Pitstop 1: Cancun, MX - fun times and somewhat imaginary conversations with our daughter!

As the 1st stop in our multi-city world itinerary, we arrived in Cancun, MX on Wednesday, 6/12 - we're spending about 18 days here (yes, blessed and lucky!) and splitting our time between Cancun proper (hotel zone) and Riviera Maya (about 45 minutes south of Cancun).  3 days in, lots to feel grateful for and lots to ponder upon!  As I've thought about the best way to capture our experience and preserve it for posterity as well as share it with our friends and family, I decided that it would be pretty cool to try and blog through Aiyana's perspective (our 7.5 month-old daughter) and write-up imaginary conversations that I think she's having with us (while I still have the chance to guess what goes on in that head of hers) - not sure how exactly that will play out but I figure it's worth a shot!  I intend to tag each of these conversations with a theme that is important to us - love, compassion, beauty, gratitude, perseverance, courage, the power of dreams etc. etc.  But first, here are some highlights of our arrival into Cancun and our stay thus far!

- The inbound journey was eventful - it was Aiyana's first international trip and while she did great, we hit a few snags along the way.  Snag #1 was with our hometown airline, Delta - minutes before our boarding our connecting Atlanta-Cancun flight, they decided that we needed a separate ticket for Aiyana.  This despite the fact that I had confirmed and re-confirmed with Delta via phone that no separate ticket was needed for her and she only needed to be listed on my itinerary (which she was) - of course, this issue did not pop-up when we boarded the first leg of our journey in Memphis.  Trust Delta to throw you a curveball - so, we scrambled and got Aiyana a ticket and boarded the flight with seconds to spare (literally!) - we were the last people to board the flight!  Upon arrival in Cancun, we headed to pick up our car rental where we hit Snag #2 - there was a $200 difference between the confirmed reservation price and what the counter agent wanted to charge us.  After some back-and-forth, they adjusted the reservation to reflect the confirmed price and we were on our way (or so we thought) - less than half-a-mile into our trip from the car rental place to the hotel, I discovered that the blinkers/indicators were not working so we looped back around and had to wait for them to get us another car - of course, Aiyana was way past her bedtime by now and beginning to get fussy!  Finally made it to the (absolutely fantastic and beautiful) hotel around 10:30pm after having left the house around noon - long and eventful journey but we were sure glad to have arrived!  2 life lessons reinforced on the inbound journey
1. Stay flexible and adaptable as challenges present themselves - that's what gives you the best shot at resolving them!
2. A smile and a friendly disposition goes much further than an aggravated disposition - during the course of our car rental issue, I discovered that the agent at the counter had a 5-year old named Camille who was born in Vegas so we chatted about daughters for a while - I have no doubt that that conversation made her more willing to go above-and-beyond to help us out! :-) - how often do we make a customer service person the recipient of our wrath/ire?  Of course, they're just doing their job as well and they're as human as any of us!

The first few days in Cancun were spent lounging by the pools and the beach and were the scene of one of our imaginary conversations with Aiyana.

Me: Wow, look at this place, look at the water, the ocean, the sky - all so pretty
Anshu: It's magical - so glad we made it.  I already feel very relaxed looking at the azure blue water.  This place is really really beautiful!  And I love the view from our balcony - just mesmerizing!
Aiyana: I agree mom and dad, this place is incredibly beautiful but I have a question
Me: Shoot!
Aiyana: Have you noticed lately how beautiful Memphis is and how beautiful our home is?  I find them both to be exceedingly pretty - the river, Beale St, downtown Memphis, Autozone park, FedEx forum, the art and photography in our house, the layout of our house, my play area, our cars, our neighborhood, the golf course, the restaurant we went to last week, the gym, the pool you took me to, the kitchen in our house, our yard, the dining area, the Memphis Zoo, oh and I almost forgot - did you see how beautiful the flowers are in the yard that's just around the corner from our house - I see them everytime we drive by and smile... everything around me is so beautiful and it's all so new for me - I love it and I love noticing how pretty our surroundings are and how pretty even the simplest things are.  Didn't I hear you say once that "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder?" so, do you see the beauty all around you?
Me: Stunned Silence (mouth agape)
Anshu: Stunned Silence (mouth agape)

Note to self: Consciously look for the beauty in everyday people, things and places.  There truly is magic around us if only we pause to look and ponder.  Updated life manifesto below!

To be continued...

