Just Start Already
Don’t wait until you know the outcome to explore your passion
When the van dropped me off on a rural Kentucky road in the middle of the night, I wondered if I’d made a terrible miscalculation. It was cold, pitch black, and I just wanted to be in bed. But I’d got myself into this situation. I didn’t have any choice but to get myself out. I just had to start down the road. It was October 2010, and I was running my overnight leg of the Bourbon Chase, a 200 mile team relay run that touches many points on the bourbon trail. I didn’t know my life was about to change.
I was a special education teacher who was into running and bourbon. Joining a team from Cincinnati for the race was a simple decision. As the sun rose and I could see the surrounding beauty, my fears evaporated. After five miles, my run got steeper. I neared the top of the hill and saw an incredible building. A distillery that looked like an old Spanish Mission. Four Roses, makers of my favorite bourbon. Cheering volunteers welcomed me to my temporary finish line with bourbon balls and water.
I already liked bourbon. Having people there to cheer for me on my first visit to a distillery before taking a tour with my teammates and buying a commemorative bottle made me fall in love. I was hooked. By the end of the weekend, I wanted to learn everything I could about…
