Travel & Expand

Expansive Experiences

​I’ve had SO many adventures since last writing you. 😍

Mariana and I left the mountains, and the cooler temperatures, for the coast (and the heat!) of Santa Marta . . . connecting with the the other women participating in the retreat.

From Santa Marta, we all piled in for a drive, and then a boat ride, to our destination in the Tayrona National Park where we would spend the next four days. ​

Now, Mariana and I are enjoying the vibrant and colorful life in Cartagena.

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“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive,
​and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born” 
~ Anais Nin

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Practicing Adaptability
Loving it ALL

Hola from Cartagena!

Sometimes it’s funny what gets lost in translation.

Mariana promoted her yoga retreat on Instagram. The gorgeous photos had me hooked, and I wanted in! The timing was great because it would serve as a bookend to my busy season of outdoor teaching. My promise to visit her had extended into its eighth year, so what could be better than joining her on retreat?

Going to additional yoga teacher trainings are expensive, so I can’t always gift myself those expansive experiences. But, this would be a yoga immersion, time with a dear friend, and I would finally have the opportunity to see some of her beautiful country.

I messaged that I wanted to participate, and that settled it.

Then, summer season in Saugatuck took over..
Honestly?
We barely spoke before it was time for me to board a plane from Grand Rapids.

Confessions:

• I do not speak Spanish 😔
• I did not take the time to translate the details of Mariana’s retreat. I fully fell for the gorgeous photos, and I trusted it all because . . . it’s Mariana! 🥰
• I did not do my homework about the places I was coming to visit. If Mike and I were planning a trip to Colombia, and we did not know anyone in country, we would have geeked out on research beforehand. However, the fact that I was immediately being scooped up by a Colombian, and would be shepherded by her the entire time, gave me such peace of mind I hardly looked up a thing. 🧐

Realizations:

• For our flight to Santa Marta, we could only bring a light carry on and a personal item. I arrived in Bogota with a checked suitcase. If you’ve spent time moving around the world with me, you know I STRUGGLE to travel light. 😉
• The yoga retreat was in a stunningly beautiful National Park where we were completely off-the-grid for four days. Being far away from home, and then seeing all cellular and WiFi disappear was something I had to settle into. 😌
• I have spent time backpacking, camping, and being off-grid before, so this wasn’t completely unfamiliar territory. However, salt water showers and heat that makes your lightest summer pajamas feel like oppression? Rather new territory for me! 😅
• Mariana is both passionate, and knowledgeable, about food. She told me the Vegan meals throughout the retreat would be spectacular, nourishing, and delicious. She completely undersold how amazing the food really was! I don’t know how Marie Nöelle, and her beautiful daughter Naranjan, created such incredible feasts? Especially in such a remote location?! The variety! The care! The textures and flavors! So, so nourishing.

I have SO much more to share about all that I have experienced here. I can’t wait to tell you a few more stories, show you some more photos, and fill you in on my takeaways from being in Colombia.

But, for now . . . I have to soak up every minute of my time that’s left. I’ll definitely be eating more arepas and drinking more juices. I literally started a dictionary of new fruits I have tried since arriving here, it’s incredible!

With all that’s going on in the world right now, I’m SO grateful for this adventure. Meeting people from a different culture, trying new foods, learning a bit of history. being curious about customs . . . it’s an important part of the knowing that we  all share this planet, and we should love one another . . . because life is challenging enough.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

♥️ m

P.S. If all goes according to plan, my first class offering in Michigan will be  Saturday @ the Saugatuck Yacht Club. 9:00 - 10:00 A
I hope you can join me! 💗