aboard a plane bound for India, where she was to spend a semester abroad at a university in Pondicherry. She had arranged the direct enrollment program herself, but despite her hours of meticulous planning and preparation, she never suspected that she was about to embark on the most challenging and introspective episode of her life...
Read the complete article on my web site.
#140 Pick your parents up in a limo and take them to something they would love, just because they did such a great job raising you.
This everyday adventure is from "A New Adventure Every Day: 541 Simple Ways to Live with Pizzazz" by David Silberkleit, excerpted with the author's permission.
"People change and forget to tell each other."
- Lillian Hellman
Top 5 Ideas to Inspire You This Month
- Go hiking in a nearby park and marvel at the landscape
- Visit a plant nursery or botanical conservatory -- and ask questions!
- Build an igloo fort and challenge your neighbors to a snowball fight
- Go to your local bookstore, sit on the floor, and read children's books to anyone who'll listen
- Stop by a craft shop and get supplies to decorate your own holiday greeting cards and wrapping paper -- go wild!
"So much for endings. Beginnings are always more fun. True connoisseurs,
however, are known to favor the stretch in between, since it's the hardest
to do anything with."
- Margaret Atwood
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.
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Copyright © 2003 Judy Wolf
