Since graduating (over two years ago, yikes), I've kind of been all over the place and I haven't done a very good job of keeping people informed of where I am or what I'm doing and how long either of those things are going to last. I'm about to head out on the next great adventure and I've decided that keeping all my updates in one place would alleviate some of the stress of repeating myself over and over again in e-mails and during phone calls. So. It starts.
Actually it starts on Monday. On Monday I fly off to Salt Lake City to start training for Backroads (http://backroads.com/). After two weeks of learning to drive a 15 passenger van, working on bikes, and camping in Utah, I'll graduate to become a full-fledged Backroads trip leader and they'll send me off to some crazy place to start the new job. I won't find out exactly where I'll be based until I'm halfway through training and, truthfully, I'm just glad I don't have choose where I'm going. Every option seems pretty awesome. I guess I have my fingers crossed for Hawaii, though... can you blame me?
It doesn't feel like that long ago that I was packing up my stuff to fly to Austin for Fat Tire's training but a lot has really changed since then. This time its going to be a bit harder to say goodbye since I've been home for so long and have had a chance to really get comfortable here. Living with Nat and Matt and Josie has been so great and I'm really going to have a hard time saying goodbye to the little bug (and Matt's cooking). But Backroads really does seem like a dream job and I can't wait to start!
Wish me luck.
here's some stuff:
- dana
- Philadelphia, United States
- I'm a trip leader for an active travel company called Backroads and these are my adventures!
Good Luck, Dana! I hope everything goes well and I will definitely enjoy reading about your journey! ALL THE BEST! :)
ReplyDeleteMiss Dana,
ReplyDeleteWhile I was in Cali, I went on a vineyard bike tour in Napa. It was wonderful, a little company that a friend of a friend had started, and he became the bus driver for the tour this year. To get to the point.. I brought up your ventures in the bike-touring genre, and by the training program in Utah they knew you were working for Backroads, which I was later informed is a huuge (popular), very "classy" company with great profits and even greater guides. You go Dana, so proud :)
We are so proud of you, Dana!!!! We're voting for Hawaii also - maybe we can see you in October!!! (Just booked tickets tonight!) We love you and will miss you too!
ReplyDeleteto my constant:
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I am so proud of you for choosing the road less traveled and enjoying the finer things in life. You are proof that this universe is our playground and that life isn't about "finding" ourselves, it's about creating ourselves.
Whenever I lose sight of my goals/ feel a bit off track, I listen to grateful dead / tom petty (highly recommended). Right now I am on one of those kicks as their words on life, opportunity and freedom always seem to offer the perfect dose of inspiration.
It seems fitting that your news came to me during this little spurt or I may not have realized that you embody the infinite potential we have as the creators of our own lives. We are handed this precious life with no handbook and clearly some are better at navigating the course than others. You fall in the "better" category and your story can be the missing handbook in someone, if not many peoples' lives... just a thought :)
Never stop moving forward, D. Tough times will come and they will go, but I beg you not to lose sight of inventing yourself & certainly never question the past. Most people cannot accomplish in a lifetime what you have been able to cover the past 2 years. I'd go out on a whim to say that the majority of people would not attempt to take such a leap based solely on fear of the unknown. Fear prevents people from moving forward, making the past more relevant and the future more irrelevant. Like Gatsby said, "so we beat on, boats against the current, borne ceaselessly into the past." Great book, but bad quote to stand for.
Action really does speak louder than words. You, the seeker, are proof that the world is at our fingertips (literally in your case), but only if people remember the key is more "doing" and less dwelling. "Thinking will not overcome fear but action will." - W. C. Stone. You are the writer, your life is the story. Prove to people that you don't just stumble upon the life you want, you build it...
You've come a long way miss schafer. I mean that. I'll spare you even more jah-ramble, but only after I offer some words of advice:
be confident & be kind. stand tall & be truthful. learn from the past & live in the present. continue to create opportunities for yourself & dream big. always remember no dream is too big. don't let anyone tell you you're less than worthy because as far as anyone else is concerned you are superior to what's considered "worthy." be ready, willing and able. lay all cards on the table. listen to your gut, chances are it's right. let yourself love. let yourself be loved. don't be jealous & if you feel jealousy, don't let it control your actions. allow yourself to feel sad, mad, confused, etc., but don't dwell on the uncontrollable. journal EVERYTHING, the good, the bad, the ugly - you'll need it for your book someday. listen to music. dance. drink. be free. be YOU. be proud of who you are & the individual you are becoming. keep on keepin' on and never forget that you're a daughter, sister, friend & constant and those people are there for you 24/7, 365.
You were born to travel, to write & to guide others, D. Best of luck to you on your next voyage. Please don't hesitate to call/write. I'm here for you always. I'll be checking in. Cheers!
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daily jams to inspire:
[You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by] - TP
[Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world] - GD
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wishing you well w/ <3, your constant.
I'm offically a follower of your blog! And when I'm feeling especially down and in need of a little Day in my life, I'll just pop into the nearest Saladworks and we can have lunch together. :) I'm really proud of you, because you dream and then you follow. Have fun living the dream and blog often.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Laur