TRAVEL – Page 3

FEAR

ALLOWING FEAR = A LIFETIME OF REGRET

The next time you feel anxiety, consider this: Fear will give you a lifetime of regret! What do you want? There is a certain amount of fear that protects us from harm, but we should understand that limit: Does it mean life or death? If it doesn’t, then get over it, or we will regret avoiding fear, maybe the rest of our lives if we don’t get that second opportunity.

Facing fear translates to growth, learning new things, improving, becoming better, and experiencing life. Avoiding fear leads to life’s regrets.

My First Fear

I remember fear from very early in my life, my first memory of fear was pre-kindergarten. My parents enrolled me in swimming lessons because my dad had a fear of the water and neither of my parents were avid swimmers, so they wanted me to learn how to swim early. I remember standing at the edge of the high dive with the instructor and a couple other people in the water telling me to jump in. I stood there with my hands crossed, shaking my head “no.” (I’ve always been a little head strong.) It wasn’t so much the water that scared me, I always loved water, but for me, it was the fear of heights. I stood there for some time at the edge of the diving board, the ascent up the ladder wasn’t bad, but the jump scared me more than anything. I must have delayed the instructors long enough because someone was headed up the ladder to give me a push off the dive, which I didn’t want either, so I jumped! Splash! It wasn’t as bad as I made it in my mind. Because I faced this fear and jumped in, years later, at 17, I became a life guard. I faced fear and was glad I did.

Pre-Teen Fear

My family visited my Aunt, Uncle and cousins in California and I fell in love with California, deciding I wanted to go to college there after that vacation. I loved the ocean, the hiking, Disneyland and our camping trip to Yosemite National Park.

Once again, my fear of heights surfaced. We were hiking and my adventurous Aunt planned to hike to the top of “Puppy Dome,” of course I wanted to do it too, but knew I would be scared as well. I can remember getting to the top, my heart was racing so fast, my body was lying flat practically glued to the granite, with my hands in the crevasses as we reached the top. I don’t think I could stand, I was too scared, but I made it, with my Aunt’s encouragement and loved that I did that. The memory has remained with me my entire life. I faced fear and was glad I did.

So later in life when it was time for college, fear set in again. I had a boyfriend and I was afraid to leave my home state and pursue my dream of college in California because I feared the relationship would end. I really liked this guy and chose to stay in town, rather than go away to college. Big mistake! My relationship ended with that guy and I’ve always regretted my decision of not going away to college and have thought about: What would my life have been like if I had pursued what I really wanted, instead of acting based on fear? I let fear take over me, and I regretted it, no second chance on this one.

Adult Fear

I still challenge myself by facing fear of heights: zip lining, jumping off elevated ledges into water, scaling walls, climbing up the ladder to the roof hatch of a commercial building roof top, and by walking a parapet catwalk during a property inspection. The fear hasn’t gone away, but each time, I’m glad I faced the fear; I don’t have regrets, and the fear lessens.

The physical fears I seem to face willingly, but often it’s the fear involving people that I don’t, and then regret it later. In fact, there are several times where I’ve regretted not facing a fear, later in life, involving people. Facing fear is about becoming vulnerable; and when we become vulnerable, we are not protected; so, we are fearful. This is not the way to live though, unless we want a life of regrets. Just as any other fear, if we face it, we become stronger.

As an adult, I had the surprise opportunity to spend New Year’s Eve in Key West with a guy I really cared about, but I had planned a party with friends at my house and had sent invitations, not knowing about the surprise trip that was planned. I didn’t want to let my friends down, but being honest I preferred and wanted to go on that trip with him. I stayed home out of fear of disappointing my friends, and believing I should stay independent, and I regretted that decision ever since.

Fear also leads to us to “Settle” for what we wouldn’t choose normally. We begin to justify settling, to protect ourselves, so we don’t have to face the fear. I believe lack of self-confidence is the reason we don’t face fear involving people. People with confidence face fear; they overcome the fear and therefore become more confident people. Don’t let fear be the reason behind decisions.

