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Midlife Travel Adventures. TheYES!Book part 1

With the opening of “Eat, Pray, Love” today, travel is on my mind. When I look back on all those amazing adventures across the globe I did in my 20s and 30s, I’m so grateful to my dad for giving me the opportunity through my airline passes to see the world. And so grateful that I wrote all those travel diaries to keep reliving the great memories. (and now in midlife, I’m ready for more adventures!) Here is an excerpt from my book about adventures of all kinds from across the globe to on my couch:

Tribute To My Dad

I can’t cry. I will not cry. Just breathe. I took a breath. It was my turn to
remember my dad.

December 20, 2008. As I looked around the chapel, my brothers, sisters, my
dad’s longtime companion, and all of his friends were waiting for me to
share my memories. I glanced at the picture on the altar next to his urn, in
his airline uniform, in the cockpit, smiling. I began. “My dad loved flying
more than anything else. He was in heaven at 35,000 feet, every time he
went to work for American Airlines. In fact, in the hospital he told the
doctor he was in the cockpit, and he thought the nurses were flight
attendants. He gave me that gift. The passion for flying. For travel. For
adventure.”

Then, I picked up the YES! book and turned to Chapter 1. “I think this really
sums up why my dad and I had such a love to see the world.” I began to
read. “I love this moment, the engines roaring down the runway…” As I
read the passage, it was like I was taking off on another adventure. I
continued reading. “…and then it happens. That breakthrough moment when
clouds give way to bright sun. We’re racing across the sky, the white
nothingness below and bright blue above turn into one fabulous magic
carpet ride.” I paused, looking around at all the smiles in the room. “And I
know right now my dad is on his own fabulous magic carpet ride.”

I closed the book. With my dad’s life complete, I felt somewhat complete.
So grateful for my wanderlust. My desire to see the world…Or maybe I’m
just beginning another giant adventure.

I hope this book inspires your adventurous spirit like my dad inspired mine.

Stay tuned for part 2 Excerpts From theYES!book. Sahara Adventure.

-Tracy Pattin©2010

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Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry: Over 40 Cover Girls Dominate

The tide has turned. Over 40 (and beyond) women are now gracing the covers of magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar. Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry and Julia Roberts will be front in center of the fashion world this Fall. A place where 14  is the magic age for models and by the time you’re 24, you’re on your way out. But that was then.

Thank goodness, this is now! It’s hot to NOT be 20 something!  Even Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush says, “Women hit their prime at 45.”

Need I write more?

Oh, just one more thing. All of these women are leading ladies in the world of Film too! Check out Julia Roberts in “Eat, Pray, Love.”

Adventure Tip: Celebrate being over 40 and beyond. Find ways to unravel the stereotype of midlife life. Find your own midlife stardom!

-Tracy Pattin

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Renew, Reinvent, Adventurize (a La “Eat, Pray, Love”)

“Everyone’s looking for something — for answers, for their true and higher purpose — and Gilbert had the fortitude (and the wherewithal) to take off alone on a journey around the world to find herself after her divorce” writes Christy Lemire in her review of new movie, Eat, Pray, Love.

When you’re over 40 and beyond, that search seems to go into overdrive as we assess our midlife lives on our chronological timeline wondering where has all the time gone? Am I fulfilled? Am I happy? Do I have a sense of purpose? What the hell have I done with my life?

If our assessment is that something is missing, do we give up? Surrender? Get fired-up and head in a new direction? Or maybe we do what Elizabeth Gilbert does and chuck it all and head to Italy, India and Bali in search of great food, spiritual enlightenment and fabulous romance.

Adventure Tip: Go see “Eat, Pray, Love.” Then step out of your own comfort zone. And then, Renew, Reinvent, Adventurize. Repeat.

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Podcast-Inner Midlife Adventures Part 2 Connecting with the Body

Adventures come in all shapes and sizes AND appear in all types of places. One of the most powerful is an INNER ADVENTURE. Listen to Inner Guide, Mary Hoffman explain her powerful techniques to guide you through the depths of your inner being to discover new parts of yourself. In part 1 of Inner Midlife Adventure with Mary Hoffman, Mary talks about the process of using the dominant and non-dominant hand to tap into our subconscious. In part 2, Mary talks about connecting with our body through the subconscious. It’s an adventure you won’t want to miss.

Click Here for Part 3 Connecting with the Spirit

Adventure Tip: Resist the urge to constantly go “Out There” to reinvent yourself. Include an “Inner Adventure” to your adventurizing.

-Tracy Pattin

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Tony Robbins – Adventure Quote

“The only way to get rid of a problem is to replace it with a more compelling life.”

Tony Robbins

Adventure Tip: Focus on creating a more compelling life rather than on your problems. Start stepping out and adventurizing and who knows? That problem may disappear or weaken as your life expands.

Need I say more? As we find our way to a more adventurous midlife, perhaps the word  “crisis” won’t be part of the phrase…Midlife Crisis. Maybe we will change it to Midlife Adventure. But it goes beyond thinking all the way to stepping…out of your comfort zone to a new part of you.

-Tracy Pattin

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Creativity=Adventurizing Your Life

When I came across this video on The Creativity Forum, it seemed to sum up everything about adventurizing your life (and Midlife). It begins with innovation, the imagination, and inspiration-what this video does.

