Geri Reid Suster's Blog

Life as a solo nomad, may not be for everyone but it is definitely the life for me. And after over 5 years of traveling throughout the country with my trusty 4-legged companions in my house on wheels, there has been a laundry list of lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Many people have told me I am living the dream, and I am. But for every dream, there are also sacrifices and tradeoffs that come with it. Sometimes the things happening behind scenes can be a bit different than lens of social media projects.

That is why I have put together a list of my 5 biggest takeaways from 5 years on the road.

1. It begins & ends with me

When you travel on your own, there are many helpful people you meet along the way. Yet, where I go, how I solve problems, and whether or not I let fear win over wonder and curiosity all begins and ends with me. It’s a mental game as much as a physical lifestyle.

There have been seasons where I chose comfort over courage and others when I was so high on curiosity and wonder that I couldn’t wait to see what was around the next corner or where that road led.

As the saying goes, no matter where you go there you are. There is no out running myself and much of this journey has been about facing that self, remembering who she was before she was a mom, an executive, a responsible adult.

2. People are not as scary as the news would have you believe

It’s really a numbers game. There are bad people out there, obviously and yet, the vast majority, the overwhelming majority, are good people trying to live the best life they know how. A smile, a complement, or a kind gesture can break down walls pretty quickly. Most of us just want to be seen and acknowledged.

3. Traveling with your own home is amazing

I take my home to the grocery store, to the park, to the woods, and to my friends’ houses when I’m visiting. That means I have my own clothes, refrigerator, toilet, and shoes. Sometimes I even have things in my van that my friends don’t have in their homes.

Being self-contained makes life so much easier in one way and more challenging in others. But I love that I don’t have to plan before I drive away. I can stop and change my clothes or grab a snack or use the restroom whenever I want. That has definitely come in handy during this pandemic in terms of minimizing exposure.

It also means my friends have less preparation to do when I come to visit in that I become their neighbor and not the house guest. But it also means that all my stuff is rumbling down the road and if I take a turn to sharply, it might go flying.

4. Not everyone will understand or embrace your choices (& that's okay)

After more than five years on the road I still get strange questions from people about this way of living. Some are fascinated, some are put off by the idea, and some have a hard time picturing how this could work.

At the beginning of my journey, I felt myself trying to convince people that it was wonderful. With time and experience I’ve come to understand that not everyone gets it, nor do they need to. I get it, I love it, and that’s all that matters.

5. Spending time closer to nature has healed wounds I didn't know I had

For me, spending time away from people and among the trees has become my church. I find so much inspiration and peace It makes the dirt and the discomfort and the extra effort completely worth it.

Walking among giant trees reminds me of being a small girl where I am seen and protected and soothed by the sounds of the river flowing over fallen trees and the wind whispering through the leaves.

In that space I am undefined nor am I required to be. That is a grace for which I am eternally grateful.

Want More?

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sneak peeks from my new book and behind-the-scenes footage from life on the road.

Grab your copy of Graceful Exits today (coming soon on Audible). We all experience exits throughout our lives, why isn’t anybody talking about them? Now is your opportunity to look more deeply into past, present, and future exits so you can find grace and peace in each milestone.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Graceful Life Newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming appearances, new content, and a whole lot of real talk.

Have a question? Need Advice? Want to partner? Let’s Talk

The post 5 Lessons From Solo Nomad Life appeared first on Graceful Life.

This week I saw my book for the very first time.  

After 7 years of talking into a voice recorder, typing on my laptop, and walking away from this project only to come back to it over and over…the unboxing is finally here.

I had a dream last week that the cover had a tractor on it and the dimensions were all messed up – you know how dreams take your thoughts and turn them into funny, exaggerated versions of what you fear most?  Yeah, it was like that.

Thankfully it is perfect – just the right size so as not to scare anyone off on an already difficult topic.  The book is jacket-less and I worried about how that would look and feel but I love it!

And I hope you love it too.  I hope it becomes a book you send to friends and family when they are hurting, perhaps while struggling with an impending exit.  Or to someone you know who is regretting how they handled an exit at work or with a friend.  Someday, I hope we teach courses on how to build skill in this area based on this little green book.  Why not?

After all, life is too short to live with shame and regret.  As my brother-in-law said before his passing, “nothing but joy is worthy of having in our hearts.  Our hearts are supposed to be filled with love, so let’s do that.”

Check out a short clip of the magical unboxing moment, when my dream of 7 years in the making became a reality.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sneak peeks from my new book and behind-the-scenes footage from life on the road.

Enhance your exit skills by grabbing your copy of Graceful Exits today (coming soon on Audible).

We all experience exits throughout our lives, why isn’t anybody talking about them? Now is your opportunity to look more deeply into past, present, and future exits so you can find grace and peace in each milestone.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Graceful Life Newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming appearances, new content, and a whole lot of real talk.

Have a question? Need Advice? Want to partner? Let’s Talk

The post When a dream becomes real (unboxing Graceful Exits) appeared first on Graceful Life.

Endings are not situational, they are universal and everyone experiences a variety of different endings throughout their lives. Yet nobody is talking about how to improve our exit skills. As a result, we sometimes suffer from messy exits and carry that pain with us for years to come.

