Saying NO turned into everything we wanted it to be

So this year took a little turn…for the better I believe. We were full swing into our Gap Year of Travel…5 months in to be exact. And then everything shifted, it had to. I needed it to. Our family needed a major pivot and this is how it all came together!

Here is the current state of where we are TODAY in the middle of where we were supposed to be in our Gap Year. This is why and how we pulled the plug.

Maxx asked me today what my favorite “year” was this morning before we walked out the door! I thought about it for a second….many to choose from that have been fantastic, but I will have to say 2018 hands down! But not because of what you may think, quite the opposite. Because it was probably one of the most challenging years of my life with more ups and down than I can count that taught me the most about myself so far in my 39 years of life!

Here is why…and I am getting a little vulnerable here and putting it all on the table of what the last 7 months looked like. Last year we decided that the Summer of 2018 we were hitting the road, in an Airstream Van and traveling the country for the next year! So I started building my (our) life around that idea and that we had to tell the world what we were doing and share this amazing experience we had at our fingertips! So I built a website to tell the story, told everyone what we were doing and walked into this “new” idea of what I looked like within this traveling family. I put on my “new” hat. But it didn’t feel like me.

I felt like Barbie…in a good way I thought. I changed “looks” in a hot second and switched from “Travel Kelli” to “Beautycounter Kelli” to “Yoga Kelli” to “Van Life Kelli” to “Mom Kelli” to “Entrepreneur Kelli” to “friend Kelli"….you get the drift. I had many hats. And in wrapping myself up in many hats I completely lost me. Who I was at the core. I became whatever I need to be that day, depending on who I was with, where I was at and for what THEY needed me to be, whoever, whatever that situation dictated at the time.

That was not working…I was tired. Then I said enough. I stripped it all back to me. Took off all the hats, the uniforms, the labels and I went back to that spark in my heart. ME. My divine light that is so unique, but I had to speak my truth first.

That is when we decided to shift. I said the words that were hard for me to say, “I don’t think I can do this anymore, I need to be done.” I didn’t want to “take" this opportunity away from my family, but it was taking everything away from me. After I said that out loud, everything shifted, quickly. My family honored this decision & supported me. Literally the moment after that was said all the right shifts and changes came into play to make changes to align everything for 2019 within three days. We all made the conscious decision to shift and step over the line into our new life. Not back into our old life, but into the NEW life we have now with a new sense of perspective from the last year.

Don’t get me wrong….so many moment and memories were amazing from our travels! We saw the country, saw all the things and had many amazing moments that we will never forget. But a lot of them were hard or forced and many times we couldn’t make a decision. A decision about what to do or where to go and we were stuck, stalled. The opposite of flowing and ease.

When you speak your truth in the highest & best way for YOU you directly effect those around you in the highest and best way for them as well! It allows those around you to do the same for themselves, speak their truth as well. And that is what I have seen in an amazing way! Because life is easy (and should be) and should flow when you are aligned.

I am beyond proud of US. Our family as a collective. Because I think this year we may have taught them the biggest lesson (indirectly) of their life. And I see these lessons in action trickle down throughout all of us. There is now a deep sense of roundedness, stability and confidence and I know all of that stemmed from learning the lessons taught through the experience and travel of last year!

And I am not sharing this with you because I feel like I need to tell you. I am sharing this for perspective, for the opportunity that you may be brave enough to evaluate the current state of you. Are you wearing any masks or uniforms and if you are….Let that SHIT GO!!!!!! Be you. Speak your truth. Try the thing. Take the risk, even when you don’t know what it will look like…it will all fall into place if you let it. Because you deserve it and all the beautiful lessons that live within trying and trusting.

There you go! So the long and short of it is that we are BACK! We are in Des Moines, living it up and loving the here and now. So CHEERS to 2019 and YOU! It is a fabulous year and I have been loving watching it unfold.

So be brave to try NEW this year! Go for it….you have nothing to lose and so much to gain, more so when something doesn’t “work". We took a chance as a family because we wanted to explore more!!!! And we did. In exploring the country we were actually exploring our souls. Opening up our hearts to the world and experiences around us.

In turn we learned a huge lesson. That you CAN try new with a sense of curiosity…without knowing exactly where it will lead you. And if it isn’t working you can change it. And I know you will always come out on the right side of life when YOU DO YOU, completely and unapologetically.

2019 I see you! And you are fabulous already, only being 7 days in…major shifts, new beginnings and many dreams transpiring so far in this year that feels so much different than last!

XOXO,

Kelli