In the end, you can't say I didn't try...

I came back from my European adventure about a month ago and boy was it an adventure.  From landing just in time before airport closings all over Europe due to the Icelandic volcano eruption, to being yelled at TWICE in French on the Paris subway system, to getting off the tram in Amsterdam to a lovely view of men urinating in outdoor communal urinals – it was definitely a trip to remember.

I came back to the States, happy and so grateful for such a trip.  And I knew that it was not only a trip for fun and adventure but one of self-reflection and inspiration.  I took a leap – I did something for myself, by myself.  And amongst the crazy stories I also have extraordinary ones – like an unplanned dinner with three of the five 2010 Rolex Young Laureates or standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower with a personal view of the entire city of Paris or standing in Anne Frank’s bedroom of the Secret Annex and being able to feel and understand her journey from a time not that long ago.

You see, I created a goal for myself a little over a year ago and that was to see more of the world - to experience life outside of the neighborhoods and streets which are familiar to me; to allow myself to learn not through textbooks but through experiences, through conversations, and through exploring the unknown.

And in reflection of my recent trip, what has emerged for me as a personal truth is this:  That in life I always go after what I want and at times I’d get it and become victorious. But other times frustration arose when I didn’t get it.  When with all my might and power I did my best, but still my best just wasn’t good enough.  And I had defined those times as failures but now I know different – they were opportunities for growth; my lessons of “If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again.”

So now when the hurdles are too large or the race is too long and I get tired, I know I always have two options to winning. Either take that break, regain my energy and finish the race or simply change my focus, pave out a new path and finish a whole new race.  Because my truth states that I define what my victory will look like not for the crowds but for me.  And amongst the talk and even the judgments, I know that in the end, you can’t say I didn’t try.

Me at the top of the Eiffel Tower - Paris, France