Looking for your next right move? Hint: Check outside your comfort zone.
Looking for your next right move? Hint: Check outside your comfort zone.
I discovered mine at the Solheim Cup in Andalucia, Spain.
I just got back from a trip that some might call crazy.
(Myself included.)
I went to Spain to cover the Solheim Cup (the women’s version of the Ryder Cup, where the best US golfers pair up against the best of Europe).
This fact alone isn’t all that crazy - after all, I do a good deal of golf and travel writing (specializing in Spain), and have traveled to Spain solo many times before. Yet, normally, if I’m going to cover an event or experience, I have a few gigs lined up ahead of time. Sometimes I go as part of a sponsored trip. This time, it was me solo (thanks to a bunch of airline & hotel points), traveling with nothing other than “an inner knowing” that I was supposed to attend the event and that things would work out.
Adding to the trip's craziness was that I’m not exactly an expert on attending golf tournaments - I’ve only been to two other tournaments (the PGA) years ago.
So, there I was, a Solheim Rookie and a Tournament Rookie, headed overseas in search of stories that were #TBD.
It was one of those situations where I said to myself, “This feels crazy. I’m sure it looks crazy to the outside world, and I am not sure how it will all fall into place.”
Which was precisely why I knew I was doing the right thing.
And hey, guess what? It also happens to be What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week:
Sometimes in life, we’re called to go outside our comfort zone and take a chance.
Venturing into the unknown can be scary and uncertain.
But sometimes going there is the only next right step you can imagine.
And that’s when you know you’re onto something.
How did my chance turn out?
It was amazing.
Here’s what my itinerary looked like:
Bus to airport. Fly to Madrid (#IberiaAirlines). Stay with friends in Madrid. Take the train to Málaga (the capital city in the Province of Málaga where the Solheim Cup was held at Finca Cortesin Golf Club). In Malaga, take a bus to Marbella and a cab to the hotel. Get bearings at my hotel. Find the bus stop (two blocks from the hotel, what luck!) where I’d catch the daily shuttle to the Solheim Cup (a half hour away). Take the shuttle to and from practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Take the city bus to the Opening Ceremony in Marbella on Thursday night. Take the early shuttle to Solheim competition days, Friday - Sunday. When not at Solheim, explore Marbella and run or walk along the beach. Return to Madrid via cab-bus-train-cab. Fly home Tuesday and pause to reflect on one of my life's busiest and best trips.
In the midst of that whirlwind, I connected with perhaps some of the coolest people on earth, including:
Best friends who travel to each Solheim and other tournaments together
Friends who volunteer together at every Solheim (some meet from around the world)
Women who travel with golf tour groups (Golf Positive, Women’s Golf and Travel Concierge, Nancy Lopez Golf Adventures… to name a few)
Couples who love to watch golf and play golf and travel to events (shoutout to the lovely couple on the bus from Sweden)
Superfans who travel for the love of golf, even when age and physical limitations make mobility difficult
Families there to support the players (Shoutout to Danielle Kang’s mom, one of the coolest family supporters on the course.)
US and European PING Junior Solheim players chumming around together at the Solheim. The Junior team played at nearby La Zagaleta on Monday and Tuesday and spent the rest of the week at the Solheim Cup.
All of these smiling faces and the positive vibes felt throughout the grounds made me know that I made the right decision to attend the event.
So, whether you’re a golf lover or not, I encourage you to consider taking a leap of faith and pursuing something you’re passionate about.
Here’s to taking a chance and chasing your dreams. Even when they’re nuts.
Abbey
LISTEN
Fresh off my trip, I’ll be the first to tell you that travel can make you happy. It turns out there’s a psychology behind it. Listen to “The Psychology of Travel with Dr. Andrew Stevenson” on the Zero to Travel Podcast.
Looking to make your life easier? More efficient? Then check out the Goal Digger Podcast and give this episode a listen. Find out the four words that changed entrepreneur/podcaster Jenna Kutcher’s life and business.
STREAM
This isn’t exactly streaming, but rather a link to an interview I did with Today’s TMJ4 in Milwaukee about my experience at the Solheim Cup.
If you’re a traveler who likes to wind down by watching some shows on your devices, here’s a list of streaming services for the next time you’re on the road.
Sticking to the travel theme, here are tips on dealing with jet lag, airline hacks to upgrade your flying experience, and how to pack your golf travel bag if this newsletter has inspired you to go on a golf trip!
TRAVEL
Okay, seriously, I’ve been traveling for a long time, but I still overpack and kick myself every single trip. So glad to have discovered the Fashion Lessons YouTube Channel Tibi and this video on packing. Great tips!
More on golf trips! The 11 most budget-friendly golf trips, hidden golf gems around the world, courses in the Costa del Sol (where the Solheim was played), and the ten best courses in the US for a golf trip.
ETC.
Do you know that just outside of your Comfort Zone is your Growth Zone? Whoah. Here’s a great article on the psychology behind that idea.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE
My trip to the Solheim turned out to be amazing in a life-changing kind of way. Did I get the job offer of the century? Go viral with my writing? So far, no.
But I’m confident that by pursuing my passion for uncovering stories of inspiration and life, doors will open up for me to do the work I’m here to do.
Evidence of this sentiment was found on every hole of the Solheim - I saw it in the players’ eyes as they concentrated on shots, I saw it in the looks of spectators cheering on their countries, and I felt it in the collective energy of people gathering to watch a sport they love and support the golfers, trainers, caddies, and everyone else behind the event.
This positive vibe is the spirit of people following their dreams.
My favorite book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, talks about following one’s dreams in the sense of “the quest to achieve one’s Personal Legend.” In the story, the main character - Santiago - goes after his Personal Legend and learns that everything else will fall into place once it has been achieved.
“Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.
At that point in their lives, everything is clear, and everything is possible.
They are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives.”
Paulo Coelho
This week, I invite you to think about your Personal Legend.
And go after it.
See you back here next week,
Abbey
And, as always, thank you for reading!