Life Manifesto (ever-evolving; in present tense and not future tense):
I live a life that minimizes regret. 
I strive to be passionate in all areas of my life. 
I strive to be a love magnet and a love transmitter. 
I dream big. 
I do not kid or cheat myself. 
I own my things vs. letting them own me. 
I am grateful. 
I take the risks needed to chase my dreams. 
I do not rely on the crutch of excuses that prevent me from living the life I want. 
* I constantly see the beauty in everyday people, places and things.
* I stay flexible and adaptable especially when things don't go exactly according to plan
* I smile and resolve issues by being cheerful vs. being agitated and angry

And here are some pictures from our trip so far...

Anshu and Aiyana stylin' in the balcony

The bartender at this awesome authentic Mexican restaurant we went to - La Parrilla - he carried the margarita glasses expertly balanced on his head right across the restaurant!

At La Parrilla - great Mexican food!

The view from our balcony1

Beautiful grounds!

Top 6 reasons why I quit my perfectly good job at a perfectly great company!

7 days into a mini-retirement of sorts, I've been contemplating and reflecting on many things ...
- What transpired to get us to this point? 
- Why we chose to do what we're doing at this very moment in our lives? 
- What lies ahead?  Where do we go from here? 
- What do all the trigger events (that caused us to make this leap of faith) mean? 
- How do we make the most of this mini-retirement? 
- What are the key priorities in our lives? 
- How is my self-identity redefined given my newly-found unemployed status? 
- What memories do I want to create during this "down" time?
- How can I make sure that this "down" time is not just about me and us but it's also about giving back and passing on what we've been super fortunate to receive?
- Who do I really want to be when I grow up (I hope I never grow up)
- What is going to be my legacy?...
... questions of all kinds swirl around in my head - some I pause to ponder on, others just flit across the screen of my mind only to come back later, still others do the very same peek-a-boo tease that I'm trying to perfect with our 7-month old daughter!  Something I read a long time ago comes to mind "When lamenting to a friend about the lack of clear and explicit answers to existential questions in a protagonist's life, their friend replied ... "Maybe you're asking the wrong questions!!!" " ... so, I don't know if the questions that I've briefly spelled out above are the wrong questions but, if nothing else, they are making me reflect on things and the amazing thing is that they are not making me overly anxious about the future despite there obviously being a lot of uncertainity right now ... something that Margaret Drabble (English novelist, biographer and critic) said eloquently comes to mind "When nothing is sure, everything is possible" and so it is with a great deal of hope and faith, we have embarked (as a family) on the road less traveled.

In this blog post, I wanted to jot down (type up) my thoughts and outline the Top 6 reasons on why I quit my perfectly good job at a perfectly good company!  But, before I do that, some background:
Since late 2004, I have had the amazing fortune to work at one of the world's most admired companies - in the 8+ years that I was there (still feels a little strange to use past tense), I've had many many amazing opportunities, been fortunate to experience many great experiences, and been blessed to create some amazing relationships - something that I am super super thankful for.  During my employment, I've also had many personal milestones - got married soon after I started working here, had a baby shortly before I left! - through it all, the friendship and warmth of my colleagues has always blown me way - be it at the wedding shower that was hosted for us or the absolutely fantastic baby shower that was hosted to honor us just before the birth of our first child.  Time and again, my work family has come through for those in need and it is true that the people here make it an absolutely remarkable place to work (perfectly good company, perfectly good job).  On the other hand, one of my life goals has always been to take some kind of a mid-career break and "retire" while I still have the health and energy needed to pursue some passions - however, the traditional fears that bind us all (career prospects, job prospects, family obligations, societal pressures etc. etc.) prevented me from pursuing that life goal.  About 12-months ago, the itch to really pursue this life goal became stronger than it had ever been before - at that point, given that we were 4-months from the arrival of our first-born, I could not see myself taking that "risk" and casting off into the unknown!  Life being what it is and without going into too much detail, about 4-months ago an opportunity presented itself where the risk was mitigated to an extent (at least financially) and after some deliberation, we decided to take the plunge and just "go for it"!  With that being said, here are the top 6 reasons why I quit my perfectly good job at a perfectly good company!  The reasons below are followed by a corresponding life manifesto - in no particular order...

1. Life is short: All of us are routinely exposed to the fragility of life - be it through the passing of a loved one or the sudden onset of a friend's illness - yet, despite our initial shock and sadness at these events, we continue to live our life in much the same way that we did before these events transpired.  I decided that it was no longer acceptable to me to put off the things that I've always wanted to do and that I did not want to "die wondering".  Ten years from now, I did not want to be in a position where I thought to myself "what if I'd taken that leap of faith" or "what if I'd done something crazy" ... Regret, truly, is like a cancer and now, more than ever before, I choose to live a life that minimizes regrets.

