I love being the underdog. No expectations.

When you work at the flagship location, you have more opportunities and new technology to take advantage of. I knew when this worldwide competition was floated by our leadership team that we could do something special. We had a killer team that we were beginning to put together and it would take all of us performing at our individual bests to pull off this humongous feat as the Dr. Phillips team.

The goal was to get people moving and focusing on their own health. As a facility, we would be competing with clubs all over the US and internationally to record the most moves over almost a month long grind. The reward would be winning new equipment for a sister facility. A bigger purpose.

The key was coming out of the gates strong and we had a great strategy on paper. But could we execute? Day 1 at 5am opening we came out on fire and were comfortably on the leader board in 2nd place in the entire US from the onset. We never looked back. Surging on day #2, we opened up a huge lead over last years’ winner and even had local leaders cheering us on knowing that maybe we had a shot. There was a crazy, new electricity in the air that was palpable. Members rallied together and staff felt a part of something bigger than themselves. It was refreshing. We bonded one and all.

My team were rock stars. We pulled 15-20 hour days, slept on my office floor, survived on jolts of caffeine and pulled off an unreal feat…..

• #1 in the US
• #13 in the world
• 19 days
• 21 countries
• 513 facilities
• 581 DPY participants
• 122,000 participants worldwide
• 3.9 million moves at DPY
• 402.5 million moves worldwide
• DPY won $20,000 in equipment for the Blanchard Park YMCA

We were gifted a special ceremony as a thank you to our membership, where we catered a healthy luncheon, gave out surprises to our top 10 performers, were presented a check for new equipment and just celebrated this amazing turning point in our DPY history. I vividly remember sneaking away to the back of the room during a few of the speeches just to have a moment to myself. I started choking up just peering out over our room of supporters and had an overwhelming sense of pride in seeing how this challenge had changed us all for the better.

We then bonded one last time as a group loading the moving truck with all the new equipment that was heading straight to the BPY for installation. One last group hug sealed the deal and a special speech that I’ll keep secret and reserved just for that amazing group of individuals.

And guess what? We came back in year #2 to defend our title and won it again! And I’m most proud that for year #3, I had moved to my new home location and these tremendous leaders ran it back again all on their own, so I got to be their biggest cheerleader. #backtobacktoback

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5 years ago the humidity was scorching as we started our trek to the Lost City. Three strenuous days deep in the jungle to reach a tiered paradise.

Revered as one of the best treks in the world, it is relatively unknown to most travelers. So I of course had to take on the challenge.

There was deep concern for me traveling to this once violent country in South America but I assure you my experience was all positive and extremely enjoyable. Day 1 I fly in via Bogota to Santa Marta and explored all over the city before meeting our adventure group of 16 – 2 🇺🇸, 2 🇳🇿, 2 🇩🇪 and the rest from 🇨🇦. We dined on local cuisine and were serenaded buy local dancers prior to disappearing into the wilderness.

As it was February (their summer), we took every opportunity to jump of the plentiful waterfalls to cool off. Night 1 we arrived into camp via an old rickety suspension bridges to our hammock city. (quick side note: did you know to sleep comfortably in a hammock, turn you body just slightly to the side and it is heavenly) And we ate fresh pineapple, watermelon, yucca and fish from the river.

Each day we got closer to the coveted city via strenuous treks and kept ditching more of our day bags (to pick up on the way back out) to ease the loads off our shoulders. If you can imagine 95+ degrees & 95% humidity, it was brutal.

Our group actually made good time & decided to hit this special location a day early. After an intense 15 mins having to scale 1,200 steps, we reached this sacred site and participated in a religious ceremony to truly appreciate its significance. After another 15 mins, heavy fog rolled in leaving us in an eerie cloud cover. It is hard to imagine there are numerous “lost cities” that tourists are allowed to visit and even more that haven’t even been discovered yet.

An amazing experience!

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Have you ever been a band groupie? I didn’t think that was in me. BUT I admit in the early 2000s I was smitten with the local Orlando band Vonray.

