Step 1:
Write down what makes you happy. Start to inventory it.  Any time that you do something during the week that brings a huge smile to your face, add it to your list.
If your truly at a loss of where to start, try things that you used to love as a kid.   For me, its lots i did as a child, I still love immensely.  Reading before bed,  soaring high on swings, writing stories, bike rides, arts and crafts... once I started to make my list I realized how much happier my days were when I took some time including them.   So now I make an effort to ensure my day has more of those things in it.

Step 2:
Shape your day around these things.  Prioritize them!  This may mean waking up 15 minutes early for some self time, going on a different route home to add in some fun at a park, changing your daily schedule (a little less tv time could be put towards a happiness activity), and explaining to loved ones that you need a little time for you.  

Life gets crazy.  Other obligations get in the way.  
Don't let the stessors of life keep you from putting a little happiness into each day.  You deserve YOU time.  You deserve to smile and to focus on you.  Especially if you are spending most of your time aiding others, don't neglect your own self love time.

It's never too late in life to try something that your makes your heart sing.  My grandmom started tai-chi at the ripe age of 84!  

So turn off the computer, go grab that hula hoop & shake yourself a little smile.  
You deserve every second of smiles.

I am naturally talented at many things.  Being empathetic, being physically strong, I have a ability to see the big picture, I am good at organizing people...but I am not a naturally gifted fighter.   I am not someone who can perfectly mimic a new move after seeing it once.  I am not a person who can skip practice and maintain dominance.  But I love fighting.  More than anything.  The peace and calm it brings to my soul and the challenge it brings to me physically and mentally is something that I have not found in any other area of life.  So I committed myself to getting good at it.  I set lofty goals for myself.  

Here are some lessons that I have learned over the years, in pursuit of my goals:

​People tell you "believe in yourself" and that "hard work pays off".  So off you go in pursuit of your goals. But no one tells you just how hard it will be.  No one tells you just how many bumps you will run into and challenges you will face.  
They say "knock down seven, get up eight" but no one talks about how broken your soul feels after being knocked over that third time, how much confidence is lost, and just how hard it is to "dig deep" and pull yourself up.  
No one talks about the nights when you can't sleep.  When you feel crazy and like no one believes in you. When you question why you should believe in yourself.  
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work".  So your work and work and work - and jealously watch as the talented work far less but see far more success.  No one warns you about the anger, frustration, and utter hatred that will build up towards them.
No one talks about the camps where you get destroyed.  When you question if you should keep doing the sport.  When you really want to blow off the next round and next session....but you dig deep and face the next opponent.
They say "surround yourself with those that support you".  But no one talks about the weeks when it feels like partners and coaches aren't on in your corner.  How hard it is to convince yourself that it is okay- that you are your own best advocate and that they will regret it when you are successful.
No one warns you that other things in life will get in the way.  People you love die, work gets stressful, boyfriends leave you, life gets in the way....and despite all this you have to stay focused.  How hard it is to maintain composure despite life's distractions.
No one tells you how hard it is to look loved ones in the eye, when they come to watch you perform, and you fail.  There is no way to warn you for the sadness, shame, and disappointment that you have in yourself. 
"Use the killer instinct".  But no one teaches you how to.  How to be fierce, confident, and relentless.  If this isn't your natural state, no one tells you how to learn it.  No one sends you the videos, books, and articles to train your mind.  No one explains this can be learned.  Because it's assumed that you naturally have it...or you don't.
People will say "just do it like this, it is easy" - but despite your every effort, it won't click.  You will feel stupid.  You will want to punch them in the face.  You will want to punch your partner in the face when they effortlessly figure it out.  You will question your skills and ability.  Frustration will overtake you.
You must "work with the best to be the best"  but no one prepares you for what it feels like to be tossed like a rag-doll for an entire practice by "the best".  No one massages your bruised, beaten body as you cope with the fact that you have to work with "the best" all week and are questioning how you will survive.  
"Rest and Recover" after an injury.  You worry about how much others have grown as you have been resting. You feel distant from your goals.  You get antsy and want to rush back despite the injury.  You question returning at all.  You worry strength will not return.  You fear the injury will re-occur. You will be unmotivated to do PT.  You fear your skills will be lost.
They say "early bird gets the worm" but no one tells you how hard it is to turn off that alarm at 4:45am so that you can make your 5:30 appointment.  No one tells you how tired you will feel and how much you will want to blow it off.  No one warns you for the flood of excuses that will enter your thoughts.
"Do what your opponents aren't willing to do".  But no one tells you why others aren't doing it.  Just how exhausting and painstaking the effort will be.  How many tears will be shed and how much your body will scream to stop.

