Reflection

It's great to be back working on the website and marketing strategy again after a month off. The preparation before any trip is a killer - way too much to think about whatever the trip length and even without a full time job in the picture - but once I'm at the airport (people watching and the anticipation of flying somewhere new fuelling my adrenaline) a real sense of calm descends upon me and I instantly relax. I don't even need to be at my destination. I LOVE airports. There is something to be said about taking yourself out of everyday life every now and then to "get away from it all". And I had waited long enough to do such a big trip! 3 Christmases in the Post Office later and finally I was ready to take that leap of faith. I find I forget about all the stuff that went before (the prep, prep and more prep) and my brain becomes a blank canvas to work with. Then I start to observe, watch, listen, think and miraculously the ideas come flooding in - articles, stories, scenes, pitches, characters. I couldn't type into the notes app on my iPhone fast enough!

I also think it's really important to take time out from the bustle and grind to reflect and to feel grateful if things have been going well, or to feel humbled if things haven't. It's the nearest I will probably get to meditation.

These three posts appeared in my Facebook feed when I was on my long journey back to the UK and they all struck a chord with me.

I knew on this trip I wanted to do fun, crazy things, but I also wanted to get back to nature.

After last year, this trip was all about recharging my batteries and having fun with like minded people. Getting back to my adventurous side.

This trip was good for me in so many ways, but one of the best ways in which it helped was uncovering the next set of challenges I would like to overcome - and I now have a list! At the moment, I have to admit that some of them feel insurmountable, but, little steps. More on these later.