Being Independent to the extreme is Acting in Fear

Fear involving people is evident in those who want to do everything for themselves and don’t ask for help. I know that because I have been that person, most of my life: independent. I still don’t like to rely on anyone, relying on someone makes us vulnerable, and being independent protects us: we don’t need anyone! I’ve always admired independent people, but there should be a balance in life, nothing to the extreme ever ends up good. (This is continuous work for me, relying on others.) If we let fear take over, we won’t grow, we can’t follow our purpose, or develop the gift we were born with. Fear sets limits. If we limit ourselves, we can’t possibly be all that is possible, if we had no limitations. Letting fear take over leads us to the: “What if….?” (Our regrets).

FACING FEAR = REWARDS

So next time, face fear: stand up for beliefs, suggest that new idea, take a risk, say “no,” push ourselves to the next level, act with courage, speak your mind, be authentic/be you, go for it, ask for what we need, just do it,have that conversation, follow passions, take that vacation (work will always be there), ask “Will I regret this later, if I don’t do it now?”

I’m not saying be reckless, but if we want to live life to the fullest and be the best person we can be, don’t limit ourselves, don’t let fear control our actions: Face fear and be rewarded!

February 7, 2017 by annm2705 Categories: Face Fear, FAMILY, FITNESS, Following Passions, FRIENDSHIP, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Make It Count, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVELTags: AUTHENTIC, BE REAL, CAMPING, FAITH, FAMILY, FEAR, FITNESS, FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, FRIENDS, HAPPINESS, Improvement, INSPIRATION, RELATIONSHIPS, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, SUCCESS, TRAVEL Leave a comment

ARBONNE REVIEW

If you read my prior blog and article published by Prsuit: “DEALING WITH JUDGEMENT OF YOUR ASPIRATIONS BY OTHERS” then you will know that part of this experience had to do with my joining Arbonne International as an Independent Consultant, so I wanted to share my experiences with you about what it’s been like for me since I joined this past October 2016. This is a network marketing company and many are skeptical of those type of companies, I was too, until I opened my mind to learn more about it and dispelled the myths. The truth is nothing happens overnight and it requires dedication and perseverance to build a business, so as long as people know that, they will not be misled. The reality about reputation is, when a company is growing, some people who affiliate themselves with the company may not reflect the company very well and that of course damages a reputation. Arbonne International is not a new business, but is 35 plus years and growing. Reputation is a concern for every growing business because as a company grows, the people in front of us represent the company, and if those people don’t make a good impression, the company is then tied to that impression.

REFLECTION OF OUR VALUES

My opinion and experience throughout my life is that we should not get involved with a company unless it truly mirrors our values and purpose in life, because we become a reflection of the company and the company becomes a reflection of us. If a company changes and no longer reflects the values and purpose that drew us to the company, we should end our relationship with that company. As in life, nothing is perfect, a company is the makeup of its affiliates or employees, and likewise if a person no longer reflects the core values and purpose of a company, they are usually terminated.

ARBONNE: PURE, SAFE, BENEFICIAL

Arbonne has done a great job of summarizing in the three words: Pure, Safe and Beneficial, the inspiration behind their products. When I joined Arbonne, I had done a little research on my own on nutrition, but nothing on cosmetics or skincare, that was something I didn’t think about. What impacted me most of all was the statement that our skin is the largest organ of our body and absorbs what we put on it, which affects us and our health. It does matter what we use for skincare and obviously, our nutrition too. I’ve researched more since joining because I wanted to verify statements and there was so much I didn’t know, and I’ve learned a lot already. I encourage you to research on your own too, not necessarily blogs, but medical research clinics and hospitals, such as Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins on various topics that we may question.

