straddling two worlds

i woke up monday morning at winterchase (our home base).
exactly one month after awakening in that bed the last time.
(september 20 to october 20).

one cat was at my feet, basking in the warm sunshine.
the other was nestled into the clothes in my suitcase,
(which was right where i’d left it the night before, flung open on the floor.)

a luggage handle had been destroyed (thank you, mexico city).
but all of our flights (ten total) were on time,
and all of our belongings arrived at their destinations.
(we even managed to stuff in the extras we’d acquired with no additional fees!)

i’ve had lots and lots and lots to do this week.
unpacking, taking care of laundry, going through mail.
processing what i took away from a conference during the last few days of my trip.
prepping for an upcoming retreat this weekend.
figuring out what groceries to buy, what dinners to make.
getting back up to speed in an online class i’m taking.
meeting with my son to update his 11th grade educational journal.
resuming the day-to-day aspects of my business and my life.
(but at least the house was clean and inviting, thanks to my two sons.)

this way of life (a month here, a few months there), is becoming more seamless.
true, the launch and the re-entry phases could still be smoother.
but my adaptability and flexibility? much improved.

and i’m grateful that my adventurous spirit has not been dulled after being robbed.
my curiosity is intact as well – i’m eager to do more, see more.
already time to start planning the next nomadic segment.
 
 
on august 8, 1988 (8.8.88), i ventured outside u.s. borders for the first time.
i traveled to canada.
on my honeymoon.

i grew up in idaho, and had already visited many u.s. states from coast to coast.
beginning with massachusetts, new york, and new hampshire when i was only a year old.

but suddenly, on canadian soil, a new world opened up to me.

fast forward to today.
among other stops, i just finished exploring my 15th country, chile, in september.
 
 

 
 
i wasn’t all that interested in travel during my high school and college years.
but something shifted inside of me when i crossed that first border.

seeking adventure doesn’t necessarily mean journeying to foreign countries.
for me, however, it has created a revolution of infinite growth and potential.
a manifestation of who i am.
gaining a global perspective has truly been a life-changing experience.
 
 
re-entry.
exactly one month later this time.
strange, yet familiar.
a taste of the unknown, mixed in with relief.
straddling my two worlds with a tentative foot in each at this point.

not a vacation while away.
not settled or established when “back home” either.
often caught somewhere in between.
interesting, but different.
sometimes even surreal.
 
 
my personal transformation is always unfolding.
pinnacles have been reached, but i have many more yet to climb.

 
 
and now.
you.

do you also have an in-between place?
are you too caught straddling two worlds?

are you adjusting to a major life change brought on by marriage, divorce, baby,
moving, career change, or death?
maybe caring for a loved one battling an illness?
are you perhaps struggling to claim your true essence,
while shedding the identity associated with your eating disorder?

i want to hear your story.
 
 
 
 
get my free course!
 
 

38 Responses to straddling two worlds

  1. Susie says:

    Travel is so important! It gives perspective and opens your heart and head to possibilty, creativity and reality.

    Sometimes I feel I straddle 2 worlds in my hometown by beating to a different drum that includes a more spiritual view of things. Keep sharing your adventures, love to read about them. How was the conference??

    • April Lee says:

      interesting perspective about your two worlds in the same town, susie. the conference was intriguing from many different angles but, most importantly, it has inspired me to pursue a separate direction in my business. (thanks for asking!)

  2. Elizabeth MacLeod says:

    I feel like I travel everyday with my little portal by the sea and all the travellers that go by. I always loved that about the summer. and with moving… I feel again, like I’m traveling…. it’s interesting. Didn’t think of it that way until reading your post. Cool another wonder to live in this extraordinary move of mine!

    I love your nomadic style.. your curiosity, your thriving to see…. the way you view your world and tell us about it. Thank you for letting me come for the ride and opening so I too, may see. 🙂

  3. Julia says:

    I have a nomadic nature, coming from being raised in a military family. It feels strange to me that we’ve set down roots here in Texas for so long. I love traveling, experiencing and learning about different cultures. My hubby and I have a long love affair with islands in the South Pacific. If we take a big trip–it’s usually there. I long to see New Zealand. Hopefully, my wish will come true soon!

