Happy Birthday Wandering Toward The Light!

Happy 1st Birthday Wandering Toward The Light!  

One year ago today I trepidatiously hit PUBLISH on my very first blog post.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was so nervous.  And so excited.  And every emotion in between.  I knew that I was going to be emotionally exposed in a way that I never have been before and that was absolutely terrifying…But also liberating and exhilarating at the same time.

(On the island of Gili Meno in Indonesia where I hit publish one year ago today)

I started the blog with the intention of sharing my travel experiences coupled with how they were making me feel and how they were changing me on an emotional, spiritual, and personal level.  It sort of became a personal journal of self-discovery through travel.  It is definitely still that, but it has also evolved into so much more.  

Not only have I seen the supportive reactions of people close to me from my past, but I have seen new friends and “family” connect to my stories as well.  Of course, I love having these experiences, but I love sharing them with you even more.  It is so heart-warming to me to hear from someone that one of my blog posts has inspired them or caused them to make some big, or even small, changes in their life.  And that is when I realized that I am not writing this blog for me anymore.  It is so inspiring to me to inspire YOU!  

At some point, I realized that old girlfriends were coming out of the woodwork and reaching out to Zoom and catch up.  At first I was totally confused by this, but then I realized that the blog was connecting with them and they wanted more details and more stories and more information.  I sort of felt like an unofficial mascot for the older, single woman starting over in life.  “Yes, it’s possible.”  “Yes, you can do it too…and you can end up happier than you ever dreamed.”  And that is when it clicked — Perhaps this was more than a personal journey of self-discovery?  Perhaps other people are looking for a way out too?  “If she can do it, why can’t I?”  Well, I am here to tell you that you CAN.  And you should.  And then it clicked again – Maybe I can help people get over their fears to take some of these same chances that I took to result in real, positive change.  And suddenly, that is all I wanted to do — Help others to live their best and most authentic lives.  Truly.  This is all I want.  We all deserve to be staring out onto a beach in Thailand as we work on what we truly love.

(Where I am in Koh Phangan, Thailand as I write this)

So that is where Wandering Toward The Light has evolved to.  It’s so much more than just a blog now.  It is a place to feel safe to reinvent yourself.  A place to put yourself first and prioritize you.  So that you can become a better person.  A better wife.  A better daughter.  A better mom.  A better everything!  Because once you do this, everything else will fall into place.  And I am working on a website revamp that is going to reveal exactly how to do this very soon.

It’s hard out in the real world.  And change is SO scary, but nothing is going to happen if you don’t take some chances in life.  I want to help you take the baby steps, or the giant leap if you are ready, to discover that inner calling within you.  We can get there together; I now have the tools to help you along the way.  I’ve done it, I’m still doing it, and I feel stronger and happier and wiser everyday because of it.  Think of me as your therapist or guidance counselor through your own journey of self-discovery.  I sure wish I would have had someone guiding me!  Not only would it have been a lot more fun and less lonely, but I probably would have gotten here a lot quicker too.  It is true, the joy is in the process, but a little push and encouragement here and there certainly doesn’t hurt.

If this doesn’t speak to you, and you are in a super happy place in your life…Congratulations!  What a gift to be enjoying your life to the fullest!  I admire you and encourage you to keep believing in yourself and flying higher towards your dreams every day.  But maybe you know someone or have a friend who needs a little push or doesn’t know where to start…That is where you all come in!  MY PEOPLE.  My biggest supporters who have been there since Day #1.  I need your help now more than ever.  This is where you can spread the word and share my story with your friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances…anyone and everyone!  Share the blog, share the new website, share my Instagram and FB accounts…Talk about me!  Please!  As of today, I have officially hired you all as my street team marketers.  SO – get out there and get to work!  LOL.  

All jokes aside, I am proud of what I have done so far.  And I truly believe that I have a lot to offer.  But I need help.  And I’m not afraid to ask for it.  Marketing is not my forte and getting my message out to the right clientele is proving more difficult than I thought.  There is a lot of traffic out there and it’s hard to cut through the clutter, but I believe in myself, my work ethic, and my product.  So much so that I got a tattoo of my logo on my arm.  There’s no going back now! 😜

31 blog posts.  50+ countries reading the blog.  1 certification as a yoga instructor.  1 certification as a Travel Coach.  2 Buddhist Meditation Retreats.  1 Volcano and the highest mountain in the world climbed (well- at least to the bottom of it 😉)!  1 international yoga and barre teaching job.  Almost 400 followers on my WTTL Instagram page after one year.  (I know this is not impressive, but I am doing it on my own without hiring anyone and without any bots; so although I know that I could use a big boost, I am still proud of the fact that I just started this account one year ago and I almost have as many followers as I do on my personal account after 13 years…Always looking for the positive ;).  100+ subscribers to the blog (again, not that impressive, but it’s better than 0!).  There is a lot of room to grow and I look forward to the challenge, but I will celebrate these small successes too!

One year ago today……What a journey!  Happy Birthday Wandering Toward The Light.  And here’s to many, many more……