Travel Aventure of a (Mid-)Lifetime
Guest Blog from Pat Mussieux
The following is Pat's story of life transition, surviving loss, thriving on change, facing your fears and having fun! Enjoy...
The Beginning
In July of 2005, I was sitting on the front porch of my condo in Alberta, Canada, hosting yet another “Open House” in efforts to sell my home.
After 5 years of change, loss, grief, sadness, etc., I had decided to turn my life upside down. I quit the (contract) job I had at the local college, sold most of my belongings, was selling my house, started my own consulting company and was moving across the country to be closer to some of my immediate family. Like many boomers, my life was taking a different direction. I left my marriage of 22 years, left my dream home, suffered 3 major losses: the death of my beloved father-in-law, the death of an infant grandchild, and the loss of a very dear friend to breast cancer. There is a commonly publicized list of the top 10 stresses in life. I had experienced just about all of them in a short period of 5 years! (divorce, deaths, personal illness, job loss/changes, moving a few times, etc) I needed a change!
So, back to the front porch. I had a pile of magazines beside me……..you know the pile………it’s the “someday I’ll get to read those magazines” pile! We all have it. Before I read a magazine, I typically fan it so that all the loose advertising material falls out. On this particular day, when reading the “Good Times” magazine, a blue brochure fell out onto the floor. I saw the picture of a globe and it read “Private Jet – World Tour”. I remember thinking to myself: “What kind of rich people take a trip like this?????” My curiosity got the best of me, because one of the goals for my new life was to travel more. My ex-husband had no interest in travel and I was longing to see the world. I quickly scanned the flyer and thought I would hang on to it and read it at length at another time. There was a website listed (www.privatejetworldtour.com) and I would also research that a bit more when I had time.
At the end of the day, I pitched all the magazines I had read, and took that blue brochure and put it in my den. A few days later, when working at my computer, I moved the brochure to my bulletin board. (Now, anyone who knows me, knows that when something gets on to my bulletin board, and anywhere near my “Vision Board”, it’s as good as done!) I checked out the website, made some inquiries and decided that I was going to take this special trip. Once my house sold (which I anticipated happening in the immediate future), I would take some of the profits from the house, and take this trip.
Dreams Delayed
Well, the house didn’t sell in my expected time frame. Hmmmmmm, funny how life is sometimes! (didn’t seem so funny at the time) I kept in contact with Travel Guild as the months went by and then was told that it was too late for me to join the tour that November. I was heart-broken. But not totally discouraged!
My house eventually sold in the early spring of 2006. I immediately took the $25,000 (Canadian) off the top (that was the 2005 fee for the trip) and put it away so that I could take the World Tour in November 2006! I moved to eastern Canada (from Alberta) and made some sacrifices so that I could, in fact, keep that money held aside for this trip. I knew that once I got to Ontario, got busy with work again (and I’ll be working for a very long time since I didn’t exactly do very well in the divorce situation!), that the chances of getting to these 10 countries would take the rest of my lifetime! And besides………travel on a private jet! Wow! After all the crap I had experienced, I deserved something special like this!
So, once in Ontario, rather than “settle in” (with a mortgage), I decided to rent a room in a lady’s home, keeping my expenses to an absolute minimum. I knew I was also facing the challenge of building my business in a new City, so revenue was also at a minimum!
The time came to make the first significant deposit on the trip. I had people encouraging me to follow through with this while, all the while, I had these little voices in my head saying “be practical”; “put the money on your new home instead”; “who do you think you are, going on a private jet?” and so on. Such self-talk!
I stifled the voices, and held on to the dream. I was going to take this trip and I was going to love it! I was going by myself. (People asked: “Going alone? Aren’t you afraid?” Well, my motto had become “feel the fear, and do it anyway!”) I knew there would be other people on this tour and I would eventually meet a lot of very nice people. I called the travel agency because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to be me and 100 other people in their 80’s!!!!! I was assured that was not the case!
So, as the summer months went by, I kept focused on the goal, got all my shots, stayed committed to my exercise program so that I would be in shape, stayed away from that special bank account that held all the money for the trip………but, then………I found a house in London that had my name written all over it. Oh my gosh…….the temptation to take the $25,000 and put it towards the down payment was overwhelming! The house was well over my original budget but I really loved it! (It reminded me of my beloved father-in-law’s home and I felt his presence in this particular house! What’s a gal to do…..?????) I bought the house, moved in just weeks before the trip……….and headed off to Toronto at the beginning of November 2006 to join the World Tour! Oh my gosh. Pinch me!!!! I’m really doing it. This is a dream! I had a lot of cheer-leaders, my mother being one, who believed in me and my dreams. My webmaster set up a link on my website so that my family and friends could come along on the journey! What fun!
The Trip
The trip was 30 days long, for the month of November 2006. We were leaving from Toronto (a private terminal, no less!), and the first stop was Whitehorse, Yukon. There, some of the travelers from western Canada were joining the tour.
Why did I go?
