Chasing my Dreams!

**SO THAT WAS AUGUST 2011 – WOW, WHAT A MONTH!!**

This month has been the most incredible, life-changing, defining month of my Life. Not only have I ticked off FIVE, yes FIVE of my ‘Items on my List’ (haha…what a way to ‘officially’ kick off my Bucket List!), but I now have brought my BIGGEST Life Dream to reality..and I cant begin to try to explain just how much it has meant to me, to experience this…well, ok, I will try to explain it lol…So…August 2011, I ticked off: (all of these had been in my mind, to do in my life, before my Bucket List was ‘officially born’ in June 2011)

No 38. Go on a Womens’ Personal Development Retreat (Like Chocolate for Women Mooloolaba ‘Sweet Retreat’)

Kim & Fleur from “Like Chocolate for Women”, two of the most gorgeous, caring women, who brought us the most deliciously luxurious, pampering Retreat

This inaugural ‘Mooloolaba Sweet Retreat’ was the most indulgent, pampering, empowering experience as a woman. Kim & Fleur from Like Chocolate for Women are very passionate about getting the message out about ‘self-care’ – not only through their ‘health, beauty and wellbeing’ range of products – but their whole philosophy on life is to honour yourself, by taking care of your self, from the inside, and on the out. ‘Like Chocolate for Women’ is an experience every woman should have – whether through a Retreat, through a ‘Sparkle’ experience (bringing their products to you, in party form), or by simply interacting with KIm & Fleur, the ‘Choccie Girls’.

Kims husband, ex-international NZ cricketer Danny Morrison, has recently started a section of the business, for men – aptly titled “Like Sport for Men”.

I have since been asked to be on the Support Team for the 2012 LCFW Retreat – it was SUCH an honour to be asked by the girls, to help support this special Retreat – it is also my way of ‘giving back’, not only to Kim & Fleur, but also to other women who are there to celebrate being a woman, and develop new ways of self-care for themselves.

No 61. Be a tourist in my local area, staying in a local hotel (Mooloolaba) on my own and enjoying ‘being away from home’

Mantra Mooloolaba…BEAUTIFUL hotel! My ‘home away from home’ for a few days

I decided to get into the whole ‘Retreat’ feel by staying at the Hotel attached to where the Like Chocolate for Women Retreat was being held. I had never checked in, and stayed in a hotel on my own before…while this may seem like not a ‘big deal’ to some…given where I was in my life at that time, still feeling ‘lost’ but determined to face new challenges, and having to organise my luggage etc to be carried myself (without having family/support person with me etc) this was a HUGE deal to me.

I drove to the Hotel, feeling SO nervous, and scolding myself thinking ‘come on Tania, this is Mooloolaba, you know the place inside-out!’ – (looking back on this, almost a year later *April 2012*, this makes me realise just how MUCH I have grown, doing this would not worry me now, not in the slightest) – wondering how I was going to manage my luggage, and check in, all on my own. But as I found out, it was a very easy process. Staff at the Hotel (and which has been my experience since, at other hotels Ive stayed at on my own) were only too willing to assist me, with anything I needed support with. I checked into the Hotel, feeling SO proud of myself for doing it, not just staying at home and driving to the Retreat every day.After exploring my Room, checking out the bathroom, the luxurious bed, the views from the balcony etc….I headed to the LCFW Retreat….for the most wonderful 2.5 days of self-discovery. After the last session ended on the last day of the Retreat, I was enjoying myself so much, being ‘away’, that I decided to stay at the Hotel for another night….I hadnt spent a lot of time in my hotel room as we were at Retreat for the full days….so going back to the Hotel on the last evening, and knowing that I needn’t rush home, was such a luxurious feeling! THIS is the feeling that I was after, on this particular ‘Tick’. On a lunchbreak on one of the Retreat days…I happened to come across this cute beast, while strolling down Mooloolaba Esplanade….

Nina the Llama…she was SO cute!! ..and such a poser haha…she had many people taking her photo!!

