“Welcome Home Lisa” The first three words spoken to me after landing at LAX. They were said by a US Customs Agent as he stamped my passport with a smile. Those 3 simple words had quite an impact after being away from the US for a month. I was moved, I smiled all the way to baggage claim. Keep in mind the week before my month long trip started, I was in Sydney Australia with Fleshlight for Sexpo. So this has really been 5 full weeks away from home.
After a 12.5 hour flight, I sat in 2.5 hours of traffic getting home from LAX. I kept the window open in the cab, I looked at all the familiar sights on the freeway & I used that time to text friends, letting them know I was home safely & that I can’t wait to replay my trip with them through photos & stories! They all asked, “Are you exhausted from all that travel?” Hummm.. I thought, maybe I should be, but instead of being exhausted I am excited, inspired & so grateful to have this life of adventure.
This trip was something more for me, it was a personal challenge, I had a goal. I wanted to push my limits in many ways, while reminding myself that I can exist anywhere & be happy. I wanted to actively create moments that I would remember & cherish. I wanted to have the mindset that nothing would derail me from my challenge, my mission. I wanted to step out of my world, away from my things, my people, my habits & my routine for a month. I also wanted to take a step back from my hustle, from everything I am involved in that pulls me in so many directions a day. Time to just be, to wander freely, people watch, listen to the languages, eat different foods & meet new people. The entire trip, I was always focused on that goal & it proved so much to me, about me.
This trip was not easy. There were many challenges presenting themselves, constantly. Had I not had my own personal goal, I would not have successfully completed the trip. I allowed my goal to take precedence & was able to look around the challenges presented and make the necessary compromises while struggling with language barriers. The words “tenacity” & “gumption” came to me a lot. They became my words for the trip.
I have no doubt that the reading I have been doing over the past couple of years has made me a better in endless ways, for this trip the calm of being a better decision maker kept me on track. The knowledge I have gathered has helped me be a big picture thinker while reminding me not to sweat the small stuff. Living in the moment, having a strong mindset while still wanting to make life memories my full focus. So many of the books I have read played into this trip. I have a new focus & a new set of abilities allowing me to pivot smoothly while still staying on track!
After my 1st club appearance, I knew at whatever cost or compromise I would complete this mission, I would make each appearance. My fans took my breath away. The looks on their faces to see me live in person, whether it was at a club or just walking on the street was unbelievable. As awestruck as they were, I felt totally the same. The excitement was so real & so beautiful it was intoxicating. I am still in awe over the love I was shown & the love I felt. The timing of this trip, just 6 months after I decided to return to the life I love in the business, was perfect. Could not have been more perfect. Every bit of clarity I needed was brought to me, full circle, on this trip.
NOW…. Week 2 of this trip, I gave it a title, foreign fuckery! LOL YUP, that will be the title of my podcast I record giving you the full play by play of the chaos the ensued & the battles that were fought using the google translate app. It is so unsatisfying to have to aggressively debate business over typing into an app and waiting for it to translate, to be read, to be responded to & again to translate. There can be very little emotion when that is the only way to achieve a solution! lol. The good the bad & the ugly. As a business owner, nothing was going to allow me to let the club owners down for my appearances, at whatever cost to me. As an entertainer, I could in no way let down my fans who have been looking forward to their chance to meet me in person. As a human, I want to be a woman of my word to others & also to myself, so I had to complete my challenge.
I will spend this weekend living in my moment. While I unpack, do my chores & re settle into my life, I will be taking the time to look back through the memories of my trip, with complete gratitude. I will take adequate time to construct my thoughts for some future writing on my blog that I will be sharing with you along with a plethora of photos I took along the way. I took endless photos, but I didn’t want to spend too much time on my trip posting them, I was instead focused on living in the moment of my trip.
I am looking back to when I traveled as a young girl. When our photos were shot on film & we had to wait till they were developed to see them. I can remember how exciting that was & I am living in that same mindset with this trip. I will handle my chores first & when I am settled, I will take the time to go through my photos & begin to properly journal them for my blog. Now, like when I was a young girl, I can replay my trip with my photos extending the magic of my travels.
This trip was life changing for me. I feel more inspired than ever (thanks to all of the incredible fans I met along the way) I feel more empowered than ever (thanks to me being able to look around the challenges presented & stay focused on my goal) & last but not least, I feel the magnitude of a greater sense of gratitude leading me to feel more happy & alive than ever!