Road Block! Construction Ahead. 🚧 🚧 🚧

Today's blog is totally different from the one that I expected to deliver to you...  

This week I want to share with you how a vacation caused me to travel to a place that I wasn't ready to go to…. a journey of finally showing up for myself through radical acceptance, the process of letting go of who I was thought I supposed to be and the story of my first heartbreak...

Finally! A vacation at the beach.  There I was by the sea. Contentment.  My happy place.  Finally feeling the energy of summer.  All was possible.  On vacation alone with just my husband.  It finally felt like summer time.  I was by the water- relaxing a bit, writing a bit and doing a bit of research for my next blog series.  I was exploring how to ride the waves of thoughts, feelings and emotions and working on tools to share on establishing healthy boundaries because I know it resonated with my readers and that was also really what is needed in my life currently.  It was a blog filled with gratitude for allowing me to be vulnerable to share my transformational journey and to pass along all the lessons from my teachers and my gurus to you.  My cup felt full.  Thus, came the desire to receive not just for the self alone but for the sake of sharing.  The blog I was going to write was planned out like so many of my others -  filled with little nuggets of wisdom that I had found as I explored my own journey from heartbreak to happiness. It was a pretty good happiness blog post actually.  

I was in the midst of journaling, writing and revealing my story on what I am currently doing to continue healing.  Then, I had an epiphany.  It was time to do a blog that really got to the nitty gritty of healing.  It was going to be spectacular.  I was going to lean in.  A  deep dive towards the land of forgiveness.  I began my note taking on willingness, acceptance and what it truly meant to forgive.  Yep, I was going to all those dark and scary places of feeling my feels and what it would really feel like if I really explored what it would be like to have the willingness to accept and (it still scares me to write this) forgive. Which of course,  landed me flat on my back - sick in bed with nowhere to run but to face myself!

Yep, I ended up getting sick as a dog.  I actually left my vacation early to go home. I was in bed for four days straight and it has taken the better part of a week to recover.  So, what brought on this bout of bed rest? You know how I love to say that life is happening FOR YOU so of course the first thing I did once I started to feel better was to dissect the situation.  I knew that being knocked flat on my back was to serve a higher purpose, but what was it?  I wanted to find the life lesson and transform it into a blessing.  I knew there was a message in there somewhere.

But, I am getting ahead of myself. My transformational journey began in 2012 after my mother passed away.  It was a time in my life where I felt extremely lonely.  I felt like I was the only one going through what I was going through.  I was on the lonely island of heartbreak.  Completely Heartbroken. My heart had shattered like glass.  The ache of losing a parent was wide and deep.  

Last week this deep dive coincided with my fathers birthday and the first Father’s Day I experienced since he passed away in January.   So here I was, once again, at a place of what it would be like to let go.  My relationship with my father is a complicated one. It is also tangled up with a difficult relationship with my oldest sister,   I have years of stored up hurt and anger for them both.  I had done the transformational work with my mother’s passing but here I was again at the very bottom of the deep and depressing grief hole.  I had been resisting it all year but I know from experience, suffering is just pain multiplied by resistance.  

However, I didn’t know if I was ready to go on a journey that was going to require me to take a good long hard look at myself.  I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go to a place where there was willingness, acceptance and forgiveness. The death of my father is a completely different heartbreak than that of my mother’s.   I am going to admit something that I am almost ashamed to admit.  In his passing, there was even some relief. I will explore that in a minute.

Willingness.  This past Sunday was the Summer Solstice.  The longest day of sunlight of the year.  We are at the halfway point.  2021 is halfway over.  I started to panic! I knew I had been shoving my grief over the death of my father back because Covid seems to be finally over,  I wanted to get my mojo back, I wanted to finally do things.  Vaccines - hurray!  I wanted to take off that mask and smile.   What I didn’t want to do is go back to the land of the heartbroken.  There was no willingness to be sad. There was no willingness to deal with death.  There was no willingness to be transformational.  Did I mention my relationship with my dad was complicated?  

But lying in bed for 4 days - I knew -  Time had run out on my willingness.  It was time to face the situation I was in.  I was at the beginning of a new journey.  There was nowhere to go but towards acceptance. I knew that the only direction was to lean into the heartache and to use what I know now but didn’t know then I could take that first step in the journey towards forgiveness…..

