Happy New Year. I write this from a beachside palapa in San Felipe, Mexico… a fine place for a new start.
Last year I chose the word transformation as my word for the year. We were determined to transform so many things in 2015, a year marked with many big milestones in our life.
In the end, it turned out to be quite a challenging year, filled with upheaval and change and, yes, transformation.
We celebrated Jim’s 50th birthday in Mexico on his surprise birthday trip to the Copper Canyon.
We celebrated our 25th anniversary at our favorite lake, surrounded by friends and family.
We sold our house. We sold 99% of everything we owned. We quit our jobs. We hit the road. I’d say if we were looking to change up our lives, we did a pretty damn good job!
The physical transformation is still a work in progress, but already we have both lost a few pounds and, more importantly, we sit less, move more, eat less, stretch more towards our goal to an even healthier lifestyle.
We are here. We DID IT. Our long dreamed of goal of getting back out their discovering a road and life less ordinary has begun. Yep, we’re still scared. We are still not sure of what path our life will lead that will allow us to retain a nomadic lifestyle. But we are sure we are on the right path. Already, in less than two weeks; weeks which were mostly fraught with bad weather, sickness, and camper issues, we are already feeling relaxed, energized and as though we are following the path back to our authentic selves.
While considering my word for 2016, I came upon the quote below. I have to admit I read and re-read it. And the re-read it again. THIS is it. This is what I want my next year to represent.
This gave me my word for 2016. Surprise. I want to be surprised by the twists and turns that the road has in store for us. Some surprises may be good, some not so much, but I am confident all will teach us something, not just about the world, but about ourselves.
For now, I’m going to focus on some good madness and…..
“Sit right here and have another beer in Mexico, and do my best to waste another day”
I wish everyone a year filled with surprise and wonder. A year where, perhaps we take a step back and rediscover that childlike quality of being truly amazed by the world around us.