• to kick-start my new life on a positive note,
• to see so many fabulous and diverse places in just one month,
• to experience life on a private plane, and
• because I had both the time and the money for this opportunity!
Who did I go with? Me, and just me!
How did it change me? I learned a lot of things on this trip.
First: about the world – there’s nothing like “living it” to learn about people in other parts of the world, their culture, their food, their lifestyles. And the children…….well, they steal your heart! This trip also gave me “just a taste” of each country; if I liked it, I could always go back. If I didn’t like it, 3 days was enough.
Second: about people in general – the group dynamics of taking a tour. Oh my gosh. I had no idea! I deliver workshops on “team-building”; well, this was reality when it comes to groups: norming, storming, forming, etc. What a case study in human behavior. Most days, it was funny. At other times, it was sad. On other days, I just shook my head. My biggest “ah-ha” was the lack of courtesy on behalf of the men on this tour. It really surprised me!
Third: about me! I battled the demons, those inner voices that sometimes yelled that I didn’t deserve a trip like this! I came to realize that I am just as deserving as the “so-called rich people” that I perceived were the only ones who could afford to take a trip like this! I learned that I have a lot to offer, that people like me, that I am a leader, that I am deserving, that I am blessed in my own life (when you see how other people live in poverty around the world). I learned to laugh again (and out loud!). I learned how to play again. I learned that it’s ok to be alone. I learned that people like me just for being me. And I like me!
What kind of people would enjoy this trip?
Many of the couples on the tour came up to me and said they wished they had taken this trip when they were younger, so that they could participate in, and enjoy, many of the activities that were available. Yes, it is amazing to travel the world in a private plane. That does eliminate a lot of the stress of travel. However, there is so much to do and see, that it is important to be in good health, have stamina and endurance, and to be very mobile. We did lots of walking and climbing (at Angor Watt, for instance, and around Prague). Even the airports these days are huge and there’s lots of walking and climbing to get from point A to point B.
This trip is ideal for people:
• with a sense of adventure (to the “basics” of Africa, to the rivers of Viet Nam, to the eastern toilets of Japan);
• who have a curiosity about the different cultures and food and lifestyles;
• who like to play and explore;
• who are flexible and get along with other people (we were on the same plane/buses for 30 days straight!);
• who have a dream!
Life is short. This is one very special adventure and I highly recommend it!
To quote one of my new friends (recently separated from her husband of 42 years) who was on this trip (Tina): “I came on this trip in the hopes of meeting someone new………..and I did……..ME!”
So go to my website: www.patmussieux.com (and click on the words, below my travel picture, “come along with me”) and you, too, can see the world!
www.patmussieux.com
The following is Pat's story of life transition, surviving loss, thriving on change, facing your fears and having fun! Enjoy...
The Beginning
In July of 2005, I was sitting on the front porch of my condo in Alberta, Canada, hosting yet another “Open House” in efforts to sell my home.
After 5 years of change, loss, grief, sadness, etc., I had decided to turn my life upside down. I quit the (contract) job I had at the local college, sold most of my belongings, was selling my house, started my own consulting company and was moving across the country to be closer to some of my immediate family. Like many boomers, my life was taking a different direction. I left my marriage of 22 years, left my dream home, suffered 3 major losses: the death of my beloved father-in-law, the death of an infant grandchild, and the loss of a very dear friend to breast cancer. There is a commonly publicized list of the top 10 stresses in life. I had experienced just about all of them in a short period of 5 years! (divorce, deaths, personal illness, job loss/changes, moving a few times, etc) I needed a change!
So, back to the front porch. I had a pile of magazines beside me……..you know the pile………it’s the “someday I’ll get to read those magazines” pile! We all have it. Before I read a magazine, I typically fan it so that all the loose advertising material falls out. On this particular day, when reading the “Good Times” magazine, a blue brochure fell out onto the floor. I saw the picture of a globe and it read “Private Jet – World Tour”. I remember thinking to myself: “What kind of rich people take a trip like this?????” My curiosity got the best of me, because one of the goals for my new life was to travel more. My ex-husband had no interest in travel and I was longing to see the world. I quickly scanned the flyer and thought I would hang on to it and read it at length at another time. There was a website listed (www.privatejetworldtour.com) and I would also research that a bit more when I had time.
At the end of the day, I pitched all the magazines I had read, and took that blue brochure and put it in my den. A few days later, when working at my computer, I moved the brochure to my bulletin board. (Now, anyone who knows me, knows that when something gets on to my bulletin board, and anywhere near my “Vision Board”, it’s as good as done!) I checked out the website, made some inquiries and decided that I was going to take this special trip. Once my house sold (which I anticipated happening in the immediate future), I would take some of the profits from the house, and take this trip.
Dreams Delayed
Well, the house didn’t sell in my expected time frame. Hmmmmmm, funny how life is sometimes! (didn’t seem so funny at the time) I kept in contact with Travel Guild as the months went by and then was told that it was too late for me to join the tour that November. I was heart-broken. But not totally discouraged!
