It Only Takes A Smile

I am not a runner.  if I had the strength and determination to make it so close to the finish line , and my legs gave out, I would hope people could support me like this. Proof that angels work in disguises sometimes

This year I vowed to do one thing each month I was afraid of.  

January:ecstatic dance

February:signing up for a home exchange and planning an impromptu trip 

March: going to an outdoor spa in Iceland !

Grant it , I was both intrigued and scared . All of these activities are a mixture of intrigue and fear. 

But the more I commit to this mini project, the more proud I feel of myself. I am surrounded by interesting and amazing people I may have never been exposed to. I’ve formed fabulous stories, all in trying to overcome fear on various levels.

I begin to question what else is holding me back.

I realise I have mini fears of many things. Yesterday , when we came upon a frozen lake and I saw people walking and sliding on it, fear arose. What if the frost cracked and we fell in.

But fear was replaced by opportunity. 

Kids have no fear , at what age does that arise for us? There is a question many leaders ask themselves …”what would you do if you weren’t afraid?” 

Take action, and see what arises in your life .

In recent years I have had an increased fascination with seeing the northern lights. What I could expect was to not have expectations . You could spend days during lights season searching for them, but never find anything . As we took our five hour bus tour from Reykjavik last night, our tour guide reminded us this. Tours even offer a free tour if you see no lights. It’s this common.

And so as we drove away from town, on a northern route, calculated from the projected cloud coverage of the evening . We quickly found an area where a siting would be probable. It was as if we were searching for ghosts. And in some way it was.

As we stood there in negative Celsius temperatures. We hoped for something .

And as we stood, our eyes had to adjust to the evening. Minutes passed and we watched and what appeared looked like clouds , but were lights. Difficult for the naked eye to see, but expresses itself more fully with a professional camera. 

As time stood still, and I stopped fidgeting with my phone and functions. I realised watching the Aurora borealis was a spiritual experience . I blocked out everyone else trying to capture the moment on digital imagery. And simply lived it. 

Iceland is magical.

Men knitting to break down barriers and build kindness

How to describe Venice’s Carnivale is like a high class Halloween party.  The costumes are elegant , people pause with patience to pose for photos, and the crowd is calm. I am sure there are expensive after parties to attend, but several hours here was perfect. Strangers share smiles and offer advice. As we looked into a restaurant’s window , a patron waved her finger NO informing us the food was bad . We listened . 

As we rode the water taxi from Murano to Venice, people initially stared . My friend and I appeared to be the only ones dressed up .

I had been informed staring was normal . I accepted it. As the ride continued , and we neared Venice . People began pulling out the masks they had purchased from earlier in the day. A 50 something Sardinian woman next to us told us her and her sister and sister in law come every year for Carnivale . They leave their husbands at home and bond so they can shop and explore Venice guilt free . I can see why people want to return, year after year.

The vibe is a tame party. It could get out of control easily. This place is more about parading around with pride in your costumes, sharing it with other citizens. For a moment during the concert in the San Marco Plaza, all seem united as “we are family” was sung to a sea of masked faces. We are family and all momentarily connected . 

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It feels as if you are in a dream. The beautiful mysterious faces set in the romantic environment of Venice . My friend said it was as if we were all part of one big play acting different parts. 

Isn’t that what we are in life? What part are you playing today?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/customer-gives-waitress-generous-tip-with-message-of-unity-after-inauguration/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=33783065

Thank you yesterday to the rental car company who upgraded my rental car last minute . As I was about to exit the gate after a 10 minute wait with my car that had two scratches, I was rerouted back to the front desk.  I have a gps and the car only had 10 miles.  I think the gratitude cards had something to do with it. I was surprised and impressed. 

It’s interesting , when we travel how irritable we can become. I love to travel but in the span of 11 days I have taken 4 flights and been in four states . All good until yesterday . I did not see that the conference I was travelling for started a day earlier. With last minute changes and the ease of two family members who were able to drive me from various locations, and a $200 Change fee, I made it. Additional costs for flights, hotels, and cars.

Irritability and anxiety filled me, but I tried to remain hopeful. Everyone didn’t need to know or see my worries.  At one point I thought I lost my drivers license at the rental car company. I called the company which was routed to their staff in the Philippines and back again to Houston. Luckily it was found and I let off steam by taking a long walk, eating my lunch at 5 pm.

Walking helped release everything. At 5pm in Houston , it was a lovely 70 degrees. What a break from the gloom that exists in England , that I am used to.

It’s a relief to have had so many gracious and welcoming people here in Houston . From the car rental place, to hotel front desk staff, random people in the gym or in the elevator.

The world can carry you if you let it.  

Let it.

This is the cutest video! The feeling this four year old has …
http://www.viralvo.com/4-yr-old-daughter/?r=jm

I am flying today from my family in Philly to Ohio. Although it would be a quick flight , I have a layover in DC. The irony is its Inauguration Day. At this point all we can do is hope . 

Above is an image from my friend’s Facebook account. 

We must continue to have hope that things will improve in our country , not just with our leaders but with the multitude of Americans who are residing here. We thrive to be progressive, independent, and inclusive. I hope we can find solidarity as a nation .

I am sharing the beautiful goodbye letter our current president wrote to the country .

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/19/14324910/obama-letter-goodbye