The anniversary - 4 yrs ago today the adventure began

Today is a special day at our house! Four years ago, we arrived in Venice to begin our new life. Where have  those 4 years gone?  Goodness, they have just flown,  it feels as if it were just yesterday I walked into this apartment for the first time.

I spent most of today reflecting on everything we've been through- from all the planningto selling all of our possessions and actually getting ourselves here, to making a life in an entirely new country,  not knowing one single soul other than ourselves or knowing the language.  Sometimes I look back and wonder "What were we thinking?" I know the answer to that. We wanted to get out of the rat race and live a simpler life before it was too late.

My life coach, Bill Pullen, sent me this wonderful  message this morning -- "Wow, 4 years. You are a powerful example of the willingness to courageously pursue your dream."

 His words reminded me of one of the most important lessons I learned during this process - I had found the courage to pursue a dream, and make it a reality.

I just want to share with everyone reading one thing- if I can find that courage, anyone can. No matter what you dream of, YOU are the one who can make it happen. There is no luck involved, it's all your own hard work, dedication, and the courage to keep at it until you succeed.

Living the dream--- what's up with this Life Coach business???

Not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me about this "moving to Venice" business. Yes, it is truly incredible. Every person I talk to has pretty much the same reaction....awestruck that we are actually doing this! I get hit with all kinds of questions but mostly people want to hear the whole darn story. What makes us want to move,? How are we going to do it? How can we give up our lives here?? When I start telling our story and get to mentioning my use of a life coach, eyes start to get even wider. Then I have to get into a sidebar on what a life coach is and how I found one, and how it worked for me.

Because I feel so strongly about the positive experiences I've had using a life coach, because I get asked so often, and because it's such an important element of our whole adventure, it warrants a place here in my blog.

When I was pretty clear on the fact that I wanted to move to Venice, I knew I needed help. I had done alot of reading ( self-help kinds of topics) so I knew what a life coach was. I also had the sense that was what I should look into. What I wanted was a mentor.. a cheerleader even, someone who would help me get over the hurdles when I was feeling like it was too much for me.

When people ask how I found my life coach, I tell them I turned to the internet for research. I found several life coaches on the web in my area, and started calling them to have an inital conversation. One of the first three I talked to was Bill Pullen, of Pullen Associates in Washington, DC.

During my initial phone conversation with Bill, I could sense that this person seemed to really "get" where I was coming from. When we met in our first face to face appointment, I quickly confirmed that my initial instincts were correct. Bill did have a firm grasp of what I wanted and needed. I could tell that I'd make a wise choice having him provide guidance and support during this venture. There was no need to look elsewhere, I knew I had found the right coach. I can't put my finger on it, but I think when you know it's the right connection, you go with it.

Bill helped me work through what I call "the plan". It's more like a roadmap that has helped me every step of the way- from the original idea to the final steps of getting ourselves moved over there. Whenever I could sense an obstacle, I would fall back on my plan and the absolute confidence I had in myself now. I have no doubt, none whatsoever, that I would have faltered if I had not worked with Bill.

I must say that for my particular purposes, I only had sessions with Bill for about 4-5 months. During that time we had 3 monthly meetings, generally over the phone. We'd discuss my progress on particular tasks that I had set out for myself and then plan what was next to accomplish. Even after I stopped having meeting time with Bill, I have never stopped focusing on the end goal, using my plan to guide me.

Fortunately for me, my husband Mike has been completely on board and as committed to this adventure as I am. I never had to sell him on making this move. Also fortunately for me I have had Bill Pullen in the background as sounding board for my ideas right from the beginning.

So- what have I got to say about life coaches? I could be the poster child for all Life Coaches of the world. It was worth every penny and then some. Using a life coach has been a life changing experience for me. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone who feels they need change of some sort. Whether its career or personal in nature, if you need change--- I encourage you to do something wonderful for yourself by enlisting a life coach.

NOTE: This is not a commercial for Bill Pullen by any means. Bill has consented to the use of his name in my blog.