we depart on the tranquility tour!

after our big announcement in april followed by heaps of planning, coordination, and dreaming since then, it’s hard to believe the final days until take off are upon us. yep, after our kickoff on tuesday night, we’ll head out to west virginia, pack up sweet lillie and head to new york. there we’ll camp, savor the wisdom 2.0 conference, and launch our first tranquility pop-ups in philly and brooklyn.

since bonnard’s passing in july, we’ve decided to leave our second senior rescue kitty at home where he’ll be happier. he’s never been much of a traveler {unlike bonnard who loved the open road}, so instead of three pets, we’ll simply have le pug in tow. funny how things can change so quickly and i’m trying my best to learn to go with the ever-changing flow.

in 1997 i took three months to travel from dc to alaska and down the west coast in an SUV. camping, sleeping in the car, and savoring an occasional soak in a hotel tub. for the past 15 years i’ve been committed to long-term projects such as creating and growing tranquil space plus completing grad school programs and various trainings. all the while my wanderlust has been tucked in my back pocket awaiting attention.

despite being tucked away, i would often tell le beau that my birthday wish would be to travel cross-country in an RV for two weeks. funny how i couldn’t see past a two week adventure. gas and rental costs were always prohibitive so this dream, too, remained tucked away.

after spending six weeks in france last year with two of the weeks in an RV exploring provence, i realized that away time didn’t have to be in two week spurts and that my wanderlust wishes were still strong despite being ignored for so long. “be responsible.” “focus on growing and improving.” “what will happen if you’re away for so long?” these are just some of the voices in my head ensuring i didn’t escape beyond two weeks. it’s the american way, after all.

the funny thing is that i now see how quickly the two months will pass. our 11,000 mile schedule is quite tight considering our extensive route. however, i’m hopeful there will be many more adventures to come in sweet lillie. and hopefully many more adventures in general. i don’t want my legacy to be “she worked hard and did the conventional thing.” day in. day out. i want it to be something larger involving innovation, charting a new course, and making some sort of meaningful difference.

thus, as you can see, this tour means so much more to me than simply getting out of town for two months. it’s a message. a message to my soul that it hasn’t been forgotten. a message to blog readers and podcast listeners that i can’t wait to meet you. a message to all that the world keeps turning even if you step off the hamster wheel for a period of time. a message to you that it’s good to shake things up from time to time and do something different, unexpected, or “irresponsible.” can’t wait to connect on this adventure that means so much to my soul. see you in person, in spirit, or online as we share the journey far and wide.

what sort of conventions do you hold while your soul longs for something else? oh, to ponder! it’s worth listening. bisous. x