Good morning from beautiful Cornwall!

I arrived yesterday near the beautiful north coast, where darkness had already descended on the country roads. As I write this from my room, I hear the wind beating outside. I'm on a short yoga retreat, which means that I won't be teaching tomorrow and will instead be practising on Saturday morning. Regarding the journey here, there was much plan A, B, C and D-ing in the morning due to Storm Ciarán and the ensuing travel disruption.

But I made it - hurray!!

Before the day of travel, I had planned everything perfectly. I would take a leisurely five-hour train ride from London Paddington, book a table seat and a power socket, and use the uninterrupted time to work on my laptop. I'd even set aside time to write my weekly blog post, which I usually send out to you each Friday for your enjoyment (or immediate deletion, haha).

As it turned out, the train was not to be, nor was my leisurely laptop time. A long car journey ensued. I'm not a great passenger in a car. Gone was any meaningful time I could spend typing since I suffer from a pathological case of car sickness. (Has anyone else noticed their motion sickness getting worse with age? Tell me it's not just me!)

Before my bottom could make an indent in the passenger seat, I began ruminating - when would I be able to get my work done now? How would I write my blog, which I hadn't even started? I began hatching a plan - I'd do it as soon as I arrived, I'd write it in my head on the drive (some people can do that sort of thing, can't they?), or I'd dream up a topic short sharp and to the point, not requiring too much time to construct. I started wondering how long it would take, along with the other work-related paperwork I'd promised to get done by tomorrow.

Being one to almost religiously dislike letting people down or breaking promises; I'd resigned myself to a long evening ahead in front of the computer instead of time settling in, relaxing and chatting with my fellow yogis.

On the tentative journey southwestward, however, something happened that I can only describe as serendipitous. Earlier in the AM, I'd sent out an email to my mailing list in error, then frantically went about sending another explaining my mistake. I was so annoyed with myself.

As the day progressed, I got one email after another in response saying things to the tune of, "Oh, don't worry about it at all", or, "Thank you for that email, and how are you?", or "Have a safe journey" and other such messages with other lovely details and check-ins. I found out that it was someone's birthday yesterday and that another person's cat really loves the stormy weather and finds rain as exciting as I do! Just simple messages connecting back. It didn't matter that I'd made a mistake; in fact, people were swift to reassure.

Being on the receiving end of so many emails yesterday that sprang from such a mundane, irrelevant email with an even more irrelevant error it told me something. That I can be forgiven and forgive myself if things do not go to plan. If mistakes are made, or I can't deliver a promise, it doesn't really matter at all.

Yes, I'm a control freak and need to let go.

I can't control the weather, and it's okay not to deliver 100% of the time.

As it turns out, the only one who will berate me is me.

So thank YOU! You reminded me of this during this stormy day of disruption.

I made a conscious decision when I reached my destination. Instead of inhaling my dinner and isolating myself in my room to complete all the tasks I had planned, including writing this newsletter, I chose a different path. I practised yoga in the beautiful studio, stretched out my ever-so-tight car seat hip flexors and relaxed over the dinner table with my fellow yogis.

I've spent a little time writing to you now in the quiet of the night (the control freak is hard to exorcise completely, folks). But this certainly wasn't the blog post I had planned for you this week - it was meant to be something far more considered and interesting.

Somehow I have a feeling that you won't mind. And maybe the best-laid plans aren't always the best ones after all.

I am grateful for you.

'Til next week,

Love, love, love,

Chang