ARBONNE: MANIFESTO

This is what I connected with and related to when I made the decision to align with the company, it matched my core values:

ARBONNE: THE PRODUCTS: NUTRITION, SKINCARE, COSMETICS, BATH/BODY

Before I would recommend any products to my friends or family, I wanted to try them myself. That is just who I am, I can’t stand behind something I don’t believe in. My experiences with Arbonne are in process and being reflected on my Facebook Page: annm2705 but truly I haven’t used something I didn’t like, I do have favorites and products that maybe are not necessary for me personally, but they still are high quality, effective plus I feel comfortable using them or recommending them because of my experience as well as Arbonne’s stated product purpose: PURE, SAFE, BENEFICIAL.

NUTRITION

In January 2017, I started the 30 Days to Healthy Living and Beyond Program and I am so impressed by the resources offered to those who participate. Of course, we buy a 30-day supply of Arbonne products that may seem expensive at first, because we are buying a 30-day supply, but when you break it down to a per meal cost, you can get the products, for less than the cost of a muffin and cup of coffee. When you participate in the program, you will also receive the resources of Nutritionists who provide a weekly grocery list, recipes for nutritious meals, as well as suggestions for challenges we face in our eating habits, cravings etc. I’ve found that my grocery bills are less, but I’m eating healthier. My shopping cart is primarily filled with organic vegetables, some fruits and protein: lean meat: chicken, turkey, grass fed beef, and fish. And yes, organic is more expensive, but I’m eliminating the sugar and not so good for you type of carbohydrates, so that offsets the organic cost. And when I thought about what I’m feeding myself and my family and how it so greatly affects our health, this will likely offset medical bills in the future, by taking a vested interest in healthy eating! Not all medical bills of course, but this is something we should all consider with the rising cost of healthcare: taking better care of ourselves and our family. I have met people who changed their diets and then no longer needed medications. Medications are expensive and some of the side effects are destructive too. Take some time to think about that. If you want to join a future 30 Days to Healthy Living program with Arbonne, I provide my contact information at the end of this article.

ARBONNE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS

I decided to become an Independent Consultant to get the greatest product discount after using a few skincare sample products, because I liked the products and knew I would be buying more. It wasn’t a significant upfront cost, so I could justify it. I wanted to learn more before I suggested the products to anyone else, which is what I’ve been doing these past several months. When I joined Arbonne, the products and the company reflected something important to me: a healthy life style and improvement, so I decided to do it; there was no downside. Becoming an Independent Consultant has its advantages: a discount on the products plus we can make income from products that others buy through our introduction, so why not? Especially if we like the products and will be using them ourselves. If others like the products and want to join as Independent Consultants, they can too, there is no competition here, this is a team and growing! The more products I tried and the more people I met through Arbonne, my thoughts on this expanded. I saw this as such a great business opportunity for motivated individuals, who have a passion for the products: the freedom and personal development it offers too. The improvement side of Arbonne is amazing! Not only do the products help improve others, but the Independent Consultants are provided with such great positivity, motivation, self-improvement, personal development from what I’ve experienced. I have never met so many positive uplifting people in one place, the positive energy/vibes from the people are the best I’ve ever been around. So vibrant, supportive, welcoming, fun, dedicated, ambitious, motivating, positive people who want to help others too. We all have seen quotes that say we become what we surround ourselves with, right? And I must say, this truly describes the ensemble of Arbonne Independent Consultants whom I’ve met personally. It wasn’t long after joining that we were making plans socially, outside of the business, to have get togethers.

I met Independent Consultants who have had their lives changed by embracing this as a business and from the nutritional aspect; this certainly doesn’t happen without efforts, but, it is possible for anyone motivated to build success and willing to work for it. And the great thing about it, our team can be our friends, family, or anyone around the world, all we need is internet access to connect! The success is not overnight like so many may be led to believe with online business promotions, it takes years of dedication and staying with it, but it is a possibility. You truly get what you give to others…you will be improving yourself and improving the lives of others!

