Lessons from The 30x30 Project: Cities 5-8

We're back to the summary of The 30x30 Project Tour! If you missed the last one, read about the first 4 cities here.Today, we're going further into Canada and back into The States with cities 5-8, including Edmonton, Calgary, Phoenix and Boulder.Have a good trip... ;)

Edmonton: Give

It was dark when I got in to Edmonton, and I was STARVING by the time I finally got to my hotel. I had no idea what was around the area, so I went down to ask the concierge what I should grab for dinner. She recommended a cafe that was fairly close; just a few blocks away.It had been snowing in Edmonton, but not for the recent couple of days, resulting in mucked-up, crumbly snow and slush. It was just icy enough for me to take a few comedic almost-spills (like when the coyote steps on the banana peel and slides around on one heel for a hot second) on my way to grab some grub from the recommended cafe.I passed numerous restaurants. Some closed, some empty... a Subway sandwich place... a soup cafe...After a little walk, I was getting a bit frustrated by not being able to find the cafe the concierge had told me about. Turns out it was inside and upstairs in a mall... that had closed the hour before."Well, guess it's soup for dinner," I thought to myself...Guess what! The soup place had just closed, too! Yayyyy!Starving. Freezing. Totally clueless about what was around...I started to head back to the hotel, resigned to my pricey, less-than-yummy dinner that awaited me in the restaurant downstairs (it was bound to be better than Subway) when I stumbled upon a restaurant with a line out the door. It was effing cold, so that said even more for this restaurant than it usually would!I stepped inside Tres Carnales to see what it was all about, and I was embraced by the crisp and spicy aromas of fresh ingredients and spices, the hipsters crowding the tables or waiting in line for one to open, and the seductive interior of rich reds and unique art that covered the walls... literally. One whole wall was a vibrant mural.I could see the cooks behind an opening in the wall, cooking up a storm while laughing and smiling, the whole time jokingly bantering with a man in a hat taking orders from the servers as they brought them up. I realized he must be the manager or a respected expeditor by the way he took charge of that kitchen and made the chefs smile.Every other restaurant I had passed was either closed or empty. This one had to have something to it.I must have been staring up at the chalkboard menu for quite some time because I was startled by a whisper: "Get the fish tacos."Broken from my trance of temptation to order one of everything, I looked over to the source of said whisper to discover that it was the man in the hat. A little taken aback, I asked, "Oh yeah? Are they really that great?""The best thing on the menu," he smiled. "I promise.""Done," I said, even though I wasn't planning to have a 10% meal. "I'll have those and a tortilla soup to go please.""Great!" he said brightening even more (which I wasn't sure would be possible). "Coming right up!"Then he ran back behind the window and started talking to the line chefs again.What an amazing experience! The manager/expeditor had taken the time to come out from behind the window to help a customer who looked lost.To my surprise, a minute later, the man in the hat returned to chat me up, but this time, with a little plate of fish tacos."Here," he thrust the plate into my hand. "A couple mini fish tacos so you know what you're getting yourself into."Wow! What? Where am I? I love Canada!We continued to chat as my order was being prepared. Me, stuffing my face with the delicious bites of mini fish tacos (he wasn't kidding: these rivaled the ones I'd eaten at the famous James Beach in Venice, CA) as I talked about The 30x30 Project. Chris (the man in the hat), listening, "wow"-ing, and telling me about the restaurant, the town, and how he was actually the owner of this place. It was (not surprisingly) doing really well!When my food came out, I was actually bummed I didn't order it to stay. This was such a pleasant experience. We said bye, he invited me back again, and I walked out into the cold with a little smile on my face.My night at Tres Carnales was a perfect example of The Giver Business Model; Chris helped me when I looked overwhelmed, gave me free stuff, and was über-nice and welcoming, which prompted me to share Tres Carnales on social media and tell anyone and everyone who is planning to go to Edmonton to try the awesome fish tacos there. Seriously, the excellent food was an unexpected bonus to the great service.I would've given them rave reviews even if I hated their food.Chris saw that I was lost, and gave me the solution to my indecisiveness. He then gave me what he could to make me happy while waiting, and chatted me up, making me feel important and valued.A+ and 3 gold stars for Chris and Tres Carnales. You guys win for best dining experience on the whole tour... and that was a to-go order!A little kindness can go a long way to make someone a devoted fan or customer (or both) in your business or a loyal friend or lover in your personal life.When most people are looking for ways to get out of giving one more thing, you can stand apart by choosing not to put a cap on your kindness.The next day, I was picked up from the hotel by my instant friend, Erin, from lululemon Whyte Ave., and taken to the store where we had a morning bootcamp to prepare everyone for their weekends ahead! A great success, Erin and I ended up hanging out right up until I left on a "motor coach" (which is a glorified bus) to Calgary, wishing I'd had more time to explore the beautiful city and go to Tres Carnales again with Erin this time.

