My little Alleyway in London

I can't seem to fully express how much a recent experience has really stuck with me, and this post will by no means capture the entire sense of gratitude that I have, but it's certainly worth sharing.

My first trip to London was when I was 20 years old. I had just moved about 4 hours away and took a bus into London by myself for an audition. Growing up in a small town in the Southern United States, this was my first venture alone in a major metropolitan area, and it was stressful to say the least. My bus arrived in London and I just started walking. I didn't know where I was going and it got cold, rainy and dark really fast. I felt overwhelmed and sat on a stoop in an alley to just cry. I was lost, I was cold, alone and I felt afraid. I don't mean to sound too dramatic- I was okay- but it was a pivotal point in my life where everything started to become real. My lust for life was just starting to kick in and I was overwhelmed with options and mixed up directions.

Fast forward years later, I was in London for an Immaculate Dissection Seminar. I met one of my partners at the airport and we ventured out to the place that we were staying. As we got closer, nostalgia set it. London has an immensly special place in my heart and I've spent a good deal of time there making lots of memories. As we arrived to our host's apartment complex, I was stopped abruptly. Our host resides in the exact same building, beside this exact same alley, where I stopped to cry because I was lost so many years ago. I was speechless and absolutely taken aback by the profundity of the experience.

So what does it all mean? To be honest, I'm still thinking on it. A place that allowed me space to cry once when I was lost and afraid turned into the place that hosted my team and I years later during what was quite possibly one of the best weekends of my life. I met beautiful, smart and interesting people who inspired, encouraged and supported me. Our host, Rob, became an instant friend that showed us nothing but kindness and graciousness for the entirety of our stay. I can't begin to express my gratitude that I have for this space and the people in it. I took a picture of this little alleyway, to remind myself in those occasional moments where we are overwhelmed and defeated , that we're never seeing the full picture, and that those moments may be exactly what we need to put us on exactly the right path.

Sometime life backs us into a corner where we are lost, afraid or just alone. It's easy to beat yourself up in these spaces and lose yourself in discouragement and disorientation. We've all been there in some way or another, but maybe these spaces don't get the respect they are demanding. Maybe these spaces are where brilliant ideas are born, where we get so desperate and can't be any more "lost" that something clicks into place, we shed our fears and liberate ourselves from the burdens that come with being hopeless. Try not to let yourself see these moments as a place where we are not whole, but rather a place where we have the opportunity to become new or alive. A space where we consider that possibilities are endless. Allow yourself to entertain the idea that we can actually do and become ANYTHING. Because what could be better than an inspiring moment we would have to reflect on later, when we're least expecting it.

A special thanks to Kathy, Danny, Rob and all the people that made Immaculate Dissection London a huge success. I am forever grateful :)

#immaculatedissection #london