Traveling revitalizes my soul. Whenever I am feeling slightly sluggish nothing invigorates me more than traveling. I love to experience new places, people, cultures—all of these things remind me of how connected we all truly are. Nothing dispels our prejudices about another place more than traveling to that place to experience it for ourselves. Oftentimes, the things we are told about another place don’t necessarily align with the reality of the situation. I find French people incredible kind in spite of the rumors to the contrary. My first trip to Paris illustrated to me that if we simply attempt to “join” the culture of the French as opposed to trying to make them bend to ours anyone will be welcomed with open arms. Simply attempt to speak French the first time you go to Paris and watch how the Parisians embrace you.
Listen to David narrative this on Spotify!
Adi may love traveling more than I do and she is often the impetus to get us out of the house and out on the road. She will ask me, “Want to go on a road trip?” She will continue politely asking the question until I relent, pack a bag and hit the road with her. Colorado happens to be one of our favorite getaways—experiencing the mountains oftentimes aligns me with my spiritual purpose and connects me to the Universe in ways other places don’t. Our trips to Colorado are frequently the catalyst to inspiring us to travel to other places. One trip in 2020 stands out.
It was the summer of 2020 when we first starting seriously talking about spending some extended time in Costa Rica. Earlier in the year we had planned to film Season 2 of Yes & Yoga at Blue Spirit in Costa Rica. For obvious reasons, those plans disintegrated amidst a global pandemic and we shelved the idea of filming our second season of the show there. Instead, Adi and I put Costa Rica on hold and filmed alone in the studio with a small crew of people. Our dreams of going to Costa Rica didn’t die however; we shifted our beach plans and spent the summer and fall in Galveston.
The Galveston experience was divine in its own way. Although we didn’t spend the summer in Costa Rica, we lived in a similar but different way given the circumstances in the world. Adi and I decided to make the best of the situation last summer and we stayed in her family’s home in South Texas.
While we were tooling around the island one day I said to Adi, “Costa Rica was cancelled this year, but I’d still like to go when things are more conducive for travel. Let’s pick a sign that will let us know we are destined to go.”
Adi thought for a moment and then said, “Zebra!”
I stared back at her. “Really?” I thought. “A zebra is our sign? Where are we going to see a zebra?’
Although it seemed far-fetched to me to just randomly see a zebra I played along and said, “Zebra it is!”
Six weeks passed, no zebra. Although this didn’t mean we couldn’t go to Costa Rica I always like to feel guided. I often ask the Universe for signs to guide me down my path. I know that we are Divinely Guided and all we have to do is ask and voila! A sign arrives.
In the early fall, Adi and I decided to visit our friends in Colorado. They call us the “Texas Tornado” because we often blow into town in a moment’s notice for a short visit and then we exit as quickly as we came. We were jonesing to get into the mountains to connect to nature and we love to take long drives and talk. This is something Adi and I do well. We can travel on a moment’s notice and we are very flexible with how our plans unfold. We don’t pre-book hotels and frequently don’t end up in the city we originally set out to visit. This attitude would drive many people crazy, including our children who have learned to let go and realize plans will most likely change.
When we arrived in Colorado it was a joy catching up with our friends. We talked on a long train ride through the mountains. I have always enjoyed riding trains in Europe and this ride through the Rocky’s was every bit as enthralling. As we zipped through the mountains watching the scenery unfold before our eyes we told our friends the story about our tentative plans to go to Costa Rican; we even told them about our sign.
“When we see a “zebra” we will know we are supposed to go, we said.
“The Texas Tornado is at it again!” they laughed as we moved through the Rocky Mountains.
Our trip came and went, and we returned back to North Texas to pick up our oldest son and his friend to head back to Galveston with us for a few days. On the drive from Colorado to North Texas, I would peer out the car window searching for the zebra. No zebra—nowhere to be found.
Finally, I told myself, “If you want to go to Costa Rica, just go. You don’t need a sign.”
A Zebra Arrives…
When we arrived back in North Texas, we picked up our son, Brennon (not his real name to protect the innocent) and his friend, D’Money (also not his real name). We loaded them up in the car to continue our drive south to the island. It was the month of October and fall was just starting to cool the weather a bit; as we started the drive our son said, “Why don’t we play a Halloween music list for the drive?”
I responded, “Yes, and you know what the first song will be? Monster Mash. Every list has that song on it for Halloween.”
As we were pulling out of the driveway I looked to my left and I saw a U-Haul truck approaching. As opposed to pulling out in front of him, I waited to let him pass.
“You could have easily made that,” our son said.
“I could have, but I am being polite. We are in no hurry.”
When the truck passed, I pulled out on to the road and begin our drive. Simultaneously, Adi clicked on a Halloween music list and hit “shuffle”—instantly blasting through the speakers was the song Monster Mash. At the exact same time as the song started playing, I pulled up next to the U-Haul truck that was waiting at the red light. I glanced over at the truck and I said, “I cannot believe it! Look!”
Everyone in the car thought I was referencing the song Monster Mash. I said it would be the first song and sure enough, it was. This was not, however, what I was referencing. As I looked closely at the side of the U-Haul truck, I was astounded to see…
A GIANT ZEBRA on the side of the truck. I turned to Adi and pointed, “Look!”
It couldn’t have been clearer. The sign that we had been looking for was deliver at the exact moment that I had given up on finding it. It was only when I let go that the Universe delivered my sign. This is the case with so many things in life. When we are attached, we do the exact opposite thing we are hoping to accomplish. Instead of drawing our intentions closer, we push them away. When we surrender, the Universe delivers. This is the essence of co-creating with the Universe. We must be patient and have a full knowingness that our intentions will manifest—in due time.
We were going to Costa Rica. The Universe had delivered our sign. The only question was, when? And for that matter, how? Then I remembered, neither of those questions were my business. I needed only to surrender and watch the magic unfold….
To hear David narrate this blog click the link below to go to Spotify!