Calgary: Clean

The motor coach ride to Calgary was long. Luckily, this tricked out bus had wifi, outlets and comfy seats. I ended up getting a seat all the way in the back on the right side of the aisle, which means no one was sitting next to me. Score!I plugged my phone in, tapped into the wifi on my laptop, and started uploading pictures. I was planning to get some work done...But it was just so WHITE outside!I was hypnotized by the vast expanses of snow, dotted with farm houses and barns every few kilometers.I would have never thought that plain white could be so beautiful. My plans to work were closed up with my laptop, now in the convenient basket in front of my seat. I was enraptured by the clean nothingness that spoke of possibility, of opportunity, like a new canvas.When we focus only on work and goals, sometimes we miss the beauty surrounding us. We start focusing on all the things we can't do because we're too busy, or all the things we can't have because we don't make enough money. We focus on minutia in our bodies that keeps us from being "perfect," and then we beat ourselves up for eating that cupcake last weekend. We feel trapped by our lives and the choices we've made.Sometimes we don't see the opportunities to start painting on a new canvas, to start over on a clean slate.We are never trapped. We always have the choice to stand up and walk away to another way of being, or stand up and fight for this one... or you can just sit and notice how beautiful the nothingness is.Every second, you have the choice to start painting a new life. [click to tweet]It's your choice.

*****

The bootcamp was über-successful! With 45 bootcampers, a DJ and catered breakfast, we started Sunday morning off with a bang! Big thanks to my beautiful friend, Angie Wallace (who is an inspiration of strength), for making all the magic happen.That night, I flew back to Vancouver for an overnight layover (most beautiful flight I've ever been on, by the way) and ended up staying with Amanda, a new friend who feels more like a sister at this point... even though her boyfriend thought I was going to murder her in her sleep. :) The next morning I was off to Phoenix...

Phoenix: Be Where You Are

When I walked outside of the car in Phoenix, it was like walking into a hair dryer. After a week in freezing temperatures, this dry 85 degrees was a shock to my system.I jumped in a cab (big lesson for Phoenix: it's a city you need a car in) and drove off to the airbnb I was staying in. The owners of the property I was set to stay in had been so pleasant and responsive with all the details: I would use the numbered code they had sent me to get in, then make myself at home in the room they'd set up for me. They warned me that they kept weird hours so they probably wouldn't be home when I got there, but hopefully they'd see me sometime that night.I jumped out of the cab when we got to the house, eager to have some time to myself before the run club bootcamp that night. I walked up to the door and watched the cab drive off as soon as I reached the stoop. I went to enter the code.The screen door was in the way of the actual door with the code lock, so I went to open it...