No 49. Stay in a hotel in the city, on my own, when I travelled towards my Life Dream

So then comes the start of the most EXCITING, mindblowing and lifechanging part of August (and my LIFE!) – heading to Brisbane, to stay overnight in the city, before heading to Ipswich the next morning, to bring my #1 Life Dream to reality. I stayed at the Holiday Inn, Brisbane. I could not have chosen a better Hotel at that time, to add to the whole experience of bringing this Dream to life. This Hotel was just amazing. Ahmed the Concierge was absolutely outstanding, his service, his sense of humour, his ability to make you feel that he was your ‘own personal assistant’ was just incredible – this made my quest to do this for the very first time (travel to the CBD and stay in a Hotel in the city on my own, for the first time), SO much easier – and what made it even better was, as I needed a Disabled room for my wheelchair, (they have two Disabled rooms) – the one I ended up staying in, was the size of one of their Suites. So I paid for a ‘regular’ room….and got a ‘Suite’. Nice!

If I could have…I would have taken a RUNNING leap and jumped onto this bed when I first checked in, I was SO excited…haha….

No 30. Solo train journey (changing my long-term train fear) – Ive actually done several train journeys now – but the first ‘solo’ was a major *TICK* off of my List….confronting a deepseated fear and taking me RIGHT out of my comfort zone)

For my V8 Racing Life Dream to happen, I was going to have to get myself to Ipswich somehow – so I decided to, at last, face my fear of being on a train, absolutely head-on. I thought ‘well Tania…you WANT your V8 Dream this badly, you are GOING to face your train fear, no matter what. So, with the (very patient and wonderful) support of Sonya from SBH Qld (Spina Bifida & Hyrdocephalus Association of Qld), we slowly but surely worked through my fears associated with riding on a train. It was such a wonderful feeling to at last, get on a train, and not feel those fears build up, that had prevented my world from opening up to this mode of transport. Facing this fear has now opened up my world even more, not just for the ‘travel’ aspect….but facing this fear has made me no longer ‘fear my fears’.

Any fears that come up for me now, are Challenges to me….and anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE a Challenge!! Facing this fear, (and this incredible month), was a turning point in my life, in this way that I have been able to turn fears ‘around’ to no longer be afraid of them.

So, now that I had faced this fear..it was time to bring my #1 Life Dream to Reality!!

No 1. Go for a ‘Hot Lap’ drive around the a race track, in a Ford Supercar, with a Ford driver of course! WOW!! What a moment (or 3-and-a-bit-minutes of life-changing INSANE fun!!), that was!! Haha…

I had the absolute priviledge of not only meeting ‘The Team’ – Jim Beam Racing/DJR, and the Legend himself, Dick Johnson, but I had the awesome opportunity to meet and sit next to Steve Johnson (Dicks son), and race around the track at Qld Raceway, in his mind-blowingly AWESOME #17 Jim Beam Ford V8 Supercar BEAST!! 240km/hr at top speed, feeling the massive grunt and power, while listening to, and feeling, the roar of that engine….WOWZERS!!! It was INSANE!!..We were lucky enough to have a half-wet track, so of course, Steve slid the car around the corners a little for me…haha…BRILLIANT…

Steve Johnson’s #17 Ford V8 Supercar…What a BEAST!!

it was most definitely a case of….

“Get in, Sit down, Strap in, and HANG ON!!!”…haha…INSANE!!

I will never forget this day for as long as I live.

I was born into the motor racing industry, but because of my disability I was unable to join in with the family in the sport, I was always on the sidelines, watching it from a distance. It has always been in my heart and spirit to race, but I was simply unable to join in – I had ALWAYS felt a huge hole in my heart, from missing out.

Not only did my Life Dream come true on that track I , but the entire Team at Jim Beam Racing/DJR are very genuine people who were absolutely fantastic with me, they really are the ‘good guys’ of the sport, who obviously love what they do. (PS..that #17 Beast…wow…WHAT a Beast..I want it!! Haha)…getting back into my Ford a couple of days later and driving a ‘boring 60km/hr’ (almost Pit Lane speed!!), was…errr…interesting…haha..

August 2011 – A HUGE month of pushing my limits, facing my fears, bringing my ultimate Life Dream to Reality, meeting beautiful people and being reminded yet again of the true spirit of humanity, and of what Life is REALLY about!

The next Adventure…BRING IT ON!!!

ANYTHING really IS Possible!!

**Chase your Dreams – it is SO worth it!!**