I learned a lot about life this past year as first we sat beside Lou’s father as he moved on from his life and then as I spent the better part of the year fighting to get back to health.  I’m not sure why those things happened back to back, but they humbled me, taught me so many life lessons and pushed me to grow into a better person, to live a better life.  The RV and our travels are a direct reflection of that.  As I lay in bed this year wondering if I would ever regain my quality of life I realized there are so many things that I’d put off doing, that I might not have the chance to do.  With each day in bed I grew more and more committed to the idea that if I got better, I wouldn’t continue to choose work over play, to save for tomorrow all of the things that I want out of this life.  I realized, during that time, that I’d strayed away from myself somehow, that I’d become a version of myself that wasn’t fully alive.

Travel and adventure are so important to me, have always been so important to me.  To feel a deep sense of vitality I need to stretch my legs and see new sights, I need to feel uneasy about the unknown, I need to be awed by the magic of the world around us, I need to be outdoors.  I’ve made that a priority since I’ve gotten healthier, and it’s completely changed my life.  Each day I pinch myself when I wake up and look around at the landscape around me- I feel my spirit come alive as I run down the beach chasing a giant flock of seagulls, my heart feels like it may burst at the seams as I watch my husband and dogs explore this big beautiful world.  I feel like I’ve started walking the path back to my true self, if that makes sense.  It’s so easy to wander off the trail when life/society/expectations are pressing down.   So I ask you, are you on the path you most want to be on?

I write all of this for those of you who haven’t had the crisis experience that’s forced you to take a long hard look at your life, to ask yourself does it make your heart sing, what you’re spending your days doing?  Are you waiting for another day to live the life that you dream of?  Because, as we know but have become so skilled at tucking away in the backs of our minds, tomorrow isn’t a promise- it’s a hope. It won’t come for all of us, or it may come but not look anything like we dreamed it would.  So in that case, would you be doing anything differently today?  Do you know what your dreams are?  Are you living them?  If not, what are you waiting for?  This world is magical, this life is beautiful, it’s yours for the crafting.  Please, live it hard.  Live it with everything you’ve got.  Be grateful for each day, for each moment, for each experience.  Revisit the knowledge that tomorrow isn’t promised and let today be your greatest gift.  xx- Sarah