For nearly a decade now, Tabatha has been interrupting conversations. She does so with grace and respect, and while there are times she waits quietly for patrons to finish a thought, many other times she provides the pause a difficult conversation so desperately needs. Such is her presence. Calming, positive, and full of care.

When she leaves work, sometimes she jumps off the treadmill of life for an adventure to the Finger Lakes or the Gorge or a nondescript cliff face overlooking the world. And sometimes, she sits in the car for a while and takes in the silence. But she doesn't waste time wanting another dollar or another pair of shoes. She's more likely to lose a moment to a passing chipmunk or a patch of mushrooms growing through concrete cracks.

But it's not all mushrooms and chipmunks, or rainbows and pretty views. Stepping off the treadmill also takes strength and courage, as well as a commitment to a highly personal way of living. That's something that doesn't always get talked about for folks living the 'nomad life'. It's not wishy-washy, much as she describes her post-planning trips as 'willy-nilly'. It's a deliberate choice to live the way that works best for her, not by the next step in society's plans.

So hop in the van and take your time. Whatever that means for you. Pause. Give yourself moments to wander. And leave a little bit of room for the white space of life.

Oh, and follow tabandvin_ventures and to find out where they're heading next.

#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #VanLife #Nomad #WhiteSpace

For someone whose brain switches subjects and bounces topics so quickly...so quickly...Eric Hersey also has long-range, singular focus...at least for specific periods of time. He's a bit of an enigma in that way. He will post once a day for 365 straight days, just for the bit. He will create one-word mantras and stick to them for years. He will answer the promise of a 16-year-old alter-ego named Hostile with a gift no one else you know owns. He believes in the power of consistency, especially in his line of work at Strong Minded.

And then he'll hang a sharp left up an alley and nearly leave you behind.

Given his penchant for productive walking (often the only way he can enjoy a walk is when there is a photo to find or a blog to imagine) it should have been no surprise how seamlessly Eric opened up about things he doesn't regularly talk about. It's a relatively common occurrence in this project, after all, people opening up. (More on that in a special one-off 'episode') But for Eric, we started and ended our Walk with the word 'Fun', which wasn't exactly the most obvious route to legacy and family and fatherhood and Ricki Lake and IMDB. So we just followed the path and let our feet fall where they would.

What we found was the beauty in trusting instincts over rules, embracing fun over money, and finding balance in his superpower, even if it takes a trip to Disney to turn it all off...

#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #gened #backyardwrestling #legacy #StrongMindedAgency #EricHersey #WaltDisneyWorld

TBD