My Graceful Return

Words spilling out after my return

On the night I returned from my five-week trip to Europe, the family I live with was hosting a pumpkin carving party. By the time I arrived from Paris, they were done carving and were enjoying dinner. I sat down, gave headlines from the trip and ate a bowl of curried squash soup. It was a beautiful and autumnal return from a long and challenging trip. 

This may have been the most difficult trip I have ever taken. Honestly I am surprised I made it the entire five weeks. But that’s another story; it would be great if I could turn it into a screenplay. I see it as a movie starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tom Cruise. :) It was also a trip full of unexpected delights, abundant insights and deep learning.

For me, travel almost always presents opportunities to learn and grow beyond my perceived capacity. Think personal growth boot camp, made palatable by tons of beauty and many joyous moments and lots of good food and drink.

So, upon my return, what to do with the complex mix of impressions, thoughts and emotions from one crazy and intense journey?

I’m using the tools from my e-book The Graceful Return to process the insights and learning from my trip. While on the road, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my work and what I want to share with my clients and readers in coming years. Mr. B, a successful businessman, gave me a lot of feedback (some painful - think dry shave and you get it). I’m busy sorting through it all to develop my work. 

Recovering from a Mobile Lifestyle

From Part One of The Graceful Return, I’m using several of the self-care practices I recommend. I’m talking about my experiences with good friends, who are helping me unpack and understand what I experienced. I’m making sure to exercise and eat nourishing foods. Most importantly, I spend time each day reflecting on the lessons from my trip. My notebook is packed with wildly enthusiastic notes and sketches. I also know that this process takes time and I may still be gathering insights months and even years later.

 

The Original Impulse home office

I’m still relishing the slower pace that travel allows. I am able to stay in bed a bit longer in the morning, giving myself more time to transition from rest to action. Even though I’m back in the office full time and making dates with friends and colleagues, I have a sense of spaciousness. I’ve let go of some of the urgency to ‘make the most of my time.’ My usual efficiency was one of the things I had to let go of while traveling with someone else. Time slips away. We don’t always maximize every moment. Those unproductive hours actually contribute to my creativity more than I can know. I trust that I am spending my time in exactly the best way for me.

I’m surprised by the things that comfort and nurture me now. I love reading The New Yorker while eating breakfast and lunch. I relish the ability to get a healthy snack by merely walking downstairs. The repetitive, mundane task of loading and unloading the dishwasher continues to give me basic daily pleasure. (It’s like some kind of pet!)

I was delighted to discover (from the depths of a year and a half of storage) that I have a solid winter sock, glove, scarf and hat collection. Things I haven’t worn since 2007 are emerging to keep me warm for this winter at home.

Attuned to receiving the abundant beauty and grace I experienced in Europe, I seem to feel more. I feel the soft comfort of my bed, and relish knowing that this bed is not one that hosted a parade of other weary travelers and all their energy. I am delighted to be back to my home spa routine, lavishing my body with lotions and potions and care and love. I relish simple, sensual pleasures like the light in my studio and the vibrancy of my succulent collection.

Using Art to Process My Experiences

Part Two of The Graceful Return shares some simple art making tools that are definitely helping me glean more from this journey. Over five weeks and four countries, I ingested thousands more new impressions per day compared with how much new input I get while at home. Where do all those impressions live? And how can I get at least a few of them out to serve my creativity? They swirl around in my psyche until I tease them out.

Art making helps me make new and fresh associations. While putting the finishing touches on my illustrated travel journal, I noticed how my thoughts sifted around the edges of my awareness. Focusing on adding color, borders and gluing in ephemera gave my active mind something to focus on. This allowed unexpected ideas to emerge and connect in ways they would not if I were trying to associate them in an orderly or logical way. The soft focus on making meaning from my trip allowed insights to emerge naturally.

Of course I am using my favorite creative tool, writing, and I joined my Free Write Fling to ensure I had a daily dose of it. I developed a list of 50 prompts, things about my trip I wanted to capture on paper. When I go to do the free writing, however, I let myself write whatever comes up. Again, I find that this soft focus reveals new associations that I would not necessarily make if I forced myself to stay on topic.

Listing is one of the tools in The Graceful Return, and I’m finding it very helpful. Even if I don’t write about these topics, my lists help me to not forget moments that might otherwise be forgotten.

I’m also stretching and trying new media. I had so much fun putting together my Fitness for Travelers video series. I was thrilled at how easy it was to use the Flip camcorder to record and edit the short videos.

Sorting through all 1,000+ photos, I noticed patterns and put together a photo essay, Rodeo Luggage. I have ideas for others, so stay tuned.

There’s much, much more for me to process. I’m glad that I wrote a guide to making the most of any journey, since I need it! I’ll be sharing more here the insights about the creative process that I gained from this incredible journey.

If you want to make the most of your journeys (or any transition, for that matter!), pick up a copy of The Graceful Return: Relish Any Journey After You’ve Come Home. This e-book is available online and is downloadable immediately.