Colombia

Transitions

This is a week of transitions at the Shaw house: 

Mike is home from 15 days on the sailboat and has returned to school. He has a busy week full of meetings and preparations. Oh, and 2 gigs as well!*

I am back to teaching after 10 intense and beautiful days in Colombia. 

Our dear friend Darcy has arrived and moved her son, Evan, into Hope College for his Junior year. Evan’s soccer season has already started, and he played great in their opening scrimmage. There are two more games this week. 🧡💙⚽️

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“If you truly want to grow, make a practice out of gratitude: the daily art of celebrating the life unfolding before your eyes.”

~ Morgan Harper Nichols

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Hello!

Every time I travel for coffee, it is a huge adventure. And like all adventures, the Colombia trip had both challenges and rewards. 

Colombia is GORGEOUS! 3 spines of the Andes mountains running through the country make for spectacular vistas at every turn. And let me tell you . . . there are a LOT of twist and turns. In fact, I had one of my worst ever struggles with motion sickness on this trip. And that’s not the important part. 

What is important are the amazing connections we made while visiting coffee country. Sometimes, we go on an initial exploratory trip, and we return with limited possibilities for future Farm-Direct partnerships. And that’s okay. It’s part of being boots on the ground and investing the time to find people who are doing good things for people, for the planet, and for their community. 

This time? We have MULTIPLE strong connections that are worth re-visiting. Bob and Michelle Fish are already hatching plans for their return trip! 🙌🏽

Coffee is always grown at altitude, and it is often planted in steep terrain. In fact, recently in Guatemala I remember thinking, “I have never seen coffee grown on such steep slopes.” Well, I think Colombia may have surpassed what I experienced in Guatemala. This time my inner narrative was, “Coffee is grown in impossibleplaces!” 

I cannot believe the work that goes into growing coffee . . . coffee producers are incredible! 
I have much more to share about the amazing people we met and the determination they have to live in peace through coffee production. 

An added bonus on this trip? I got to spend a few hours with my yogi friend, Mariana, while in Bogotá! It was such a blast to catch up. 🥰

Speaking of yoga, I have some exciting opportunities for us to connect:

Mondays @ Satya in downtown Saugatuck | 8:30 - 9:30 A
Saturdays @ the Saugatuck Yacht Club | 8:30 - 9:30 A (ALL are welcome)
Sunday, September 21 | Oval Beach | 4:00 - 5:30 P | Fall Equinox Yoga + Sound
Register here: https://satyayogasaugatuck.com/events

And, it’s happening THIS SUNDAY! Mike’s band, with guest vocals by Michelle Fish (7 songs this time?! ♥️) at Red Dock. Hope to see you there! 3:00 - 7:00 P.

Love, light, and ease in all transitions,

m