Wisdom for the ages infused by single track, snow, and spiritual adventures.
Hello and Welcome to SpiritScout!
Yup, only worse…
I feel this experience was a vessel for vanquishing the detritus of a difficult year, and with each pedal stroke, recycling it into something fresh and life-affirming. I have been rewired by awe. The feeling of riding through this wild, majestic landscape reminds me of my tiny yet powerful place in this ecosystem of beauty.
Engaging with nature at this exhiliarating level is always thrilling, gratifying—and terrifying. The environment and conditions were exceptional, but we also skied on high alert, navigating our way around a vast range of skier ability as they scissored down the mountain.
…I’ve learned that no matter how old I grow, it’s never too late to cultivate the art of maturity.
After a short morning shuttle heading south and inland to cross the border, we ceremoniously bid ‘Zbogom’ to sweet Slovenia and ‘Zdravo!’ to chic Croatia. On board our bikes we found the peaceful rolling roads mesmerizing as we wound through dense forests and fig tree groves terraced with virtually no traffic after the busy initial climb.
The result? We have reduced some of the micro-resentments that plague all couples, and we have developed more awareness about mutual consideration. I highly recommend this as a healthy refresher for any relationship dynamic.
And here is the oyster to this story: this concept is imperative right now because Carl Rogers found within the UPR practice is a curious paradox: that by creating a safe space of acceptance for what simply IS, the energy that creates growth and change then has a place to ignite.
Albania is a stunning country with an emerging economy—a price-positive tourist destination to consider now, before everyone else gets there!
I am a firm believer that coffee cake is the glue of weekend. No matter what else happens, if you have a perfect bite of cake paired with a hot cup of coffee, or my Maple Magic Iced Coffee, then everything else is going to be okay.
Two kitchen hacks that I’ve created also feed my irreverence and creativity when it comes to seasoning. A cook’s seasoning confidence is what transforms good food into great food.
Located at the foothills of the dramatic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, its wild desert beauty and colorful, refined culture clash in a way that sparks something creative and curious deep in my soul.
Attitude is the difference between an adventure or an ordeal, and while this experience was both, I think my deep desire to recapture my state of wellness was the magic sauce. The body is genius at recovery and resilience, and it is always, always striving to return to a healthy homeostasis.
Even if our story is Trauma with a capital T, it’s still just soup without a recipe, without a direction, and because we know it by heart, it’s in danger of becoming a stale default that no longer nourishes.
But it is satisfying to name this interim time and space and I do love the word liminality. It kind of shimmers and sparks, and being in a mindful place during it I can see myself in a kind of slow motion. I can see and feel more gratitude for the hot coffee and the running water, and I can make more consciously aligned decisions as I bridge to the next thing.
There are three parts to the framework of a spiritual life: insightful relationship with oneself, a strong personal value system, and a fulfillment of meaningful purpose. We each create and explore our unique spiritual paths using our intuition, influences, and appetites as our guide. The energy source for this growth is Meraki, the soul creativity or core put into something, the essence of our self that is devoted to our pursuits.
For us, the antidote to boredom is to arrest the feeling that that we are waiting for life to happen—or that it is passing us by. ‘Life. Be in it’. is our watchword, and by making playtime a priority, it helps us to create momentum as a couple.
The Japanese have a word ‘otaku’ which means when one becomes obsessed with an idea, product, or hobby they simply must tell their friends all about it. Well, SpiritScouts, this is what I’m excited about right now, so I’m sharing this éclat of hacks with you to inspire some summer fun!
This relish instantly elevates simple basics into a meal worth celebrating, exactly what we need in the heat...
The next day we headed to Sag Harbor, starting our day at Carissa’s Bakery, a instagramably chic spot filled with people wearing very white Chloé Nama sneakers and Alo nude leggings. Eating artisanal pastries and sipping coffee concoctions in this precious setting felt like hooking up to an IV bag filled with Hampton Vibe drip.
Traveling to Zermatt, Switzerland is like landing in a chapter of ‘Heidi’ only with gourmet meals, great friends, and deep winter as the cast of characters.
