Within days of sending my request out, I started to see the challenges rolling in. I was seriously impressed with the range; from suggested must-reads to daily meditation to a 30-day arm challenge (clearly, this person knows how soft I am), I had no shortage of tasks and goals to fill up my day.
I was astounded with just how supportive, how creative, and how thoughtful each submission was. Many were accompanied by heartwarming outreach, cheerleading my initiative and I realized that the support system I have could never leave me for wanting. People I hadn't spoken to in years unloaded their own personal stories of loss and longing, friends I feel I had neglected as I selfishly healed were quick to contribute, and with nearly 50 submissions and a long thread of emails, texts, calls to respond to, I hit a sobering moment of love, appreciation, and belonging.
I am endlessly thankful for the good people I have and have had in my life.
So without further ado, I compiled my challenges below. Some are daily challenges, some are one-off tasks, and some are overall themes to focus on. There is a lot. Enough to fill up my days and then some. A lot.
I probably forgot to mention how beautiful Bali is, how distracting the lush setting is, how easy it is to sit with my feet dipped in the pool while I stare up at the sky, how easy it is to get lost in yourself, and how easy it is to forget that you've been tasked to finish 50 things in the next 30 days. I am a walking dichotomy; I want to be lost (but on a course), I want to be free (with a bit of structure), I want to do everything (and nothing at all).
The intention of all this is not lost on me, however. I plan to tackle most of this on my journey, and I leave it here for accountability, for motivation, and for a reminder that when I'm down, I have a village ready to pick me up.
While I won't be chronicling my progress on every single task (if you're curious, just reach out!), I will be sharing my experiences over the course of the month as I tackle and focus on different tasks.