Traverse Beyond

Amazing. Incredible. Adventure. Service. Play. Impact. Cultural exchange. Awe. Impressed. Trip of a lifetime.

Those are not my words. Those are the words of the people who just did this adventure with me. 🤍

We came to Rwanda and we did three things. We showed up for Kids Play International and the communities they serve. We trekked through the jungle and sat in the presence of mountain gorillas. And we went on safari in Akagera and let Africa do what Africa does.

And somewhere in between all of it we became a group of people who will never forget what they did here.

This trip was not for everyone. And that is okay.

It is for the person who has the desire. Who has the mindset. Who is willing to step outside of their comfort zone and truly delve into something new. Something real. Something that stays with them long after they get home and unpack their bags.

If that is you, I would love to have you on a Traverse Beyond trip.

I do this because I know what happens when you say yes to an experience like this.

Day 5. Rwanda. This was a really special day. A leadership session half way across the world. 🤍

I walked in with an agenda (although I knew it would be adjusted). I knew what we had planned. And I also knew the moment we sat down outside in the shade of the trees in that big circle that it was going to need to move and breathe on its own.

So I let it.

It was never about checking the boxes. It was about showing up for what the group actually needed in that moment. And tailoring everything to them in real time.

We started by asking the coaches to reflect on Olympic Day. At first the answers were surface. Logistics. Safe. So we kept going deeper. What did you feel in your heart? What did you feel in your body?

And then we went around the circle with the “Yes And” game. Every single person. You acknowledged the person next to you first. Named something specific and beautiful you witnessed at Olympic Day.

That is when everything opened up.

Hearing each coach acknowledge the person beside them. Hearing the stories. Watching people receive that. Some of them maybe for the first time in a long time. One coach who had been quiet the entire morning found her voice. She said seeing others feel heard gave her permission to speak.

And then we asked two questions.

How did it feel to be acknowledged?

And how could you bring this into your team time going forward?

The responses stopped me. One coach said she now knows to stay with a child longer. To ask deeper questions. To really hear the answer instead of quickly moving on to the next person or the next question.

They got it. Completely. In one circle. Sitting outside in the trees in Gatagara.

I had so much joy in my body I did not know what to do with it.

This is why I do this work. Not the agenda. Not the plan. The moment when a group full of people goes somewhere they did not know they could go. 🌍✨

I lead these trips because I know what happens when you show up for something like this. Come find out for yourself.