Spring Break Then vs. Now1
My first official Spring Break was my Senior Year in College, a trip to Jamaica with the school, I reached my goal of going away by my Senior Year for Spring Break, which was a big goal as I put myself through college financially, I had to work extra hard and extra hours to take this trip. It was my first time away on vacation as an adult, I will never forget that feeling of being in a warm tropical climate while it was cold back home in Boston, I said to myself, I need to do this every year, I sincerely meant it at the time. That did not happen, as I began my career, I had other goals professionally, and I am not proud to share that I went 4 years without a vacation, by choice, because I was working hard, saving money and after getting myself out of debt (another goal), I was promoted and wanted to crush my professional role—thankfully, I have a completely different POV on work/life balance and lean more into life than work.
My First Spring Break….
Spring Break 1989, Pammy Mellor, long blonde hair, a tan that rivaled a Hawaiian Tropic Ad and a petite stature for this bubbly personality. This trip was so much fun, aside from Aerobics, my sport at the time was my tan, and I got pretty dark, I spent a lot of time sunbathing.
Bob Marley was the soundtrack of the trip, and forever more, I have enjoyed his music, and it brings me back to that time in my life, which felt the vibe of the island and the youthful spirit within. Dancing in caves, tanning on the beach, glass bottom boats, coconut milk, red stripes flowing and my long hair braided is what I remember most. While life has changed greatly from over 30 years ago, the music of Bob Marley, is timeless, while it brings me back, it also brings me to the present, and the wonder of music, moments, seasons and how it lifts our spirits in many ways.
Oh how I would love to go back to the Dreamer, Pammy Mellor, who had no idea what life would be like, but had great expectations, imagination and belief to step into each opportunity and decade/season with vision, hope and a commitment to create more for myself which ultimately inspires those around me to create more in their lives too.
I would grow in so many areas, and life also would hit me hard, as it does all of us, but we can do hard things!
Spring break today, oh so very different, and this last one, was a Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica, with Bob Marley on the Playlist, and the spirit of freedom and love pumping through my body. While my mind went back to that trip, my first Spring Break, it also came back to the present moment, and how grateful I felt for this life of mine, how my story was written and how my spirit is very much the same, and during a trip like this, it ignites the spirit.
We become wiser, we become stronger, we become more experienced, we become more vulnerable, we become more spiritual and we become our own teacher, and lead the way, when we are intentional about how we live and clear on how we desire to live.
In the moment of being in the Shala and listening to Bob Marley, I felt such contentment, this word gets a bad reputation, but I propose it is the best gift and we should all seek contentment in areas of our lives. A person that strives and pushes and screams and races, would say contentment is being stuck or just comfortable, a wise person would say it is being present in your life and feeling peace, those two things are magical, they are happiness they are the answer that so many are chasing. When I find myself in this place, that is where I am at peace, it is not about how much you make or what you acquire (I’ve been on that track and while money is important, it is not success). Success is living a life you love, it is about the time you spend, not the dollars, it is about what you are willing to sacrifice and what you won’t. It is also the courage to be aligned with your integrity and authenticity, not participating in the gold rush, I have done that and it feels exciting at the time, but it is not even close to true joy and happiness.
As we grow, we evolve, as we age, we become wise, as we change, we prefer different things, a different lifestyle and we have the power of choice. Stepping out of this trip and this Spring Break with so much inspiration, gratitude and love for where I have been and where I am going. Life is but a dream and we all can be the main character in our own story. XO