SIDE OBSERVATION

I have not seen this emphasized in the company, but after hearing from or talking to Independent Consultants with Arbonne, I noticed there is a tremendous amount who openly talk about their faith in God (as you may know, I am Christian; however, it doesn’t matter if others believe in something different, I have respect for all. We each choose our belief based on our culture, experiences and connection with something Greater than us.) Anyway, this faith component is important to me personally and I wonder if there is more purpose here than what is initially seen, especially because the core is all about improvement and giving back? There are some amazing heartwarming stories that have happened as a result of someone’s Arbonne business success. Truly inspiring!

If you are interested in anything I’ve shared, joining my team, or have questions, you can reach me as follows:

Facebook at: annm2705 (Ann Dulle- Arbonne Independent Consultant Page, on this account, my purpose is posting beneficial and informative information about the products, how I’m using them, health and nutrition, my personal experiences or promoting upcoming informative events (which I have yet to do!)– so “Like” my page and follow if you are interested in receiving updates)

or Instagram: annm2705 (this is my personal account where I post anything related to Faith, Family, Friends, Travel, Fitness, Improvement = My passions in life)

or my Arbonne Independent Consultant Page (where you can shop Arbonne Products): www.anndulle.arbonne.com

Wishing you success in 2017! I hope it is a great year for you!

January 16, 2017 by annm2705 Categories: entrepreneur, FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS, Following Passions, HAPPINESS, Health and Beauty, Improvement, Make It Count, Nutrition, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVEL, WellnessTags: ANNM2705, ARBONNE, ARBONNE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT, ARBONNE REVIEW, AUTHENTIC, BE REAL, COLLABORATIONCOMMUNITY, FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS, FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, FRIENDS, GRATITUDE, HAPPINESS, HEALTH, HONESTY, Improvement, INSPIRATION, MAKEITCOUNT, NETWORK MARKETING, POSITIVITY, RELATIONSHIPS, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, SUCCESS, TEAMWORK, TRAVEL Leave a comment

DEALING WITH JUDGEMENT OF YOUR ASPIRATIONS BY OTHERS

I wanted to share my article published last week by Prsuit, click on this link to read my article. It’s about my own experiences and realizations with judgement.

Life doesn’t always follow the path we expect; the only thing constant is change. And when there is change, I’ve experienced judgement as a side effect: sometimes good, sometimes bad, but other people always have an opinion, only some voice it.

Secondly there will be a forthcoming related article about my experiences with my new venture mentioned in the article, near the end of January or early February.

CREDITS:

If you arrived at this article from Instagram @annm2705, then you’ve already seen this, but if you found this article in another way, I should recognize a few who are making a meaningful contribution to entrepreneurship and creators, if you don’t know them already, you should check them out and get to know them on Instagram @prsuit @hdfmagazine, or their websites: PRSUIT, HDFMAGAZINE, podcasts: The Hustle Sold Separately

If you read my very first blog, you will see how I found them in the spring of 2016 on Instagram and since then have seen so much growth from their companies. Matt Gottesman and Case Kenny have an incredible drive and are helping others: great resources for entrepreneurs and creators!

January 11, 2017 by annm2705 Categories: Careers, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, Following Passions, FRIENDSHIP, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Make It Count, Nutrition, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVEL, WellnessTags: ANNM2705, AUTHENTIC, BE REAL, BRAND LOYALTY, COLLABORATIONCOMMUNITY, DESIGN, FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS, FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, FRIENDS, GRATITUDE, HAPPINESS, HONESTY, Improvement, INNOVATION, INSPIRATION, MAKEITCOUNT, POSITIVITY, RELATIONSHIPS, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, TEAMWORK, TRAVEL 1 Comment

