Rooted in Reverence

Translating adventure holidays into clinical trial leadership. How did my wild river trip make me more capable for my day-job? 😊

The teamwork, ability to pivot due to unforeseen circumstances, resilience and flow with sacred waters metamorphosize into tacet traits I can adopt for my day-to-day, now that I’m back at my desk. 🖥️ 

This trip away was ACTIVATING. The sunlight, the detox from sauna-like temps, swimming in life-giving waters, carrying my 20kg pack around for a week, sleeping on the warm earth and navigating the river-rapids… encompassed the full body/mind challenge and upgrade that I was craving.  But how is it relevant for research management? ⚕️ 

·      Well, we wouldn’t have survived had it not been for working as a team.  Whether it was me getting stuck on the rocks and freaking out at the largest spider I’ve ever seen, or my travel-partner breaking his paddle and needing help to get to hospital: we shared the role of keeping a calm, quiet confidence for troubleshooting whilst the other might have spiraled. 🕷️ 

·      Our aims were ambitious, from the rapids of Përmet to the Mediterranean Sea, it was great to have a goal to reach for but the climate and all we encountered meant we had to re-assess each day, and pivot as necessary, based on the progress we made and the challenges we faced. 📈 

·      The nature-exposure and physical exercise (I couldn’t lift my pack onto my back without help at the start of the week but could by the end!) help encourage neuroplasticity, in turn assisting me to respond flexibly to challenging situations.  Further, there is an embodiment of strength and resilience that I feel energized with, since my return. 💪 

·      Keeping our focus on the preservation of sacred life.  The waters of the earth from under-ground springs and over-head mountain falls nourish the flourishing of all life on our planet. Whether I am raising awareness on the health of our river-ways or helping to ensure meaningful clinical benefit, my motivations remain rooted in reverence for all life. 🧬 🌿 

Read about the full adventure here:

The Vjosa - Life Giving

#adventure #resilience #leadership #teamwork #projectmanagement