First Steps - San Diego Journey Journal — Marilyn Lamoreux Photography

Quote of the day: “One of the lovely things about being a human is that we are called in each moment to bring ourselves to birth.” — John O’Donohue

Wading into adventure – Pacific Ocean Coronado Island

After a very short night of sleep I am on an airplane on my way to San Diego. Smooth sailing so far. We picked up my daughter Kristi at 4:00 AM and headed to the airport through thick fog. Kristi happened to be flying to Puerto Rico today for short vacation and as travel karma would have it, our flights we’re within 1 hour of each other so we went to the airport together. Then Kristi’s plane was delayed an hour so we got to sit and visit. Another sweet coincidence was that even though we were flying on different airlines, our departure gates were side by side.

It was great fun spending time together before our flights left. I am looking forward to when she joins me in Hawaii in late January for several days. I wish both my daughters could come spend time with me there, but my oldest daughter has 2 little ones and a very full life right now, so we’ll have to have adventures together in a few years.

In the wee hours of the morning as I as tossing and turning in my bed, instead of sleeping soundly my discomfort factor rev’ed up a notch or two and I found my mind wondering,”What the heck am I doing going to Hawaii by myself for so long?!?!”

I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that I am resouceful, strong, and resilient. (sound familiar? See Stepping into the Unknown)

Then when I arrived at the airport, my little fear voice popped up again. This time I told Kristi about my WTF thoughts and she laughed with me and said “You’ll be feeling like that for at least a week or two. Give yourself time to adjust to all the change. We are wired to stay in our comfort zone and it takes awhile to adjust.”

Where did this wise child of mine gain all her wisdom at such a young age?

After our lovely chat I found that I had already made an attitude adjustment. I enjoyed both my flights and had a great time visiting my friend Mohamed in San Diego.

While I was in San Diego, my friend took me to Coronado Island. The sun was shining, kids were playing in the sand, lovers walking barefoot on the beach, breeze blowing– in short, a perfect afternoon.

Me in front of Hotel Del Coronado

I was in heaven walking in the sunshine, eating at outdoor tables, making photos, walking barefoot in the sand. I love being near the ocean, feeling the ocean breeze, seeing the waves crash in. And I love driving down the streets lined with palm trees and blooming foliage in December.

As always Mohamed’s kindness, optimism, and deep wisdom were inspiring. What a wonderful way to start my trip!

My wisdom of the day for all of you — comfort is highly over-rated. Getting out of your comfort zone keeps you growing.