On October 30, 2018, I ventured off alone to explore and experience an orphanage in Hyderabad, India, an Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand, explore the Phi Phi Islands also in Thailand and to tour the ruins of 1200 year old shrines located in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
As I kissed my husband good bye and nervously navigated the airport security line, I remembered the words my youngest son had texted to me earlier; “please be safe as you travel. You’ll be experiencing essentially a new world so keep your head about you.”
As I was thinking about his words, I passed through the security checkpoint and was almost to my gate when I realized I only had my carry on suitcase and I had left my backpack, scarf and sweater back at the security gate. Well, I thought, so much for keeping my head about me.
I went back to the security gate and there were my belongings just waiting for me to retrieve them. I picked them up, smiled and gratefully remembered to be gentle on myself as I dealt with my nerves, my anxiousness, my forgetfulness, my lack of being present in the moment.
From this moment forward, and as I always do, I re-reminded myself to be recommitted to being in the moment and not allowing what I call inner thought noise to take over the presence of where I am. I recommitted to the simple, yet profoundly difficult practice of being consciously conscious.
I did this by focusing on my breathing and keeping my awareness of what’s going on around me. Mostly, I kept my inner thoughts from distracting me. I didn’t think about how anxious I was. I didn’t allow myself to be worried about landing at 3am on the other side of the world in a foreign country, a busy city, a lone woman and needing to get safely to my hotel. I simply stayed in the present.
I focused on my breathing. I calmed my body. I focused on my breath. I resisted my inner chatter. I focused on my inhale, exhale. I moved calmly, slowly, decisively. I focused on the feel of the air from my nose on the upper part of my lip. I repeated, and repeated, and repeated.
This is how I stay in the present. Sounds so ridiculously simple and yet, is often so difficult to do.
Well, how did I do with my travels? In Qatar, I navigated my layover, passport control and airline transfer with no difficulties. At my final destination in India I retrieved my luggage, made it through passport control and found the driver of my hotel shuttle based on the sign that read “Mr. MaryJo VanWingerden”. The at first somewhat perplexed driver safely navigated the deserted, dark streets of Hyderabad (as deserted as streets in a big city can get anyway) and delivered me safely to my hotel.
Once in my room, I rejoiced in the moment! Re-remembering the joys of simply being in the present.