Tonight I’m going through “the change”. Again.

No, not THAT change! I’m just changing back into my alter ego, “tour leader”. Though I run a travel company, most of my time is not spent personally leading trips. Most of the time, I’m working on product development, marketing and promotion, processes, finances, systems, etc. — everything that’s involved with running Adventurous Wench. But a few times a year, I get to go out and lead a tour myself!

This American Heritage Dictionary definition of metamorphosis seems to fit:

A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.”

It’s time to don some logo wear (appearance), put on my best smiling host attitude (character), get a good workout hiking trails and hefting bags (condition), and show and tell our guests all about the wonders of Arizona (function).

Sure warning signs “the change” is coming include:

• Talking to imaginary people. Not out loud, just in my head. Instead of just seeing something for myself, I mentally start telling other people about it, which is a very different way of processing the world.
• Stopping to look at all the plants I pass, to recall what I know about them (and sniffing all the creosote bushes).
• Remembering various tidbits of buried knowledge about people and places.
• Feeling a need to go double check the years certain events occurred.
• Alternating between “yay — I get to go on a trip and meet some cool people“, and “geez, I have so much work to do, how can I afford to leave my desk that long?“

Once I’m in “the season”, then it’s not a big deal. Switching back & forth frequently doesn’t seem like anything, since both roles are still fairly near the surface. But tomorrow is our first trip of the season that I’m personally leading, so the “tour leader” has been dormant for awhile. She’s been awakening the past couple of days, and tomorrow morning she’ll be ready to go!

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We do Sedona tours for women a few times a year, and I frequently lead these myself, since it’s practically my own back yard. The weather looks perfect, and it should be a wonderful weekend!