  4. April says:

    April, I love how you recognize that your adaptability and flexibility have improved. I will be keeping an eye on my own growth in these areas. I think I straddle a “safe” world and an “adventurous” world. Not willing to fully commit to either one, but feeling certain that one day I may have to. Thanks for the thought provoking post!

  5. Bon says:

    All you lovely ladies traveling lately! I’m jealous! (Well, I shouldn’t say that, as I’ve been on four planes over the course of three weeks, zigzagging the country… but it’s the INTERNATIONAL travel that I miss, reading your post.) Absolutely gorgeous and glorious. Love how you share it all with us!

  6. Lori W says:

    How wonderful that you have expanded your experiences by traveling outside of the United States. I love learning about other cultures, but have not have much opportunity to travel. Perhaps that is something I will have the time and freedom to do when I am retired.

  7. Yes, I’m in a similar place: just returned from a month in France and then on the road again two weeks later. Lots to consider as my recently retired husband starts planning the next big trip while I navigate the practical nature of running a business from the road. Running an online business gives me flexibility but it also requires high speed internet access and a reliable phone connection. Not always available in my travels. I see some challenges ahead but I look forward to more adventures just the same. And re-entry, oh yes. I could write a book on re-entry! Welcome home, April.

    • April Lee says:

      yes, sue ann – i can definitely relate to both the benefits and challenges of running an online business while roaming the globe. it’s starting to feel like an interesting puzzle to me . . . how do all the pieces fit?

  8. Michelle says:

    I don’t have any nomadic tendencies. I’m too much of a nester for that. 🙂

    But I would say that I have wanderlusting tendencies. I have to get up and GO. Somewhere. Preferably once per quarter.

    And I’m also having escape fantasies again. A yearning to MOVE. Somewhere. Preferably soon.

    Welcome back, April! xo

    • April Lee says:

      i’ve heard you mention moving more than once, michelle. any place in particular that seems the most appealing? i used to think i was a nester, but my perspective has definitely changed in recent years.

  9. Pat Gullett says:

    I admire how you are adapting to travel re-entry…not always easy to do. After just 2 weeks in Paris, it took 6 to really get grounded again. Having an online business helps, but like everyone else, I need the connections to keep it going wherever I am. Adaptability, flexibility, things I need to consciously work on this season. Nice, interesting blog. Sounds like you have 2 wonderful, understanding boys.

  10. Maria says:

    I love to travel April and so true that the re-entry phase can be alittle daunting or unsettling but I love the curiosity of what is – how other people live, survive or thrive. Educational, inspirational and evolutionary. thank you April – I so need to plan my next holiday xx

  11. Dana says:

    Oh April..the in between yes, I wrote about honoring those spaces because we often dismiss them during any re-entry..AND very interesting as my hubs retires next year..and I have a strong yearning to do the same..lovely read.
    Thanks

    • April Lee says:

      i’ll be interested in what you and your husband end up doing after his retirement. and yes, dana, honoring those spaces. something i have become better at doing . . .

  12. Caylie Price says:

    I’m similar April. I’m currently visiting from Australia and travelling along the US West Coast in between conferences in Phoenix. The US is the 10th country I’ve visited and I’m loving it. This is the first time I’ve traveled and chosen to continue growing my business at the same time. I’ll admit it’s a juggle but a fantastic one at that.

  13. Cathy Sykora says:

    I love reading about your journeys! I think when we travel, we get a unique opportunity to add to who we are, to create experiences, and to learn about the world outside of what is familiar.

  14. Beth K .Bedbury says:

    Well put there are so many times we straddle two worlds. This year has felt like I’m straddling a lot of different things. So many changes and shifts.

  15. Silvia says:

    April, I have been so sedentary for years with just a bit of travel in-between. I gave up my restaurant 10 years ago so I wouldn’t be tied down and these last ten I’d hoped to travel more but…life seemed to have decided otherwise.

