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099 | Lessons from Lexington: Wins, Challenges, and Ideas From an Impulse Family Trip

  • Emily Reuschel
  • Jun 5, 2024
  • 4 min read

Gather in Growth Podcast episode #001

LISTEN TO LESSONS FROM LEXINGTON: WINS, CHALLENGES, AND IDEAS FROM AN IMPULSE FAMILY TRIP ON: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Your player of choicePodcast

I’m comin’ at ya on the other side of a fun impulse trip my family and I just got back from! We went to Lexington, KY to visit my brother, who owns a horse farm there. Interestingly enough, my brother and I didn’t grow up in the ag world whatsoever, but now agriculture is a huge part of both of our lives. It had been a hot minute since we had taken a family trip, but we didn’t have any major plans for Memorial Day weekend, so off we went! Since this was a last minute trip for my family, it was pretty hectic getting everything put together (packing, laundry, food, and #allthethings). Throughout this four day adventure, my family and I had a variety of experiences – some amazing, some challenging, and ultimately, some important lessons that I felt called to share here.


In today’s episode, I want to talk about my lessons from Lexington, and the wins, challenges and ideas that came from an impulse family trip. Like I mentioned, this was very much a last minute trip, and while I’m someone who normally excels at planning, making lists, reverse engineering goals, etc., I decided to just ‘wing it’ in preparation for this trip. Well…it’s probably not surprising to hear that chaos ensued (even more than what I’m used to with 3 young kids)! This was just the reminder I needed that while it’s okay to ‘go with the flow’, having a plan in place will set you up for success and allow you to thrive, instead of staying frustrated and overwhelmed with what to do next.


Some other key lessons that popped up for me during this trip were the willingness to give up what feels comfortable and ‘easy’ in order to push you closer to what you really want, being super intentional with not only where you’re spending your time, but what you’re doing with your time (yep – less aimless scrolling on IG for me), getting crystal clear on your priorities so you can make space for them to become a reality in your life, and more. One of the most crucial lessons that stuck out to me (and continues to on the regular) is the life-changing, cycle-breaking work that comes from modeling certain behaviors and emotions for our kids. While sh*t happens and is definitely going to hit the fan at times, it’s so, SO important for our kids to see what it looks like to work through stressful situations in a regulated state. I’ve learned that some of the MOST difficult and triggering work is learning to reparent ourselves; showing our kids and those around us what it looks like to really feel and just ‘be’ with our emotions when we’re on a personal growth and healing journey is incredibly powerful. After all, behavior is communication!


This impulse family trip was eye-opening (in the best ways possible), and really brought up SO many things for me. It reminded me to deeply think about how I’m spending time with my loved ones, parenting my kids, treating my body, planning and prioritizing, and even, how I’m showing up in community with others in this world (no matter their ideas or perspectives). I hope there’s a little nugget (or two) that you’re able to take from these lessons and apply to your own life, too!


In this episode about lessons from lexington: wins, challenges, and ideas from an impulse family trip, we cover:

  • The extra frustration and overwhelm that comes with ‘chaos planning’ and simply ‘winging it’ vs. ACTUALLY having a plan and setting yourself up for success

  • Why you HAVE to be willing to give up what feels ‘easy’ for what you really want

  • Being more intentional with being outside and spending time in nature this summer

  • Our recent experience with multiple flat tires on my car + why this was such an important reminder that how we handle stress matters

  • Consistently modeling behaviors and emotions that positively support our kids + the difficult and triggering work that comes from (re)parenting ourselves in the process

  • Getting super clear on your priorities + making the time and space to plan for those things so they actually DO happen

  • Stepping out of your comfort zone and choosing to be in community with other people who have different ideas, perspectives, upbringings, etc.


If this episode sparked something in you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your people. Your support helps more people step into curiosity, ask hard questions, and reclaim a faith rooted in love, truth, and authenticity. Let’s shift the conversation—together.


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More about the Gather in Growth podcast: 

Gather in Growth is more than a podcast—it’s a sanctuary for women coming home to themselves and each other. A sacred space to expand horizons, reignite our power, and live unapologetically as our fullest, most authentic selves.


Hosted by Emily Reuschel, this is a gathering place for the doers, dreamers, and seekers who crave connection, purpose, and meaningful impact. Through raw conversations and soul-deep reflections, we’ll embrace curiosity, step to the edges of our comfort zones, and defy expectations.


Picture this: women gathered around a fire, sharing stories with open hearts—connecting, healing, and evolving together. That’s the spirit of Gather in Growth. This is our space to awaken and embody the lives we’ve been yearning for—lives rooted in alignment, guided by intuition, and built with intention.


If you’re ready to move beyond limits and labels, cultivate deep inner trust, and courageously embrace the magic of who you are, then welcome home. Together, let’s Gather in Growth.


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