By Amy Nielsen

I am rarely speechless. It is almost unfathomable to try to describe what has just happened in my life. The best way I can think to describe it is: paradigm shift.

I honestly thought this blog would be the easiest thing in the world to write. It's turning out to be the hardest thing I have written yet. I can’t focus on any one aspect because every single aspect of my life has changed. Every. Single. One.

I spent this past weekend, at the job interview for my dream job. It was halfway across the country and it was, in the end, the most amazing experience.  I will not, nay, I cannot go into the details as I could fill a million pages. Honestly some things are better just left as experienced and never told.

I can say that to plan a three-month traveling internship with a chef has turned into something much more earth shattering and amazing. There are a lot of moving parts, which seems to be par for the course. I feel somewhat like I am hurtling towards the inevitable and the universe is trying to make all of my dreams come true. Like all at once.

The actual logistics of the whole thing are going to be easy compared to the new family dynamic we are tossing ourselves into. However, as always with third culture families, we can step up to a difficult task, use logic and plan. I already have vast experience living with groups of unrelated people that become a very tight knit structured family unit and that will make this transition easier. All of us are formerly connected with the military and have travelled the world as such. All of us have travelled with performing groups for a living. All of us have worked in jobs that have a very strictly defined hierarchy. That said, with the exception of one, everyone has had significant time outside of the structured group life and in their own spaces. That has made us all appreciate our personal space and time. Something we are all very aware of.

The dynamics of road life with a small group of families is vastly different than all of us have experienced before. Not that we will be bringing our children on the road immediately, but my husband and I have discussed this option for our life many times. This new job of mine will eventually allow us to do just that. And keep our newly made, yet deep and cherished roots, planted where we have chosen to make our home - before the universe opened up a black hole and swallowed me, then spit me out a worm hole into this new paradigm.

So what the blooming, dickens does any of this have to do with herbology or integrative nutrition? Well, I burned the snot out of my typing thumb and index finger in the kitchen and was able to find a local herbalist who had what I needed to help the very deep burn. As for nutrition, I think I am supposed to work on healing my body now that I have healed my spirit.

I am exhausted to the bone. I am physically battered; scared even, for sure. I cannot feel my toes from the standing I have done. I have a planned 35-hour day tomorrow and I could not be happier, more terrified, more exhilarated or more ready to move forward. After feeling so stuck for so long, I really hope everyone can hang on for the ride. I intend to be graceful in this process. I intend to be trusting. I intend to take no - oh the sky is just so amazing out here in the west.

None of us in the core team can do this without the others, we have seen that in spades. Now we need to make the vision happen. It will be a roller coaster for sure.