My love affair with Spain

My first experience of mainland Spain, as an eighteen year old, wasn’t good!

So bad in fact was that first visit I didn’t return for another 24 years. 

I visited the Canaries and Mallorca but not the mainland. 

The original ill fated visit was with a work colleague who would later play a role in my decision to make 2017 the year I realised my dream. 

My return to the mainland, to Mijas Pueblo, came in the form of a girls break in 2004 and it coincided, unfortunately, with the unexpected passing of my mum.

Mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer in February of that year but was doing well as the prearranged break approached in April. On the second day of our trip she took a turn for the worse and I was unable to get a return flight until the next day. I slept badly during the night having managed to talk to her by phone in the hospital assuring her I was on my way home. I woke suddenly at 4.45 am and went out on to the balcony and as I looked down towards the sea I sensed she was gone – I felt very calm and strangely comforted by the view.

I would later learn that mum left this World, peacefully, at 3.45am UK time – 4.45am in Spain!

The amazing outcome of that experience in Mijas was that, rather than having an enduring bad association with Spain, I fell in love with the country right there on that balcony and each time I return I get the same sense of calm and comfort – Spain had claimed my soul!

I went on to spent many happy times there  and The Dream grew legs and started to gain pace each time I returned. 

Mijas 2014

The Back Story

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Adventure or just plain insanity?

After a career spanning 34 years I have opted to take voluntary redundancy – foolish, maybe.  Risky, undoubtedly.  Daring, exciting and liberating ……. hell yes!

Strangely enough I have had few, if any, moments of doubt.  Instead I have been overcome with a sense of relief and feeling of hope.  Also the realisation that I have spent the last 18 months wasting precious time working in an industry I no longer believe in – smothered in self doubt, negativity and a lack of passion for a role I once loved.

As an avid traveller for many years I have always held a certain curiosity for our cousins over ‘The Pond’ and have a desire to see more of the States.  This, coupled with some romantic notion of travelling on a sleeper train,  bought me to the Amtrak website!

So I am planning a coast to coast round trip, by rail, of the USA.

Taking in 10 cities,  13 rail segments and the States of Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia and the District of Columbia (DC), I will be leaving England on April 2nd – returning 3 weeks later.

 This was the opening post for my first blog ‘Off the Rails – Coast to Coast with Amtrak

 and it marked a point in my life where I dared to hope there was more to life and that I could somehow grasp it!

I have had so many rich experiences since that initial post – some of which I will recount over the coming posts on this blog – but to start I feel it would be good to give a little background, for those who don’t know me personally, about how I got to this point.

I don’t recall exactly when I started having ‘Living the Dream’ thoughts – it has definitely been my preoccupation for at least 20 years.  My first travel experience – moving with my parents to live in Switzerland – happened when I was just 12 months old.  However, I think my adventurous spirit is in my DNA and travel has become my passion over the years.

My Maternal Great Grandparents left the Welsh valleys following the General Strike of May 1926, which saw Miners starved back into work by November of that year.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t a job for my GGF or his brother in law so the two families moved to a new colliery in Coventry leaving behind their close-knit community and extend family network.  Uncommon back then, it was a huge wrench for all and the distance seemed vast.

They did, however, all thrive and my Grandmother passed that pioneering spirit onto my Mum and so to me.

I have been very lucky and have managed to travel to many places – my love affair with Spain, however, came about in a strange kind of way …………….

Self Development Coaching

I have recently embarked on a new chapter in my Self awareness and have begun training to become a Life Coach, focusing on Self Development and Goal  Setting.

Coaching is a form of development in which a person called a coach supports a client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training, advice and guidance.

Coaching is NOT……..

Therapy.  It does not focus on your past, healing deep emotional wounds, or resolving symptoms.  The coach assumes that the client is capable,  whole and able to work  to develop a plan based on the their values and goals.

Consulting. The coach is not there to have all the answers and solve all of the client’s problems. The coach may frequently challenge the client to take action toward their goals, but does not  “tell the client what to do”.

Friendship. The give and take of relationship is vital to all of us, coaching differs in that the focus is all on the client and what will give them maximum benefit.

Cheerleading.  Anyone can offer basic support and encouragement; however, a coach also teaches specific skills to help people change their behaviour.

’52 Small Steps’ was created as part of my growth plan.

So before reviewing some highlights from last year, thinking about challenges faced or what was learned – let’s think about clearing the decks.

Focus on your well-being as mentioned in the last post – give the Phone detox a go and also spend a little time looking at your eating/drinking habits to see if there is anything you would like to change. Lack of sleep often defeats us before we even start with our tasks so a review of sleeping patterns/times/habits is another good thing to focus on this week.

Think about how you will record your progress, should you want to – in a journal, in a blog, diary or share with another.

I would suggest that you decide what level of commitment you will give to this development – can you set aside a certain time/space for this each week?  will commitment be one of the distractions you will face?

How committed are you to your personal development?   Do you want to change things in your life?  How will you keep motivated?  Do you have small goals or just one huge one? Have you even decided which direction you want to go in?

With all these questions in mind take that time for yourself and then, in WEEK 1 we will spend one session on looking back on 2016 before we lay the foundation for 2017!

 

Best Year, Best You!

 

 

 

Thoughts for the New Year

I don’t do New Year resolutions – I don’t see the point – promises made to yourself without too much thought or planning, soon to be forgotten in the light of a busy new year.  Can anyone remember the resolutions they made for this year?  NO I thought not!

I am however, quite a focused sort of person and do like to plan things for the near future.  I find that when I really focus and plan I achieve so much more so the concept of Goal setting appeals to me and I’m reasonably good at it.

2017 will be a year of great change for me personally – I am within touching distance of realising one of my long held dreams and have commenced a strategic plan to get me where I need to be.  Goal setting plays a huge part in this to help me stay focused.

With the end goal firmly in sight I have been putting together a goal plan that keeps me focused on a week to week basis.

Over the coming weeks, here on this blog, I will be sharing a generic weekly goal plan with you – 52 Small Steps – weekly inspiration to enhance your BIGGER picture – and hope you will use it to create focus in your own life – helping you to achieve your goals and dreams and unlocking your potential to reach higher……….

You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction – George H Lorimer

Although I keep a written planner for all this I have recently discovered a really cool goal setting site that you might like to check out Lifetick