Skip to main content

Welcome to "At the Fork"




Keuka Lake is the fourth largest of 11 Finger Lakes located in western New York's wine region.  These glacier-formed lakes boast crystal clear water, shale shorelines and refreshing, swimmable water temps throughout the summer.   Despite having the good fortune of visiting dozens of cities and countries around the world, Keuka Lake remains my favorite destination.

Keuka is Y-shaped.  Boaters journeying from the south shore in Hammondsport travel north to the Bluff, which you see in this picture.  In that regard, the Bluff serves as the lake's fork in the road.  Take the east branch past Keuka College to the quaint village of Penn Yan or cruise up the west branch past waterfront cafes and patches of steep hillsides and small gorges to Branchport. The Bluff is the marker for what's next in the journey, the excitement that something previously undiscovered awaits, and knowing at the end of the day regardless which direction I choose, I return to typical life a far happier, healthier person.

Two years ago I took a hard look at my personal and professional journeys.  I was forced to take a step back and consider some prior decisions and if, post-COVID, I could bounce back to a happier, healthier Denise.  The answer was at best "maybe" and more accurately "I have no idea".  An unnerving perspective and certainly not good enough.  I was seeing the Bluff in front of me, a fork in the road I didn't anticipate but needed.

I had some hard decisions to make.  I could continue attempting small changes along the same journey, or put myself on a new path.  I chose the latter.

Welcome to At the Fork.  Tales from my journey to a healthier, happier, more impactful personal and professional life.  

As I type this, I'm 10 hours away from leaving Florida for the Atlantic forests in Minas Gerais, Brazil approximately 6 hours northwest of Rio de Janeiro.  The first stop on a 3.5 month international journey.  On the urging of many, I'll share stories from the journey as well as a bit about how I got here and where I want to go next.  My posts will center on my 4 trip goals:
  • hands-on sustainability experiences
  • exploring new cultures, communities and terrains
  • laying the foundation for my next professional chapter
  • improving my health and fitness
If I'm successful, you'll enjoy a few tidbits that bring a smile, spark a conversation or maybe inspire change you might be seeking in your own life or career.  If nothing else, you'll know where the hell I am for the next 4 months.😉

We are all at a fork in our roads.  I believe that fervently. The universe is sending us too many signals to ignore.  It will be a key underpinning to my experience, what I share and how I share it.  More on that later.  I hope you'll stay tuned.  Wish me luck!

Comments

  1. Very excited to follow this! See you along the journey! Good luck! 🥰😘

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let's Get to Work

  I mentioned in my first  blog post  I believe we are all at a fork in the road.  The effects of climate change permeate multiple aspects of every day life.  Americans are in what one might call a capitalism versus culture battle as we navigate extreme discomfort closing equity gaps and reinterpreting "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for a 21st century society.  Time to pick the path to a healthier, restorative way of life, in all its many interpretations. Challenging?  You bet.  Impossible?  Absolutely not. It requires people who care deeply, can galvanize others, bring a "yes we can" attitude and make it work commercially.   I'm one of those people.   If we've not met personally, thank you for getting this far.  I hope you'll DM me and introduce yourself. Consider this a preview of the contributions I'm seeking in my next professional role.  And yes, as LinkedIn would put it, I am Open to Work....

Goats, Gaudi, Goulets: Barcelona P1

  Yes,  as I begin this post I am in Barcelona and no, that's not the goat.  Patience! I arrived after a gorgeous train ride from Toulouse through Girona and the easternmost Pyrenees.  I've been to Spain, and Barcelona, a few times. Friends were surprised it made my short list.  Why?  Two reasons.  Most of my trips were work-related.  My first real vacation here was 18 years ago with my kids. They were middle schoolers; it was a different itinerary.  I've had a long list of items for the grown-ups only return trip.  Second?  My sister, Lorri, was joining me.  Before finalizing my travel plan back in March, my sister asked to join me over the US Memorial Day weekend, basically no matter where I was.  Lorri is a first grade teacher and she's had a helluva challenging year.  She needed a grown-ups only trip, too.  We went back and forth between Barca and Dublin.  While I know she's eager to get to Ireland, it's...

Alt rock, sustainable events, and the human experience

  4,100 miles and 34,000 strangers Three months ago Marco Giberti - renown event industry innovator - shared his views on fully embracing this next era of human experience and reimagining technology's role as an experience enabler. What should or could that look like?  If live, at-event human interactions are the most valued and memorable, how can technology best support those experiences and value-drivers? Marco's thought-provoking perspective inspired many responses, including mine.  With a teaser.  The best tech-enabled event I've experienced?  An epic, sustainable alt rock festival at a Prague abandoned air field.  I promised Marco the back story.  Here it goes. Human + Experience Two independent factors in designing high-value events.  The sweet spot is artfully joining them seamlessly, naturally.  Sounds easy, but I imagine many event professionals would agree with me in saying it's harder than it seems. Customer needs, wants, motivato...