DIGITAL DISCONNECT- RINGING IN 2017

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day- break time

This year my New Year’s Eve plans are very different from any other year during my entire life. Unfortunately, the plans won’t be that exciting to anyone else because I’m ringing it in solo and disconnected: no parties, no Facebook, no Instagram, no Twitter, and no hangover! (So, that means next year, I might change plans up, depending on how this goes?) I’m challenging myself to this, because I’ve never done it before and it’s the opposite thing that I would normally choose to do. I like to push myself to be uncomfortable, to face my fears, and learn something in the process. And yes, I do have that FOMO right now…but that’s part of the challenge, to push myself to face what I fear, stay disconnected from 1/31/16 – 1/1/17, and find out what I learn from this, because with every experience we learn something, right? And truly, will I really be missing out on much? Well maybe some laughter…oh yeah, and the Kid Rock New Year’s Eve concert 😦

WHY?

TO BE FULLY PRESENT AROUND OTHERS AND FOCUS ON THEM – TO BE IN THE MOMENT

TO WORK ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME – MY FUTURE GOALS

TO AVOID DISTRACTIONS AND TIME WASTERS

TO START THE YEAR DIFFERENTLY

This idea of taking a social media break for me personally is something I just woke up with, today. I realize it’s a short, temporary break, yet I know it will be a challenge for me, isn’t that crazy? Just two full days, but, knowing in advance, that this is going to be a challenge for me, is bad! But the experience will be good.

I enjoy social media, but it can really become addictive, it’s like society’s life line today as well as a source of escape from reality for me over this past year. I admit that I spend a lot of time on social media, some productive, but sometimes wasting time (which I want to do less). I continue learning about social media and how it can make a difference, the positive aspects, and I see so many opportunities. I enjoy seeing how others are using it: what works, what doesn’t, in my opinion, of course. My mind is constantly active and thinking; I tend to be an overthinker that’s for sure, during my alone time, but thankfully the overthinking is counter balanced my normal spontaneity and underthinking!

I’m too distracted by social media recently, so I need to make an adjustment going into the new year. This is a test and a transition for me, to rethink how I’m involved with social media and start the year with that plan.

How often have we had a breakfast, or any meal, with others and everyone is looking at their phone, not present? Or get togethers, so many of us are never without it. My family went camping a lot when we were kids and those were some of the best memories I have, because when there aren’t distractions, we are forced to truly be present: talking, listening, and laughing- life experiences, vacations, trips, etc., those are the memories I hang on to. So, whomever I’m around these two days, I will be fully present, and when I’m not around anyone, I will be wrapping up that self-reflection of 2016, refocusing and working towards my goals in 2017. I’m excited about this new year; it could be the best year yet!

Just looking at the 2017 calendar, I’ve already booked my monthly social activities January through May, because that’s my way to make sure that occasional fun happens. Plus, it provides something to continually look forward to with excitement every month.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing this New Year’s Eve; I hope you have a great night and a successful 2017 ahead- a year that connects you with what you love most!

Happy New Year Early!

December 30, 2016 by annm2705 Categories: Following Passions, Improvement, Make It CountTags: ANNM2705, AUTHENTIC, BE REAL, CAMPING, COLLABORATIONCOMMUNITY, CONCERTS, FAMILY, FITNESS, FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, GRATITUDE, HAPPINESS, Improvement, INSPIRATION, MAKEITCOUNT, MUSIC, photography, POSITIVITY, RELATIONSHIPS, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, TRAVEL Leave a comment

2017?

So what will 2017 be like?

Reflecting on what happened in 2016 helps me focus on how to make 2017 better, below is an outline of my end of year thoughts and action plans (the first chart is blank, if anyone wants to use it for themselves, and the second one is filled out- hopefully the filled-out version will motivate me to follow through, after publicly stating this):

2016 Reflection	My Thoughts	2017 Plans	2017 Specific Actions
For what am I grateful?		Make plans to do something that enhances, improves, what I am grateful for: Make It Count, Make a Difference.
What did I enjoy most?		Spend more time and energy on what I am passionate about and identify ways my actions will benefit others: create purpose!
What did I do to benefit, give back to others who are important to me?		This is success. Continue with more and if something is lacking make specific plans to elevate this action.
What improvements did I make from the prior year?		This is success. Continue with more, what else can be done? Change is constant, keep it up, find ways to improve more, or lose it; complacency will lose it.
What didn’t work out?		This is failure, but temporary, because I will learn from it and make changes.
What were the challenges?		List them along with what I learned from it.
What did I want to do, but didn’t get around to doing it?		Schedule it in 2017.