I want this blog to be transformative.  Look, a heartbreak is heartbreak no matter the source - loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the end of a career, an empty nest, grieving that you thought your life would look different than it currently does.  So I created Girlfriends Guru to help us all on this healing journey back to self.  I believe that we're shards of glass broken from the same vessel. It is in sifting through and looking at our own pieces of shattered glass that we seek to unify these pieces that we connect to ourselves and only then can we recognize that same light in others.

One of the things that I did while bed ridden was to listen to my podcast episode #3 - My Mountains, My Mission, and My Metamorphosis.  I love the girl I was in that episode.  I unpacked with my Girlfriend Miranda how I created my butterfly logo and set up Girlfriends Guru.  I was so optimistic, if not even just a little bit naive.  But I do love my butterfly analogy.  I invite you to listen to Girlfriends Guru Podcast Episode #3 but to recap  the messages, and I am quoting-  “You might feel like you are at the caterpillar stage - like I was. So overwhelmed and didn’t know where to go to find what you needed.  For me  - I dove head first into that “finding your purpose, finding happiness” bunny hole and there were plenty of wrong turns, one step forwards two steps back.  Many times, I was just out there in the darkness by myself with only what felt like a flashlight - actually it felt more like a candle at times - to find my way.  As I began my own transformational journey, I wished that there was someone out there that would just decode all of this for me.  Heart break in and of itself is exhausting.”  

A decade ago right after my mom passed, I didn’t know it at the time but looking back I was a mess.  I had chased after and obtained a highly successful career, then I stayed at home to raise my 2 young children and took on the role of super mom, happily married wife, good daughter and I was living the life you were always told you should aspire to have- an amazing partner, awesome friends. I lived in a beautiful place. 

I was living the life of a type A  people pleaser and I was doing what was expected of me.  Why am I telling you this? Well -----as you are suspecting,  it wasn't nearly all that it was cracked up to be. Again, my life shattered when my mom passed away.  I was burned out, I was exhausted, and stressed out all the time.  I was left depressed.  My mom, my mirror,  was gone.  I was left feeling empty. I was caught up in the hamster wheel of hustling for my worth and using exhaustion as a status symbol.  

I was so, so incredibly busy - I couldn't find a second for myself in a day. Are you there too?  Honestly, I was actually bored.  I had all these feelings rising up inside me and what was really left was me feeling really, really angry and pissed off all the time!   

Can you relate?  So, back then I was still operating very much from my childhood programming that good girls don’t wallow.  So, I put my big girl panties on and decided to  “quote unquote” work on myself. Get my MOJO back.  Find out what makes me, well me!   It was time that I looked at myself in the mirror to see my own true reflection.  

To climb out of the grief hole of my mom’s death, I started studying yoga and reading and studying and then read and studied some more. (I am an avid researcher!)  I tried everything from transcendental meditation to sensory deprivation and everything in between.  Again, it’s all these experiences, these bits and pieces on my journey inwards, that I found my own reflection again and that is what I am having so much fun sharing with you each blog post. 

This is why, if you have noticed, my posts can sometimes be a bit all over the place ranging from project declutter (outer order - inner peace) to astrology, because learning the inherent traits of other people has given me more compassion and understanding for others.  Some of  my posts were about my self care lifeboats - sound healing blog because sound healing was one of the first things I did for myself that truly gave me more compassion for myself and yoga nidra because I was so broken and exhausted that what I needed was deep and complete rest.  My blog is a share of my cocoon time.  I want to be that person there for you because my journey was so disjointed.   

Community is what I needed as I trained over the last decade going back and forth to the mountains to obtain my 500 hour teacher training certificate.  This was a time of self empowerment.  You know I am really proud to have earned my E-RYT 500 hours accreditation with yoga alliance because it has meant showing up for myself for over 500 hours of training and 2,000 hours of teaching.  I share this because for me this is where my butterfly stage came in.  I had to go outside my comfort zone.  I had to do the work.  No one could do it for me.  Finally, I was showing up for myself.  

You know my tag line by now: “if you peel back a butterfly’s wings for them, they cannot fly on their own.”  I can’t do this work for you but I promise I will be that person like I say in my tagline -  “there next to you, guiding you through your caterpillar stage to your cocoon stage and finally to your butterfly stage where you can be inspired to find your wings and fly.”  I really mean this.

