After our most memorable lunch in the village, we followed the coastal rode back north to Athens, to a special place at the heart of the city. Passing through the crowded streets and tight-packed buildings, we emerged at an opening in the middle of the city, where all else gave way and the dazzling blue... Continue Reading →
Our Mediterranean Adventure Part Two: On Athens, the Temple of Poseidon, and the Art of Enjoying a Meal
Athens is a place that almost doesn’t seem real, like the lost city of Atlantis or Mount Olympus’s home of the gods. Its reputation as a mecca in the Western political, social, cultural, and spiritual ethos makes it seem from another dimension. It is transcended by myth in the minds of all who read about... Continue Reading →
A Brief Pause to Enjoy Spring
Like so many, it has been a strange time as we slowly emerge, hopefully, from the worst of the pandemic. It was a long, difficult, lonely winter that held an extra bitter bite this year and the emergence of Spring is ever welcome! Spring has given me a new found hope and optimism towards the... Continue Reading →
A Sequoia Adventure: The Captivating Forest of Dreams
Some places I wander into in nature captivate my soul in special ways, not just for their beauty and grandeur, but because they whisper into my very being and offer me something that we all need a heavy dose of from time to time, humility. Sequoia National Park was that special place that I recently... Continue Reading →
Humphrey’s Peak: A Test of the Body, Mind, and Spirit [photos]
Humphrey’s Peak has been teasing me ever since I moved to Flagstaff, AZ a couple of months ago. I knew at one point I was going to set out to climb the mighty peak, it was just a matter of when. I have fallen in love with the area since I have been here. Flagstaff... Continue Reading →
Death Valley: Getting Wondrously Lost in the Desolation [photos]
Part of the allure of discovering new places for me is putting myself in environments that are utterly strange and hostile to my normal way of life. I think putting myself in the desolation of deserts and other forms of inhospitable landscapes gives me a unique perspective into not only the diversity of our world... Continue Reading →
My Angel’s Landing Hike: Where Danger and Marvel Collide [photos]
There are moments in nature that test your courage, condense your reality into your most immediate surroundings, and ensnare you in a world of blissful wonder all at the same time. This is how I felt this past weekend hiking Angel’s Landing trail in Zion National Park in Southern Utah. Zion is a canyon oasis... Continue Reading →
How to Surrender to Our Suffering and Resist Validation from Others [Link]
I came across a fantastic video in my YouTube feed this morning by Pete Holmes, a comedian/author, where he talks about two key things to achieving inner peace. The two principles for peace and happiness that he discusses are learning to suffer/resisting nothing and not giving into external validation/criticism. What he discusses has really resonated... Continue Reading →
An Adventure Through Sand: Finding Purpose in the Endlessness [Photos]
Sometimes nature takes ahold of you, embraces you, rattles you, and unexpectedly transforms your consciousness in new and profound ways. I try to share some of my nature adventures because spending more time in nature has been shown to increase happiness and overall life satisfaction and I want to encourage others to never stop exploring... Continue Reading →
You Are Not The Ego: Learning to Love Your Higher Self [Links]
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” -John Milton, Paradise Lost This morning I experienced both hell and heaven within the span of about an hour. It was in the quietness of my home, in the comfort of my bed, and it... Continue Reading →