Simply Present
Hello again. It's been almost two months since I blogged. Almost two months since I've engaged on any social media. And almost two months of being...well, simply being present. Wow, it's been powerful.
We just did something drastic. We surprised our three daughters with a trip to Costa Rica. For a month. Yes, we set the bar a bit high for future surprises! During this time, we experienced so, so much.
We truly lived the "pura vida" lifestyle, and I've been stewing over what to do with all we learned, explored, and enjoyed along the way.
This trip was the catalyst for a whole new life for us - one that minimized the distractions, obligations and overwhelm, and experienced life simply being present.
We're Ready for take-off
It all started with our ten year anniversary trip. I read Danielle LaPort's pivotal book, The Fire-Starter Sessions, and started to re-think what we wanted our lives to look like. Nathan and I took a break from "reality" and started to see how life can pass us by as we spend our time hunkered down, working for the "one day."
One day, we'll have the money.
One day, we'll have the time.
One day, we'll take that trip.
One day, we'll...start living.
"one Day" Syndrome
Why oh why does it have to be
"one day?"
I don't want to spend our children's childhood working for the "one day" when we can take a huge trip and just be together as a family. We slave and toil when our kids are small to save up the money to do all these fun things together. And by the time we feel we are closer to that attainment, the kids are grown and gone.
We miss these beautiful windows of connection trying to get all our ducks in a row.
Clara immediately went to work writing thank you notes to us for surprising them with this trip!
Well listen up, people. Your "ducks" are more like cats.
And you, my dear, are trying to herd cats. All. The. Time.
Life happens. Kids get sick. The dishwasher breaks. Work becomes unpredictable. If we wait for it all to be just right, we would never take that trip, have kids, or even get married. Sooner or later, you simply decide to jump.
And so, we jumped. What if we take the girls and explore the world together? What if we world-school, and start this adventure we dream of? Let's do it.
Easier Said Than Done
Um...right. It takes 28 days to break a habit. We were in the habit of obligation. We were the go-to people for so many - we'd coach, we'd teach, we'd take care of, and we'd fix.
We'd make the peace, offer support, and unite as the pillars of stability. We had it together, and were the therapist couch and the place to dump all your woes and play with kids. We needed a break. We needed to free ourselves from what we thought we needed to do for everyone else. Our family needed to remember our own family vision.
So we booked a flight to Costa Rica. 29 days, to be exact. Right over that habit-breaker.
Boy was that scary! This would cost money! This meant we needed to re-arrange work schedules! This meant we needed to pack. Oh boy. Did we need to pack.
We didn't tell the girls until the day of. In a family of "no secrets", this was a hard surprise to keep! Yet knowing all too well the hounding that takes place building up to a big event, we decided for the sake of our sanity to let this be the surprise of all surprises. And was it ever! That day we sent the girls off with their favorite sitter to play at the zoo and we loaded up the car and did our last minute errands. Then picked them up, grabbed some lunch, and headed to the airport!
We did it -we launched! And, we learned so much. We learned about how little "stuff" we need to be happy. We learned that afternoon siestas are a beautiful thing. And we learned that adventure is a mindset.
What we did was so, so beautiful. This in no way was the end of our travels; but merely the beginning of a lifestyle shift that has taken us on an epic journey of self discovery...along with discovering this beautiful world we live in.
We now yearn for more...yet with so much less. It's not just about the adventures we take in, but the beautiful shift to an intentional lifestyle that embraces our vision: explore, connect. Listen, respect. Learn and love.
So many of you have asked about Costa Rica. What interests you the most? How we traveled, how we budgeted, where we went, how we unschooled, essentials we took with us and swear by for traveling...these are just a few ideas. We share much of our adventures on the Mama Says Namaste Podcast.
Join me. Ask. Let's dive in.
Namaste, and Pura Vida!
PS. Costa Rica may be too big of a leap to get started. But it doesn't mean you can't do something. It will always remain "one day" until you put a date on it. I've created an online course and free webinar for those of you who dream of RV travel instead - check it out below!
Sister, we had such an amazing time with you all! I know how big of a leap this was, and would be for just about anyone. It’s no joke, especially with all the kiddos. But you did it. And you experienced a raw, untamed type of lifestyle. Obviously it’s one that I have clung to most of my life and always will. And it can be so different for anyone. Everyone has their own flavor of journey, even when the paths may look similar.
I’m so excited for you guys. The more you take these adventures, the more you realize how doable (not necessarily easy) it really is. And the more adventure and awe you experience, the easier it becomes to take the leap each time.
The world is your oyster, as they say. I’m so honored that you came to spend so much time with us, and so excited for what lays ahead for you! Carpe diem!