This site, this new logo is more than just a pretty refresh. It is my new mantra. My true north.
I talk a little bit about this in my last True North post, growing up.
If we are honest, we all feel lost at times. Searching for purpose, meaning, and direction.
Hip Travel Mama is so much, much, more than another blog creating swoon-worthy travel photos to post on Instagram.
It is about whole-heartedly embracing your passions, the places and most importantly, the people that make your life full. That is what this corner of the blog is all about.
I want you to know that you are not alone in feeling lost.
Despite outward appearances, we all struggle with feeling like we are doing enough, are enough, pursuing (or finding) our passion enough.
And then there are those times when you just outgrow a season and you just don’t know what to do next.
That’s what happened to me. In the beginning, I found my passion for travel and sharing our stories. It took off and for a long while, it was amazing. But somewhere in the space between, I started to chase an elusive vision of what success looked like and what I wanted to do next. Because outside of travel, there is real life, and my focus first and foremost is to nourish the people in my life – my family, my marriage, my friendships, and raise two good young humans.
I chased many, many dead ends. I still had my passion for travel, but maybe this season had run it’s course and it was time to let it go. I felt lost.
So I dug into my faith. I started going to study with a group of women who helped me refocus on my faith. I let go of what I thought I should do and forcing the next chapter. And then something incredible happened. I went to church on Christmas Eve and stood with my family beside our pastor and his wife. As we listened to the worship song and watched a video of a man wandering and searching for a sense of belonging, I felt an overwhelming calling to “trust and let go.” As the music filled the room and tears rolled down my face, I could feel in this vast room of people coming together to pray and worship that I was not alone in my feeling of being lost. That we all feel that way sometimes, or maybe in seasons of life, and that we don’t have to carry it all the time. I let go.
A few weeks later, I would get a text from a long time friend. She had a client in the wine industry that was looking for someone to run their social media. I met with them over lunch. I heard about another client that I have loved for years looking for marketing help. My husband and I sketched a new logo for Hip Travel Mama on a napkin during date night, signaling a new direction for this blog. My designer friend made it come to life. And the pieces fell in line. Contracts signed, site redesigned, I took the leap.
Sometimes we white-knuckle our way through, holding on, when we should be letting it go.
But then we let go and take a leap of faith. And that is when the magic happens.
Like this moment I jumped off of the platform, 30 feet in the air on the trapeze for the first time, took my hands of the bar and started flying. That’s kinda how being true to yourself, finding your true north, feels. Being scared to death, but brave enough to trust and try.
And if you are a mom reading this, this is my gift to you on Mother’s Day. Because with brave wings, we can fly together.
Where have you been holding on where you could be letting go?