Everywoman should climb a mountain!

Do I mean that metaphorically or literally?

I am personally climbing toward my highest and best, by looking out and up to a vision of what I could be if I had no fear. If there were no obstacles, what would I create in this life? And I take steps, slow certain and steady steps in the general direction of my focus. Sometimes I am not certain where I will end up.

This past month, March 2014 I arrived at the position of number one consultant with CruiseShipCenters in North America! I am not kidding! I work a full time job as a probation officer and for the past five years I have been slowly steadily building a travel consulting business. I had no idea I could reach this spot. The owner says no agent from our office has ever held that position. My results this month pushed our office into number one in Canada.

I don’t say this to brag, although I am pretty stoked about it …. I want to really understand what it means. I know I don’t do anything alone. I am traveling and planning and working with teams all the time. I always have a Tenzing Norgay with me.

Edmond Hilary once said “it is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves”. I have been working on my skills, my listening, my enthusiasm, my teamwork and my community involvement for years. I suppose my whole life thus far has brought me to this place, this moment, this success.

The Womens Travel Club meetup group in Victoria, where I live, is alive with some of the most amazing women I know. They are stepping up and saying to me “I want what your having” and they are coming on world travel adventures with me.

I am in awe and full of gratitude for all those who entrust me with their precious vacation plans. To my family, who I love with all my heart, to my friends who inspire me everyday to be even more than I believe I can be and to those women who have walked the ground before me. And a special thank you to those folks who make the choice to invite me into their lives and to help arrange and plan their vacations. It is an honour indeed.

You have hiked the mountain and left a trail. I walk now and leave a trail to those who follow. I am overjoyed with love and happy thoughts on where we go next, together! Thanks for the successful month and for being on my team.

Big BIG love to all.

Pamela
Xoxoxox

The Movies

I was reminded today of one of the reasons I love travel! Thanks Sean from the UK for playing the game with me even just for a minute as it started my wheels turning and stirred up my bucket list.

I love to watch a movie and see places I have been in person. A few of my favorite examples (and I invite you to add your own personal examples below) include: (can you tell I love the fluff movies?)

“French Kiss” takes place partly in Paris and Nice and Cannes, along the Cote d’Azur … and produces one of my all time famous travel phrases “Beautiful –- wish you were here” ….. and original and remake of “Sabrina” – when she goes to Paris! Didn’t the original version of “Charade” take place partially in Paris?

007 SkyFall, James Bond is at the Grand Bazaar, opening scenes with bike riding on the roof in Istanbul (also another James Bond movie “From Russia with Love” takes place in that city).

A little known fact that the movie “Double Jeopardy” with Ashley Judd – scenes of the outside of the courthouse actually were taken at the courthouse in Revelstoke, BC Canada – where I worked for years as a Probation Officer and Family Court Counselor! REALLY!!! I was living there at the time.

“Only You”, with Marisa Tormei and Robert Downey Jr – One of my favorite lines comes from that movie “Italy … my wife’s in Italy. What’s my wife doing in Italy??” Also in Rome, “Roman Holiday” of course is a classic favorite.

“Home Alone 2”, in New York … the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. What about the original “Men in Black”? The big hit for Tom Hanks in his early years, “Big” takes place in New York (I loved finding the massive piano keyboard in that toy store when I was in NYC in 2013!). “When Harry Met Sally”, the ball drops on New Years Eve at Times Square. “Sleepless in Seattle” when it remakes the scene at the top of the Empire State Building from the original “An Affair to Remember”! Another remake of that movie starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening I think was called “Love Affair” and starts out on a cruise ship and also has them running for the famous top of Empire State Building.

“My Life in Ruins” starts in Athens and goes all over Greece …

Fan Tan Alley in Victoria, BC Canada featured in a flick called “Bird on a Wire” starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn.

“Bottle Shock” shot in Napa County and part of it in Paris …. Features California wine competition. Yummy!

Please play along with me, famous movies and favorite places ….. name that flick!!