    Now it seems that things are changing once again and my sedentary lifestyle is off on an adventure into the unknown so who knows where I’ll land. I do know however that it takes me a while to readjust whenever I come back home from a trip (even if it’s a weekend away) I’m looking forward to healing that sense of being so affected by my environment – even when it’s familiar and subtle.

    I think traveling is a great healer in that we take ourselves everywhere we go and it brings to light the subtleties of our preferences.

  16. victoria m. says:

    I love reading your stuff 🙂

    You are always so insightful… you could say I am in a place of in between myself… living a life that I have outgrown and that I am ready to retire, and birthing a life of fearlessness where I too can experience the inner-growth that comes from global travel.

    I am originally from Mexico and moved to the US at age 15. As an Anthropsychologist, this has given me a unique perspective of how people are from culture to culture. Then in April of this year I finally traveled overseas to Japan and now I must admit I am ADDICTED 🙂

    • April Lee says:

      thank you so much, victoria. “birthing a life of fearlessness” . . . that truly sounds delicious! and anthropsychology sounds like a fascinating field (i did a bit of research after you mentioned your profession! :))

  17. Anne Omland says:

    I’ve been traveling for years and love it too! My wanderlust started in college on my first mission trip to Honduras- of my choices, I picked it because I didn’t know exactly where it was on a map! From there, almost every year I went on another adventure. I’ve lived in several countries as well, Canada (Toronto) for a couple years and then most recently Australia. We’ve just moved to Connecticut so are now back in the US- although I did just get back from London last week…

    Anyway, the straddling I’ve been doing is never really feeling like I have a home base. I traveled every week for my job for years, living out of a suitcase and the past few years have been traveling with my husband and/or for fun. The only place that’s ever truly felt like home for me is my parent’s house. So forever I feel like I’m not at home if I’m not there, even in my own home. Maybe one day that’ll change but for now, it’s the place that makes me feel most at rest.

    Thanks for sharing your adventures. It’s nice to learn of other people who can’t get enough adventure!

    • April Lee says:

      i loved reading your story, anne. yes, i know that feeling when nowhere feels like home. even at what we call our current “home base” (which changed just last year), we are not invested in the community in any way. although i’ve become more comfortable with this lifestyle over time, it’s a different experience than what i had growing up (only one home for my first 18 years).

  18. Wonderful post! I traveled extensively as a kid and there’s nothing more mind expanding, in my opinion, than exploring other cultures and locales. We’re endeavoring to give our children the same experience. Great post. Lovely to read.

  19. April, every time I read your words I am INSPIRED to express myself more fluidly, more richly, more authentically…as you do so well.

    And yes, to answer your question, I feel I am always dancing that beautiful dance of joy, growth, and somewhere-in-between, trusting that as long as I stay rooted deeply within myself, I can handle anything.

    Thank you for allowing me to tuck away in your suitcase and come along with you on your many adventures – I am most certainly enjoying the ride!

    • April Lee says:

      sabrina – you are such a sweetheart. thank you. 🙂 and i think you’ve hit upon the heart of what i’ve tried to convey . . . staying rooted deeply within oneself.

  20. Wow, that is some kind of life! Nomadic wanderings do take flexibility but yeah, totally worth it. I spent some time packing and unpacking myself a few years back, spending a couple of months in Europe and a couple of months in the US, commuting back and forth, back and forth. Definitely a straddle. Sometimes I miss the constant change!

  21. Brenda says:

    What a fantastic and timely post April! Yes, I’m definitely living and in-between life right now. Selling all our stuff and planning to travel the world long-term, indefinitely and building a business while on the road about our adventures! Excited and terrified at the same time, but I truly believe that God led our family to this path.

  22. Mui says:

    I have always been a bit of a nomad, having left home (Hong Kong) when I was 18. I love travelling to different places and experiencing different cultures. I don’t have an in-between place anymore as I’ve based myself in the UK for many years but I still love travelling to unusual places at least once a year. My goal is to be a suitcase entrepreneur travelling around the world working from my laptop. Still a few more years before our son leaves home, so plenty of time to plan that. Thanks for sharing.

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