It’s Electric!: PYL In-Flight July 24, 2024
Welcome back my electric passengers:
Who knew that launching a travel channel and a brand would be so time consuming? Don’t tell my husband Zeke but if I’d known it was going to be this much work, I may have thought this through a bit more. At the same time, I have no regrets.
With the focus and attention on Zeke and Terri Adventures, there’s been very little time for Terri Hanson Mead and Piloting Your Life. My research project into aging and the patriarchy has been on hold along with writing book number two and creating content for my personal YouTube channel and blog. My tennis game is also starting to suffer and let’s not talk about our bank balance. #startuplife
We are (mostly) having a great time with Zeke and Terri Adventures as we experiment and explore. Per usual, I’m probably trying to do too much and should be more focused, but we’re learning a lot and (mostly) enjoying the process. And, as per usual, I wish there were more hours in the day.
We’ve been encouraged to continue to travel and operate in alignment with our values and share more about what this looks like to us, so I wrote about this in yesterday’s Postcard from the Road. It’s an evolution so we plan to share more as we refine this means to us.
It’s all an experiment at this point.
If you’d like to follow our adventures, please subscribe to the newsletter on our website and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
When we travel, we write postcards from the road to our mailing list subscribers. These are both virtual and physical (assuming I have a postal mailing address) and these are exclusives for our mailing list subscribers.
Below is a sample of the latest Postcard from the Road. The day before was a workday so it’s not as filled with as many travel tidbits but I’m proud of what I wrote, even if it might scare aware potential followers. It is in alignment with our values which is vitally important to us.
23 August 2024: Washington DC City Living
Dear Friends:
One of the benefits of our current house/pet sitting gig is the opportunity to live like locals in a new-to-us neighborhood like Shaw in Washington, DC. This neighborhood is steeped in African American history and was once the epicenter of Black culture in D.C., especially during the early 20th century. It was home to a thriving community of Black businesses, theaters, and jazz clubs.
Shaw has seen a boom in real estate, with a mix of renovated historic rowhouses (like the one we are staying in) and new apartment buildings. It’s a desirable area for young professionals and families due to its proximity to downtown, access to public transportation, and vibrant community life.
According to our research, despite its rapid development, Shaw has maintained a strong sense of community with a mix of longtime residents and newcomers, creating a diverse and dynamic cultural landscape. Shaw’s history is deeply woven into its fabric, with efforts to preserve its heritage while embracing modernization.
We are two blocks from a Metro stop, grocery store, and many diverse restaurants and shops. Everyone has been friendly, and we are one of many when we are out with Charlie (the dog) on her daily walks.
Yesterday we spent the day working on the latest video Zeke and Terri Go to Washington which covers the first few days of our trip. It’s not all fun and games when we travel. We spend a significant amount of time not only capturing images and video, learning about things to share, and then creating the videos and related content (like this postcard from the road). Contrary to what our son Adam thinks, we are not on vacation.
Last night, before we finished up the video for today, we took a break to watch the DNC live from Chicago and loved the enthusiasm, the speeches, the music, and above all, Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech. It covered all the bases and will be one for the history books. Zeke proudly wore one of his Harris for President shirts yesterday and is wearing another one today that you will see in our next video.
The tone of our visit is positively colored by the recent changes in the election.
We no longer have to be ashamed to be Americans as we travel, calling ourselves Californians as we distanced ourselves from those in our country who do not share the same democratic ideals as we do. We didn’t fear for our safety; we feared being lumped into a category of people who did not share our beliefs in the rights and opportunities for all.
It’s very important to us that we live and travel in alignment with our values.
Our core values include protecting and preserving our planet for future generations, creating a level playing field where everyone has equal opportunities, celebrating and supporting diversity, and giving back and making a positive impact on the communities we engage with.
We try to be intentional about how we spend our money, which is why we often look for women, Black, and queer owned businesses and restaurants to patronize when we are traveling. #votewithyourpocketbook
It’s not political. It’s personal.
A month ago, I was terrified for our future, for the future of our planet and for our children.
Today, I am cautiously optimistic and given all that is going on, I am thrilled and honored to be in our nation’s capitol and I am proud to be an American.
Enjoy your adventures, however you define them, and please feel free to share some of your favorites with us. We’d love to be inspired by you too.
Terri (and Zeke)
We are also on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. (I did say it was a lot!)
On a personal note, our youngest is spending the semester in Stockholm, Sweden, living with a host family and studying Viking stuff. They are adjusting well, and we will visit them in October on our SFO-Munich-Vienna-Prague-Stockholm-Gdansk trip.
Our oldest, Adam, is still in Denver, studying for the GRE, working on grad school applications, and translating poems from Latin into English. I spent last weekend in Denver with him and while it was incredibly hot, it was nice to hang out, go to Boulder, and experience another Rockies’ game. It’s always bittersweet saying À bientôt to our adult children.
And now I will bid À bientôt to you as there is social media to post and more of Washington, DC to explore and film. Tomorrow we are going to the NWSL Washington Spirit match against Kansas City Current. Per my research, the name reflects both the city’s connection to the Missouri River, which has a significant current, and the idea of being at the forefront of change, movement, and progress. Gotta love this!
May you find peace, acceptance, and love today as you navigate being human.
With much love and gratitude,
Terri
This week’s song: Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths. Why this song? When I looked up the origin of the Kansas City team’s name, the song popped into my brain, and it seems fitting for this week. It brings back a lot of memories, but it doesn’t make me want to do the electric slide. That’s something from the 90s that does not have to come back for me.
Journal prompt / reflection: What can I do less of to make more space in my life?
terrihansonmead.com
Piloting Your Life (the book)
Terri Mead YouTube Channel
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