"Winners never quit".  
True.  
But they question themselves, their training, and their lifestyle...
EVERYONE has challenging days, practices, weeks, mentalities...
But truly the victorious...the real champions.... despite it all, dig deep and despite all the hardships - they never quit on themselves.

I had lots of reasons to not reach my goals:  

• I am in my thirties- about a decade older than my competition
  
• I had a full time job while my competitors are often students or full time athletes
  
• I had to take time off to recover from knee surgeries
• I had a plethora of life emergencies pop up along the way
  

This in addition to my unnatural knack for the sport made my goal achievement incredibly challenging.  But I went after them despite it all.  I got knocked over a lot and learned that there is so much more to achieving your goals than is written in those adorable catch phrases.  The biggest lesson that I learned- is that you have to believe in yourself.  No one else will lift you up and keep you going.  

No matter what your skill...or your goal...know that is going to be extremely hard to reach your goals. Harder than anyone will ever tell you.
And extremely lonely.
But if you believe in yourself & don't quit despite it all...you will be surprised with what you can accomplish.
You will be amazed what you are capable of. 
You are stronger than you know.

​Monday morning driving to work is the worst 30 minutes of the week.  I am not only haunted by the onslaught of work challenges that I so happily ignored throughout the weekend but I also get hit heavily with guilt for all of the personal “to-do” tasks that I managed to put off over the weekend.  By the time my car is parked at the office I am already beyond stressed out.  There is no worse feeling (for an over-planner) than not achieving what you set out to do.

I’ve found that a great solution to this constant need for tasks to be completed is by daily planning.  Every night before bed I take a look at my personal to-do list and nab 2 that I want to accomplish the next day.  I set my alarm early enough to allocate enough time to get both of those tasks done.  This way, by the time I leave the house in the morning, once I get to work I have already accomplished something.  

This is similar to the army mentality of making your bed every morning.  The idea that you should start every day with a task that you have committed to completing.  The sense of accomplishment and ability will carry with you throughout the day.  If nothing else gets done, at least that was.

Sometimes my daily task will be going to the post office, which is never open prior to work.  In that scenario I take a look at my work schedule for the day and complete whatever was planned for mid-day, at home prior to work starting, so that mid-day I can drive to the post office.  It sometimes becomes a game of give and take.  

Don’t beat yourself up if you missed a to-do.  Just focus on one or two a day, make them the priority and slowly you will watch your list become less of a stress-causing-nightmare and more as a list of accomplishments.

It seemed only suiting to awaken to a gray and dreary morning as emptiness and discouragement filled my soul this am.  Donald Trump has won the presidency.  My heart yearns for a leader who inspires the best out of people and unfortunately our next president does not uphold that trait.  My heart saddened for our future generations who during this time of economic and climatic turmoil, we need leaders who encourage our love and support for one another, the environment, and our future.  

Many will disagree.  This was proven via the polls last night.  And congrats to them.  But for me personally my disillusionment for this entire election cycle has been brought about due to the lack of any candidate that I truly and completely look up to.  Neither filled that definition for me, but with Trump winning the hatred and disparity that he represents seems to be what is glaringly painful to accept.

After hours of quiet, heartbreaking solitude I was finally led to something positive.  

I am done waiting for these leaders to break the cycle.  To improve the broken systemic flaws that are impacting everyone daily.  I have been feeling this way for sometime but this morning something that was holding me back, broke.  I finally gained courage and felt empowered to do something.

I emailed a list of people who run groups that I believe are impacting the world in a good way- I thanked them.  I asked how I could help.  

I looked into some volunteer opportunities with non-profits that are at the ground floor making an impact. I took a serious look at the list of places I am applying for full time work and narrowed the list to things that my heart knows is for good.  