2a. Happiness is an inside job: Too often we make our happiness contingent on an external person, external event, external "thing".  Sure other people's moods and idiosyncrasies affect us, sure material possessions bring some joy with them but it's also true that when the only person who has the remote control on your life is you, chances of your being happier are a lot higher!  Tuning into my intuition and gut led me to the conclusion that this "leap of faith" was worth taking!

2b. Happiness is in the journey, not in the destination: Related to what I said above, why wait to feel "happy" when you get that next promotion, new house, new car, new significant other etc. etc. If you wait then soon after you get your next promotion or next car, you'll be pining for something else... I'm now fairly convinced that if you choose to be "happy" then all those other things you "need" and "want" will flow from that.  A mounting body of scientific evidence supports the notion that being "happy" comes prior to external "happy" events vs. the other way around.

3a. Aiyana: Our 7-month old daughter lights up our life and she's only going to be this age, once in her life.  I want to spend as much time with her as possible and be eligible for "dad of the year" honors!  I only see her existing in 2 states of being with both states often being simultaneous in their manifestation.  State 1: Love Magnet - she is an automatic magnet for love - even when she's crying/howling, even when she's sound asleep, even when she's quiet and contemplative.  State 2: Love transmitter - truly children love unconditionally, deeply and without holding back.  I'm totally inspired by her and wonder why we, adults, choose (consciously or unconsciously) to stop existing in those 2 states at all times.  As she grows up and acclimatizes to the vagaries and realities of life and looks up to us for guidance, I want to look her in the eye and say "be bold, take some risk, be creative - just look at what your crazy parents have done".  Trying to practice what I preach - easier said than done!

3b. Anshu: Family means a lot to me and if I don't make that a priority, I will only stand to lose.  Temporarily free from the run of day-to-day work life, I am looking forward to spending quality time with my wonderful girlfriend and wife (yes, it's the same person)! :-)

3c. Family: I do not ever want to regret that I did not give my loved ones the time that I could have when I had the option - that is my need even though it may not always be their need!  This mini-retirement gives us an opportunity to spend time with our extended family which is very important to us!  And it gives Aiyana an opportunity to get to know her grandparents, uncles and aunts!

4. Passion is powerful: Read any (auto)biography and follow any successful businessperson, sportsperson, artist etc. etc. and you'll see that one common thread that ties them together is the passion for what they do - a great job certainly provides a lot of fulfillment but I was starting to ask myself routinely "what is my legacy going to be" and "will this be truly what defines me" after I'm gone.  I don't know the answer for certain but want to explore what other experiences I can leverage to build a lasting legacy.  And it is in search of that true passion that we're casting off from safe harbor!

5a. Dream big or go home:  What is the point in living a good life when you know deep inside you that it can be even greater (measured by fulfillment, not by material wealth) ... so, if you have a dream, make it a big one and chase after it with all you've got!  Anything else and you're just kidding yourself.

5b. Chasing your dreams is always worth it:  Almost always, the pursuit of dreams is fraught with risk - Pursue them anyway!  The world belongs to the "crazies" - the easiest thing in the world is to find excuses on why we can't do something.  Something as simple as turning that around to "why you can do something" starts to open up all kinds of possibilities and doors!  "Possibility thinking" certainly works for me!

6a. It all eventually works out: Looking back at my life, the events that caused me the greatest anguish also proved to some of the biggest disguised blessings!  So, I have to trust that the pattern will continue going forward - to quote one of my inspirations, Steve Jobs, "you can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.  So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.  You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.  Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path." 

6b. Fear is limiting, Faith is empowering: My mom always said "Fear is the absence of faith and, conversely, faith is the absence of fear" so we decided that it was time to "Keep the faith" and "jump off the bridge and grow our wings on the way down" - in teen-speak, YOLO (You Only Live Once).

So, off we go - being full-time parents to our 7-month old daughter and exploring the world for the next 4-6 months; bonding as a family; learning and growing; pausing and reflecting; thinking and doing...  I plan on updating this blog along the way so feel free to follow along as our family travels the road less traveled!

Life Manifesto (ever-evolving; in present tense and not future tense):
I live a life that minimizes regret. 
I strive to be passionate in all areas of my life. 
I strive to be a love magnet and a love transmitter. 
I dream big. 
I do not kid or cheat myself. 
I own my things vs. letting them own me. 
I am grateful. 
I take the risks needed to chase my dreams. 
I do not rely on the crutch of excuses that prevent me from living the life I want. 

And, finally, a few inspiring thoughts/quotes that keep us motivated even when we're occassionally racked by self-doubt about going down this path.  Thankfully the moments of self-doubt have been few and far between, thus far!