Did you ever feel music deep within your soul like the lyrics where talking just to you? I was totally enthralled with their vibe and couldn’t get enough.

From dive bars to the exclusive Hard Rock Live, I was always raring to go and could be found front row just slightly to the left of the lead singer. I knew every song by heart and never got tired of it. From opening for the Goo Goo Dolls last minute to introducing me to other local talented musicians, the memories are plentiful. Our friend Mary’s now husband worked audio behind the scenes, so we even spent time behind stage and in dressing rooms. I was totally enamored with the whole scene, even though I admittedly can’t keep a beat or have even an ounce of musical ability.

Still to this day, my favorite song of all time is the soothing rock ballad “I’ll Show You”. Look it up in ITunes. I’ll never forget the July 4th surprise when listening to the local most popular rock station 106.7 and hearing this song hit #1 in Orlando. In addition, I won a signed band drum head with the song lyrics written on it from an online fan auction. It is my most prized possession hanging in my house. (Ironically, I was bidding against a good friend with a cryptic online name so I had no idea – but that’s another story). I still hope some day to have this song played live at my wedding.

Right on the brink of breaking through with a nationwide label, the guys disbanded to start families and live normal lives. An occasional show will pop up and I usually will drop everything to be in attendance. And I still hold out a glimpse of hope that a reunion will come down the pipeline in the near future. 🎶🎸🥁🎤

It’s hard to choose but I believe this was my fav cruise of all time. And it happened very last minute.

In the early years of Disney Cruise Line, cast members could book at severely discounted rates if you could travel within little notice because they would rather fill the empty rooms vs have them sit bare. And I took advantage frequently (23 times = no regrets). My travel obsession was definitely fed by seeing the world from these floating cities.

I had already done numerous eastern and western Caribbean ports, but this one took us further south. A new adventure. I’ll never forget “locks” day. We arrived super early to line up for our scheduled traverse. Being ridiculously humid and this being an all day activity, we dug out our own perch on the upper deck near the pool to get comfortable. The locks were a process – the ship would enter a lock then be flooded to raise up to the next lock and so on. Fascinating. After multiple locks, we glided along until we reached the Pacific Ocean. Besides occasional dips in the pool to cool down, we enjoyed the lush surroundings all day with a cold drink in hand. At certain points along the journey, the waterway was only a few boats wide until finally releasing into the Pacific Ocean. Can you imagine having to sail all the way around South America prior to this modern marvel being constructed?

BONUS: this was an inaugural voyage and tons of Disney magic was sprinkled in. We had cardboard hands that we could wave to all the well wishers at ports (we had huge turnouts of locals coming to see the first Disney boat & hopefully catch a glimpse of their hero Mickey who was periodically waving from the bridge overlooks). The massive, exclusive pin set encased in a gorgeous wooden box is still my fav gift from all my cruises. Plus individual pins were released daily and a commemorative map frame delivered to every stateroom (that still hangs in my pool room). Every menu had a special item. The wow factor was definitely achieved.

***And a fun, lesser known fact was there were only 200 big pins ever made so, as you can imagine, the Disney fanatics went totally bonkers. We even got caught up in the madness, as I remember taking our spot in line the night prior to its release and staking out our claim to this exclusive offering. Yep….. we spent the night on the floor just up from the guest services desk hugging the left corner of the first hallway leading to the clubs at #21 in line. Much to the horror of the ships officers, the line snaked all the way back to the restaurant Animator’s Palette. Can you imagine half the ship brought blankets and pillows down to the lobby to “camp out” while the staterooms they had all spent thousands of dollars on sat empty? Certainly a moment I can now look back on and laugh at the absurdity….and BTW we did secure a pin set!

Still to this day, nothing beats the special horn sequences blowing out your fav Disney songs as you pull away from port and ride off into the sunset. And at the biggest lock on the canal traverse, we proudly blasted our unique sound amongst the masses of onlookers and everyone had chills in that awesome moment!

