Coming Home

I travelled about 13,500 miles – from Shanghai, to Seoul, to Seattle, to Lopez Island, back to Seattle, to Taipei, To Fukuoka, to Tokyo… and then home. To Shanghai.

I took one maglev train, six flights, one seaplane, one ferry, one road trip style car journey – and plenty of connecting shuttle buses.

It still seems slightly odd to claim I’m ‘coming home’ to Shanghai – but I did.  I do.

And this time, I was coming home from Lopez Island.

My big, brave, grand, solo adventure. (The first in a very long time…)

It took 6 days in total – and almost 3 of them were travelling.

I had two Thursdays.  But not much of a Monday. (Hard to manage for a compulsive, daily diary writer.)

I had sunshine, rain, a double rainbow, a full moon, visiting seals, more eagles (Golden & Bald) than I could count (they were everywhere – lined up like seagulls on the beach),  and just to top it off a passing Orca or two.

I finally met a friend from Seattle, who I had only ever connected with over the airwaves – yet who comes from about 5 miles away, back in the previous life.  (And the good news was, we got along in person… it could have been rather uncomfortable otherwise…)

And why did I do this?

I hear somebody (not sure who) ask.

Because an amazing, intelligent, inspiring bunch of women (a branding expert, a Google exec, an Olympian – just to highlight a few) were invited together there (by a magical Coach) to talk about Leadership.

And what ‘Women’s Leadership’ might look like as we move forwards.  As we deliberately try to steer ourselves away from the current line of masculine lead history.  And that topic fascinates me. It is what I am working to build and grow, both for myself, and for the people around me.

It was an amazing weekend.

Coming from Shanghai, there was more fresh air, more big sky, more water, more nature, more SPACE (to be, to think, to dream) than I have experienced in a very long time.

And it was exactly what I needed. To lift me up. To propel me forwards.

And homewards.

We were left with a poem – from one of the wonderful women (from a rather marvellous & beautiful poetry book called ‘salt’ – by nayyirah waheed)

This really sums up how I feel about the whole experience.

It felt like coming home.