We want to build lives that speak to who we are at our core. At the same time, if you have been here for a while, you know how much community matters (to me personally, and to us as we navigate our lives). Community is a verb, and in this episode of Lucky to Be Here, we get a glimpse of what being the first of in one feels like.
This week we travel around the world with Nicole Moreno-Deinzer, who decided to embark on her year across the world. We talk about what prompted this idea, her relationship with travel and how it helps her broaden her family’s horizons, and yes, I also ask her plenty about the logistics of setting this project and implementing it.
In case you have not met her yet, Nicole Moreno‑Deinzer is a serial entrepreneur, storyteller, and digital nomad from California who earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from San Francisco State University and later completed an MBA in Marketing at Mills College. She founded Epifania Culture Magazine™ and co‑founded A La Mode Branding to help BIPOC women build bold personal brands, and her work has been featured on multiple platforms and at events such as the ALT Summit and Romance Writers of America Conference. As she turns 40, Nicole is traveling abroad for a year, continuing to write, work with clients, and inspire others to live with joy, authenticity, and purpose. You can find Nicole Moreno-Deinzer and follow the rest of her journey on Instagram and YouTube, and learn more about her work at https://justnicoleco.com.
What has stuck with me most about this discussion was something that for a lot of us weighs on every decision we make: the emotional labor that our choices come with, especially when we are the first or only ones in doing something. In our conversation, Nicole and I speak about our experiences as first ones in pushing the envelope within Latino families. I really appreciate Nicole’s candidness when she talks about it, saying that the hardest part of this year around the globe was not the logistics, it was preparing her family for it, especially based on their own assumptions and beliefs about what a healthy marriage should be (because Nicole is doing this year on her own, but she is married, too). In this discussion, I also share my own perspective as someone who has lived abroad for over a decade. Even when you are in the same place, and you build networks to support you and integrate your loved ones across countries, the truth is that a life decision like this one can be a big shock to the entire system.
Last time we were discussing the role that systems and institutions have on our dreams, and even our more attainable goals (you can catch that episode here). Today I want to invite you to wonder what is the impact of our interpersonal relationships and communities in them. As much as I am a proponent of the communal approach to life, I find myself often wrestling with how much of what I want and do is dictated by my own drive and desire, or by what others expect of me. Or even trickier: by what I suspect (or project) that others expect of me. What comes to mind as you are reading this?
Well, here is my prompt for you to explore if you are up for it:
Think of one idea that has been in your mind recently, whether it is already a fully fleshed goal or just an inner nudge that there is something there. Imagine it happening. What makes you shrink at the thought of it? Whose reaction is it? That is likely telling you where the emotional work of your choice will come from.
But if you were to face that work instead of letting it hold you back, what can help you face it despite the discomfort?
I look forward to hearing from you on what this episode and reflection sparked for you. Remember that you can reply to this email or comment on Patreon to share your thoughts. Our first live monthly chat in between episodes is on April 23!
See you next time!
