Spirit of Adventure

  Were you to ask me what’s changed the most in the last six months, my answer would be that my spirit of adventure has resurfaced.  This adventurous spirit was my birthright.  Not only did it help me in the usual ways, such as toddler explorations, but it led me to Australia, Germany, and Wales.  For our honeymoon, my wonderful husband and I flew to the UK armed only with train passes, a guide book, and one night’s lodging booked.  We winged the rest of the trip, and it’s one of the best trips I’ve ever experienced.

  Somewhere along the way, I buried that spirit.  I’m pretty sure that part of what pulled me to Australia was the push of getting away from painful high school experiences.  When on my own in Wales, it was easy to be a different me, an outgoing me.  I was among strangers who’d never have the opportunity to tell me how foolish I’d looked.

  Going through cancer and having children began to soften the scars beneath which my adventure lay.  Seriously, after all the doctors, nurses, and interns got done poking, prodding, measuring, examining and exploring me top to bottom, inside and out, there was little space left in which self consciousness could hide.  By the time child number three came along, I was well on my way to dealing with the fact that there was part of me that still wanted to try new things.

  And finally this year, things have clicked into place.  With the permission to forgive and love myself, I’ve gained the strength to accept myself.  I’ve learned to not think of how goofy I look, but how do set about the task at hand.  That’s how I rode the rides at Waldamere, that’s how I completed a triathlon, and that’s how I found myself in an Abs Lab at the Lakewood Y last night.  I had some time on my hands, I had a Y membership, and I listened to my spirit of adventure.

  The instructor was great at her job, the music was lively, and the facility was beautiful.  Here’s what was so great about last night: I had confidence.  I was confident that I belonged.  No matter how my body compared with anyone else’s, I knew and felt that I had every right to be in the class.  It’s an awesome feeling which I won’t take for granted. 

  Did I do all the moves perfectly?  Nope.  But so what?  I did them to the best of my ability, and I could feel my muscles being worked.  And I practiced some self-coaching, reminding myself that I had completed X, Y, and Z, and that I could do this, too.

  I’m excited to experience this spirit of adventure again, and I’m looking forward to creating memories and stories to share with you here.  From scary foods to exciting rides, I’ve got a life to live.  Hopefully you’ll be inspired to set out on adventures of your own.