3 Things that SURPRISED me on our 'Trip of a Lifetime'

Nov 3

Did you know that I’ve just been on a Trip of a Lifetime with my family??

No??!!

Then update yourself here below…

As all things go…our holiday has come to an end. Tomorrow I catch the plane back to Cairns after 3 months away and try and ease myself back into ‘normality’…..and into the heat (wish me luck).

Before I return however I thought I’d share with you 3 Things that surprised me about my ‘Follow the Sun’ journey.

Initially for me this trip was all about escaping the same ol’ same ol’ life at home, reconnecting with my family and sharing with them the joy of travelling and being on the road. I was also hoping that it would create a HUGE following for my Adventure Mumma website and social media accounts – ie allowing me to officially become a digital nomad upon my return. Something else happened though and I believe it is better than any result I could’ve imagined…

1. Happy Hours were seriously GOOD!!

Funny cause I was dreading these. Part of our Brand Ambassador duties for Dometic was to host a ‘party’ every 2/3 days at each campground we visited and invite people to come along, share food and drinks AND give to a charity (in this case the National Breast Cancer Foundation).

Personally I’m a BIG fan of Happy Hours when Rob and I are enjoying a night out BUT to host them on a regular basis and to invite complete strangers, share our journey (did I mention that I’ve always avoided public speaking) and ask people to contribute to our fundraising…. this part of the trip I really wasn’t looking forward to.

But funnily enough Happy Hours became the HIGHLIGHT of our journey. So much so that if we were to do another tour I would endeavour to create a regular ‘event’ where we can once again get together and meet other travellers.

Happy Hours for us was all about connecting, seeing people mingle with others, listening to their stories, watching our kids run the raffles and ‘entertain’ the crowd AND help raise a load of $$$$ for NBCF - $11,170 in TOTAL over 24 events (that’s just under $500/Happy Hour)!!!

From Happy Hours we made lifetime friends and we’ve enjoyed and seen our kids learn the benefits of ‘giving’. In Josh’s case it’s also meant he’s earned a School Award for Outstanding Contribution to Citizenship – something that wouldn’t have happened if we’d kept them at school for that 3 months.

2. Space and the Power of Now

I’m a BIG fan of personal space and to be sharing a 2-3 berth caravan on a 24/7 basis with a family of 4 was a big ask for me – particularly in the last month when the weather was fairly ordinary (thanks Victoria) and everybody bunked down inside - Josh’s bed was on the floor!!

Mindfulness and focus became critical. Lack of personal space meant real awareness of other family members, of having to ‘let things go’ rather than create an argument, of being present when they shared their thoughts…..and most critically, no longer being able to avoid the reality and lose myself on Facebook or some other social media app (I blame poor digital connection on the last one…..but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing).

And when I did sit down to work I had to do it with ALL of life going on around me. Nothing stopped and they were all were there WITH ME (no work or school to distract them in this case) and yet I still had deadlines – there was no other choice but to find focus and get on with things that would have taken me days to complete in the past.

Follow the sun - Healesville @adventuremumma

3. STRENGTH through Failure

I have to admit that I rarely step out of my comfort zone (Note: Adrenalin activities don’t count because they don't scare me in the slightest). Public speaking, taking charge and being accountable, being in front of a camera or in the public eye – all of these things however make me feel extremely uncomfortable.

Ultimately I FEAR failure and on this journey failure was always a BIG possibility. In fact, failure happened quite a few times along the way BUT I learnt very quickly that it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought and each time there was always someone close at hand that would help me out or there was always an easy solution.

For me failure ended up being the best teacher and allowed me to make better decisions the next time around. I realised that by taking myself out of my comfort zone I become more self assured and confident in what I was doing, and ultimately I enjoyed myself more. By not being afraid to take action I had created a happier environment, for everyone…...not just myself.

Follow the Sun - Nagambie @adventuremumma

SO, if you get a chance to be with your family 24/7 longer than just a weekend, or have the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, or are able to gift your energy or time to a worthy cause then all I can say is DO IT!!!! The rewards could be far greater than you could ever imagine – and you never know, you may even enjoy yourself ;)

Your thoughts? Have you been on a similar journey? Is there something in your life you’d like to do BUT haven’t been willing to take the plunge yet? I'd love to know.....