Finding Joy?

Strolling through the Dolomites after a great via ferrata on Passo Gardena.

We are definitely a delusional bunch.

Who would've thought that heading off on a year-long journey with the whole family, focused on living with purpose and passion and seeking joy, would be filled with so many ups and downs? Reflecting back, Ryrie was never keen on the whole idea of traveling abroad for a year and Pema didn’t voice her opinion one way or the other.

Thinking our overseas exploration would be smooth sailing and filled with nothing but quintessential intellectual, cultural, physical, and spiritual experiences was Jake, Lila, and me seeing only one side of the journey.

Jake and I have lived, worked, and traveled the world in shorter stints for much of the last 30 years. We've brought Lila and Ryrie along on work assignments in Borneo, India, Guatemala, and Nepal, and extensive travel in other remote places. All of these experiences have been filled with challenges but through each one, we've found ourselves more alive, more connected, and more fulfilled. We thought this would be a prolonged opportunity to bring out the best in each of us in a sustained way. Right? Right.

Through our rose-colored glasses, we didn’t want to limit ourselves to just one country. We didn’t want to leave our eldest furry child at home with family or friends. We wanted to "world-school" our kids rather than enroll them in an international school. "And heck," we thought, "while we're at it, why not create a documentary called 'Finding Joy'?"

And then reality set in. None of this is easy. In fact, it's really darn tough. Our documentary might be more aptly called, "Emotional Turmoil and Shattered Expectations".

And yet, as I’ve reminded myself countless times over the last several months, it's in the journey itself that we find internal joy. We find joy within the challenge of meeting our own needs while living life on the go. We find it hidden in the language barriers and missed turns. Joy is disguised in the vision of a perfect campsite being shattered by several hundred other people seeking that same perfect campsite. Joy is wrapped in our efforts to keep Pema comfortable at almost 95 in dog years. It's in channeling patience and understanding towards Lila and Ryrie as they learn, grow, and find and pursue their passions. And it is found in our quest for peace and solitude while being together 24/7.

Finally, joy is in taking our ingrained fears of not ever being or doing enough, of pushing through and finding gratitude in even seemingly small feats.

I believe this is when we find life’s purpose and the real growth happens.

And, then, we do find joy.