Let me continue the story. For me, the transformational journey of healing through the acceptance of my mother’s death was all about a journey about radical acceptance and letting go of the illusion of who I thought I was supposed to be.  It was about gluing all those mirrored pieces of shattered glass back together and finally seeing the reflection of me.  

We are all transforming all the time.  Nothing in life stays the same or is ever really permanent.  You are either growing or in the state of collapsing.  It is hard to stay stagnant.  My post on boundaries ripped open the band aid of a wound that underneath wasn't really healed.   Researching the post on forgiveness gave me a huge pit in my stomach.  But as I say in my yoga classes - the issues are in the tissues - I can ignore this pain and it will surely show up as an imbalance in my physical, emotional and mental bodies or I can say I am ready.  (Remember suffering is just pain multiplied by resistance.)  

So, I am finally ready to say what I have tip-toed around for years. I hope you will stay with me on this journey as I share what I really wanted to share with you from the beginning of this blog… my first heartbreak... 

This is a story that was buried deep within me and only remembered until more recently….

It was “The Divorce Fight”.  My mom and dad were fighting and the splitting of the family was happening.  I was about 5ish years old.  I know I hadn’t really gone off to school yet.  My nuclear family of mother, father, and 3 sisters were my entire universe. And now my world, the 4 daughters,  were being divided into “Team Mom'' and “Team Dad.”  The decision to make me a part of Team Dad was not made by me but by my oldest sister violently grabbing me by the arm and folding me into Team Dad on one side of the room.  It was a long dark night.  I remember the pain and longing of wanting to run over to the side of the room where my other older sister, baby sister and mom were but I couldn’t move my body.  I was paralyzed.  I remember feeling like I was floating in the middle somewhere and recognized that I actually didn’t really belong in either camp.  It was desperately lonely.   I promise to share more but for now let's just say that in the light of the morning my mother stayed with my father but the family was never whole again.  

The night's impact:  I unconsciously spent  the entire first part of my life trying to prove that I deserved and was worthy to be with and with “Team Mom.” You see, I was not "seen" for "being me," for “just being Kelly” in my family.  I was not really like my mother and the fact is I was not really like my father. But Team Mom was more introverted and Team Dad was more extroverted.  I was/am outgoing so I was thrown in with Dad.  After that, I was never seen past this introvert/extrovert label.  

But here is the thing… My father and oldest sister are narcissists.  I say this not to put a negative label on them but more fully appreciate and understand their limitations with the understanding that their brain is wired in a way which lacks a certain amount of empathy, a certain inability to put themselves in someone else's shoes or to truly see other’s perspectives.   

I am still actively learning and incorporating appropriate boundaries.  Because if I am being honest, I  need to own up to my 50 % of the relationship with my oldest sister and my father.  I tried for so many years in vain for “Team Dad” to see me.  I am accepting just now that “Team Dad” has never been able to see me,  well for just  me, and that my oldest sister may never be able to see me as an adult person and not a 10 years younger baby sister.    

Yes, it is very freeing to own up to my half of the relationship. I spent an inordinate amount of energy being an empath and a reflector for my nuclear family.  Remember what we learned in the boundary post? The object of my perfection is my reflection.   My oldest sister and father for me were very much emotional vampires sucking my energy in order to get a reflection of themselves.  But I also need to own that I also mirrored for “Team Mom,'' showing them what they wanted to see, hoping that I could morph myself into their “good traits” instead of showing them who I truly was.  (I think you can guess by now that in my mind I labeled Team Mom  as good and Team Dad as bad. )

Why am I sharing all of this? I have a confession...

With my dad's death, I have spent the days oscillating between having it all together (Team Mom), to rebelling, self sabotaging and "being like my Team Dad,” a place I had always resisted going fully.  My father was larger than life, indulgent. Yep, I have been doing a little bit of rebelling.  So of course my body says “ enough is enough,” you can't keep doing this.  I was not taking care of myself with all the tools that I had learned to keep my energy in balance.  Of course, I got physically sick, but moreover,  I knew this behavior isn't really me either!  I am also just sick and tired of this old story, this heartbreak hanging around my neck. Once again, I am tired of wallowing in self pity once.  I am tired of the suffering. Again, suffering is pain multiplied by resistance.   By assuming responsibility for my half of the relationship, everything changes.  I know that I need to have a willingness to accept the pain and all the emotional separation stories that that fateful night in my childhood caused in my psyche.  