2016 Reflection	My Thoughts	2017 Plans	2017 Specific Actions
For what am I grateful?	· Faith · Family · Friends · Health/Fitness · Music · Nature/Outdoors · Travel Opportunities · Business Opportunities · People who have supported/mentored me throughout my life	Make plans to do something that enhances, improves, what I am grateful for: Make It Count, Make a Difference.	· Get involved in a helpful way with church to contribute/give back with my time · Plan and Spend quality time with Family and Friends · Research and Improve Nutrition through better meal planning · Schedule 3-4 days of workouts per week and stick to it · Support Musical Artists by attending concerts, buying music, blogging · Nature/Outdoors/Travel: plan trips and share experiences and resources with others · Make weekly goals and follow through to grow business · Find an organization that helps people act and improve themselves; I’m not much a believer that “just dumping gifts in someone’s lap is the best way to make a long-term difference (if they are not trying to improve themselves on their own), but I want to help people who are trying
What did I enjoy most?	· Time spent with those I care about · Music · Traveling · Improving via Design or Personal Fitness	Spend more time and energy on what I am passionate about and identify ways my actions will benefit others: create purpose!	My Lifetime Goal/Dream: I have a grandiose dream of creating or being involved with a luxury get away place that provides a place for people to get healthy, relax, work on fitness and enjoy music – all without leaving the getaway place. A place for others to recharge, reflect, improve.
What did I do to benefit, give back to others who are important to me?	· Time spent with those I care about, I tried to be present whenever someone needed it. · 2016 I probably spent more time than ever before reflecting, so next year I want to increase the time spent in action.	This is success. Continue with more and if something is lacking make specific plans to elevate this action.	· Increase time spent on actively giving back to others – this area needs improvement for me.
What improvements did I make from the prior year?	· Stayed physically active throughout the year · Attended more often at Church · Acted to improve my situation, rather than complaining about it · Acted on Real Estate renovations	This is success. Continue with more, what else can be done? Change is constant, keep it up, find ways to improve more, or lose it; complacency will lose it.	· Continue plans and focus on health and fitness · Get more involved with church · Find other opportunities to renovate real estate · Continue focus on self-improvement/purpose
What didn’t work out?	· Failed relationship · Relationship damage with others	This is failure, but temporary, because I will learn from it and make changes.	· Try to keep interactions peaceful · Make efforts to repair relationship damage with others
What were the challenges?	· Stress · Turmoil · Negativity · Disrespect · De-valued self-worth · Flight · Escape · Sadness · Emptiness · Simply existing, not living · Fallout	List them along with what I learned from it.	· I learned to Let Go. · I learned not to let significant time pass without positive action and improvement in any given situation. · Improved Independence · Let go of stress related to unimportant/insignificant events · Remove myself from turmoil and surround myself with positive people · Exercise relieves stress · All people deserve respectful interactions, even if there is something bad happening · Self-worth: continually work on self-improvement and don’t be affected by others who de-value that self-worth- ignore it · Fleeing from a problem doesn’t solve it; it must be tackled head on · Get away from environments that can’t be improved and cause sadness · Improving my relationship with God and following what I am passionate about removes emptiness · Pursing a passion with a purpose leads to happiness and is living, not simply existing · Change will create fallout; that is a tradeoff unfortunately and will require more effort to improve but if not; let it go; nothing forced works in the long term. · Finding forgiveness for “wrongs” because they fueled improvement, so the “wrongs” turned into a positive outcome.
What did I want to do, but didn’t get around to doing it?	· I wasn’t as affective as I wanted to be in 2016, because I didn’t spend enough time on it.	Schedule it in 2017.

