Ah, to be 25 again

Last weekend I was visited by a former student, her husband and couple of her friends.  She and her two friends work in higher education (my chosen field) and they made me remember why I chose to do the work I do in the first place.  We had some wonderful conversations; some about their work and some about mine, but all of these conversations delved deep in to why I do this work.  I helped them process some of their experiences a little bit, asked them the whys to what they were doing and got to share some stories about my Semester at Sea adventures.  The young energy that they brought to my weekend left me feeling rejuvenated, nourished and excited to see what is next.  The gratitude they had for my hospitality was something special.  Just talking about the work that I have done and to see it manifested in a new professional makes a very intangible job quite tangible.  While I am not sure if the field of higher education is my career destiny I do know that there will be a helping component in whatever I do.  

It also did not hurt that the apple picking adventure we set out on turned in to discovering a winery 5 miles from my home that was hosting a fall festival.

I am in a position now that if I let myself I can just sit back and let things unfold.  I am doing some of that but I am also ensuring that I am an active participant in this unfolding.  I am deciding to not curl up on the couch and watch TV all day (thought there are days when that is tempting) and to still connect with the people in "my village" no matter how near or far they may be.  I am surrounding myself with positive, enriching people and seeking out opportunities that will allow me to figure out my next course of action.  Some of these opportunities may seem unconventional; driving 2 little girls to school once a week, cleaning the yoga studio, volunteering at a local food pantry and working a seasonal retail job.   I am learning incredible lessons from all of these things and will be sharing more about these in posts to come.  Who do you connect with that affirms something in your life, your worth or the work that you choose to do? Seek those people out and surround yourself with that positivity.

"The most subversive invitation you could ever accept is the invitation to awaken to who you are and where you have landed." ~ John O'Donohue