The Alaska landscape is unreal. Locals describe it as “the Rockies on steroids.” There was a staggering amount of natural beauty, and we found Alaskans to be incredibly generous, laid-back people. Lots of fur hoods and trendy flannel. The women all wear local turquoise jewelry and everyone has a good moose story to tell.  We played for enthusiastic crowds in Anchorage and Homer, and were greeted with offerings of guided hikes, family cottages, and smoked fish. (We plan to take all of them up on their offers!) The views and the people were beautiful, but it wasn’t all beauty on the last frontier. The lack of daylight (sunrise at 10am and sunset at 4pm), 5-hour time difference, and 15-hour work days meant that we spent a lot of the trip very tired. The first day alone included a 5am wake-up call, 6:30am TV appearance, school clinics most of the day, and a show that evening. (We did, however, squeeze in 3 meals of local seafood that day. I had a lump crab omelette for breakfast.)

Attempting to appreciate the stunning scenery through tired eyes made me very aware of how challenging it was to make decisions, even the smallest ones. Our lives are built on decisions so the topic enters my mind a lot, but I began to reflect on what a key role decision-making plays in travel, specifically. 

While we’re still getting to know each other: My name is Diana, and I am a perfectionist. I feel the need to admit/proclaim it as if I were in a group-help meeting, because it’s one of my biggest life challenges. I also consider it one of my biggest strengths, so I find myself accommodating it rather than fighting it. Traveling means an immeasurable amount of decisions in a day, and for a perfectionist, making decisions can be truly paralyzing.  How should I structure this day to see a new place and get work done before the show? When will meals happen? Do I take an uber, or walk for exercise? What would I enjoy doing today?

Scheduling, restaurant menus, gyms, etc all are breeding grounds for decision-making strife, and it’s exhausting. Writing set-lists is one of the more prevalent examples in my life. We’re expected to decide on 8-15 tunes to create the perfect concert experience for every person in the room…?!? Clearly not, but that’s what my perfectionist brain sets as an unachievable goal. I’ll write, scribble out, write, scribble out, re-arrange, and eventually “settle.” Perfectionism causes the fear: what if I make the wrong decision? I usually end up changing the set on stage anyway, and spend and least one song wishing we’d started another tune instead. (All with a smile.) 

The sheer number of decisions while traveling can cause enormous stress before and during my trips, but recognizing my influences and tendencies has been a powerful system for streamlining the process. I’ve been working on asking a series of simple questions: “what do I want?” (It’s harder to answer than it sounds.) What’s influencing my decision? Is this what sounds best to me, or is it just what I have time for, what someone else wants, or what I “usually” do?  Learning to discover my honest wants, free of influences, has been my golden ticket for relief in this.

Whether you struggle with indecision or not, streamlining the decision-making process can allow for a much clearer head on the road. The next couple of posts focus on my strategies for relieving this particular source of stress, starting with proper packing! Travel hacks up next. 

drriift on, drriifters 💙⛰💨

Diana

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