The Power of "Yes and..."
Launching this blog from the Chesapeake Bay!
4/4/20242 min read
12 glorious days with this view - am I dreaming?! Sure feels like it!!
I am housesitting on the Chesapeake Bay for felines sisters Aria and Mocha. Their owner is enjoying a trip to Morocco and I'm grateful to be here!
It's a fitting day for a blog launch - switching between sunny and overcast - a great metaphor for life.
My biggest thought in this inspiring setting is how powerful it is to say "Yes and..." to whatever life throws your way.
As the Stoics said, "Amor fati!"
Last September, after a 16 year adventure in Minnesota and Florida (what was I thinking?!), I moved back to my hometown. Right after hitting a monumental birthday, I moved back to the same DC area apartment building I had left 16 years ago. It was deja vu! I moved one floor up and the staff is still all the same! I never thought I'd move back - and yet I'm so glad I did! It's so familiar and comforting to be back near family and old friends.
Growing up, DC never felt like "home." Perhaps I'm a chip off my parents' block - they left their home state of Minnesota behind at age 22 and kept on going!
At 17, I left for college in Colorado and California. After grad school in Ohio, I boomeranged to DC and back to Ohio. Ohio somehow felt like "home" - friendly people and easy to get around. I met several lifetime friends and a wonderful boyfriend there. My boyfriend and I moved to Baltimore and bought a home together. We got along well and yet our values and politics were different. After an amicable breakup, he returned to Ohio and I went to DC.
I knew DC was temporary - I'd end up back in the Midwest someday. And I did!
Based on my quest to find "home," I decided to try my birthplace - Minneapolis. My parents celebrated my first birthday on the road moving from Minnesota to DC - perfect for the nomadic life I would lead. My dream was to buy a townhouse near a lake and meet Mr. Right.
I bought a lovely townhouse with a courtyard view near a gorgeous lake. I had wonderful neighbors who treated me like family. Yet, the six-month winters were bitter cold, snowy and socially isolating. All that home alone time led me to create Plan B Connections and host my TEDx talk. I was determined to support other individuals facing life challenges alone.
Fourteen years later, I'm still excited about this mission! I'm exploring new ways to expand my efforts!
Life is all about our self-story. I have enjoyed so many experiences due to navigating my life solo. As Helen Keller said, "Life is a daring adventure or nothing!"
Hope you'll stay tuned!
Lisa Cook, Founder, Plan B Connections