My 30-Day Quarantine Challenge – Let’s Do This!
We all know now that the COVID-19 threat is very real, not just in the United States or in Texas where I reside, but all over the world. In what feels like the blink of an eye, the normal movement of every day life abruptly came to end and everyone has been sanctioned into the confinements of their home. We can’t travel, we can’t mingle in crowds, so now what? Is it the end of the world — NO. Humanity will always face challenges, but if we look back to history, hard times and tribulations can always be prevailed with a success story.
So, in order to help curb my anxiety of being outside on adventures, meeting with travel agents, visiting with friends and family, boating on the lake, attending concerts, etc., I have decided to begin a new 30-day challenge where I will write a blog or post a podcast every day during quarantine.
I came up with this idea based on a 30-day challenge I began last August, and I can honestly say that it changed my life for the better in so many ways. Hopefully my story inspires you to try a personal 30-day challenge during this time of quarantine.
A Fork in the Road
Last August, in 2019, I found myself at a “fork in the road”with my work and living situation. At that time, I was working full-time for Facebook here in Austin, Texas while also working part-time with Latin Excursions. Backtrack a bit, I started my job with Facebook in June of 2018 and began working with Latin Excursions in late December of 2018. Therefore, I spent nine months working anywhere from 60-70 hours per week and had to work every holidays (from home) for Facebook since I was an ad policy analyst. Ads never sleep!
Facebook to Latin Excursions: Rediscovering My Passion
I was originally placed on contract for a year with FB, and my employer extended it for another six-months when I was halfway through with my original contract. Although unfortunately, Facebook decided to let go of the department I was in (Ad Policy), and told us that our last day would be early August 2019. To be transparent, there was talks about this within my company for a while so I was well-aware this could happen.
The reason I began working at Latin Excursions was because in October 2018, I took a few days of PTO to visit Colombia with three of my best friends. This was my first journey outside of the United States where I was accompanied by my hometown friends, and of course I was overly excited about returning to Latin America. I felt like this was my opportunity to show my friends what I’ve learned from my trip planning days when I was sending people to Machu Picchu & Patagonia weekly. Instead, I found something else deep inside my soul… I rediscovered why I began selling amazing travel experiences to South America in the first place.
On the flight home from Colombia, I wrote a letter to myself:
“Now, you are sitting on a plane back to Austin from Colombia, yet another epic journey you accomplished and learned and enjoyed to the fullest. You now should realize that planning epic journeys is your calling and you can find your way back into the travel industry if you want to. “
I continued…
“Turndogg, invest in yourself as Papa Turney always taught you. Call Clark and tell him you’re the best damn adventure travel salesman out there (which I did LOL). Become the expert, stick with the people you trust, who show you respect, and the people who believe in you. Keep toxicity out of your life, build trust in all aspects of life, and never ever, ever put yourself down. Rise up, keep your head up, and be the change you want to see in the world. At the end of the day, no one else’s opinion matters. Be there for your family, your friends, and always do it for Dante!”
Visions Can Become Realities – If You Believe in Yourself!
Surely enough, I made that call to Clark Kotula and about a month later he connected me with Eric Sheets, Founder of Latin Excursions. Eric and I shared similar visions of what defines a truly authentic travel experience in Latin America. It was clear to me that his company was the one I wanted to work for, considering their insider access connections developed over the past 20 years, and the multiple awards they have accumulated. To this day, I’m very happy to still be with them. Also, it was a really amazing work experience to juggle two-jobs at once and impressive that Latin Excursions & Facebook gave me the flexibility to work hours that fit my schedule.
So, time went on and I spent nine months grinding day-by-day with Latin Excursions while at Facebook (Facebook M-F from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. w/ lunch at my desk, then Latin Excursions from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at home + a few hours Sat mornings), learning all of the destinations and growing our relationships with travel agents in Austin and beyond. Once I received the news that my position at FB would soon be ending, my mind began racing at an intense pace. I applied for full-time positions at Dropbox, Facebook, Amazon, among many others. These interviews were great experiences, but I felt like punching myself in the gut every time I walked in and out of one. My mind was telling me…
“Turn this isn’t what you want, but this is what you need financially. Keep a full-time job and keep working Latin Excursions on the side”
How a 30-Day Challenge Changed my Life for the Better
At that time, my friend Cassidi was trying to plan a journey to South America and I was helping her out. Well, sometimes in life close friends arise in a time of need unknowingly. Cassidi encouraged me to draw out a “Performance Evaluation & Value Management Asset” that I could present to Latin Excursions to prove that I’d be a great investment as a full-time employee.
