Guest Post By Jean Sibley
I boarded the plane the evening of my birthday, May 18.
Though I barely slept on the red-eye from San Francisco, I woke up feeling ecstatic - and just in time to watch a glorious sunrise over the Atlantic. I had never been to New York, and was beyond excited for my 10 day getaway!
It seemed there was much to “get away” from.
I was ready for an entirely fresh feeling to infuse my life.
Springtime should be the perfect season for that, right?
For two years I had been co-habiting with my former partner as we tried to sell the house. I lived in the front of the house with my daughter while he lived in the back.
We managed to get along during that time, as our lives headed in different directions. We especially cooperated well about showing the house. (We even did a powerful “dragon’s blood” feng shui clearing on the house and property - it must have worked because the first offer came through the next day!)
A number of buyers wanted the house, but none could get qualified. Finally in April, 2009, a family got approved for a loan.
I sprang for my plane ticket as soon as the papers were signed!
I didn’t yet have a new place to live. As I packed everything in bins and boxes to load into a storage locker, I told myself I could figure it out later. My former partner shook his head as I left for the airport, stunned that I would take off before I finished packing up my share of stuff. No problem, I told him, I hired a friend to finish the job. There was a plane to catch!
Central Park was gorgeous in the sunlight. I loved walking under the magnificent trees. I didn’t care how huge the park was, where I was headed, or how long I would be walking. I stopped at the lake to appreciate the sight of finely-crafted miniature boats sailing across its sparkling surface. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face - I am here and celebrating life!
I would figure out later how and when to meet the young musician I had been chatting with for the last two months. Or he would. In the evening I took the train north to stay with a friend in the suburbs.
I continued to enjoy my solo time in the city. I did hang out for a few days with the musician. It was pretty sweet, even at the end.
When I returned to California I felt very satisfied about this adventure. YAY for me! I had given myself a true gift, and book-ended a challenging period of post-breakup stagnation.
I felt alive, happy, and free.
It is spring again, seven years later.
I am delighting in the festivities of May Day in beautiful Guanajuato, Mexico, singing along with people who gather at dusk in the square, though I don't know the songs.
How about you? Is it your time to spring for a ticket?
I hope you let yourself reach - and enjoy - a special experience that is awaiting you this season.
It is good to feel alive, happy, and free!
Jean is a writer, coach and trainer who left her 9-5 job in Silicon Valley to travel the world. She has traveled solo through 33 countries. She is the author of Land Your First Online Teaching Job (2011). If you are ready to take a true break and embrace the many gifts of travel, then click here to grab your free copy of “10 Creative Ways to Fund Your Dream Trip.”
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