Tonight I’m writing from Tasmania (Tassie for short), and after approximately 18 months without stepping onto an aeroplane, there’s something rather wonderful about being up, up and away once more!
A clumsy accident on Tuesday morning, and a need for an urgent x-ray, left me nervous about whether I could make this trip. Thankfully, my GP gave me the all clear this morning to fly, and told me to go, and enjoy myself! … After almost two years of being under his care, he knows how much this trip means to my wellbeing 🙏
I felt a little bit nervous, but mostly excited about being on a flight once more. It was so mesmerising taking off, during that liminal in between time of dusk and twilight. That moment, when you are on the cusp of change. There is the pause, and curiosity for possibilities on the horizon. I’ve always loved being able to look out the windows of aircraft, and watch the sky change hues, and stars appear.
My last flight was home from Germany, a country that has been part of my life for many years and somewhere I’ve always considered my happy place (Cologne in particular is my happy place). At the time, I was preparing for major surgery, knowing that the months ahead would be rather different from my usual adventures.
Recovery meant slowing down, listening to my body, being kind to myself and accepting that sometimes progress looks quite different from what we originally imagined. I’m normally someone who enjoys being out and about, exploring, discovering new things and following my curiosity, so learning to slow down and give myself permission to recover was important.
Throughout that time, I found myself putting Hope-Action Theory (HAT) into practice, something I’ve often talked about using beyond career development. I remember conversations with Spencer Niles about how HAT can help us develop and sustain actionable hope across so many different pillars of our lives.
My own recovery became another opportunity to experience this firsthand, drawing on the six HAT competencies of self-reflection, self-clarity, visioning, goal setting and planning, implementing and adapting. Sometimes that meant recognising what I needed on a particular day, adjusting my expectations or celebrating the little bits of progress that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
And now, those same competencies are helping me work towards another goal, getting back to Germany!
There’s something about being surrounded by German culture, hearing the language spoken around me, enjoying the food and noticing all those familiar little things that makes me feel as though I’m back where I belong. It’s not necessarily about visiting somewhere new or ticking destinations off a list, but simply enjoying the everyday experiences that make Germany my happy place.
Rather than jumping straight into another long-haul flight, I’ve decided to build up to it, beginning with this little four-day adventure in Tassie. Once I’ve done this, my next goal will be to take a longer flight, gradually working towards the day when I can once again board a plane bound for Germany.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Tassie is simply a practice run! It’s another opportunity to get curious, explore somewhere different (there is always new places to discover, and things to do in Tassie), notice the unexpected and enjoy a change from my everyday routines. I have four days ahead of me, with no particular expectations other than enjoying myself and seeing what I discover along the way.
And that’s something I particularly love about travelling. Sometimes it’s the little things, the unexpected conversations, the interesting places we stumble across or simply taking the time to sit and watch the world go by, that become our favourite memories.
So, here’s to being up, up and away once more, with my camera ready to capture little discoveries and perhaps a gnome or two joining me for the adventure!
Germany, I’ll be back, but first, let’s see what Tasmania has to offer!
