What my own Brave Journey looks like

As a travel coach, I spend a lot of time helping my clients think deeply about how they want to feel on their journey.

When you have a desire to travel or to get away, it’s often because you want to feel something.

Free?

Vibrant?

Confident?

Creative?

Strong?

So in my signature group program, Brave Journey, I help each woman craft a transformational travel journey that helps them evoke the feelings they long to feel while traveling.

The experience not only helps each woman envision and plan her personal journey, but she also gets one-on-one check-ins during her travel and debriefings and a celebration afterward with her cohort.

Since I’m on a Brave Journey of my own this summer living in Kosovo to write a travel memoir (and using all the things I teach in the program!) I’ve chosen my own words for my trip. They are:

Brave.

Curious.

Connected.

Alive.

How does choosing these words not only inform my travel, but also transform it?

Here are some examples:

BRAVE

Writing a book others will read (and potentially critique) feels incredibly brave. In addition, while I’m here, I’m making a habit to look for other ways I can feel brave, even in small ways. Speaking the local language in a restaurant. Not knowing for sure when I will return. Telling people I’m writing a book. Eating alone on evenings when it seems no one is. All of these things stretch me and help me to feel brave.

CURIOUS

This means putting myself in new situations and asking questions with new eyes. For me, it includes wondering what exactly I’ll write in each chapter of my book, trying food I’ve not had before, going for a walk without a destination in mind and seeing where my curiosity takes me.

CONNECTED

I knew this would be key while I’m away this time. I need regular connections for my mental and emotional health, but also to keep me on track with my writing. I go to a weekly coffee with international women. I schedule coffees and dinners with friends. I have an accountability pod for writing, therapy appointments (to stay connected to myself and how I’m feeling), and I practice centering prayer and/or meditation every morning to connect to the Divine. All of these ensure I feel connected in all the ways I want to while I”m here.

ALIVE

Honestly, this is proving to be the hardest one for me right now. When I chose the word “alive,” to me it meant being present in each moment. If you remember Dead Poet’s Society, it’s really all about sucking the marrow out of life! It means giving myself permission to enjoy my time here, no matter what might be going on at home. So far, it’s meant a weekend in the country with my dearest friends. A day trip to Albania. A few days at a beautiful retreat location called Hangjik Guesthouse. Sure, I could spend more time working , but in this season of my life, I want to feel alive!

Every woman in the Brave Journey program comes with different desires for her journey. My job is to help her dig deep, unearth and name those desires in order to create a truly transformational experience!

This is just a taste of mine, and in sharing it, I hope it gives you a better picture of how it works!

Want to hear from current Brave Journey members about their experience, check them out here!