28 Days More: My Journey to Everywhere

I have wanted to blog for a very long time. What stopped me was fear. Fear that I would be judged, fear that everyone already blogging were SO much better, fear that I would have nothing anybody wanted to hear and fear that someone would respond with cruelty (I’ve had some cyber bullies that I allowed to paralyze me).

Where I've Been....

As I sit in a McDonald's in McLeansville, NC I still have fear. But I also have words in my head that are slamming against my senses. I can feel them behind my eyes, in my ears, I can smell them and taste them and follow them as they travel to my heart, my lungs and back to my brain. Demanding an exit. So today I write.

Where I've been Part 2

I’m going to talk about this journey of mine. It started on May 13^th from Houston, Texas and I have stopped to see people I love in cities up to Michigan, down to Asheville, NC and will continue into Maryland and finally back to Houston. All in all – it’s about 28 Days.

I have learned the most incredible lessons along the way. Connected with the most inspirational people. Each post will be a pinpoint on a map that introduces someone and the lesson I learned.

I think it’s going to be organized like this*:

Baton Rouge, LA: You have to go through it to get to it

Montgomery, AL: There is power in humanity

Louisville, KY: Sometimes you have to sit in it before you act

Milford, MI: Life is disposable – follow through, take risks, fail, dare greatly

Battle Creek, MI: Love and kindness really can heal the world

Columbus, Ohio: Puzzles start in pieces

Black Mountain, NC: Puzzle pieces are everywhere if you’re open

Asheville, NC: Make a decision and walk towards it. Period.

Burlington, NC: Deep down, you know what is right

I Dream of You.....

Reidsville, NC: We exist in wind, sun, and grass

Greensboro, NC: BE OPEN. Period
McLeansville, NC: Let it the F go or somebody else will
Ridgeway, VA: Family of choice
Eden, NC: Fear is a Liar
Fincastle, VA: Faith
Bethesda, MD:
Washington, DC
College Park, MD
Beltsville, MD
Annapolis, MD
On the road
Atlanta, GA

*I reserve the right to pull over any damn place I please - so destinations are not in stone.

This is as much for me as anyone. Because the truth is, I’m lost. This recent MSW achievement has left me in a void. I have lots and lots of ideas, dreams, thoughts, and directions I want to go. But I am afraid or insecure or uncertain to just “start”. I have had people tell me “cannot wait to see what you do next” and somehow that doesn’t help. It makes it worse. I do not have a CLUE what to do next. I know what I want to achieve in large sweeping terms, but the step forward to getting there eludes me.

"Woman in Recovery Inventories a Wine Collection and finds it Wanting"

Hope you’ll join me on this journey of #lifelessons. Meeting people #IRL that I have only known from #socialmedia or #friends and #family I have not seen in person for long periods of time. #Comealong as I take things I sort of knew and watch them unfold in conversations and solitude to become deeper and more present in how I want to live my life.

You Just Keep Driving

PS - any of you writer types out there ever get a knot in your stomach and anxiety before you even type the first word?? What is that? Only me?

#cartrip #roadtrip #recovery #wedorecover #reoveroutloud #lifejourney #findingmyself #msw #socialworker #socialjustice #changetheworld #bethechange #nowwhat #day1