You know how you feel when you have a big project, event or trip coming up? We look forward to many of these activities but they also come with some trepidation. Most of us have learned to navigate the external planning and preparation that accompanies these things be it gathering the tools, securing the venue, engaging assistance and/or packing our suitcases; but do we also tend to the mental and emotional preparation necessary for the best possible outcomes?
I have found that staying calm, making lists and giving myself plenty of time to properly prepare for our twice annual residential transitions are all important to a positive outcome. For me, taking my time ensures proper preparation and calm commencement of the journey ahead. This is even more important for Paul but he seems to come by it naturally. Thus, after a successful pack up, I took the passenger seat for our road trip back to Flagstaff surrounded by all my tools for the journey including my phone, books/reader, glasses, chargers, pillow, purse, cough drops, water, snacks, blanket and pillow. Amazing it all fits on and/or around me. I planned for chill time which I define as not doing anything but observing the scenery around us as we whiz by. I also allocated time to process things on my mind along with time to talk with Paul about planned and unplanned topics. I have learned engaging with Paul while driving is best done early in the day as after 8 hours of driving all he wants to do is get off the road and relax. The drive was uneventful and we made our usual overnight stops in Wichita, KS and Amarillo, TX arriving in Flagstaff late afternoon on our third day of driving.
We had a tight turnaround, leaving ourselves only 48 hours to unpack and repack for our trip to Cabo to attend my nephew’s wedding. I had never been to Cabo but what’s not to like; sun, sand, sea, warm weather and tropical drinks secured at the swim up bar at a high end all-inclusive resort. At first blush these places seem overpriced but once you separate out the room rate from normal food and drink costs it seems like a pretty good value to me. There is always the chance for family drama at such events but I did my part to mentally and emotionally prepare for such and thankfully avoided any weekend mishaps. It was great to connect with my family during such a happy time and wonderful to meet my nephew’s many friends and new wife’s family. I loved the small intimate nature of the destination wedding that allowed for numerous opportunities to connect with all the wedding guests. After five days of all the fun in the sun I could take we traveled back to Flagstaff and got ready for Halloween trick or treaters. We settled in for winter just in time to enjoy our first snowfall several days ago. Thankfully, the warm Arizona sun quickly melted the snow in town but the peaks are in their glory capped with the first snow of the season. So, another seasonal transition successfully completed!