​Weathering the Storm with the WP #24

I am at a bit of a crossroads in my life. As last week I discussed what the past 16 months have been, I am approaching that fork in the road, that next exit on that road of life, which for the time being, will lead me east, how far east and for how long I don’t know. I am leaving Minnesota, be it temporarily or perhaps, permanently. When I leave in a couple weeks and the countdown continues, I will have a chance to add to what I am now calling my zipline experiences. I won’t go directly, and I will definitely be wandering, and there is a theme to this road trip, where I ultimately end up in New England, as least for the short term. I will share this theme in the next week or for my last posting before my road-trip starts and continue to post along the way.  

I told you that when I was in Croatia, I did a zipline for the first time in my life and for the record, I am ready for more of this type of experience. That adrenaline rush was something I loved having. It was scary and at the same time, overcame my fear to accomplish that adventure. It was exciting to think about what I would feel. I almost backed out and no one would have thought any less of me, but I had to do it. It was what I thought of myself, and what I would have felt if I had chickened out. That is what I had going as I only have to compete with myself, not with others. I need these challenges to continue to grow.

Stay tuned on my other social media for
more videos of my zipline experience in Croatia!

I remember as a teenager, being the lead trumpet player in an organization called the Twin Cities Institute for Talented Youth and part of one of its orchestras for several summers. I remember that we traveled to San Antonio, Texas in an exchange type arrangement (the group from San Antonio, I believe came up the next summer) and we were to perform concerts at Incarnate Word College. I remember having a solo which I had worked on, perfected, and felt ready to do. But when the concert was upon us and when we were within a minute of the solo in front of this audience, I temporarily panicked and told my second trumpet to do it, as he had prepared just in case. At the last second, I said no, I will do it and I did, along with a percussionist as the only ones playing in front of the packed concert hall. I had overcome my fear, as I had, doing the zipline last month. 
My zipline experiences now are metaphors for what is happening in my life, trying new things, traveling different roads, and with this forthcoming road-trip, seeing the country from a totally new perspective than when I was in many of these places last some 35 years ago. Each day will be a new experience, a new zipline to tackle; taking chances that may or may not work. I did this when I started my travel company, Wandering Puffin LLC in 2007, timing being everything, right before the great recession and I came out stronger and now during this pandemic, doing what was needed to remain relevant. 
Now, business it picking backup. I knew it would, having remained positive throughout this time. I am happy in my own skin and have a new perspective, a freshness and renewed passion for what I do and life in general. I am so excited to be working on many different travel adventures for my valued clients, to many different destinations around the world, so they can live their zipline experiences and it is wonderful to be part of that. I didn’t know the outcome then with the recession, and I don’t know what the outcome will be now. The future is unknown, but I have a general direction. I will always be the wanderer and definitely the path will not be a straight line. This, as with any of other new experiences, scary, but even more so, exciting. The motivation is there and each new day of the rest of my life is going to be another zip line experience.  Looking forward to sharing the ride. 
As always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of this small business and it is truly appreciated!!!