Welcome!

Welcome to this blog. Does anyone blog anymore? Is this just an old medium, and instead of writing should I just be learning TikTok dances? 

Maybe. 

But here's what you'll be seeing here instead. Adventure reports from me. 

Four years ago, I separated from my husband. Since that time, my focus has been on navigating the often perilous path of divorce and co-parenting. This isn't a blog to focus on that, but suffice to say, ALLLLLLL of my attention, extra energy and focus has been on the three of us and the next right thing, next right thing, next right thing. 

That plus the pandemic have left me with a very small world. Wake up, get the kids out the door, maybe get on the Peloton bike, work, pick kids up, make dinner. Repeat. Add in the pandemic doom and the fact I monitor the news for my job, and my world got even smaller. My viewpoint was that of fear, doom and a far-too-active sense of responsibility. 

My kids' father has the kids every other weekend. Most weekends, I'll jokingly tell anyone who asks, I stare at the wall and try to recalibrate and turn it off for a little bit. I wish these weekends invigorated me; I typically do a home project or two, and sit on my butt and watch TV. Because of the pandemic and various other things, I don't go out or meet people for dinner, or anything like that. I watch TV and most of the time feel compelled to get caught up, whatever that means, on stuff around the house. Laundry. Bulk cooking, etc. It is as lame as it sounds.

Earlier this month on a work retreat in Costa Rica for my new job (cough cough badass cough cough), I was knocked over the head with the reality with two astonishing and new-to-me facts: 1. I isolate myself when I'm stressed out 2. There is, in fact, an entire world out there to experience. Despite the pandemic. It can be experienced safely. 

On that trip, I realized the joy of traveling, getting out there, and having adventures, where you don't have to predict every single thing and aren't responsible for the universe. The spontaneity. Interacting with other humans in a way that is not a mom, not a worker, not a dog owner. Just Heather. The trip left me energized and joy-satiated in a way I hadn't experienced in years. Yes, years. 

During our 90 minute ride to hike in a volcano (NBD), I had the good fortune of sitting with our retreat facilitator and coach. We talked about the joy I was experiencing and how I wanted to go travel by myself and get. the. hell. out. of. the. house. And out of the grind and out of the position of being constantly responsible. 

So thanks to that coach, and being on a retreat with content creators, I've decided to travel every other weekend and write about it. Tomorrow I'm heading out for my first trip to Houston. I'm staying at an Airbnb in the arts district, and am planning things that I want to do only. No one else. I *might* meet a friend for coffee, but maybe not. There are no shoulds on these trips; they are for my joy and mine only. I'm tired from a long week at work, yes. But know that my joy bucket is filled by GTFO and experiencing life. I'll write a wrap up post after my trip and will be posting on IG too. See you then.