Finding my tribe in Punta Cana

As we arrived at the resort from our homes across Canada, there was something so magical hearing your name screamed out in excitement across the lobby, arms open in true embrace, laughter and yes, some tears, as we finally were brought together from the cold north to the tropical heat. How cool is that?  Being so far away from home yet feeling so at home? Bliss.

I was a chubby girl.  Divorced parents.  Mother with cancer.  Not much money. Both my parents passed away by the time I was 22.  I joined the Canadian Army to get fit and get a secure job.  It worked…until I was medically released 17 years later due to anxiety and depression.  We all have a back-story.

Before you pour yourself a glass of Cab Sauv thinking this is a pity party, guess again (but if you want the Cab Sauv go for it, there’s no judgement here!).  

This story isn’t all gloom and doom because a lot of good stuff has come from the not so good.  Five years ago I met the love of my life and two years ago we married.  I now have two incredible stepchildren and have started my own business as a nutrition and fitness consultant.  Through my business, I’ve made incredible connections, many of which I’ve linked arms with to promote health and prosperity.  There is something so gratifying when you align with positive, motivated, crazy-awesome people that make you jazzed to get up in the morning.  It’s called your tribe and I highly recommend you get one now.  

Who gets to be in your tribe?  That’s the beautiful part – whomever you want!  But make sure they are WORTHY of being in your tribe.  No pity-party, party-poopers here.  Only peeps that make you feel alive.  That get your MO-JO going.  That push your limits and make you excited to “go for it”…whatever “it” is.  Now don’t get me wrong, there is a place for Cab Sauv and some healthy venting from time to time.  Tears will fall and that’s ok.  A tribe is a safe community where you share the good, bad and the wine-soaked, chocolate-dipped pity.  But a tribe is also the laughter at the end, the get-back-on-your-horse-kick-in-the-ass we all need from time-to-time.  

My tribe is filled with souls that are beautiful, crazy (the good kind), and share in my passion of connecting with others and traveling the world while we do it.  Whether that is in my small town south of Ottawa, Ontario, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in Las Vegas, Nevada or in Bali, Indonesia.  

Just recently my husband and I, along with 12 of my tribes-folk, travelled to Punta Cana.  Some of us hadn’t even met in person before!  As we arrived at the resort from our homes across Canada, there was something so magical hearing your name screamed out in excitement across the lobby, arms open in true embrace, laughter and yes, some tears, as we finally were brought together from the cold north to the tropical heat.  How cool is that?  Being so far away from home yet feeling so at home?  Bliss.

That first night was magic.  Meeting for pre-dinner cocktails in the lobby bar that evening as the official “kick-off” to our trip.  There we were: 14 excited, blissed-out crazy Canadians sitting in a huge circle making so much beautiful noise from our laughter and chatter.  

The fun continued into dinner as we sampled everything from the incredible buffet including some dangerously wicked-good cocktails (those Coco Locos…(if you’ve been to Punta Cana, you know what I’m talking about - if not, proceed with caution – these babies go down way too easy).  

But for me, the best part was post-dinner.  With a slight buzz from the Coco Locos we made our way to the moonlit beach.  Kicking off sandals, and savoring the cool sand between our toes while we listened to the rolling waves and felt the warm breeze on our skin.  Pure. Perfection.  I can’t count how many times when conversations would break to someone looking up at the moon exclaiming, “this is so awesome”.  

Going to bed, that is how I felt – awesome.  I was still in awe that we were there.  That our tribe had finally come together and that we all got along so well! The next morning I coaxed (cautiously) my husband to get up early to see the sunrise.  I just felt that I needed to seal my gratitude in quiet solitude.  That is when the picture above was taken.  

Although only 4 days, this trip confirmed in our minds that we had made the right choice.  To align with such incredible people that get the same joy from connecting with others while traveling the world while we do it!  Before leaving we were already lining up future travel plans but not before trying to capture the bonds we formed during this trip with our henna hands locked together (pictured below).  

So embrace your back-story but don’t waste one more second allowing it to keep you from surrounding yourself with some bad-ass, wicked-awesome, amazing peeps.  Don’t wait to see the world and soak it all in.