It is important to me to live life the way it matters most: TODAY. When I look back on 2016, I can’t really say that it was a good year, or a bad year, because there were both experiences, almost to the extreme at each end, and somewhat surreal in retrospect. So many disruptive changes occurred all at once (my dad’s death, a new business venture, loss of employee benefits at my current job but at the same time, my best year ever there, a divorce, giving up a condo on a lake, moving into a new home, renovations, challenges with my kids brought on by the divorce; it’s just been busy); so, I’m hoping that 2017 will be a little bit calmer. I welcome change, just not as much disruption all at one time, it was an emotional roller coaster year for me and a bit of a blur with so much happening.

I plan to make 2017 a better, calmer year.

I also will pray for guidance, every day, in 2017, it can’t hurt, that’s for sure!

I hope to have the opportunity in 2017 to work with other motivated individuals, to pursue further success in life, because that aligns best with my passion: continued improvement. This is what I do in my current real estate career (help successful people become more financially successful) and my new business venture (which provides motivated people an avenue to become financially successful).

If you read the original reason, “ABOUT”, from the menu in my blog, which I just started three months ago, this is it: I am looking to connect with like-minded people and collaborate.

I realize the internet is filled with a lot of fake people and get rich quick schemes…and this is NOT me, nor what I’m pursing. I believe I put enough information out there about me, my thoughts, in my blogs, so you can get to know me and hopefully realize I’m a “normal” person, if there is such a thing. If you search social media (Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram): annm2705, you will find all my information. I’m simply at a point in life, ready for the next step in a new venture and excited about the possibilities and opportunities in life.

December 21, 2016January 31, 2017 by annm2705 Categories: Careers, Entertainment, FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS, Following Passions, FRIENDSHIP, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Letting Go, Make It Count, MUSIC, Nutrition, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVEL, WellnessTags: ANNM2705, AUTHENTIC, BE REAL, COLLABORATIONCOMMUNITY, CONCERTS, DESIGN, EXPLOREMO, FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS, FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, FRIENDS, GRATITUDE, HAPPINESS, HONESTY, Improvement, INSPIRATION, MAKEITCOUNT, MUSIC, OUTDOOR CONCERTS, PASSIONFORMUSIC, photography, POSITIVITY, RELATIONSHIPS, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, TEAMWORK, TRAVEL 1 Comment

A Night in Nashville- Say “Yes” to Adventure

ROAD TRIP PLANS

Every road trip I’ve taken seems to end up with unexpected happenings and this was no exception! But this time, it started with an unexpected beginning, which was a text from my friend a week before asking if I was up for a road trip to Nashville the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Well, there was no hesitation to that question! I had no plans, so YES!!

FRIDAY NIGHT – DR ZHIVEGAS

The trip would have started Friday night, but I already had tickets to attend the second annual Black Friday Ball concert with Dr. Zhivegas, and wasn’t going to miss that. My intent was not to stay out that late (last time it was 3 or 4 am because we had breakfast after) but not this time, I thought, because we had an early departure Saturday morning at 7:30 am. But when it’s a fun concert, it’s hard to leave and I didn’t pack until Friday night either due to a busy week, so I finally got to bed at 2 am Friday night. Oops!

This was the Black Friday Ball (current pop music, followed by 70’s music and then Prince):

SATURDAY- DEPARTURE

The alarm went off at 6 am and I got up, showered and packed some snacks and drinks for the road and thankfully my friend, Krista, picked me up and I didn’t have to drive having only 4 hours of sleep. We had another friend going with us and picked her up, then we were on our way!

The Road Trip has begun!