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I’ve become a master at planning last minute getaways and this one was a classic. Denver is an easy direct flight option for an adventure junkie. Added bonus – I get to visit my college roommate’s beautiful family.

For a quick weekend, I knew I needed to get back to Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs for a high adrenaline fix. I had heard there was a new via ferrata = I’m there! While clipped into steel rungs that are bolted into the mountain rock, you maneuver up the rock face. Sound fun? I assure you it is the biggest rush.

Next up was hiking to Pikes Peak, which is on the bucket list of many. I choose the midway trek as I was severely unprepared for the full, daunting challenge. But with a borrowed winter coat, I slowly made my way to the peak….. which was a reward in itself, as I tried the highest mini doughnuts made in the world & purchased some souvenirs.

My final frontier was trekking numerous trails in Garden of the Gods, which will always be free to visitors due to brilliant foresight by early settlers. This park is just stunning. A wonder of nature. I’ll be back again in the future and still continue to be delighted by new trails and things to discover.

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As I begin my third (and final) career, I find myself digging deep to mentally prepare for this new beginning. How do I merge the awesome learnings from previous roles to make this experience all positive? How has my style and approach evolved?

I’m a big believer in getting just a little better every day and never making the same pitfalls twice. Be relentless in preparation to hopefully avoid the rollercoasters and leave a legacy for others to make even better.

My extreme adventure trips were mostly for my personal pleasure and challenge BUT they also prepared me for anything ahead. Does anything really scare or intimidate me at this point in my life? Nothing compares to staring down brother bear in Yosemite on my last night of hiking & thinking I was dinner. Reaching Mt. Everest base camp on sheer willpower & grit against all odds gives me that edge back then…. and always. Crying uncontrollably upon reaching the summit at Mt Kilimanjaro for sunrise after walking straight uphill all night…..I got this!

Wherever your motivation lies, use it to propel yourself and others forward. Use it often. Anything is possible with a little extra effort, surrounding yourself with great people, a can do attitude and the overwhelming power of making a difference in someone else’s life.

Own your narrative and tell your story proudly. Be a game changer!!

How will you remember years 2020 and 2021?

My whirlwind was filled with self discovery and gaining back control of my life. I dug really deep and reclaimed my sense of purpose. I actually accomplished everything I had set out to do on my massive wanderlust list and exploded even beyond my wildest dreams.

I was frugal but didn’t hold back if I really wanted to experience something.

I lived very simply without much baggage and thoroughly enjoyed the spontaneous detours since I wasn’t held back by “stuff”.

I didn’t get caught up in any negativity or toxicity to actually find another layer within my personality that I can retreat to when threatened.

I set out to explore the unknown, conquer some new feats and found my inner peace again.

I had the perfect mixture of alone time and meeting up with some amazing friends along the way.

I truly lived out my motto of being FEARLESS!

And I recaptured my joy in taking pictures to document this amazing journey. I became a better storyteller and found a new outlet in penning my thoughts onto paper so that the memories didn’t fade away only in my brain.

After taking an astounding 4,176 good pictures and videos, I am closing this WONDERFUL chapter in my crazy life. I’m proud of my resilience and making things happen amongst all the uncertainty in the world. It could have been easy to retreat and be heart broken in not being able to complete my original 8 month international plan of Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Greece, Norway and Spain. BUT I gained so much more by exploring our own beautiful country and found such crazy deals that I was able to extend to just over 10 months of nomad life.

What an awesome, life changing experience that I had the courage to pursue with all my heart. To quote P!NK…. “Dream BIG because what if it comes true”!!!

