As adults we don’t act on our intuition as much as when we were kids. We’ll get a great idea and then talk ourselves out of it.
I got invited to a Rajasthani Royal wedding in Jodhpur, India by someone I barely know 2 weeks ago.
My initial reaction was – that sounds awesome but I can’t fly to India in a few weeks. I didn’t check my schedule – I assumed it wouldn’t be a good idea because it would cost a good chunk of money, the year is just getting started, my dog would miss me, etc. Lots of excuses.
A few days ago I woke up thinking what it would be like in Jodhpur. I Googled pictures of the ancient city and watched videos on YouTube. I envisioned myself taking pictures at a 2000 person royal wedding. Something about it felt right and sparked a YOLO (“You Only Live Once”) moment. I love taking pictures, I love weddings, and I’ve always wanted to go to India.
I went to happy hour to meet my friend Jake.
Jake is older. Jake is a lawyer. Jake is responsible. I brought up my silly YOLO moment.
Me: “If I went I would leave in a week, and I would have to come right back to shoot another wedding. That’s crazy. Plus I should be saving money. I’m not gonna go.”
Jake: “You should totally go! What if you meet your husband on the trip? Or WHAT IF you meet your husband a year from now and he’s a rich start-up guy? Then this money will be NOTHING! I went to India with Terri (his wife) and it was one of the best trips of my life.”
Before talking to Jake or any of my other friends, I already knew how I felt. I wanted to go.
So I messaged the guy who invited me and asked if it was crazy if I came. He didn’t respond to the message. Instead he called right away. It was 4:00am in India. He told me to please come as his family’s special guest. He said, “While you are here, you will not spend a single penny. Your hotel and food are all taken care of. My cousins are fashion designers here. They will sort out your outfits for the wedding…”
What? I get to be Bollywood Pretty Woman?!
He said, “Please come. Amy (his girlfriend whom I also met) and I would be so excited if you came.”
I went online to look at flights. 35 hours of travel to get there and I leave on Saturday? This IS crazy.
Opportunities are always showing up waiting for you to take them, you just have to open your mind and tap into the space to see it as a train stopping for YOU. Do you want to hop on?
Can I say – It feels right to allow one of my dreams to come true. I made a commitment to myself to enjoy every single moment of this journey and live life without regrets.