My European adventure!

Aug 3, 2016 | Sparkly Love

blog pic Aug 3

It’s been a while since I last posted anything. As much as I love to write, I felt like I needed to take a break from it. Since Make It finished in late April, I have felt pretty introspective and that I needed time and space to figure out what my next move is. Most of the writing I have been doing has been in my journal and before today, I’ve felt self conscious about sharing much. Being quiet and introverted with my thoughts felt more natural.

Sometimes it feels so easy and effortless to create, and other times I struggle. I forget where my path is and even questions where I’m headed. I know this is a pretty normal feeling, especially for creative entrepreneurs. It’s like I know what I need to do, but that energy that usually drives me just isn’t there. This can feel frustrating, panicky, discouraging and scary if it goes on long enough.

At the beginning of this year I told myself that I wasn’t going to travel because I wanted to focus on Make It. As much as I LOVE travelling, I also know how disruptive it can be for my business and relationships. I’ve been very fortunate to have been on some pretty epic trips over the past few years, so I felt ok about spending 2016 close to home.

A few months ago my Dad sent my brother and I an email saying he booked a Mediterranean cruise for the family to celebrate my Mom’s 70th Birthday. I immediately realized how dumb my no travel plan was, and began to get super excited about the trip! Chandler and I also decided that since we were going all the way to Europe that we might as well tag a couple weeks. I knew this break was something I really needed so I wanted to maximize it.

My trip to Europe in July was more than I could have imagined. Not only did I get to spend 2 weeks with my family on the cruise, but I also saw some of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen. Before meeting our parents, Chandler and I toured around Croatia. I’d never been before, and I was blown away by how beautiful Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split are (to see my travel photos click here).

We then met our parents in Barcelona and boarded the cruise ship. From there we sailed around Spain, France and ended in Italy. There are definitely pros and cons to cruising, but I have to say one of the best feelings is to wake up in the morning and magically be in a new gorgeous place! Plus it’s great to not have to unpack every couple of days AND have dessert after every meal 🙂

Before I left on my trip, I had a great call with my coach. She’s helped me a lot this year and one of the things we talk about a lot is how to take Make It to the next level. I know there’s SO much potential to grow the business and serve more of the handmade community, but I have some beliefs that I know hold me back.

One thing I started to realize on my trip is that we ultimately get to decided how we feel about the things that happen to us. For a long time, I associated business success with isolation, loneliness and not having any free time. I think this is why I felt pretty stuck and discouraged before I left. Why would I work hard towards something that I have negative association with?

What I know now, is that I can change my thoughts so they feels good in my body. Before I felt anxious and stressed when I thought about the future because I believed I wouldn’t be able to handle it and my life would feel hard. Now when I think about growing Make It and becoming more successful as an entrepreneur, my association is a lot more positive and inspiring. I know that the bigger and more successful Make It gets, the better it will be for everyone!

I feel SO incredibly blessed and grateful that I have a lifestyle that allows me to take time off and see the world. It’s really hard to get much work done when I’m visiting exotic new places, but I know the value of travel is having the space to see my life from a different perspective. When you never have a break from your routine it can be easy to fall into a funk like I did.

I realize not everyone can go on a month long holiday, but that’s not the point. The point is that when you are creative sometimes things will be hard and you won’t have the juice you’re used to having. I thought there was something wrong with me and was hard on myself for it. But what I’m reminded of now, is that there are times when the best thing to do is just to take a little break and chill.

Writing this post felt scary and overwhelming at first because it has been a while. I felt like it would be weird for me to write anything after being quiet for so long. But like most things, it was a lot easier than I thought. It feels good to express myself again and hopefully you will find value in it.

I got back to Vancouver less than a week ago, and I feel like I have a million things to do this week. But, I don’t regret for one second that I took the time to see the world with the people I love the most. The memories we created on that trip will last a lifetime, and as we get older I know there will be less opportunities to travel together as a family. Now is the time to make it happen.

Hope you’re having an amazing summer!

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Meet Jenna

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