
Episode #58
Learning to Trust the Life You Didn’t Plan with Kristy Halvorsen
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not establish a therapist-client relationship with Herdyne Mercier, Mercier Wellness & Consulting, or podcast guests. Please seek professional support for your individual mental health needs. Episode Introduction: What if the life you planned isn’t the life your soul is asking you to live? At 35, Kristy Halvorsen made a decision that would completely reshape her life. After leaving engineering for firefighting, health challenges and an on-duty injury led her to reconsider what she wanted her future to look like. She sold her home, packed what remained into her Airstream and set out to live the retirement dream she had been saving for someday. What followed was freedom, adventure, and an unexpected season of grief. In this episode, Kristy joins Herdyne Mercier to talk about what it meant to leave behind a career, friendships, a home and an identity she loved, only to find herself questioning whether she had made the right choice. Their conversation also reaches into the childhood experiences that shaped Kristy’s relationship with love and loss, including the healing that eventually allowed her to rebuild her relationship with her mother. Kristy shares the “tickles of my soul,” her way of describing the inner knowing she has learned to trust throughout nearly nine years of travel. Together, she and Herdyne explore intuition, stillness, surrender, curiosity and what happens when we stop trying to control exactly how our lives are supposed to unfold. This conversation is for anyone standing between the life they knew and whatever comes next. It’s an invitation to release the need for certainty, listen more closely to yourself and remain open to the possibility that a different path can still become a beautiful one. Key Takeaways: Even a change you willingly choose can come with real grief. Childhood experiences can quietly shape the stories we carry into adulthood. Letting go of a predicted future can create space to experience the life that is actually unfolding. Stillness can help us hear the intuition that gets buried beneath everyday noise. Curiosity can offer another way to approach uncertainty when control is impossible. Success can mean knowing yourself deeply enough to follow what feels aligned rather than what looks impressive. Difficult experiences can take on new meaning as our lives continue to unfold. Healing can include discovering that you are stronger than you ever imagined. About Our Guest: If "normal" is a way of being, Kristy Halvorsen is not that. In 2017, she sold everything, left her firefighting career, and hit the road in her Airstream trailer. For nearly nine years, she has migrated with the seasons, often with no idea where she's headed next. In addition to being a nomadic world traveler, she is a mentor, coach, and bestselling author of Perfect Unfolding: Seven Years of Life-Changing Solo Adventure, One Year That Broke Me Open, a vulnerable, deeply human account of what’s possible when you live in curiosity and wonder, embrace the unknown, and trust life while waking up to the simplicity and freedom available to us all. Episode Quotes: “Even in the worst parts of our life, in the hardest times, there's a reason behind all of that.” — Kristy Halvorsen “Letting go of the predicted future, letting go of how we think things should be.” — Kristy Halvorsen “The control is not mine to have.” — Kristy Halvorsen “Curiosity is the spice of life.” — Kristy Halvorsen “Our intuition is our true guide.” — Herdyne Mercier “Life is not perfect, but it must be lived.” — Herdyne Mercier Redefining Grief Pearls of Wisdom (P.O.W.) Question: Q. If today was your last day on Earth, what would you want people to remember in five words or less? A. We are love. Q. What have you learned about yourself since redefining the grief in your life? A. “That I'm stronger than I ever could imagine I was. And that it's all gonna work out, even if I have no idea what work out is.” — Kristy Halvorsen Q. When life is life-ing and the storms come, what song gets you through? A. The song of Kristy’s soul. Episode Time-Stamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Redefining Grief Podcast 03:30 From Engineering to Firefighting 08:00 Selling Everything & Choosing a Life on the Road 13:00 Nine Years of Solo Travel & the “Perfect Unfolding” 16:00 Healing the Childhood Story of Being Unlovable 24:00 Grieving the Person You Used to Be 27:00 Stillness, Intuition & Hearing the Whisper 31:00 Letting Go of Control & Choosing Curiosity 39:00 What Anchors Kristy Today 45:30 Pearls of Wisdom Book Mentioned: “Mommy, What’s That Feeling?” by Herdyne Mercier, LCSW - https://herdyne.com/mommy-whats-that-feeling/ “Mommy, What’s That Feeling?” Kindle Edition: https://a.co/d/0gHo5xw3 RESTORED: A 21-Day Prayer, Worship, and Journaling Experience: https://a.co/d/0cCEeEtd Perfect Unfolding: Seven Years of Life-Changing Solo Adventure, One Year That Broke Me Open By Kristy Halvorsen: https://perfectunfolding.com/ [COMING SOON] RELEASE: A 30-Day Guided Journey to Healing, Letting Go, and Embracing the Person You Were Always Meant to Be: www.herdyne.com Resources: Grief Assessment for Adults: https://griefpattern.lovable.app/ Grief Assessment for Children: https://childgriefmap.lovable.app/ Book Your Dream Trip with Creole Adventures: creoleadventures@gmail.com This episode is brought to you by our supportive, informative, and complimentary Grief Crusader Community. Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GriefCrusader Connect with Kristy Halvorsen: Website: https://perfectunfolding.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristy.halvorsen/ Connect with Herdyne: Website: www.herdyne.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/herdynemercier Email: connect@herdyne.com