Bye STL

SATURDAY- THE DRIVE

One would expect to sleep, but not when you have a couple of friends in the car; we spent the 4.5 hours talking! When we arrived in Nashville this song started playing ironically.

Woke up in Nashville

Woke up in Nashville! Yes we did!

Hello Nashville!

SATURDAY – THE HOTEL

We had an early check in and were able to drop off everything in the room. Along the way, we also found out that another friend of Krista’s and her husband were in Nashville, visiting from Virginia. So we arranged to meet them at Tootsies.

SATURDAY – TOOTSIES

This was a multi-story honky tonk bar with a roof top outdoor seating. It was a packed deck at 1:30 pm when we arrived, so we sat inside near the band. We heard a couple bands play and the local TV station was recording for a promotion of next week’s event, so the crowd got all wound up with that. It was a fun little bar, we had lunch there and visited with Kim and her husband. After awhile, Kim and her husband were ready to head back home, so we decided to try another venue.

SATURDAY – HONKY TONK

We decided to explore Honky Tonk, Krista has been to Nashville before but Doneen and I have not so we followed along. This is a 3 story building with 3 different stages on each level, so we started at the top and worked our way down. The bands were a lot of fun and the crowds kept growing, the place was packed, the sun was going down and it was getting colder, so we decided to head back to the hotel, have dinner and change.

documenting each place

look at the crowds

fun friends

Before we made it, we decided to stop at the Tin Roof and really enjoyed the band there, so we stayed for a little longer before going back to the hotel.

SATURDAY- HOTEL

We stopped back at the hotel, changed and then had a substantial meal before heading out again, because this was going to be a long night ahead of us. We had hilarious conversations and enjoyed the friend conversations and stories of other adventures in the past!

SATURDAY- TIN ROOF (AGAIN)

We enjoyed the band at the Tin Roof, so we went back again after dinner and heard two more bands. People were having a good time at this point!

The bands were so entertaining and fun; there was a third band that was supposed to start next and evidently all the tables and chairs had to be cleared out because it was going to be a lot of dancing for this band. We wanted to stay, but we also heard from Krista’s sister in law that David Ray was playing at the Honky Tonk Bar across the street and he was really good. So we decided to head back there and see if we could find him. We found him!

SATURDAY- HONKY TONK (AGAIN)

David Ray had to be my favorite band of the night, he played country and 90’s alternative music, so of course we danced most of the time.

I was starting to get super tired at this point with 4 hours of sleep the night before and even drinking straight Red Bull, the tiredness was catching up. But our tour guide, Krista, said we just HAD to make one last stop: The Stage.

SATURDAY – THE STAGE

So we made it to The Stage and the place was packed. Krista knew just where to head and we went to an elevated inside deck where we could see the band a little better. It didn’t take long before we were dancing again and awakened! So about 2:30 am, it was time to leave so we headed out.

SATURDAY – THE HOTEL

We arrived at the hotel and this was going on in the lobby. This craziness was so unexpected and added another element to the unexpected evening.

Besides this, there was a very interesting couple in the lobby who shared stories about snakes and asked about how to pick out the right boots. You just can’t make up stuff like this. So we were entertained longer. We shared the elevator with a couple of the Vanderbilt Football players who had just played earlier that day and finally made it to our rooms! “Nash-Vegas!” the place where no one sleeps! We made it to the room with exhaustion, it didn’t take long to be deep in sleep after that day!

SUNDAY – DEPARTURE

It was a much quieter drive home…everyone was exhausted, but had such a great time. It will be a trip we will never forget! It may even end up being an annual excursion? The short trip felt much longer because we just didn’t sleep! But it was certainly fun and worth doing again.

Bye Nashville

The Car Ride Home

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November 29, 2016November 29, 2016 by annm2705 Categories: Entertainment, Following Passions, FRIENDSHIP, HAPPINESS, Improvement, MUSIC, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVELTags: CONCERTS, FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, FRIENDS, MUSIC, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVEL 1 Comment