What Adventure Would You Choose?
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Terri Wingham is the founder and CEO of A Fresh Chapter, a cancer survivor, and someone who believes that we are not defined by the most difficult aspects of our story. |
Do you remember that feeling? The faint smell of propane and the rumbling of the school bus engine underneath your ripped vinyl seat. The squeal of the brakes as the long yellow giant ground to a halt. The beefy hand of the driver reaching for the lever to swing open the doors. You, bounding down the narrow aisle, past all of the suckers who still had a half hour on the road, and then down the giant steps and out onto the gravel of your driveway below. A whole afternoon ahead. The taste of summer in the air. Freedom!
With your backpack tossed on the kitchen floor, you rummaged through the (smells like last night’s spaghetti) refrigerator until your fingers found the top of the Cheez Whiz jar. The toaster popped up a couple of slices of your Mom’s homemade bread and you smothered it with the gooey spread, then licked the blobs from your knuckles. Mid-bite, your Mom’s cheery voice interrupted your chemical and preservative high by asking what Ms. Connelly had assigned for HOMEWORK. (more…)
Comments (14)
Terri, my love…
First of all, I LOVE this: ***Adventure of Hope***
Is this a possible name? If not, it definitely belongs on a list of words to play with.
Secondly, just because something says plan 6-12 month ahead, some adventures are meant for you to just follow your nose and see which path appeals to you in the moment. Cliche? Maybe. But, if I changed my ENTIRE life around at my age and in less than four months, certainly you can “wing it” ….. It does go with your name, just saying…..
Stop the twitchy eye.
Here’s my suggestion from a different angle….. check the weather for the different places that are piquing your curiosity. Maybe it’s monsoon season and people are more homebound than you might like in order to fully experience Place A and put your time to the best use. Perhaps it is FREEZING in Place B and you abhor the cold (ok, that’s definitely me putting my own spin on MY feelings) but maybe you want to get involved in a building project and this isn’t the right time of the year for building BECAUSE of the cold.
It might be a start…… and then again, it might be you just have to put the places in a hat and start picking.
Serendipitous, Terri. We BOTH love that word…. It will unfold exactly how it SHOULD. Today, I’m Miss Zen…..
I’ll be glad to jump in and help you organize when this is a bit clearer thanks to the wisdom of some of the others. Part of MY issue with CB is the inability to actually start a project….. Once there’s a fuzzy picture…I’ll help with the practical stuff!
Wish you were still in NY! Instead, a cyber hug will have to suffice.
Love to you,
AnneMarie
xoxoxox
Terri,
It’s quite possible I can make Vietnam work to join you! Oh, my stars! I’d probably go on to Cambodia and meet up with a breast cancer oncologist I met when I spoke to a group of foreign oncologists at the invitation of the US State Department, and then see Angor Wat. Perhaps you could join me there. Philippa Ramsden, FeistyBlueGecko, saw our Tweets and has indicated an interest. She’s in Yangon, 30 minutes via air from Vietnam. Would you be up for all or part of this? Email me and let me know.
XOXOXO,
Brenda
I would love for you to join me in Vietnam. I will email you to chat dates next week once I get back to Vancouver and get into full on planning mode. Would love to see Philippa too – so exciting!
Anywhere? Doing anything? I think I would go to Argentina and help build something. Ask me tomorrow and I’m sure I’d give a different answer. You go do it all for me!
Building project in Argentina. Sounds very tempting!
I got one!
The MORE project in Brazil is dedicated to rescuing children from the drug trade in Eastern South America. It also has a heart to serve the extreme poverty in Brazil’s slums.
One thing I am learning, partially from you, is that God put us here to join a cause. We are designed to be servants of all. Why not pour out your heart to those who have nothing? It will only ever cost you your money (which can be re-earned) and your love (which is limitless). I`m so proud of you.
Love ya
I will definitely look into the MORE project in Brazil. Thanks for the suggestion! Love your outlook and love you! Proud of you too. Big hugs from Toronto.
Terri,
I officially love your brother, too. His love for you simply jumps right off the screen.
Me, again…
I have made a kind of promise to myself that in 2012 I will try and meet up with at least one of my blogging friends in real life, face to face, somewhere in the world. It is so good to see that plans look as if they can converge. And the planning and anticipation is almost as wonderful as the meeting itself 🙂
I so look forward to hearing how your plans are taking shape.
Hugs
Philippa
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