Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: travel

Soulotravel, Travel that Feeds the Soul

Last year, I took a personality test and the results surprised me.

INFJ.

At first, the letters meant nothing. Despite two college degrees in counseling, I hadn’t paid attention to psychological tests in my training. After reading the description of this personality type, so many parts of my life suddenly clicked into place.

Growing up hard of hearing, I struggled to fit in and be like everyone else with normal hearing. I felt like I was weird. I spent hours at the library alone, devouring books instead of going to parties. Parties were both energizing and exhausting at times. I wanted to be liked by everyone, yet sometimes I was quiet and withdrawn. I always blamed my hearing loss.

If only I could hear I would be more _____.

I’ve been told I’m too sensitive. “You need to toughen up,” a friend once told me.

When I saw the explanation of the INFJ results after taking the personality test, everything clicked into place. All of a sudden I understood why I was “weird.”

Only one percent of the population has an INFJ personality. Here’s a blog post that explains more: Secrets of the INFJ Personality Type.

I love people, yet I get my energy from being alone.

In the last several years, I’ve traveled alone often–speaking at schools, corporations, and conferences. I love travel. I’m so thankful for my husband who completely gets me and is supportive of what I call “Soulotravel.”

Yes, travel revives my soul. I need the mountains, the sun, and water–any type of water I can get.

Right now I’m in Florida, housesitting for a friend and working on another book. My soul is completely content and I feel my reserves filling up nicely. My head is clear and I’m able to focus on my writing.

If you love to travel but you keep putting it off because you have no one to go with–wait no more. Plan a trip. Be open to what the universe delivers to you in the process. You will meet people. You will see things you’ve never seen before. You will return with a mind so expanded that you will yearn for more.

Soulotravel may not be for everyone, but if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and take a trip alone, you may find that you discover a whole new side of you that you’ve never experienced before.

February 2, 2017
You Can’t Plan Adventure

I’ve entered a new season on the parenting journey: I’m now a mom of three young adults. This phase has required a shift in my parenting experience, one that requires a new skill set. It requires letting go and stepping back versus the heavy guidance of earlier years.

And it’s hard.

I keep wishing I could step back in time, to hold them once again as toddlers and revel in the innocence.

In this season of parenthood, it takes a lot of coordination, plane tickets, and divine timing to gather us all under one roof. We were fortunate to spend Christmas together this year followed by a vacation in the Caribbean.

I love to travel. I especially love being in new places that feed my soul, especially with nature. To travel with my family is always the ultimate trip for me.

This year, we joined a cruise with my son’s girlfriend’s family and their friends. It was a magical blend of different ages, generations, deaf, hearing, and backgrounds.

Memories are not made of things, they are made of experiences: the way you feel, the people you meet, the knowledge you acquire, and the discoveries that appear on your path.

Before we left, I posted the Instapic below on my Instagram feed.

“You can’t plan adventure,” my daughter said. “Adventure is spontaneous.”

I get what she means. Adventure is often associated with the unknown and unplanned that unfolds in life.

But without vision and dreams, one blithely goes about the daily routine without much spark, passion, and yes, adventure.

Adventure requires taking action and there’s some planning that goes into it. This means clarity is required–by beginning with the idea that you will invite adventure into your life and stay open to new opportunities for adventure.

Some of the best adventures come from spontaneous moments–of embracing an opportunity and choosing to experience it.

Here’s to an adventurous year!

January 11, 2017
50 States for My 50’s: Missouri

Deep in the middle of The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau, I paused to contemplate my own quest.

What did I love to do more than anything in the world?

Barefoot water skiing.

And just like that, the quest appeared before me:

I will barefoot water ski in all 50 states to celebrate my 50’s–and to encourage, inspire, and prompt others to unwrap their passions at any age.

Back in 2010, I rediscovered my passion for barefoot water skiing after seeing a 66-year-old woman, Judy Myers, barefooting on the TODAY Show. At the age of 44, I put my feet back on the water and the passion just keeps multiplying! I now look forward to Growing Bolder instead of older.

At the beginning of this quest, I’ve already barefoot water skied in eight states. In July, I added Missouri to the list while on a trip to visit my brother, Brian. We joined up with Brian Tillema, an attorney from Kansas City and headed out to Lake Lotawana, home of the famed Don Thomson, a true pioneer superstar of barefoot water skiing.

In the same month, I headed down to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, my family’s hometown. Both of my parents were born there. I never in a million years would have ever thought that I would be able to barefoot water ski in this tiny, rural town. My cousin, Jerry, introduced me to Seth Burgett, an entrepreneur who has patented over 40 items, including YurBuds, semi-customized sports ear buds.

Six-time World Barefoot Champion David Small held a two day ski clinic on a beautiful, private lake. The barefooting conditions were fantastic and everyone in the boat had a blast.

Next up: Maine and New Hampshire!

August 23, 2016
MORE Magazine Article Inspires Passion

Judith Swankoski reached out and connected with me via Facebook to share her thoughts about my story which appeared in MORE magazine. I didn’t discover her message until recently. Judith went on a passionate adventure of her own so I asked her to share her journey:

As often happens when you move toward your heart’s desire, situations and people appear in your path to help illuminate your way. Karen Putz appeared in my path in the form of her inspiring story in MORE Magazine.

Reinvent Yourself After Misfortune

After reading about Karen, I felt a renewed sense of enthusiasm about what is possible. She had rediscovered her passion! Now, how was I going to uncover mine?

Sometimes you’re not sure what something is, but you know what it is not.

Passion is not half. Of anything. It is not half a thought. Nor, half a feeling. It is not the emotion you feel when you spend time with a half a friend. Or, are half in love.

Passion is what grabs you, hooks you and propels you forward with the firing of all the positive, life-affirming synapses in your body!

Passion is how I recently found myself in Spain; stumbling down a mountain in the dark and rainy early morning hours on the eighth day (of 36) of my Camino. Ahead of me that day are 15 miles of hiking to my destination. Behind me are the Pyrenees I climbed across and an idea that had taken hold when I watched the film, “The Way.” http://www.theway-themovie.com/
“The Way” is about the Camino de Santiago; a 500 mile “walk” across Spain.

As the film ended and the credits rolled, I knew I would one day make the pilgrimage as thousands had for hundreds of years before me. How this was going to happen didn’t occur to me. Passion had grabbed hold! I remembered Karen Putz. Something she said kept resonating — “I didn’t know I had it in me to learn this at age 45.” “I’m 45”, I thought. “It’s not too late. I can do this!”

And two years later, here I was. Doing this. Which is how I found myself stumbling down a mountain in the rain.

I slipped on a rock and skinned my knee. As I struggled to right myself with my pack on, I began to cry. It had been a physically demanding and emotional week and I was overtired and missing home. The rain was not a gentle rain and soon it was pouring. I cried harder. We were all under our rain gear though, so nobody noticed. I wondered why I cared if some stranger saw me crying. I wondered a lot of things as we trudged for hours through mud and farmland. Suddenly, I stopped. I had the familiar feeling that flooded me when I sat in that theater and watched “The Way.” “This is really happening,” I thought. “I am following my dream!” In that moment, I realized there was no place I would rather be. No place. Pure joy!

Shortly after, the rain ended. It always does. A rainbow appeared and I walked in that direction. For days. Weeks. Finding my way.

At home now, I often gaze down at the scar on my left knee and smile.

Passion. Never settle for half.

February 20, 2014