Weathering the Storm with the WP #25

Wow, my 25th blog today that I have written!!! I truly enjoy this forum which has allowed me to share my thoughts, feelings, opinions and experiences. An opportunity to stay relevant in the days of the Covid, and the life changes I have experienced both personally and professionally through these, now, 17 months. I have been impacted in many different and quite significant ways, many of which I have shared and will continue to share. This pandemic is still part of our lives and will be for some time and how we collectively and I personally handle it, are that which will determine my future, one of excitement, one of the known in the short term and very much the unknown in the long term. A bit scary, yet a path I am willing to take as the positives outweigh the negatives, the excitement of what is possible, outweigh the risks.  Another adventure to experience. 

As right now the Olympics are happening, something not possible last year due to Covid, the many athletes pursuing their dreams even though, their participation was not guaranteed. They trained their whole lives for this time whether they win a medal or simply excited to participate. They have earned their place here and it was not a sprint, but a marathon. Yes, I know there are sprints and there is the marathon, but life is not a sprint, it a marathon and you have to be in it for the long haul and not quit when the times get tough. There will always be twists and turns and it is how you handle these challenges will determine the chance of success by letting you know what is possible. 
If I have learned anything from this marathon called life, we don’t have an infinite amount of time. What you make of this time is most important. I have learned that being happy and living every moment of life to the fullest is most important. It will not always be possible, but I will strive to continue this process. Time is not going to stop and neither am I. This came into focus even more when I heard of the sudden death of a person who I considered a colleague in my industry, but more importantly, a friend and a brother. 
After 30 years of being in Minnesota, I am leaving in less than a week’s time and will be hitting the road. Will I be back, the answer is yes, but for how long, I do not know. I will be out of the North Star State for at least 6 months, maybe longer. Where I will be in the short term is up in New England starting a new journey. Being the Wandering Puffin, I will not go directly, but wander the country before I settle in for a while and even then, I will be wandering. In fact, for 2 ½ weeks, leaving next Saturday, I will return to many of the places in the US I have not been since I was a road warrior in my mid 20’s. I am excited to share this experiences seeing America along the way and being a fan of the Hard Rock Cafes, doing what I call the Wandering Puffin’s Hard Rockin’ Road Trip around America and a few other twists along the way. I hope you continue to follow my journey and perhaps this and other posts will inspire you to pursue your dreams.                                                                                                                  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!!!