Taking a Risk and in Denver by 6:00

Friday during Easter weekend my husband texted me the following “Let’s fly to Denver tonight.” A little background is in order here… my husband works for an airline and as part of his benefits, we can fly stand by for free. Picture this: we have been married for 10 years and I have only used his benefits 3 times (for our honeymoon, to attend my sister’s wedding reception in Omaha, and once when I took my oldest son to Salt Lake City to visit friends). The timing is never right.  I always have something that needs to be done or the flights are full and I worry about getting back. I thought he was crazy for even suggesting it. I had been gone two weekends in a row- one for the Milken Forum and one for Courage to Teach. All I wanted to do (or thought I wanted to do) was stay home.

For some reason, I decided to just go for it this time around. For anyone who knows me, this is not me at all- not planned, very spur of the moment. I rushed home at 2:00, took a shower, packed for myself and my two boys, packed for my daughter who would be staying with her grandma, dropped off my daughter in town, and was at the airport by 4:00.



"Once you have tasted flight,

 you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. "

~ Leonard da Vinci



We were in Denver by 6:00. Eli seemed to relax about his fear of flying and actually enjoyed the return flight. It helped to have dad there explaining all the noises and process of flight in technical terms, which calmed Eli’s fears better than my strategies. Ethan experienced his first ever flight and loved it.

The next day, we took public transportation to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We saw a 3D show at the IMAX. It was called Born to be Wild 3D. I don’t know who enjoyed themselves more- me or my boys. I have never seen a 3D movie before. Experiencing one at the IMAX was unbelievable. Born to be Wild is an incredible story about orphaned orangutans and elephants, and the amazing individuals who rescue, raise, rehabilitate, and return them to the wild. Visit the following link to learn more about the story and view a trailer of the film. http://www.dmns.org/imax/current-films/born-to-be-wild-3d

If I would have thought about things too much, I probably would have said no and I would have missed all the incredible experiences that occurred in one, short, 24 hour period. The lesson here…sometimes you just have to take a risk.  This year has really been one of stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things, both personally and professionally. See my previous post "I'm new. I'm trying." Button about trying new things.

What risks have you taken this year? How has it paid off? What have you learned from your new experiences?