Today I was out walking with my earbuds in, and this song came on:
I want to be where my feet are
I want to breathe the life around me
I want to listen as my heart beats
Right on time…
I want to be where my feet are
I chase my worries
I flee my sorrows
But what you give me
Is now
I run to capture
The next horizon
But what you give me
Is here
I get no farther
And still I find you
I want to be where my feet are
I want to be where my feet are
I want to breathe the life around me
I want to listen as my heart beats
Right on time…
I want to be where my feet are
These words are all about presence.
About being exactly where my feet are—in each moment.
It got me thinking about how this word—which used to be so foreign to me—has started to come alive during my last several months in Europe.
Here are some thoughts on why and how….
Every time I travel, I choose a 2-3 words for how I’d like to feel during my time away.
(I teach this to my travel coaching clients and those in my Brave Journey program, too. I like to practice what I preach 😊.)
Sometimes I’m absolutely sure of what those words should be. Other times, it’s just an inkling of what I think I’d really love to feel while I’m away. Some words seem more attainable than others.
This fall, before I headed overseas for an extended time away in the Balkans, I chose 3 words to describe how I’d like to feel during this journey.
I wrote this list in the back of my journal:
Present
Alive
Uninhibited
I’ll be honest. At the time that I chose these words, they felt largely out of reach.
Present
I’ve not always been great at being present because I tend to think a lot. I’m often anticipating what’s next and mitigating risk, which makes staying in the present a tad bit difficult for someone like me. 😞
But I have always admired those with the ability to stay present and to really enjoy the moments before them. I wanted to feel more of this.
Uninhibited
Feeling uninhibited is not exactly natural for me. I’m an introvert and an enneagram 9, so if you know anything about either of those traits, you know I really struggle with this. Simply being myself, allowing myself to feel and show emotion without masking it when I’m around others takes a lot of work.
BUT uninhibited is something that I want to feel more of in my life.
Alive
This word has been on my list of feelings for several years now. For many of my trips, I have known that I want to feel alive. I spent too many years feeling only half alive. I don’t want that for my life anymore.
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So as I was walking the streets of Kosovo’s capital city of Prishtina, I realized that I never fail to be surprised at how each trip takes on a life of its own and how somehow the Universe conspires to help me feel the things that I need to feel.
It’s as if saying those 3 words—present, uninhibited, alive—out loud and writing them down gave them wings.
It invited each feeling to sprout inside my being through new experiences and unique situations.
This simple practice transforms me … Every. Single. Time … in ways I could never have seen coming.
(I can’t wait to talk more in-depth about this with those who join my Brave Journey program and share the deets about what I’ve been learning and experiencing!
My next cohort starts in late April/Early May, so contact me if you’re interested to learn more about how to join!)
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So as this particular journey of mine is soon coming to an end, I can so clearly see how I have felt each one of these 3 words—present, alive, uninhibited—deeply on this trip.
And I think it all started with me focusing on being present.
Intentionally practicing just this one feeling each day has changed my life in more ways than almost anything ever has in my life.
I practiced being present by doing some of the following things:
Instead of always taking photos of beautiful scenery or events, I put my camera down and I simply enjoyed the moment. I watched everything unfold through my own eyes without a lens between the moment and me.
When friends asked me for coffee at the last minute (definitely the norm here!), I prioritized saying yes.
I went for walks and intentionally tried to notice the colors and the people around me.
During the holidays, I visited the Christmas market and actually struck up conversations with the people around me and those selling mulled wine…we had genuinely great conversations and so much fun!
Each morning, I practiced meditation with an intention to be present to myself and to Wisdom.
I went to the symphony regularly (it’s FREE here, can you believe that?!), simply closed my eyes and let the music transport me in that very moment.
You know what?
A funny thing happened along the way as I did things like this…
I began to feel alive!
(My 2nd word!)
There’s no better way to feel really alive than to be in the present moment more days than not.
And then, I actually started to feel uninhibited!
(My 3rd word!)
Do you know the very best proof of this?
Last week I was invited to an event that included dancing to French music. Now, the old Dawn would NOT have even entertained this as an actual option. She would have smiled and said, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
But the Dawn in Kosovo today who’s been practicing feeling present and alive?
She got herself on that dance floor, let her body feel the music like she was 18 again, and she danced for hours with friends—and complete strangers. 💃🕺🏻
To music she didn’t even know.
(I don’t have video evidence of my own dancing, but this video will give you a flavor for the night 😉)
I have other stories I can’t wait to tell my friends and the Brave Journey women because I have to say … feeling uninhibited after so many decades of being shut down emotionally is an F’n MIRACLE!!
I’m so, so grateful to this very simple practice of choosing 3 words because it’s literally changing my life, one trip at a time.
And it’s doing the same for my clients.
I can’t wait for the next Brave Journey cohort to begin…to see the words each woman chooses, and to watch how her chosen feelings come alive as she travels—and how they transform her, too!
How can I help you create a transformational travel experience & rediscover who you are? ✨
1. 🌟 (FREE) Download Eat, Pray, Live: A Post-Divorce Guide to finding your way back to yourself and thriving through travel.
2. . 💜(Special $29) Get access to my Solo Travel 101 training, plus a 30-minute coaching call with me. This online training includes 3.5+ hours of interactive inspiration and real-life stories.
3. 🌊 (RETREAT) Sign up for my exclusive 7-day retreat in magical Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. September 28 - October 4, 2025. I only have 4 spots left and the Early Bird Rate is closing on April 15!
4. 🙋♀️ (COACHING) Book your free Get Unstuck Travel Chat with me and explore working 1-on-1 to create your own transformational travel journey. Or go here, and book your sessions immediately!
5. 🌟 (BRAVE JOURNEY) Join the Brave Journey program and create your own magical travel experience. You’ll get all the coaching, mentorship and support you need to create your own transformational travel journey that helps you heal, rediscover yourself and feel alive again.
This is a small-group program (never more than 6 people!) designed to create a REAL & AUTHENTIC community of like-minded women—all with the intention of rediscovering ourselves and cheering one another along in our own travel journeys.
If you’re interested in Brave Journey, simply hit “reply” to his email or schedule a call with me today!
The next cohort begins in late April/Early May 2025!
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Dawn, what a great post again. I love your three words! Made alive through your personal experience of how they are working for you. Since meeting and getting to know you in GR, Michigan almost two years ago, I have been following your posts with interest. You go, girl!