You never know what you're gonna get

Behind the pups is our Airbnb in Asheville. Kidding! It’s the Biltmore Estate - a minor step up from our NC accommodations.

“Mama always said: Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

- Forrest Gump/
Tom Hanks i.e. America’s Dad.

Well, the same thing goes for walking into an Airbnb for the first time. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Since departing NH on 9/1 we have now walked through the door of seven Airbnbs. While I know that seven is not a large data set I feel confident in saying…

you never know what you’re gonna get.

Just yesterday, we walked through the door of our Airbnb in Surfside, SC and were punched in the schnauze with the unmistakable scent of last night’s dinner. If I were a bettin’ man I would say some sort of curry dish. Maybe with a lil’ broccoli and rice?

Okay, okay. Look, I’m not endowed with the nasal detection talents of a drug-sniffing dog or anything - I saw the broccoli and rice still caked in the dishwasher. But, the curry. Now THAT I could smell. Unmistakable.

And, look. I love me some curry. But I don’t want to smell someone else’s curry dinner lingering in the room like your socially awkward uncle.

The good news is, when you’ve been inside for a while you don’t even notice it. Bad news, don’t step outside. Otherwise, when you return you’ll get a knuckle-sandwich of the scent all over again.

But besides the Tikka Masala Curry Sauce special, the place is great.

And it’s steps. Literal. Steps. From the ocean. Enough said.

Next Sunday will be a whole month doing this. By that point we will have our 8th front door threshold experience under our belt. I keep wondering if it will ever get easier. But, then I remind myself that no. No, it won’t.

To hold your breath (and sometimes your nose) as you turn the handle of a strange doorknob knowing that, despite all your hours of research on the place, you never know what’s on the other side.

You just have to walk through the door.

This is true for anything and everything. To name a few:

• New job

• New relationship

• New business endeavor

• New hobby

• New haircut

• New car

• New wireless service carrier.

You can research the bajeezus out of it and STILL you will never know until you actually walk through the door (metaphorically speaking).

Had we never sold our house and hit the open road, I would never know what it’s really like to be “house-less” or, as the cool kids say, a “digital nomad.”

Had I never left my employer and went out on my own, I never would have known what it’s like to run a business or work for myself.

There’s a lot I like. There’s a lot I don’t.

And the hardest part of it all…knowing that it never gets easier to try something new.

It. Never. Gets. Easier.

You want a new job? Great! You can go through fifteen rounds of interviews. You can send your prospective future employer thirty-nine “Follow up: A few questions” emails and STILL. You’re gonna have to sign the offer letter, get your face printed on a badge and work in the role for more than a day to know if you like it there.

You want a new house? Hell yeah! You can get all the inspections and study the shit out of the NMLS listing. You can commit the Zillow pics to memory. And yet, you still will never know what it’s like to live in THAT house until you actually buy the sucker and live in it for more than a hot minute.

You want a whole new freakin’ life?

You get the point. Yup. Lots of box of chocolates for you, my friend.

So, this is all to say…

If you’re wondering if you should buzz your head. Sell your house. Start a business. Switch careers. Get a pony.

You will never know what it’s REALLY like until you do/buy/sell/start/try the damn thing.

So. Try.

Because you never know whatcha gonna get.

We never do.

I’m feeling Indian food tonight. What about you, honey?

—Lauren

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Cupalo Conversations Podcast 🎙️:

🎥 Watch on YouTube:

🎧 Listen on Spotify:

In this episode of Cupalo Conversations, host Lauren Hannon sits down with Kurt Schmidt to do a dep dive into his book, “The TEN-TEN-TEN Blueprint: Craft Your Life With Strategic Precision,” where Kurt outlines a powerful framework for goal setting with 10 years, 10 months, and 10 weeks in mind.

Discover why it’s crucial to socialize your goals—sharing your plans with others to ensure support and accountability. Kurt emphasizes that no one achieves success alone and debunks the myth of the self-made individual. Lastly, Kurt also touches on the significance of leaving a legacy, living a life you can be proud of, and how to take control of your future with actionable strategies.

Tune in to learn more about goal setting with the TEN-TEN-TEN framework so you can ultimately make yourself proud and live the life you always dreamed of.

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Meme of the Week:

When the interview panel is bigger than you thought...

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