A quick recap:

• 4 continents 🗺
• 4 countries 🇪🇬 🇬🇷 🇹🇷 🇩🇪 = total 55 or 22%🌍
• 32 states 🇺🇸 = total 47 or 94% 🤩
• 30 National Parks 🏞 = total 42 or 67% 🥾
• 54 National Monuments = total 88 or 26%🏛
• 261 different stops 🛑
• 258 days traveling 🧳
• 5 scuba dives 🤿
• 14 bucket list destinations ✅
• Only 3 minor hiccups which is crazy considering all the prep & unknowns involved – flat tire, skateboard accident & took the wrong Covid test 😬
• Started my travel adventure blog, created my own logo & wrote 156 stories along the way ✍️

Leg #0 – took off immediately for our 3rd annual FL friends getaway, first timer to Mackinac Island & rolled into a relaxing week in Myrtle Beach with family to plot out my year ahead

Leg #1 – one way flight to launch 11 days touring the upper west states with my dad in all new territory for me

Leg #2 – most definitely my favorite month getting lost in the rugged and otherworldly landscapes that can only be found deep in the backcountry of Utah & northern Arizona AND my grand finale of conquering the Grand Canyon rim to canyon to rim hike on my birthday + bonus of just beating out all the crowds & had picture perfect weather

Leg #3 – 2 weeks of family time with both of my younger brothers’ beautiful families

Leg #4 – a thrilling week circling the Pacific Northwest with a great friend

Leg #5 – exploring the eastern national parks of California and culminating in Vegas with one of my best friends

Leg #6 – a chill week visiting amazing college besties in NC and dipping into the FL Keys

Leg #7 – 3 weeks looping around the arid Southwestern states with 2 stops in dreamy Sedona (New Years Eve sunset from the cliff top of Catheral Rock plus sunrise on 1/1/21 from the south rim of the Grand Canyon with 2 rad ladies)

Leg #8 – fulfilling a dream of 3 weeks in Hawaii (minus an unfortunate skateboard accident)

Leg #9 – spontaneous extension for a week of discovery in Northern Cali and culminating with a great friend’s family in San Fran

Leg #10 – Northern roadtrip covering 3k miles over 5 states

Leg #11 – caught the Amtrak train to Boston and took off to the Northeast to conquer 3 more states getting me up to 47 of 50

Leg #12 – another 2 weeks in Cali with family (have to take advantage of auntie time while they still want to hang out with me)

Leg #13 – international 5 week grand finale trio to Egypt, Greece and Turkey (1st tour to return to each in 15 months!)……… the perfect endcap!

My next professional journey begins now…… NO REGRETS!!

#myjourney #grit #relentless #noregrets #allin #detours #adventuregirl #makeithappen #shocktheworld #makeitcount #bigplans #progressnotperfection #whereintheworld #liveyourdream #spark #neversettle #elevate #embracetheunknown #rejuvenate #newbeginnings #conquertheworld #beinspired #staywild #wanderlust #adventureseeker #goexplore #awakening #mystory

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I am often asked how I had the means to resign from a great job, rent out out my house, buy a one way flight and just take off by myself to embrace the unknown.

My answer is always more geared towards mustering up the courage to go for it vs. worrying about money. Adventure travel is my passion and when I become laser focused on achieving a goal, I will stop at nothing to succeed.

Let me explain……I am not rich or a genius or overly lucky. But I believe in making things happen so that the right puzzle pieces just naturally fall into place. Force the hand to your favor and let destiny takeover.

I am notoriously a saver and very frugal. I made a choice early in life to prioritize experiences vs. stuff, so besides my Disney craze (when you are a cast member with great discounts you find yourself collecting trinkets and limited series in hopes of selling them later in life). I have always prided myself on being debt free except my house mortgage, so I purposely live below my means. I don’t eat out often by choice and cut out drinking in my early 30s as well. I’ve planned for retirement and push everything into savings, but (not to be morbid) I believe I will die young so I want to enjoy every last waking moment experiencing this wonderful world.

I had dreamt for about 8 years of taking a year off to travel but knew there was probably a slim chance of it ever becoming reality (much less irresponsible). But when the pandemic reeked havoc over most professions, I woke up one day and just knew my path was being illuminated in neon lights saying “go for it”. That leap of faith seemingly would have been the hardest decision of my life, but I felt it so deeply that I knew it was part of my future journey. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how gut retching it was to leave behind my amazing peers & colleagues when I still felt there was work to be done in my awesome community, but I for once had to put myself and my overall health first. For a servant leader, that line is often blurred and forgotten. And I wouldn’t have been comfortable leaving everything behind if I hadn’t spent years pouring all my heart/energy into my careers and nurturing relationships.