The Bernie Sanders movement showcased the strength and empowerment that can come from individuals taking a stand for things they believe in.  Why should that stop during election cycles?  Why do that only apply to getting someone in office?  What if everyone took a few hours from their week and donated time, energy, their work, their resources, their signatures, or their voice to a cause that they felt would actually better the world from a grassroots perspective?  What might happen if everyone who complains about the state of issues made baby steps towards remedying the issues we say we are so concerned about?

For me personally this boils down to how can I aid the environment?  How can I positively impact climate change?  How can I do this on a community level, not just a personal household level?  How can I support the education system nearby?  How can I aid with the impoverished and homeless in my area?  What can I do to support issues like Standing Rock?  Where can I best impact NAACP and racial disparity issues?  How can I help get healthy food in the hands of the poor?  How can I aid with the lack of nutritional education that is so painstakingly missing and is leading to so much pain and disease in so many?  Who can I correct when they say something hateful or bigoted - in hopes of improving our division as humans? 

I am done feeling like a lost sheep looking for a shepard.  It is time to truly embrace what grassroots mean and start building the world I want to live in.  Waiting for someone else to do it will continue to drain my naive and hopeful heart.

So on this gloomy, leaderless, hope crushing day...I am trying to find a leader in myself.  
Maybe I can become what I so desperately want to see leading others.
Maybe I can even inspire a few others to join in.

Here is my Apology letter...

I meant to be more diligent about posting tales of my travels but as some visits were quicker than others and training schedules intensified, finding adequate time to blog often fell to the wayside.   So I AM SORRY for not diligently updating!

But Fear NOT!  

I have tons of photos, notes, and a long list of "to blog later ideas" based on my experiences and adventures.  So please look forward to me sharing details about Italy, Finland, Norway, and the UK in the coming weeks...and for tales and lessons from this experience to continue to leak out throughout the year.
I appreciate the support, interest, and love.  Most recently I appreciate the patience!

yours in adventure
-<3-
kristin

Reality crashes down hard on you when you know that you are returning home from an around the world adventure- jobless and have become a thirty-something that will be living in your parents basement. The planner in me basks at the idea of another high paying corporate Project Management gig, so that I can max out my savings and can feel comfortable about future investments and expenditures.  But the person that I grew to love during my six month excursion, REALLY hates that idea.

So what's next?

More Passion.

One of the best things about seeing the world is meeting people with a vast variety of backgrounds, expertise, experiences, and passions.  I stayed with a poet, soldier, translator, pianist, restaurant owner, roofer, teacher, waiter, farmer, coach, journalist,....hippies, black guys, white guys, asians, middle easterners, brazilians, spanish, italians, norwegians, finnish, japanese....and there was ONE COMMON THREAD that stuck with me.

Passion.

Many people who rent out their homes via Air BnB are not the richest in the world.  But many are truly and deeply happy because they are following their passions in life.  

The best example of this was the couple in Japan who live a shoestring lifestyle.  The husband paints to live music on weekends and the wife starts each morning with yoga.  Every day they spend 12-14 hours out of the house pouring their heart and soul into the art school that they opened, where they do awesome things with kids (like put on native drumming music, cover the furniture in tarps and have the kids climb underneath creating 'cave drawings'). They were some of the happiest people I have ever met.  Each day their eyes were filled with excitement to inspire and share their love of movement, music, art, and self expression with a younger generation. 

​On the other end of the spectrum was a work-a-holic so focused on saving up that he put his passion for stand up comedy on hold.  The more we got to know him, the easier it was to spot his deep sadness day in and out as he trudged from job to job, doing things he hated, working with people he loathed.  But at night as he told us jokes or showed us video of his old stand-up comedy gigs, he lit up.  That is when his beautiful soul emerged.  

So here is whats next for me... things that light me up.  Things that fill my heart with happiness. Experiences, jobs, and endeavors that allow my passions to shine.  

I may not be as well off as I once could have been, but I will be happy, and that is how life should be lived. Happily.
Passion filled.
So that's my new goal for me.  Not to let this passion driven adventure end today.
Call me a hippie. Call me a dreamer.  I am calling it LIVING.

So whether it be telling jokes, doing a martial art, slaying motherhood, performing artist shows, writing plays, traveling the world, reading, gardening,....ensure you are making room for that which you are passionate about.   Maybe you can't afford to do this full time- but YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO NOT MAKE TIME FOR BEING TRUE TO YOU.  Make sure you are filling your heart with the things that make you shine and make sure you are sharing that love and glow with others.  Because if you aren't, then you are missing out on really living.  You are missing out on truly connecting with others. You are missing out on whats so magical about us as humans.  Our ability to light up.  To inspire one another.  Our ability to fill our souls with things that ignite greatness in us.

