Hi there. Long time, no blog. I took a little writing hiatus while I was on a family vacation for the last couple of weeks.
It was the first vacation we have had in over two years, so it was a crazy mix of exciting, daunting, and logistically exhausting. But I was still very grateful for the opportunity to travel again.
The trip had many purposes: Vacation, family reunion, and road trip to do a college tour for my youngest daughter. 5000 miles of flying, 1300 miles of driving, a different motel/hotel every night for a week, and an excessive amount of luggage.
Admittedly, I am not a great traveler, and I especially don’t like packing. I tend to overpack, and I do not like schlepping heavy bags. However, I am happy to report that I was not the cause of the excess baggage on this trip. We were closing up our apartment in Los Angeles, so we were transporting the last vestiges of our other home and a ton of extra clothes.
As we tried to pack and repack the rental car full of our stuff every time we pulled into another motel/hotel, it was like an unfortunate game of Tetris.
In addition to my discontent with the aforementioned baggage situation, I am a little bit like The Princess and The Pea when it comes to beds, sheets, and the creature comforts of home.
Needless to say, road trips do not lend themselves to luxury nor healthy food options.
Much to my chagrin, I found myself eating a lot of Grand Slam breakfasts at Denny’s. We ate so much of this diner-type food that I found myself comparing which location actually had the best hash browns.
But in spite of being WAYYYYY out of my comfort zone on this road trip, I put on my best “happy camper” face and decided to go with the flow. As much as anyone can flow with 10 pieces of luggage in a rental car.
Once we got to Portland, we were able to reunite with my older daughters for the first time since the pandemic broke out. We had a lot of great meals, great laughs, and great wine (kudos to my daughter the winemaker).
But one of the other great highlights of our trip was driving through the Redwood forest in Northern California. If you haven’t seen it in person, I highly recommend it.
The Redwoods are simply majestic. You can feel the energy that emanates from these giant trees. They are so tall that it is almost impossible to see the tops of them.
But even when one of these magnificent trees falls and rests horizontally on the forest floor, they are still awesome to behold. In this photograph, you can get an idea of just how massive they truly are when you see the base of it.
Here are some fun facts I learned about the coastal Redwoods:
-They can grow to be 300 feet tall.
-They can have a lifespan of 2200 years.
-They can make literally make it rain.
-Their existence goes back almost 240 MILLION years.
(Modern humans are ONLY about 200,000 years old, so these trees are truly prehistoric.)
But my most FAVORITE FACT about the Redwoods was this one:
Due to their relatively shallow root system, approximately 6 to 12 feet, they tend to grow in circles which are referred to as “Family Circles.” They intertwine their roots to protect each other from high winds and storms.
Could there be a better metaphor for a family reunion?
As I hugged my children, all under one roof for the first time in so long, I felt the power of what it means to stand tall on your own, and yet, still intertwine your roots to help support each other during the storms.
The Redwoods are a great reminder of no matter how Big and Mighty you might become, you still need a “family” or community to support you.
Your support system may come in the form of actual family or it may be neighbors, friends, or colleagues.
It is the Redwoods’ instinct to grow in circles, intertwine their roots, and shoot for the moon which allows them to be one of the oldest, tallest, and most majestic creatures on earth.
Perhaps the Redwoods have found the secret to longevity, strength, and survival by creating a support system.
Maybe we should take a page out of their book? After all, it has been working for them for 240 Million years.
P.S. If you are looking for more support in your life to help you reach YOUR highest potential, please reach out to me here to set up a free consultation. Hiring a life coach is like having a support system so that you can grow and thrive.