I was living in south Austin and my lease came to an end. I’ll admit, it was a totally nerve-racking time in my life. I had another week at Facebook before my contract was up and no full-time job in near sight, so I was not in the position to sign a lease on a new place to live.
Close Friends Opened a World of Opportunity for Me
With no place to go, my great friends Alex and Cody allowed me to move into an extra room (loft) in their house near Barton Springs. They charged me cheap rent and therefore lowered the total of their payments, it was a great deal for all (plus it was summer time, so we were having fun on the weekends together)! The last thing I wanted to do was take this opportunity for granted because I knew it was temporary, and needed to utilize it as a stepping stone into my life.
Therefore, I began a 30-day challenge of waking up at 6:45 a.m. daily to run and swim at Barton Springs pool. Unbeknownst to most people, Barton Springs pool (when open and not closed due to COVID-19), is free for entry before 8:00 a.m. daily. I had gained weight and was feeling down on myself with fear of unemployment in the near future when I began this challenge. It was incredibly hard to stay consistent, but by the end of of it I realized that I had not only improved my physical state, but my mental state as well. And things started happening!
The Results of My First 30-Day Challenge
Within those 30 days, I was hired full-time by Latin Excursions based on the evaluation I offered and didn’t have a gap of unemployment between the time my contract with Facebook ended and new role began at LX. Other than that, here is what else I discovered/felt.
- I had more energy throughout the day, less time of fogginess and feeling fatigued.
- It improved my overall mood. I found that running and swimming first thing in the morning set the tone for my entire day, and helped me transform any negative thoughts into positive actions.
- I lost about 8 lbs and alleviated tension in my back/hips.
- Improved my posture while working by making my legs stronger/having more stamina.
- Built self-confidence. This, to me, was number one because I became fearless of my insecurities, and used those insecurities to overcome obstacles in real-life situations.
- I quit caring what others thought about me, and started feeling motivated to share my story to inspire others.
- I found myself more available to friends and family because I was more consistently happy.
- I moved out of the loft and found my own place, right down the street from Barton Springs, right where I wanted to be!
Starting today, with this blog as #1, I will be writing a blog or posting a podcast to share my story of Turney’s Journeys and how I got to where I’m at today. I’m not sure what outcome will develop from this, but after observing what my 30-day challenge of swimming at Barton Springs every morning did to my life, it should be interesting to see what evolves!
Check out my “morning workout” playlist on Spotify that helped me push through my initial 30-day challenge!
What is Your 30-Day Quarantine Challenge?
I would love to hear what you’re doing during your quarantine and if this blog perhaps inspired you to begin one? I know my friend Alex Matthews is doing a daily workout program through his quarantine while finishing law school. My roommate Sam Whiteside is watching a movie every evening for 30-days to help inspire ideas for more of his screenwriting projects, while my mom gardens for 30-days (although I think she’s done this every day of her life).
A few more ideas to inspire your 30-day challenge:
- Cooking something new every day, write your own cook book
- Do 100 push-ups and sit-ups daily
- Read 50 pages of a book daily
- Write in a journal daily
- Learn how to create a podcast for 10-15 minutes per day
- Listen to a different album on Spotify or iTunes daily
- Learn to play an instrument by practicing a little bit daily
- Learn how to edit photos and videos by watching Adobe “how to” videos on YouTube
- Write a letter daily to the elderly who are stuck in nursing home without visitors
- Practice drawing or coloring daily
- Call or text someone new every day to check-in and catch up
Whatever it is you decide to do, please drop a comment below and make sure to follow Turney’s Journeys on Instagram for more!