I return tomorrow, excited for all the wonderful places that my passions are leading me.   
I urge you to wake up tomorrow, with the exact same goal.    
​

In pursuit of greatness it is easy to give up on yourself.  To think you are undeserving.  To quit when things get hard.  To take the easy path.  To feel sorry for yourself.  To give up when you are faced with discomfort.  

These past six months I quit my corporate world job and got to live the life of an elite athlete. Here is a recap of the harshest lessons that I learned while pursuing my goals....perhaps my struggles will aid in an easier path for your trek to greatness!  

The Importance of being TURNED DOWN.  Rejection is painful.  It makes you feel worthless, unwanted, crappy, unneeded, worthless, valueless.  At international training camps you have to go up to other judo players and request for them to go with you.  You set "dates" with partners to battle with for each round.  If you don't do this, you will have NO partners.  You will sit in a room, filled with 6 mats and hundreds of dedicated athletes- alone, cold, and not improving.
My first international training camp was in Spain... I would go up to person after person, and of course no one knew me so I got rejection after rejection.  I was mentally exhausted.  I wanted to just go back to my room and cry.  I wanted to sit alone and feel sorry for myself for the constant rejection.  


Instead, I kept asking.  

I persisted.
"Oh we can't go round 3?  How about 4? or 5? what about 6? How about this afternoon? How about tomorrow?" 
"Hey World Medalist- yeah I am a no one, when are you free?"
"Oh new girl, I am a new girl - when are YOU free?"


​
Instead of letting the pain of rejection stop me, it empowered me.  I kept at the girls that I wanted and eventually was able to train with all of them.  Persistence was key.  I was not going to let rejections keep me from my goals and my optimal training.   I refused to sit cold and avoided on the side of the mat.  I refused to feel sorry for myself.
I refused to let others keep me from getting my goals achieved.  
Others would not stop my work or keep me from my goals.  

The people in the world that have the best luck are the ones that are turned down a million times. 
The men who get the most dates, ask out the most women.  The people with the best jobs - had been rejected over and over again for similar positions until they landed that role.  And the best athletes at camps, were at one time, the new person at camp that got rejected.

I left camp braver, more self assured, and with a body covered in bruised proof that I found partners every round.  (And encouragingly by my third camp I was entering practices with partners already lined up...and Olympians asking to go with me!)​

The Importance of RED belt rounds (going after it).  In Japan many of the practices I attended consisted of a handful of players being given red belts.  They were deemed the fighters for the next 20 minutes.  If you were not given a red belt you had to go up to a player with a red belt and request to go with them.  Simple.  Right?
The issue was this - 4 people have red belts.  20 people do not.  If you want to get in ANY practice that day, if you want to better yourself, you have to be the FIRST person out there (beating the other 19)- requesting a turn.  
This was a huge challenge for me.  It was unnatural for me.  I felt rude pushing in front of others, I was worried I'd run out and the red belt would say no thanks, and I was overwhelmed with introverted paralyzing fear.
As I stood on the side of the mat, missing opportunities to train, I realized that I needed to be bold.  I needed to put my needs first.  I needed to not fear being turned down, pushing someone out of the way, or being seen as too aggressive.  If I wanted to have a partner-if I wanted to get better, I had to go out after them.  I had to see who I wanted and run for them before anyone else.   I had to be ok with being turned down by one red belt and immediately run to the next.  
Eventually I wasn't happy with settling for a red belt whenever I could get one.  I wanted these players during their first round.  When they were fresh, not tired, and at their strongest.  I would plan out the best place to stand to ensure I got to them first.   I would bolt towards them or try to pre-plan with them to ensure I was their partner first.
I went from hesitant & nervous, to one of the most aggressive non-red-belts at the training sessions.  I refused to let my anxiety and personality characteristics keep me from better myself and getting the most out of my practices.

If your goals are out there - and others are lined up for the same thing  - get selfish. Get aggressive.  Put together an action plan to be the first out there.  Be ruthless. 

