Not sure who said it, but I love this quote:

“If you don’t travel, it’s like reading one page of a book.”

I am back home on Martha’s Vineyard after nearly two weeks on the road  (and two inspiring Women on Fire Tea Parties!) in New York City and Columbus, Ohio.  After being on the go, I feel so enriched from the Women on Fire I met and talked with.

Here are the phenomenal women who shared their aspirations at the tea party in Columbus hosted by Andrea Dowding and Jerry Browning:

Receiving support from fabulous women can move you forward!

I love to travel and I know many of you do, too.

These are five of my favorite strategies I use to get the most out of my business trips:

• When I can, I stay with friends in the cities where I’m working because it gives me a sense of family and allows me to catch up with people I love. (Thank you for hosting me Holly Getty in NYC and Nancy Kramer in Columbus!)
• I seek out what I can’t find anywhere else (on this trip Jeni’s for ice cream and the Polarity Center for bodywork in Columbus and the YELO napping/reflexology station for relaxation and Lee’s Art Shop for unique cards and gifts in NYC.)
• I double my self-care and schedule manicures, pedicures, haircuts, massages and other treatments in between my meetings and events to bolster my energy and ease any weariness.
• I pack a travel candle (I like The Naked Bee® beeswax brand because it’s small and burns so nicely) and bring along an inspirational book such as Marianne Williamson’s prayer book Illuminata.
• And, my favorite strategy of all is that I meet as many Women on Fire as I can.  It energizes me to meet you in person and to hear what you are “on fire” about! It also gives me ideas about who I might connect with whom.

In New York, for instance, I met chef and entrepreneur Elizabeth Ann Foster who is launching MacHealthy’s, a soon-to-be franchise with a twist — healthy fast food!  I can’t wait to introduce her especially to the many Women on Fire moms who are frustrated to find quick and healthy eating options.

In Columbus, I met up with Kacy Cook, who has published three books in the past year, including an acclaimed children’s novel Nuts.  A brilliant writer and editor, Kacy is in her mid-50s as she experiences this astounding and exciting success.  (It is never too late to turn your long-held dreams into reality!)

There were many more Women on Fire I loved meeting these past two weeks, and I returned home energized, inspired and with many new ideas.

For those of you who travel:

• What do you do to get the most out of your travel?
• How do you take care of yourself when you are on the road?
• What activities leave you feeling the most energized and inspired?

Please share on the blog with the hundreds of women who read The Spark! each week and would love to hear from you.

I wish you an absolutely terrific week ~

Love,

Debbie

PS  More snapshots from the Women on Fire Tea Party in Columbus!

Bobbie Celeste and Jerry Browning

Jenn Bajec, Susan Rosenberg and Connie Hieatt