54: Making Room for What Comes Next

I have squeezed some of my favorite things into today, August 24, 2026. I updated my website - teresastreit.com. Check it out and report back if you haven't seen it.

I also updated this wix page, my instagram and tiktok profiles. All the fun things.

Now I am to the point of reflection for a few minutes before I rush off to our new gym.

If you haven't met me or read any of my posts, here's something about me. I have a lot running through my mind on a regular basis and I like to share some of it here or on my socials. It may feel like a firehose of information, but just imagine, it's a small percentage of the total.

What's going on lately?

I started volunteering as a chapter coordinator for the Tampa Bay chapter of American Pilgrims of the Camino. Check it out. There are approximately 160 chapters across the US as of this writing. I am so excited to have a chance to create the newsletter for the chapter. I've never done anything like this, so it's a fun learning experience.

I went to visit friends in Alabama for a few days. It was nice to get away and spend some unrushed quality time together. There was only one moment I felt sad for not being closer. I am grateful to have friends I miss when we are not around one another. They bring me such joy.

I've also been thinking a lot about what it means to keep getting stronger—not just physically, but in all the ways.

I joined a new gym this week and, in typical Teresa fashion, immediately tried the stair climber. Three minutes. That's how long it took for me to question every decision that led me to that machine.

But I did it.

I'm not training because I'm trying to become a fitness model or because I suddenly need six-pack abs at 54. I want to be strong enough to keep doing interesting things. I want to walk long distances, climb ridiculous hills, carry my own backpack, try the monkey bars at the gym someday and say yes when an adventure presents itself.

That's becoming a theme for me lately: I don't necessarily know exactly what is ahead, but I want to be ready for it.

That means getting stronger. Learning new things. Meeting new people. Improving skills I already have. Trying things I've never done before. And staying curious about what else might be possible.

I think we can get so focused on preparing for one specific future that we forget there might be something even better out there that we haven't imagined yet.

So, at 54, I'm leaving some room for surprises.

I'm currently really enjoying writing and creating, and I'm looking forward to having more opportunities to speak in the near future. More about specific projects as they come, but as always, I want to share the in-between with you.

It's not like you wake up one day and suddenly have a different major project or career. It takes time, effort, and a lot of small steps. Right now, I'm celebrating the joy and mystery of what is to come while preparing myself for whatever that might be.

And maybe that's part of why connection has felt so important lately.

The best thing I'm experiencing right now is connection across all aspects of my world. Between visits with old friends, my experience at work, the Pilgrims, the women I've been connecting with, and the communities I'm placing myself in, it feels like I have just the right amount of connection in my life.

And I think that's the theme of my birthday this year: connection.

And my birthday wish for you is all the good things.

Keep looking for the spaces, the people, the connections that will lead you forward to the next version of yourself. No because who are you are today isn't already special and uniquely you, but because we were meant to experience metamorphosis, just as a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

We aren't meant to spend our whole lives crawling along the same branch. Sometimes your soul needs new people, new places, new ideas, and new experiences. It needs the fire that comes from being refreshed, challenged, inspired, and reminded that there is still so much ahead of you.

Find the spaces that light that fire.

And when you find them, step in. ❤️