Till next time, See you at the Movies!! And in the airports, trains, cruise ships and walking the cobblestone streets of your favorite location.

Pamela

—
Pamela MacDonald
I am living my dream by connecting to others ….
My website is open 24/7

Travel Dreams come true …
http://www.PamelaMacDonald.cruiseshipcenters.com

My blog: http://www.og7tkr.com

Bucket lists and Inspirations

What causes something to arrive on my bucket list? What makes me want to return to certain places? And why did I end up there in the first place? What do I love about travel to new locations, and familiar ones?

This past few weeks I have been really surprised by my answers to some of the questions noted above. I have committed to travel to places that I did not know were on my list and also some that have been always on my list, and I have been to a few times before! So surprised at the range of responses to “invitations” to go along.

A few things come to mind, and I just thought I would write about them. When someone I know gets super excited about a destination, and then, as a travel consultant I do some research for them and find the absolute best deal, great value and intriguing vacations, I am so tempted to go along.

Some leave me cool, for my own travel plans, and some take me to a full boil in an instant, where just moments before there was almost no interest. Is that an inspiration from the Universe? Is it a sign? What to do with it?
When I get a sign that this is a great value, luxury cruise (for example) to a destination that is intriguing and unique, an exciting adventure springs in to my mind. I admit some of it definitely has to do with relationships.

I make most of my decisions based on relationships. Maybe we all do? Inspiration and dreams leads the way. “Travel to far off destinations with family, friends and women holding hands around the world.” This has been part of my vision statement for my personal life, for several years now. It is coming true, and it is showing up in my life in a clear and consistent way now. Did I create it by narrowing my focus?

Whatever the path, the truth is that I have arrived. I love where I am and I love even more where I am going. This past two weeks I have laid my money down on deposit for two outstanding brilliant, life changing and fabulously exotic trips. Both with Oceania. One is Greece, oh I love Greece! With a few stops in Turkey and a few more islands in Greece that I have not yet visited, of course, also Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes, my 3 favourite Greek islands.

I am over the moon excited, even though we don’t go till September 2015. The most fun is that several of the Womens Travel club members are joining me and we will travel together. My favorite bus driver, she is joining me too. And my mom, and some great friends, and two gals I met on my last trip to Italy … the list goes on. There is still space and I hope you join me.

The second trip, which is sooner, March 2015 is 21 day repositioning cruise aboard Oceania Regatta (small boutique ship) through the Amazon! Can you believe it? Can you even dream such a fabulous trip? Flights included round trip Vancouver and there are 3 of us gals booked so far. Breathtaking scenery, the ship that I love so much, and the luxury of Oceania. Going places I have never been and returning to Rio de Janeiro (I still have my Brazil passport from my last repositioning cruise with Oceania!!). I get to cross the Equator again and be in that glorious heat.

Well, for now that is my travel blog. The stories of my future travels will unfold. I hope you have been inspired to take a chance, join a group and see the world! If you want to join my travel group, google Meetup Victoria Womens Travel Club and you will see us there!!

Tally ho,
Pamela

Pmacdonald@cruiseshipcenters.com
Www.pamelamacdonald.cruiseshipcenters.com

Bonjour! As a few people I know are preparing to head to one of my favourite destinations, Paris, this spring, I am reminded of my own adventure a few years back. I embarked on a Scenic Tours river cruise from Nuremberg Germany through the rivers of Europe, tasting wines and eating wonderful foods, enjoying the culture and architecture of the area. All the while my mind was on the “prize”.

I had been loving and dreaming Paris for over 50 years. Well to be fair as a baby I am not sure what I was dreaming about, however since I knew Paris, I wanted Paris. I did projects in elementary school, I read books and watched movies that centered around France. I attended French speaking classes in all my school years, right up to and including University. There is some inner voice of mine that speaks that language! In 1967 my family and I lived 11 months in Germany and the plan was to travel Europe, however we returned to Canada before I made it to France. I was in Montreal in 1976 for the Olympics, with the Canadian Armed Forces, and enjoyed the immersion in French Canadian culture. Still, however, the dream burned in me to go to Europe.

