{"id":1286,"date":"2018-08-16T20:17:04","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T20:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takeflyte.org\/?p=1286"},"modified":"2019-06-20T02:53:58","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T02:53:58","slug":"donorspotlightomthego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/takeflyte.org\/donorspotlightomthego\/","title":{"rendered":"Donor Spotlight: Tara from Om the Go"},"content":{"rendered":"
FLYTE is more than a non-profit organization. It is a community built by supporters and donors who want to empower students to change their lives \u2013 and the world \u2013 through travel. Today we’re so excited to share Tara’s story with you. She’s an avid traveler, yogi, and entrepreneur who founded Om the Go.<\/a> This company makes yoga more accessible even while on the road, and developed the Asana Pillow \u2013 a brilliant product that serves as both a yoga mat and travel pillow. Tara donated Asana Pillows<\/a> to all the students and chaperones<\/a> on Victor School’s trip to Guatemala<\/a>. Considering they spent many mornings doing yoga at the Mahadevi\u00a0Ashram, this was a perfect partnership!\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Tell us about yourself<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n My name is Tara Lynn, and I was born and raised in sunny Florida. From my hometown of St. Petersburg, I moved to Miami for university in 2012 and part of me feels like this is when my life really began. And oh boy, did I have FUN. It was during these formative years figuring out \u201cwhat I wanted to do when I grow up\u201d that I found my passion for travel and my passion for yoga.<\/p>\n My senior year of college, I stumbled upon authors like Rolf Potts, Henry David Thoreau, and Nomadic Matt which is when I really started to get the travel itch. I decided that I was going to travel the world after I graduated university, and that\u2019s exactly what I did. Actually, I completed my last course abroad and never even came home to walk for graduation. I knew, as Henry David Thoreau would say, the \u201cfetters\u201d lurking – job offers, boyfriends, and leases.<\/p>\n In May of 2015, after finishing the last class of my undergrad in Spain I took off for what would be a 10-month solo trip around the world. This is where my real education took place. Living far outside the bounds of my comfort zone, immersing myself in new cultures, and learning to find purpose within versus externally were just some of the greatest rewards. I found my personal yoga practice, which was a pivotal moment in my life and what then inspired me to create my business, Om the Go<\/a>. And the rest is history! Travel and yoga are essential parts of my life and I feel elated every day to know that my \u201cwork\u201d is my passion.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n How has travel impacted your life?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I first want to define travel. TRAVEL is a chance for me to step outside of myself (my cultural norms, my identity, my beliefs – all formed from consistent stimuli inputs often in the form of my home media, family, friends, routine, jobs, et cetera.) I travel to get uncomfortable. For me, this is where growth begins.<\/p>\n So, travel, in this sense, has impacted my life immensely. The 10-month solo trip around the world I referenced earlier is when I first got the taste of TRAVEL (the definition I provided above). In these months, I gave myself the chance to let go of my identity, shatter everything I thought I knew, and through this process I became fearless. This was the most peaceful feeling I\u2019ve ever had. Some may call it my \u201cwake up\u201d moment, understanding my inner wisdom, maybe even enlightenment. All I know is I was 23-years old and I was at peace with death. That\u2019s what I mean when I say, fearless. I was sitting on a boat, in Indonesia, cruising from one island to the next, watching the sunset unfold, and I suddenly realized I could die happy. I had arrived.<\/p>\n What’s your favorite travel memory?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Always a difficult one. Ok, I\u2019ll share the first one that came to my mind just now! I visited India at the end of 2016 and wow. One of the best ways I\u2019ve heard India described (if you\u2019re forced to with ever-so-limiting language) was by my host in New Delhi, \u201cA land of contradictions\u201d.<\/p>\n I was traveling in rural Rajasthan, and upon recommendations of friends from New Delhi, met with a local guide in the town of Bundi named Kukki. This man was fascinating! And didn\u2019t miss a beat! Up early in the morning, back late at night, we explored markets, villages, waterfalls, ancient cave paintings, and enjoyed some epic meals together. One worth remembering was a meal we had bought from a street stall earlier in the morning, and once arrived at our wild destination, we found some nice rocks to sit down and enjoy our newspaper wrapped samosas. I was loving it – so simple and SO good.<\/p>\n Then came the sweet stuff, literally. Kukki is also a talented sweet maker, and unbeknownst to me, brought some sweet stuff to enjoy! He hadn\u2019t said anything, but out of my peripheral vision, I saw him unwrapping his treats and just observed. I didn\u2019t expect him to share any with me but I saw him break his treat in half, observe the split parts, and then consciously handed me over the bigger half. My heart melted. Seemingly small moments like these are often the most memorable.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n T<\/strong><\/em>ell us more about Om the Go. How has travel shaped your company’s vision and goals?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n