Today I thought it would be fun to share a few wild things most people don’t know about me-

• Sailed from Florida to Spain over 7 months, mostly on a 36’ sloop visiting 10 Caribbean islands and the Azores.

• In 7th grade I studied Japanese, African dance, yoga, ceramics, guitar, sewing and ceramics—math? What’s that?

• Did a 250 mile bike tour of Nicaragua during the Contra War

• Drove from Portland to Guatemala and back in a VW van

• Rode an elephant through a herd of rhinos in Nepal

• Completed the Annapurna circuit in Nepal, climbing Throng-La Pass at 18,500’… wearing ridiculously inadequate boots and a flimsy down jacket.

• While traipsing through Asia in 1989 I met Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama in the same month.

• Set up a silk painting studio in San Miguel, Guanajuato, Mexico- and loved it!

• Gave birth to my miracle baby, Hunter, a few months after turning 40, in a birthing tub at home.

• When laid off from my high tech corporate trainer job right after 9/11, I threw packages for UPS from 2am-8am and, shocker! Became a Teamster!- Gained an enormous respect for those who work in these jobs, and being part of a union? That was an education!

• Created a 4×6” image card everyday for 365 days while trying to get pregnant as my clock ticked ever louder. These images became part of my first book “Conceiving a Life: Birth and Rebirth at 40” (unpublished… but who knows?)

• Was hired as a professional dancer with Do Jump! Movement Theater at the old age of 28 and found myself doing side aerials and swinging from a trapeze with delight (and an often sore body).

• Wrote and professionally recorded a song I wrote for a dear friend as a challenge to myself to feed my love of singing.

• Finished the manuscript for Wild Money after a year and a half—during which time I launched a new business, got divorced, ushered a dear friend through death’s doorway, moved to a new home and held on to fierce optimism.

• Picked up the guitar after many years of neglect, only to discover that my spirit loves the sound reverberating against my heart and my fingers remember everything.

• My secret desires: to sing with an awesome backup band to an audience of thousands of eager fans; to speak at TED; to know that I’ve helped women around the world fall in love with money; to teach with other amazing creatives and game-changers internationally; to have Wild Money on the New York Times bestseller list; to be invited to keynote at conferences for women, creatives, financial advisors and therapists/coaches… the list goes on. Oh! To get an awesome publishing deal for the next three books I want to write. But, really, I don’t want much.

So, what are your secret desires? I’d love to hear them!

 

© 2012 Luna Jaffe