When I began my search for travel as an adult in the past ten years, I have had at the top of my bucket list a desire to travel France and spend time in Paris. So much so that I have collected a list of some ten items that I wanted to do when I finally got there. I had purchased travel books and a game on learning more and more about this vibrant, intriguing and historic world city.
My list included the “best” place to taste crème brulee; where to taste champagne infused sorbet; Pont Neuf bridge and all the bridges; Notre Dame Cathedral; walking cobblestone alley ways looking up at the small iron balcony laden with bright red flowers growing free; seeing if the sky really does turn pink in the evening as the sun sets; have a meal at the Eiffel Tower; see the place where Lady Diana is honoured by the Paris locals and tourists; shop along the Champs Elysees; sit at a small table outside a small cafe, with a bottle of wine and some tasty cheeses and watch people go by along the walk that follows the river; see the Louvre from the outside; sit at a park bench and listen to foreign languages; shop in a second hand or consignment store for designer fashions; shop for and or buy a hat.

I loved exploring Paris my whole life and was ready when the time came. I had a list of what I wanted to see and I made it my point to see them. Of course the Eiffel Tower, I took a little boat ride down the river to see all the bridges from the water. I walked and walked and walked, the river side, small alleys in beautiful districts, I took pictures and hung around the bridges .. I watched the sky turn pink at dusk. It really does! I found a tiny music box that plays La Vie En Rose … I love it and cherish it still. I sat at a tiny round table, drank wine and watched people. I shopped the little green boxes along the river bank. I had sorbet made from Champagne and I ate the most delightful authentic crème brulee, I went to Notre Dame Cathedral and stood in the magic spot. I saw the Louvre from outside and the Arch de Triomphe, I walked along Champs Elysees and only had a few short days. I found the place that honors Lady Diana who died in the tunnel, I shopped a bit but Paris is very expensive. I wore a hat and carefully selected scarf.

See what you can when you go to Paris, because then every movie you see and every book you read with Paris as a backdrop, you will feel you are back there. 🙂

Ask me anything you want about my trip – or check out my early blog, http://www.og7tkr.com as I wrote about it as I explored.

Pamela MacDonald

If I had one trip left ….

Good morning. I have been so inspired by a woman who has shared with me that she is dying. She wants to go on a last cruise, in her weakened physical state, before she can’t leave home. Illness has taken her body. Her spirit is alive and well.

A few years ago somehow she entered my life, she and her sister. They knew their cousins and siblings, all women in advanced years, were wanting an experience together before they started to pass on. What an honour. I called it the Cruising Cousins and enjoyed helping these women from around this country get their plans together for their reunion vacation of a lifetime. It was magic and they all made it.

Since then I have introduced some of these women to other vacations and have been struck, in the heart, when they call to get flights to attend to an ailing “cousin”. And then to attend the funerals.

This past month or so I came to know that one of the women I am most close with, when I called to check on her travel plans for the year, is nearing her end. She is very ill, can’t eat and is failing in her health. I was hosting a special wine and appetizer evening this past week locally in a lovely hotel and featuring a luxury cruiseline that I had introduced to some of the cousins over the years. She accepted. Let me call her “Grace”.

Grace arrived at the event, asked for me and found me. We embraced. Does everyone have such a great and close relationship with their travel consultant? Would we say we have become friends?

I looked in to her eyes and felt indeed gratitude for the invitation to keep living. To step out and enjoy what there is left of her life. To grab every precious moment, dress up, don the wig, and purple outfit and step into life. Say yes to the days that are left. No whine, no apology. What a gracious woman indeed. I wonder if I could grow into graciousness like her.

And I did not expect her to book another vacation. I was warmed to my very heart that she placed her name and credit card commitment to sail one last time. She placed her deposit on living and embracing the dream.

