Mastering the Pivot: Detours and Delights

I just got back from a European vacation. (Did your mind queue Chevy Chase immediately?) I want to start by saying how incredibly grateful I am to be at a point in life where both my life and work allow for this sort of travel. The privilege of it is immense and I am so thankful to have had the experiences, even some of the tough ones.

It’s no joke that travel teaches you a lot.

I injured myself while training for this epic adventure and was unable to experience much of the full intention of the trip. BOO! The Cotswold’s Way is the 102-mile trek through the English countryside – Chipping Campden to Bath, with stops each night at a different little Inn and a service that transported our bags to the next little town along the way. I had to eat so many of my own words that I have so peppily said to my daughters and to my staff over the years, ugh (insert eye roll).

I had come to terms that my trip was going to be different than I expected before touching down in England. I had diligently been researching my “plan B” for 3 nights before leaving. I said to Clint, “I am going to rent a car and feel what it feels like to drive on the left!” I love to drive, and this helped my otherwise pouty mindset greatly.

Just when I thought I had my attitude all adjusted, nope! The second afternoon after watching the girls spend the whole day together and bonding over the difficulties on the trail, the start of blisters, the experiences, etc. my FOMO became intense. I felt like a 12-year-old girl who wasn’t at the slumber party all the rest of the girls were invited to. Deep breaths.

Then to top it off, another one of the girls and I got sick. Like really sick – razors in the throat, settled in my lungs, still not 100% better, sick. Agh, this trip was testing me! I did rent the car though. I was really good at driving on the left instead of the right, or so I though! I just received a ticket today from my rental agency for driving in an England no-no zone, oh Kara!

While dealing with all of these twists and turns I learned that I am a good pivoter. In my family, growing up, plans didn’t change. You stuck to the plan and you followed it through. Turns out that rigidity has served me well when it comes to creating loyalty with friends, growing a business, staff, and reliability in general. But it isn’t how much of life works. The need to pivot happens every day in small and large ways. Unexpected changes can create a lot of shock, heartbreak and anger if you don’t learn to pivot AND I DID IT!

Watching the girls complete this 10-day trek was SO awesome and SO hard all at the same time. I was jealous, bummed, proud, excited all jumbled together. I walked the last day into Bath with them (and a couple other days too) and was able to feel all of those emotions all at one time. No, I wasn’t able to walk with them the whole way, but because I wasn’t on that trail with them every day, I got to see amazing towns, cities, and countryside that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen. I saw the people of England, how it operates, musicians in the street, painters on the sidewalks (pavement). I had time to rest, heal my angry tendon, be sick, think about home and life and what the lessons are from this journey.

I was in the yurt first day back from the trip, checking in with Emali, snuggling Buddy and Mae, getting updates on the past 2 weeks of happenings and planning our upcoming staff meeting. I had to do payroll (my favorite time of the month) when I get to see that this small little business is helping to sustain women’s livelihood. I basked in the feeling of being home at KBB, remembering all the good that we’ve created here, really soaking in the feeling of how good it feels to want to come home. This is when a long-time client of KBB who was in early to use the hydrotherapy amenities before her massage said to me, “I was talking to another client out there and shared that this place has quite literally saved my life…….” She added, “I hope you feel good about that, because you should.”

It is difficult for me to think about the hardships that all of you have to encounter or inevitably will face, but I am so thankful to have a space that you can come to breathe, repair, and break down to be built back up. I’m so thankful to be home, to have clients and friends like you, to genuinely be able to check in with each staff member because I missed them. I hope that you take a few minutes to enjoy the space that I have for you here. Make the pivot, come early before your appointment, adjust your day to be able to take a few more moments to breathe in the good.

Much Love,
Kara