Adventure Tip: If you need some motivation and inspiration, CREATE! (or at least watch a video that could ignite your Adventure fire).

-Tracy Pattin

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Podcast-Inner Midlife Adventure Part 1 Connecting with the Mind

Adventures come in all shapes and sizes AND appear in all types of places. One of the most powerful is an INNER ADVENTURE. Listen to Inner Guide, Mary Hoffman explain her powerful techniques to guide you through the depths of your inner being to discover new parts of yourself. It’s an adventure you won’t want to miss. In part 1, Mary talks about connecting with the mind.

Adventure Tip: Resist the urge to constantly go “Out There” to reinvent yourself. Include an “Inner Adventure” to your adventurizing.

Click here for Part 2 Connecting with the body.

Click here for part 3 Connecting with the Spirit

-Tracy Pattin

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Midlife Adventure Advice from a Kid

Kids to seem to have the inside track on great life advice and they often don’t even know it!

The other day, my dear friend and I were commiserating about our midlife looks. Specifically our hair. Having to color it constantly and keep it looking young like our skin and body. She launched into a great story about her 11 year old niece who was visiting from Australia. “I was inspecting my gray hairs in the mirror (on my head!) when my niece comes in the room and says,’what are you doing, Auntie?’ I told her I was looking at all my gray hair popping up. She throws her hands up and asks, ‘Is that what you want to do with the rest of your life?’ I was instantly over it.”

Adventure Tip: Stop focusing on every gray hair and start noticing your great life! And listen to a kid once in a while.

-Tracy Pattin

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Another Unexpected Adventure.

As I continue to say, “Adventures come in all shapes and sizes.”  I was on Facebook the other day when I saw an opportunity to review an indie film and write a blog piece about it. I jumped at the chance and before I knew it, my screener (DVD of the film) was in my mailbox. My (unexpected) adventure was about to begin.

As I sat down to watch Night Before the Wedding written and produced by David Branin, I had certain preconceived notions.  After all, it’s a movie about a bachelor party, the night before the wedding. (and I did wonder, isn’t this night supposed to be the night of the rehearsal dinner?)

As the story unfolds, there are the usual bachelor party antics; drinking, the constant use of the f-word, beer pong, sex talk, men competing with each other, even tying up an unexpected guest. Being a woman, I wasn’t sure if I could connect. At one point I almost stopped watching thinking this story wasn’t going anywhere. But there was something about these characters that kept me wanting to know more, wondering what was really going on beneath the surface. I could see it in their eyes. There was this vulnerability in each man, beneath all the drinking, swearing and razzing. I could sense there was so much more going on here. I was hooked.

Bronco, (Gregor Collins) the host of the party, was the cheerleader of the bunch, keeping his guests happy and talking up what was going to happen at 9pm. You guessed it. Strippers. Well, more than strippers. Porn stars. The guys now were jumping out of their seats, thrilled at the thought of being in their very own, real life porn movie (except for the married guy).

Then the groom walks in. Will (John Keating) is a suit and tie guy. Sweet. Straight laced, fun loving. He clearly wasn’t up for partying, not wanting to be hung over on his wedding day. He wanted go home and play pinochle with his parents. But, Bronco talked him into staying. When the best man Bobby (Johnny Giordano) arrives, already a little drunk, Will warns him to “slow down.”  Will was determined to have the perfect wedding. It was apparent, he was not your stereo-typical groom. He couldn’t wait to marry the woman of his dreams. For him, it was more about building a life, than taking away his freedom. It was clear he wasn’t going to stay at the bachelor party much longer…

Initially I thought, this is why I chose to be single. So many men are just shallow and immature about relationships. But these men were starting to prove me wrong. My unexpected adventure was becoming clear. I had to stay open, willing to keep watching and connecting.

As 9:00 pm approaches, the bachelor party antics turn serious when the police arrive. They leave and the Porn stars show up. As they start doing their lap dances, Will wants no part of it. But then, the temptation and peer pressure starts to wear him down. (By the way, we never see much more than lap dancing)

This night before the wedding goes from the quintessential bachelor party to a group of men looking deeper into themselves and their relationships with each other.  Each man is struggling with his own issues; One still a virgin, another one grappling with addiction, one in desperate financial trouble, then one man faces his unbearable guilt, and another faces incredible remorse.

In the end, Will goes through a huge unexpected transformation of his own on this night, leaving us wondering what his wedding day will be like.

Just like Will’s inner adventure of transformation, I was surprised by my own, beginning with certain expectations, and in the end being profoundly moved by the characters (and talented cast) in this intriguing indie film.

Adventure Tip: Even if you have preconceived notions about your adventure, stay with it for awhile. It might surprise you, even transform you in a way you never expected.

-Tracy Pattin

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Almost Misadventures. Life=Risk

Just think if these people gave up and never Adventurized their lives? Not only would Lucille Ball, Michael Jordan, The Beatles, Walt Disney, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Edison, and the others) have missed out, we all would have…in BIG WAYS!

Adventure Tip: Next time you’re tempted to NOT step out and take that adventure, watch this video again and again and again…

-Tracy Pattin

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