As I write this I am streaming love for this woman and her strength of character and her love for life and my deep gratitude for knowing her.

I ask her what is on her list of places she has always wanted to go? She tells me and says her doctor has approved her to travel. I get the sense the wise physician has said, “go, and live your life to its fullest”. I want that doctor to speak to me in my last years of my life. Maybe she is speaking to me now?

International Womens day was yesterday. I was busy connecting women with their dreams, all day. I feel like I am in the river of bliss and doing what comes as natural to me. I too have imagined what my life would be like. This is part of it, an expression of a small part of inspiring women everywhere to take centre stage of their own lives, be their own leading lady of their unique story.

To inspire women to travel in love and luxury, with grace and style to see places and wonders of the world. To help women literally and in every sense, hold hands around this world in peace, by celebrating our authenticity and showing up in all our brilliance.

This woman, Grace, may never know how her single life has impacted me, and I expect if you are reading this, you also are impacted.

Help me in thanking her, from all of our hearts, to live the dream that still stirs in her heart. To make choices to put family first, and to honour our dreams until our last breath.

Today I honour all women, and am grateful for Grace showing up and staying in my life, leading the way.

Peace be with you today.

Two Voices: I see you!

I am searching for a way to connect even more with my loved ones. There was a time when each breath and happy moment needed the support and caring of my mom, brother, daughters. How to enrich this experience as we are scattered across distance and time, all adults and on our own paths?

How does my family show up in my climb of my Everest? How involved are they and do they want to be? How am I a witness to theirs?

I let them know of their importance to me, is that enough? The question arising today in my mastermind group discussion. The answer springs forth as I sit in the river. It is not enough to put on my own oxygen mask. Clearly I need to do it first …. And then …. What next?

I can share more the actions I am taking and my magnificent obsession … Or not. If they wanted to know, would they not already ask?

Do any of us know there is a “there” to get to?

Can I invite others to witness? I suppose in many ways that is what this blog is about! I write my stories as they happen, as if my voice and ah-has matter to the world.

Mike Dooley says he “knocked on doors and uncovered stones”. That was his way to bring his Notes From the Universe and ‘Infinite Possibilities’ to the world. He shared his early business in partnership with his mother and brother. They built it together.

In reflection today and over the past week, in workshops and subsequently meeting and witnessing a brilliant woman, Natasha, and then reflecting with my mastermind Tenzing Norgay, Deb …. I have come to the moment I want to share.

I recall the conference where I met and listened to (witnessed) the first woman from North America, a Canadian, to climb the highest mountain in the world, and she spoke about the power of witness and communication. As they raced to the top of Mt Everest deciding what to take on and what to leave behind, the Canadian team decide to have radios keep them company. When quitting and turning back was on everyone’s mind, a voice, from the radio … barely audible says, ” I can see you from here. I see you.” You are almost there, I can see you take those steps and reach your goal.

Ah-ha! This is the magic. This is what I offer to my loved ones. I am the voice on the radio. I see you! I can see you from here and I am a fan of your journey. I can see you do what is important to you and I will always be the voice you hear as you succeed.

I love you. I am sorry for whatever in my past, my actions, or those of my ancestors, that may have caused this crisis. Please forgive me. Thank you.

With love

Pamela
Xo

Joy is …..

…Travel with awesome people to foreign lands, women holding hands around the world!

…My grandsons playing hide and seek and squealing with delight when I share loving moments and peak around corners looking for their excited faces. Oh, what a delight is Grammie-love!

…Moments of pleasure in reflection on my great life experiences so far.

…Creativity in visualization, extreme positive emotions imaging my future.

…I see a large white bedroom, loft perhaps, on the top floor, penthouse condo, all glass walls. Views of stunning colourful sun rise and set, the changing of the seasons and natures display, birdsong filling the air and calls from the sea. I see a writing table, or two or three, in strategic view points around the expansive and simple floor plan. I see computer screens with stories being written, preparing for my artistic expression. A den with quilting machine busy finishing stunningly beautiful fabric creations, sewn stories with love and fine threads. I see hardwood floors and tiles, heated from underneath adding warmth wherever I step. Fireplace in the common living area, as well in the sitting area of my bedroom filling the space with warmth and subtle flickers of light. Wall space, covered with my artistic expressions of watercolor memories of places I have been and have yet to visit.

