The word adventure sounds so positive, and an adventure is full of fun and excitement… until it isn’t.

Actually, the more we go on adventures, the more I realize they’re about dealing with the unexpected, managing expectations, being open to new stuff, expanding your capacity, and learning to be flexible. Yes, you get to see beautiful places, possibly feel the sunshine when it’s snowing at home ❄️❄️❄️, meet up with people you don’t usually see or get to know someone new. They can also involve lots of waiting (especially the part where you’re getting where you’re going), getting used to new beds and food and letting go of “I always do it this way “.

The first part of the adventure started last night when we took a bus from home to Toronto. I expected the ride would be 2-3 hours. It ended up being 4. We’ve done this before without any issues.

The door of the bus broke so that the usual way the driver closed the door was not functioning. We waited while the driver tried to solve the problem. Next we drove through the middle of London during rush hour with multiple stops – I could feel frustration mounting. The driver appeared to be uncertain about turning corners in the huge bus which caused a bit of stress, but I worked on being calm. When we reached Kitchener, the bus driver drove into a car as we went around a corner. 😮😬😳 The poor driver was not having a good day. The accident resulted in more waiting while the two parties tried to sort it out. Thankfully, problem-solver Chris was in good form helping manually open and close the doors at every stop, eventually going out to assist with the accident and telling both parties what information they needed from each other. Good job, Chris!

We arrived at the airport hotel, late but in one piece. I was grateful we planned to go the night before instead of being worried about making our flight in addition to dealing with all the rest. (*Good travel tip!)

As we were navigating the first piece of our trip, I kept reminding myself to use all the mental health techniques I know. I managed my expectations and reframed my narrative- we don’t have anywhere else to be right now; this is okay. I diverted my attention so that I wasn’t focusing on how frustrating it was – audiobooks and Calm app! I changed my plans about when and where we’d eat dinner (yay for developing flexibility!)

The rest of our great adventure awaits- 3 flights and a bus ride, 2 months in South Africa while we introduce 3 different groups to the beauty and uniqueness of the country 🇿🇦, seeing family and continuing my mental health coaching work remotely while we travel.

If you want more information about the trips we’re doing check it out here

Stay tuned for more of our great adventure.

Sue