So my idea of fun is sifting through and pricing out new places to explore. On sleepless nights, I would research wild destinations and daydream often of the freedom of the open road. So I grouped bucket list items in notes and got inspired by like minded travelers on my previous group trips. It is insanely addictive.

So when it was “go time”, all my stresses melted away and I forged ahead jumping off the cliff with both feet. Most people ask why I don’t take a break and slow down, but to me exploration is invigorating and I would rather push the envelope to the max. I can sleep in my afterlife.

I’m in disbelief that 10 months have now expired, and I can’t help but smile…….really really WIDE & BIG!!! What a rush! This gap year has been the greatest gift I’ve ever given myself!

And the icing on the cake is that I had few progressive professional opportunities organically present themselves just like the universe’s plan for me was predestined. Time to return to the real world and make a difference.

So with a lot of planning, a relentless attitude, making tough life choices, and of course some luck, anything is possible. I hope you find your own piece of life to latch onto and, more importantly, have the fortitude to plunge ahead with no regrets.

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That 3:55am wake up call was brutal….

Twenty five minutes later, we were jumping into the wicker basket of a massive hot air balloon with fire scorching the top of our heads. The pre-dawn twilight glow was just starting to show the silhouettes of a sea of other like minded travelers all anxious to lift off into this mystical wonderland of Cappadocia.

Our pilot was the first out of the gates and we set the pace from high above. If the tears of joy pillowing in the corners of my eyes were any indication of my upcoming elation over the next 70 minutes, I had a feeling June 19th will forever be etched in my mind.

The sky lit up with the fire sparks from at least 100 balloons lifting into this new day, all at different heights in their journey. The color resonated against a rugged backdrop of cave like spires jutting out from this crazy topography below. Our pilot easily raised and lowered our vessel with the mixture of gentle breezes and the occasional fire torch.

That is until one of our dramatic gains in height was in direct line of another captain and we experienced a “morning kiss”. After bouncing off our nemesis and pummeling a poor cliffside bush, we rose to finally get our first glimpse of the sun gleaming off the horizon. Wow.

We glided towards the suns rays and I stopped counting after happily clicking away at over 100 pictures/videos. I felt the constant struggle of being in the moment and making sure to capture this glorious memory.

As we inched towards our final descent and inevitable end to this ride of a lifetime, we crouched as instructed to brace for impact. After three sharp bounces jolted us into the lap of the unlucky passenger behind us, we returned back to reality safely and as giddy as could be.

We toasted with champagne to an unforgettable ride!

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Detours.

I woke so excited to go exploring at 6:30am with the sounds of the waves crashing along shore just 1 block away & the wild roosters making a ruckus with the light of a new day. My 2nd stop took me to just past the northernmost lookout point on the Big Island of Hawaii – Pololu Valley & the 1 mi steep descent to the black sand beach below. The violent waves crashed ashore BUT there was an indescribable feeling of peace radiating in the crisp Feb air.

I hiked the winding single track trails hugging the coastline and even jumped on a rope swing to let off some steam!

And to think I wasn’t even supposed to be here….. after the rollercoaster year 2020, my plan was international travel for 3 months. Maldives. Bali. Australia. New Zealand. Greece. Egypt.

But staring out into the expanse of the aqua blue Pacific Ocean, there was no where else in the world I would rather be in this moment. How had I overlooked the beauty in really exploring our own country & being genuinely enthralled with US history? Looking through the rear view mirror in my mind, I stopped at this twisted piece of driftwood to appreciate the long, winding journey & unscheduled stops along the way – one of my greatest pleasures in life!

#detours #onelife #bespontaneous #myjourney #unpackourhearts #tellyourstory

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