…Ethical eating, vegan, gluten and sugar free, nutritional rich and colourful tasty delights. All foodies are welcome here. Dishes served on special dishes. A clean uncluttered countertop, open design, I can see the world from here!

…Travel, oh more travel! I want to regularly and several times annually to walk the cobblestone pathways and boardwalks along river ways and ocean fronts of major cities in Europe. Frequent visits to live Broadway shows in New York and London. Small Tuscan rural landscape villages spotted through fields of fragrant and colourful vibrant growing floral displays, sunflowers and lavender. Relaxed tours and tastings of vineyards and olive groves in Greece and walks through the wonderful quaint ancient islands. Finding designer clothing of white, off white and barely white flowy linen and cotton coverings. Perhaps South Pacific adventures, and Indonesia? Long walking adventures of Hadrians Wall and the Great Wall of China. To feel in my soul the places of ancient times and women ancestors calling out my name through time. “I am here. We are here”.

…Wearing flowers in my hair, flowers on my hat brims and flowers adorning my clothes and table coverings in my home. Admiring the display nature offers up generously and without expectation of return.

…Planting seeds of human kindness and world peace, forgiveness and sharing what I believe, that people do the best they can within their life circumstances. See the brilliance in resilience!

What is your name and where are you from? What is your story?

I had more ah-has about how my work has changed the world. One person at a time. I am easy world. I love me. I get how significant is one courageous person who expresses ideas a little off from mainstream; enough to gain attention and respect of those who are searching for a listening ear. Changing the world is not about doing, as much as being!

It’s truly a wonderful life. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people that have taught me, the experiences that lead me to this day, and the buffet of opportunities in every moment to be a better person. Joy is ……. My life.

Peace be with you my friend. May you enjoy true peace within each and every moment of each day of your life. True peace is a blessing that we already have and can be in the river with always. Is peace already in your pocket? Take a look and find it in your being.

Great workshop. I am leaning into love. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. Xo. Workshop lead by indigenous elders speaking from the collective heart of generations. Oh how powerful and appreciated. Everyone sits in “being” with each other, in respect and awe of the beauty and mystery and deep knowing; willing to be vulnerable and touched by the topic of violence within intimate relationships. Words spoken, hiding nothing.

I am world class at what I do and I was forgetting it. I saw it again today when I stepped in to the workshop. I was welcomed and loved and witnessed and honoured. Just like I asked to be.

I feel so blessed to have lived the life of my dreams. I can let go of struggle, as long as I also honour and celebrate my success. And then set my sail to catch the next wind. The future is just a dream. Today is the dream I had yesterday that truly and certainly arrived!

I forget as much as I learn. It is inside me. I am so honoured to be me. To respect my gifts and to speak from my heart.

I really needed this day to get grounded. I picked up a ceremonial drum and called forth my ancestors. Powerful. I spoke about my name and what it means to me. I was welcomed into the circle.

I have been so blessed to offer witness and encouragement with the people I have met in this career. My job is probation and family court work, transition house worker, victim assistance coordinator and executive director of a social service agency. I have been a consultant, mediator, researcher and officer of the Court. Mostly I have been the recipient of such great learning: that all people do the best they can with what they have. I can be a mirror to their story and reflect another point of view. I can and do witness transformation from the most shameful moment, often, in a persons life, to the rise of self esteem that takes such courage, it brings me to tears every special day of my life.

I honour my life. I honour the mentors along my journey. I honour forgiveness and gratitude.

Thank you, thank you for this powerful and precious day. Onward, tomorrow will even bring more love!

Thanks for joining my journey of hope, love and awe.

Xoxo