Training internationally in red belt rounds and at Olympic Camps taught me the importance of ignoring my timid introversion in order to reach my goals and improve myself.  If you have goals you have to GO AFTER THEM.  
It is scary.  It may be uncomfortable.  You will have rejections.  You will face obstacles.  People will avoid you.  But to be successful, this is what I learned:

• Stalk those you need
• Keep your eye on the best and convince them to help you grow
• Embrace the scary.  Embrace Rejection.  Embrace it but keep going despite it.
• Do not be scared of sprinting after what will elevate you.  Go after these passions with all your spirit and efforts.  Wear your heart on your sleeve.
• Do not be concerned about how others see you or what others think.  Do you.
• Believe that you are someone who deserves to go first.
• Put your needs first.  Put them ahead of anyone else's.  If you don't, no one else will.
• Be persistent.
• Find alternate routes and keep asking when plan A doesn't work out.

Whether its a mentor, job, or even a date - if there is something you want, go out after it.  
Be scared.  
​But go for it anyway.

Sharing some of my favorite Jams from overseas....
​:)

I quit work, packed 2 bags and haven't returned for 4 months (with 2 more to go).  Here's HOW I made it happen....so that you can too!



Step 1: Save Up & Budget Wisely
Travel costs money which is often what keeps so many from doing it.  Prior to my trip I wanted to ensure we would be able to afford a 6 month jaunt from reality.  So I did a lot of research into getting my $$$ in an un-stressful situation prior to taking this leap.  My 401k has always been contributed to, my savings account has the recommended 3-6 months of safety bucketed away, my debt was paid off (I will post later about how to achieve this)...so my next step was mapping out what I expected our trip to cost us.
When creating your budget be sure to account for all of the below:

• Travel (air, bus tickets, car rentals, trains, uber)
• Stay/Housing (how many days can you crash at others vs. need a place)
• Food (eating out, snacks, cooking, eating on travel days- which can sometimes be costly, so be sure to pre-pack snacks and meals for these days!)
• Bills at home while you are adventuring (I was able to reduce ours to just Phone, Storage, Health Insurance...but be sure to remember all those pesky ones that add up and get creative with reducing them)
• Travel Insurance (World Nomads worked for my needs, but there are lots of affordable options)
• Events (how much do you need  out aside for your entertainment?)

Once you have a rough cost in place, save up to that number!  Do not leave until you have reached that savings.  I rely on getting returns as I save- so that I can reach my goals quicker.  As you travel use this budget as a baseline to see how on target you are, so you are aware when you  need to bootstrap more  to keep on track!  This could mean skipping a show, or eating in a little more than you hoped, but its well worth it to return home without being over budget!
Next, I investigated the best credit cards for travel.  I started to use this card for EVERY purchase.  For every part of my budget.  Then I pay it back with my trip savings every other week.  It allows me to rack up rewards for spending money on what I was planning to.

Once you've reached your needed $$$ and have your trip budgeted...its time to start booking...

STEP 3: Getting Around on the Cheap

Once settled in a new area getting around is critical.  Most of the time I google the bus and train options in that town.  Google maps literally has a public transit button to push- it couldn't be simpler! Most countries have public trans that is much more reliable, cleaner, and efficient than what you find in America.  The trains in Japan tell you how many minutes until the next will arrive and rolls up to the second.  The buses in Germany provide frequent options to the same places so your wait time is typically ten minutes.  
When public transit is sparse or the distance is further I always rely on UBER to ensure the cheapest fairs.  In Europe another good app is TAXIFY.  Both options provide locals who are looking for cash on the side but TAXIFY also includes local taxi companies vying for more work.  I have found that even during price surges, that UBER tends to cost less than walking up to a taxi on the side of the road.


​A great resource to compare costs when you are in Europe and hoping to country hop is the website www.GoEuro.com which compares the costs and time it would take via bus, train, plane to travel between countries.  This is an asset that I wish I had used prior to leaving- so you are welcome in advance!

By PUTTING A BUDGET in place, saving to the budget, sticking to it, UTILIZING REWARD CARDS AND FREQUENT FLIER MILES, booking with AirBnB, using the areas PUBLIC TRANSIT and UBER....you are guaranteed to travel without the stress of money burdening you.  

In fact, if you do it often enough- you will find yourself flying, sleeping, and riding for free!  

So where to?  What do you want to see????  What is stopping you...get going!