What if there was a process for getting good at goodbyes by putting empathy first? How can we build our exit skills so that we can live without regret or shame? These are the questions that lead me to write Graceful Exits.

Through stories from my own life as a mom, executive, daughter, (ex) wife, and friend as well as the experiences of my dear friends and family – I have compiled a book of insights and stories surrounding the good, the bad, and the ugly exits we can all relate to and learn from.

Hear the full story below-Want more?

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sneak peeks from my new book and behind-the-scenes footage from life on the road.

Enhance your exit skills by grabbing your copy of Graceful Exits today (coming soon on Audible).

We all experience exits throughout our lives, why isn’t anybody talking about them? Now is your opportunity to look more deeply into past, present, and future exits so you can find grace and peace in each milestone.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Graceful Life Newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming appearances, new content, and a whole lot of real talk.

Have a question? Need Advice? Want to partner? Let’s Talk

Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash

The post Why I wrote a book about exit skills appeared first on Graceful Life.

Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and daydreamed about being in their shoes?

Living vicariously or living through another person’s experiences is something we all do in our lives. Though it can be a slippery slope to immerse yourself too far into someone else’s life, it can also be beneficial if you are able to acknowledge that there’s always another side to the story. Nobody has a perfect life and social media is typically filled with all highlights and no lowlights.

As someone who lives a relatively nomadic and out-of-the-ordinary lifestyle, I’ve had many people tell me that I am living the dream. And I am! But for every dream, there are also sacrifices and tradeoffs that come with it. I have found myself with the same admiration for the lives of others as they have found in mine. If we can celebrate each other’s lives rather than compare them, that is when living vicariously can be a great hack.

Hear the full story below-Want More?

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sneak peeks from my new book and behind-the-scenes footage from life on the road.

Get more important life hacks, by grabbing your copy of Graceful Exits today (coming soon on Audible). We all experience exits throughout our lives, why isn’t anybody talking about them? Now is your opportunity to look more deeply into past, present, and future exits so you can find grace and peace in each milestone.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Graceful Life Newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming appearances, new content, and a whole lot of real talk.

Have a question? Need Advice? Want to partner? Let’s Talk

Photo by Brian Hurst on Unsplash

The post Why living vicariously is a great hack appeared first on Graceful Life.

Building and honing skills around exiting is applicable to all areas of our lives both personal and professional because whether you like it or not, there’s an exit right around the corner. 

If you’ve been laid off, delivered bad news as a manager, or left your job for greener pastures, then you’ve experienced a professional exit. The “Professional” section of my new book, Graceful Exits, navigates the nuanced communication of corporate America in hopes of setting a new standard of conversation in the workplace. This specific passage details my first experience laying off a large group (of people I barely knew).

I was intimidated, to say the least, the company-provided training told me to deliver the news quickly and I was worried about the reaction I would get from the crowd. When I walked onto the stage my thoughts shifted and I realized I was in an auditorium filled with real people whose professional lives were about to drastically change. So when they had questions, I knew veering away from training and giving honest answers was the least I could do. 

As soon as my concern for how the experience would temporarily impact me turned to the long-term impact this news would have on each individual, I was able to use my instinctual empathy to guide the delivery. When faced with a difficult exit (like laying off an auditorium of people), considering your impact on the receiving party and upholding an honest delivery is key to success.

Hear the full story below-Want more?

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sneak peeks from my new book and behind-the-scenes footage from life on the road.

Learn more about professional exits, by grabbing your copy of Graceful Exits today (coming soon on Audible).

We all experience exits throughout our lives, why isn’t anybody talking about them? Now is your opportunity to look more deeply into past, present, and future exits so you can find grace and peace in each milestone.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Graceful Life Newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming appearances, new content, and a whole lot of real talk.

Have a question? Need Advice? Want to partner? Let’s Talk

The post How to keep it professional during a tough exit at work appeared first on Graceful Life.

If you have ever experienced fear surrounding the death of a loved one, you are not alone. Some of the most painful yet transformative experiences of my life have been sparked by the passing of someone close. The “Unhumaning” section of my new book, Graceful Exits, highlights the process that goes along with shedding our physical form and embracing the gorgeous mystery of death. In this particular passage, I share my regrets about how I handled the death of my dear friend and role model, Auntie Joyce.

Though I wish I had been present for the process of her transitioning and been able to tell her how much she meant to me, I learned a valuable lesson. I now realize it was my fear of death, specifically her death, that kept me from showing up and missing out on this important part of life. Little did I know, this experience would greatly prepare me for the future, specifically my mother’s passing 12 years later.

It was through my failing that I learned how high the stakes were and how precious the time we have can be. I hope that normalizing hard things like death, (aka Unhumaning), will help us learn to walk through the inevitable fear that comes with it together.

Hear the full story below-Want more?

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sneak peeks from my new book and behind-the-scenes footage from life on the road.

Find out how to face your fears surrounding death and dying, by grabbing your copy of Graceful Exits today (coming soon on Audible).

We all experience exits throughout our lives, why isn’t anybody talking about them? Now is your opportunity to look more deeply into past, present, and future exits so you can find grace and peace in each milestone.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Graceful Life Newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming appearances, new content, and a whole lot of real talk.

Have a question? Need Advice? Want to partner? Let’s Talk

The post What fear of death taught me about life appeared first on Graceful Life.