As Thanksgiving approaches, we are thinking of all the blessings we are so grateful for–family, friends, our faith, freedom, health, education…our gratitude list could wrap around the globe–but what we are extremely thankful for this year, is the “world” itself; we are grateful for being bitten by the travel bug and having the desire to see every corner of this awe-inspiring planet!
Getting a bit philosophical, none of us are getting out of here alive. We get one, and only one chance to live and breath on this epic planet, so remaining fixed in one location is inconceivable in our opinion. For Brooke and I, our wanderlust passion is expanding exponentially, and we are embracing every adventure wholeheartedly. Every single journey opens our minds, teaches us invaluable lessons, helps us seek deeper insight and honor varying cultural and societal perspectives. As an educator, I try to teach my students that a growth mindset is a priceless gift. Being a global citizen goes hand in hand with this mindset. I can clearly see based on life decisions, that all of my own children have this mindset, and I am beyond grateful for this.
Thinking about how grateful we are, Brooke and I are reflecting back to the genesis of Pedis-N-Passports. Two years ago, when I started the Instagram account “Whole in the Bucket,” Brooke’s reaction was verbatim, “Mom, you are wayyyyyyyy toooooo old for Instagram!!!” But the great thing about being “too old” (in your 40’s is apparently archaic) is that you no longer give a shit–so I knew I had a passion for travel and a vision full of possibilities and decided to go for it. Who would have thought that two years later hotels, companies and tourism boards would be paying for our trips, letting us stay in their hotels, and pampering us in every way possible while we are on a media trip? Who would have thought we’d develop partnerships with companies that would be paying us and sending us clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, luggage and products galore to promote their brands? I’ll tell you who–this 40+ year old dinosaur with a vision!
We are pretty picking with brands we promote and have learned to NEVER write or post about a product or place we aren’t completely happy with. In the long run, that would hurt our company and it’s just bad business. Luckily, there haven’t been too many places or products that have been sub par. Our apologies to the companies that want us to ingest neon green glow-in-the-dark pills that claim to reverse the aging process. As tempting as those types of offers have been, we’ll pass!
So fast forward to Thanksgiving 2017 and our gratitude abounds. We are grateful for living in a country where we can pursue our dreams, take risks and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We are grateful for everyone who has supported and encouraged us along the way. And for those who have discouraged us, put us down and said we were “ridiculous to pursue such nonsense,” we thank you too–for we have learned how strong this mother/daughter bond is and nothing on Earth can stop us from continuing to pursue our dreams.
So what do our future dreams look like: Brooke and I are currently in the process of writing a book about the Life Lessons Learned between a mother and daughter traveling the world. Not sure how long it will take to write. Not sure if it will ever reach publication. But that’s really not the point; the hours we are spending together brainstorming, journaling, creating, editing, laughing, arguing and planning–that’s the point!
Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and your family. Count your blessings, follow your dreams, take risks and realize there is always something to be thankful for.
Pedis-n-Passports 