How A Road Trip helped me un-stick my mind.

How a Road Trip helped me break through and unstick my mind. It makes sense that traveling can quickly become a metaphor for our neuro- pathways, patterns we have in our body and mind. To me, that is what Neurosculpting ® is all about, finding those stuck places where we can sometimes subtly or drastically make a change, or expand what is already there. We literally travel through our nervous system and make discoveries.

I’ve always loved traveling. I was lucky enough to be raised as a traveler, flying with my mother to Germany at six months of age. We lived in France my freshman year of high school, and I worked in Germany the summer before my senior year. During that time, I took the train by myself all over Europe, visiting friends and family.

Needing a break:
I think most of us can relate to “needing a vacation”. Though I enjoy my work, doing the same routine becomes stale for me. Also, I tend to get stuck in my head, not as able to see new possibilities. Life can feel redundant, although I am doing exceptional things. This relates to Neurosculpting® like this; living in survival mode. I love dancing, and when even driving to dance class on my lunch break feels like a chore, I know I need a break.

Getting lost on the way:
We were on a five day trip to Yellowstone National Park, my husband and I were arguing, and I went the wrong way. This added three hours to the trip, with three kids in the car. When we got to the campground, there was a long line, we drove up to one of the last campsites left with five feet of snow covering the fire pit, table, and entire site, leaving us the parking spot for our tents. At this point, I resorted to Gratitude, a process that, when it feels genuine, can bring you to the pre-frontal cortex, higher functioning part of the brain. At this point, it was almost comical, what more could go wrong? We all were able to shift to gratitude to be able to cook some warm food, and have tents to sleep in. I told the girls, we are alive, we can walk, talk, see and hear, and we are here, many people wish they could even come here, and can’t.

That was my first major step to literally stepping out of my stress and negativity that I was carrying. I had had three- four conflicts in the previous week, by the last one, I was thrown into a dark place.
Finding wonder in the wrong way
After 3 days of hiking, eating, sleeping, laughing, yelling, intense dreams, we drove home. I mostly felt refreshed. We went the wrong way again. I looked up at the vast Wyoming sky, and felt that that was what I needed to see. I had chosen this way, to see this. I was filled with wonder.
The clouds were elaborate scenes to me, of my own inner struggle of dark and light, hope, possibilities, large, puffy, I could see figures fighting, passionate, fighting for what’s right, conquring evil or obstacles. I asked my logical stepdaughter what she saw… “clouds”.

I let my mind relax, noticing a story of perfection that I had clung to, which was making me miserable. I let the wonder fill my body, seeing the beautiful open sky full of majestic clouds. I told my husband, “It doesn’t matter if we went the wrong way, life isn’t perfect, we will still get there.”
And then we discovered the the GPS in the car. The way is always in front of us, our own stories get in the way. Road trips are a great way to get clear for me, always have been. ​

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