*jiggle*

uh oh

*jiggling harder*

oh no

*frantic jiggling and pulling at the doorknob*

The door was locked. I couldn't get to the actual door with the number code on it. I rang the doorbell over and over again. I walked around and tried the side door by the driveway. Locked. I reviewed the details they'd sent just to make sure I hadn't missed the part where they told me about a key...Nope. I was locked out.I called his phone. No answer.I called his wife's phone. No answer.I texted them both to call me back immediately, then had threw my backpack on the stoop and sat next to it. I was furious.In the arid heat, my state of exhaustion worsening the frustration, I sat and fumed.All I wanted was to be inside, in the air conditioned space that was mine for a few hours before my 3rd day teaching in a row.I wanted to be anywhere but on that doorstep, waiting for something I didn't know would come.I started catastrophizing in my head: what if they never called me? Would I have to contact airbnb directly? Would I get my money back? Would they pay for a hotel for me?...and on and on until I realized what I was doing, and that it was only making my situation worse. My frustration was growing, my panic rising, and I was no better off worrying than if I chose to accept the situation as it was, reminding myself that this was not, in fact, the end of the world.What was the worst that would happen? I would get a night at a hotel, airbnb wouldn't reimburse me, and the homeowners would run away with the cash I'd paid them through the service. That was the worst possible scenario. Then I recognized how ridiculous that would be; there was no way airbnb would let that happen. Their service is just too awesome. I'd only paid one night anyways...My heart beat started slowing down, and my breathing calmed. The furrow between my eyebrows released a bit, and my shoulders sank back down away from my neck.And then the owner's wife called me, apologizing, and told me to let myself in the back gate and into the unlocked door just to the left.When you find yourself somewhere you don't want to be, and out of control of the situation, do you resist and fight and fume, or do you realize that you have no control, accept that this is what it is right now, and breathe?Yeah, most of us do the former.Instead of throwing a tantrum because you're not where you envisioned yourself to be–in your body, in your job, in your love life, in your happiness–RELAX. Some things are outside of our control and sometimes, s*** happens. Life would be mighty boring if it didn't.What matters is that you recognize what you can control, what actions you can take to make your life what you envision it to be, and allow what is out of your control to simply be. Allow yourself to simply be in any situation.There is a time and place to fight; reserve your power for when it will serve you. [click to tweet]

****

The bootcamp and Movement Meetup went extraordinarily well! We ran to start, then made some noise right smack in the middle of the mall on the grass. We even had some little kids mimicking us to the side, and man, could they burpee something fierce.Afterwards, I went to True Food Kitchen with my new friends Danny and Colleen who are both taking some amazing strides to serve the world as best they can. You go, guys! Do Phoenix proud!

Boulder: Research

The next morning, I caught a cab at 5 am to Boulder to reunite with my honey bunches of oats and chill out for a few days before the Boulder bootcamp.I was so excited to come to Boulder! We had just scheduled it a couple weeks prior after months of back and forth because of some changes in management.I thought: college kids + free workout = filled-up bootcamp no problem. I was psyched.Boulder is a beautiful town with one of the best coffee shops I visited along my tour (Boxcar, waddup?!). The foodie scene is delightful and we ended up staying right near everything we needed.But the town seemed kinda empty. I was a bit puzzled to tell you the truth.Boulder is known for being a college town, but I didn't see very many of them...Meh. Maybe they actually went to class here in Colorado...On Thursday morning, I showed up at Boulder's lululemon athletica, ready and rarin' to go, and it was like Corte Madera all over again...It was Rick, David Damron from Become A Beast (thanks for driving an hour in to support, David!), and the team of lululemon Boulder. Thank God they were there to support.Having the Corte Madera experience, I knew to just let go of those expectations and give it everything I had anyways. Because of that, I think everyone had a blast... and I made David super sore the next day, so I count it as a win. ;)It was a great group, albeit small. We had a lot of fun!Afterwards, the main coordinator came up to me and told me how sorry she was that more people didn't come."We put it up on the community boards, and told people who came in the store about it," she said. "But then we realized a little too late that it's Spring Break this week."Whoopsies.That's why the town seemed deserted! It was!In our haste to include Boulder as one of the cities along the tour route, I forgot all about doing the research into when Spring Break actually was! I felt so stupid.But what could I do? It was over, and there was nothing I could do about it now.Besides fully understanding now that I will absolutely need more behind-the-scenes help the next time around (:D), I was struck with the importance of doing more research before delving into something that means so much to you.I often say something to the equivalent of "just do it," but doing a little research before going out and "doing it" can cost you wasted time and money.The only danger is thinking you have to know everything before going into it (including the outcome and the exact schedule of events). It's recipe for disaster for 2 reasons.

1. You'll never end up getting around to it because you'll never be prepared enough for it.

2. Even if you do feel 90% prepared, you're going to obsess about every single little detail and leave little to no room for improvisation... which is kinda where the fun of life happens.

Find the balance, whatever that is for you. Do the work, but let it keep you from ever DOING anything, or enjoying it.*****That's it for today's summary, guys. I'll see you later this week with our regularly-scheduled strength program. ;)With hope and fire,Amy