My house eventually sold in the early spring of 2006. I immediately took the $25,000 (Canadian) off the top (that was the 2005 fee for the trip) and put it away so that I could take the World Tour in November 2006! I moved to eastern Canada (from Alberta) and made some sacrifices so that I could, in fact, keep that money held aside for this trip. I knew that once I got to Ontario, got busy with work again (and I’ll be working for a very long time since I didn’t exactly do very well in the divorce situation!), that the chances of getting to these 10 countries would take the rest of my lifetime! And besides………travel on a private jet! Wow! After all the crap I had experienced, I deserved something special like this!
So, once in Ontario, rather than “settle in” (with a mortgage), I decided to rent a room in a lady’s home, keeping my expenses to an absolute minimum. I knew I was also facing the challenge of building my business in a new City, so revenue was also at a minimum!
The time came to make the first significant deposit on the trip. I had people encouraging me to follow through with this while, all the while, I had these little voices in my head saying “be practical”; “put the money on your new home instead”; “who do you think you are, going on a private jet?” and so on. Such self-talk!
I stifled the voices, and held on to the dream. I was going to take this trip and I was going to love it! I was going by myself. (People asked: “Going alone? Aren’t you afraid?” Well, my motto had become “feel the fear, and do it anyway!”) I knew there would be other people on this tour and I would eventually meet a lot of very nice people. I called the travel agency because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to be me and 100 other people in their 80’s!!!!! I was assured that was not the case!
So, as the summer months went by, I kept focused on the goal, got all my shots, stayed committed to my exercise program so that I would be in shape, stayed away from that special bank account that held all the money for the trip………but, then………I found a house in London that had my name written all over it. Oh my gosh…….the temptation to take the $25,000 and put it towards the down payment was overwhelming! The house was well over my original budget but I really loved it! (It reminded me of my beloved father-in-law’s home and I felt his presence in this particular house! What’s a gal to do…..?????) I bought the house, moved in just weeks before the trip……….and headed off to Toronto at the beginning of November 2006 to join the World Tour! Oh my gosh. Pinch me!!!! I’m really doing it. This is a dream! I had a lot of cheer-leaders, my mother being one, who believed in me and my dreams. My webmaster set up a link on my website so that my family and friends could come along on the journey! What fun!
The Trip
The trip was 30 days long, for the month of November 2006. We were leaving from Toronto (a private terminal, no less!), and the first stop was Whitehorse, Yukon. There, some of the travelers from western Canada were joining the tour.
Why did I go?
• to kick-start my new life on a positive note,
• to see so many fabulous and diverse places in just one month,
• to experience life on a private plane, and
• because I had both the time and the money for this opportunity!
Who did I go with? Me, and just me!
How did it change me? I learned a lot of things on this trip.
First: about the world – there’s nothing like “living it” to learn about people in other parts of the world, their culture, their food, their lifestyles. And the children…….well, they steal your heart! This trip also gave me “just a taste” of each country; if I liked it, I could always go back. If I didn’t like it, 3 days was enough.
Second: about people in general – the group dynamics of taking a tour. Oh my gosh. I had no idea! I deliver workshops on “team-building”; well, this was reality when it comes to groups: norming, storming, forming, etc. What a case study in human behavior. Most days, it was funny. At other times, it was sad. On other days, I just shook my head. My biggest “ah-ha” was the lack of courtesy on behalf of the men on this tour. It really surprised me!
Third: about me! I battled the demons, those inner voices that sometimes yelled that I didn’t deserve a trip like this! I came to realize that I am just as deserving as the “so-called rich people” that I perceived were the only ones who could afford to take a trip like this! I learned that I have a lot to offer, that people like me, that I am a leader, that I am deserving, that I am blessed in my own life (when you see how other people live in poverty around the world). I learned to laugh again (and out loud!). I learned how to play again. I learned that it’s ok to be alone. I learned that people like me just for being me. And I like me!
What kind of people would enjoy this trip?
Many of the couples on the tour came up to me and said they wished they had taken this trip when they were younger, so that they could participate in, and enjoy, many of the activities that were available. Yes, it is amazing to travel the world in a private plane. That does eliminate a lot of the stress of travel. However, there is so much to do and see, that it is important to be in good health, have stamina and endurance, and to be very mobile. We did lots of walking and climbing (at Angor Watt, for instance, and around Prague). Even the airports these days are huge and there’s lots of walking and climbing to get from point A to point B.
This trip is ideal for people:
• with a sense of adventure (to the “basics” of Africa, to the rivers of Viet Nam, to the eastern toilets of Japan);
• who have a curiosity about the different cultures and food and lifestyles;
• who like to play and explore;
• who are flexible and get along with other people (we were on the same plane/buses for 30 days straight!);
• who have a dream!
Life is short. This is one very special adventure and I highly recommend it!
To quote one of my new friends (recently separated from her husband of 42 years) who was on this trip (Tina): “I came on this trip in the hopes of meeting someone new………..and I did……..ME!”
So go to my website: www.patmussieux.com (and click on the words, below my travel picture, “come along with me”) and you, too, can see the world!
www.patmussieux.com
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