Remember in the beginning of the blog I mentioned relief with my dad’s death? In my heart, I know that that just isn’t true.  It is time once again to be vulnerable enough to let my heart break all the way. Yes, all the way wide open. To rage. To cry. To grieve. To really feel the pain, so that I can heal once more.   I am scared but I've done it once before, I know I can do it again.

I am going to explore what Kelly needs.  It is a journey to see myself.  To be the seer, the seen and do the seeing, in an honest way, taking it all in, no labels, no judgment.   Assuming responsibility for my half of every relationship that I am in.  

So, I invite you, if you have been in a place where you were living your life not as authentically as you would like, need to set some healthy boundaries, if you are on a journey to self towards willingness and want to move to a place of acceptance and forgiveness, if you are on a journey just to remember who you are, if you are at a place where you want to move from heartbreak to happiness then I hope you will subscribe and show up with me each episode.  Please go to my website, girlfriends guru.com to sign up for my bimonthly newsletter that includes lots of links to health, wellness and happiness.  

I will continue to connect through my storytelling and sharing my heartaches and heartbreaks.  This past Sunday was the summer solstice the halfway point of 2021.   How is this year going for you? I know in my heart I am ready to see myself again.  Are you? Are you ready to get your mojo back? I know I am!

Let’s continue to sort through the pieces of shattered glass and find tools for transformation and share them with one another.  You can find me most weekends now through the end of Fall teaching Yoga in the Mountains of Western North Carolina at Eagles Nest where I am leading two types of getaways - women only Seasonal Energy Retreats and Wellness Weekends meant for individuals, family and friends for a more a la cart experience on the schedule at Eagles Nest this year.  For more information visit: https://www.girlfriendsguru.com/retreats

No yoga experience necessary - This isn’t your typical yoga retreat.  It is a wellness retreat.  I use yoga as a work in and not as a work out.  There is also plenty of fun.  Sometimes we just need an adventure.  I think an adventure is just the best way to learn.  The mountains are calling…. Time to take an eagle view … Are you ready to elevate? Are you ready to tap into your inner purpose, find your inner voice and emerge deeper and more powerfully onto your path?   Dream Big!  The Universe is generous! 

Summer is all about transformation at our very heart center.  It is about unlocking our inner ability to manifest everything we want in life.  Using tools for transformation such as yoga nidra and sound healing sessions alongside guided yoga and meditation, we identify areas for growth and change, and bring the energy of fall to them and finally let go!  It is an opportunity to transform by building positive habits and using self care to explore ways in which we can create more meaningful conversations in our lives! 

Now is the perfect time to embrace the Art of Deep Relaxation.  In my retreat experiences we process at the physical and emotional level through yoga postures, breathwork, intention setting, lecture and journaling prompts all designed to Reduce Sensory Overload, Learn to Let Go of What No Longer Is Serving You and To Develop Positive Attitudes.  By letting go of who we are… we become what we might be.   

I bring forward these retreat experiences because I have found that the happiness that we all seek comes from the ability to channel our life experiences - our joys, our tears, our sweat and toil and our desires and inspirations - towards the journey and perspective of growth.    It is this mindset that we can tap into our internal wisdom and we can discover what our life's purpose and the journey is all about. 

Where are you on your journey? Do you need guidance?  Do you need someone there to help you dive deep? Do you need a tribe to connect to and keep you motivated? I hope my blog is serving you.   If you need more of an in person experience, I have a few limited slots for one-on-one mentoring and this is why I do wellness retreats.   It’s an amazing opportunity to connect back to self with the support of a community.

Let’s stay together on the butterfly path and work towards the themes of Willingness, Acceptance and Forgiveness.  Subscribe to my blog to get release alerts. I am going to keep showing up and I hope you will too because I am not asking you to tune into me as much as I am asking you to tune into yourself.   

Let's continue to find our wings and fly, connect through our storytelling and share our heartaches and heartbreaks.  Let’s continue to sort through and find tools for transformation and share them with one another.  Sending you all my love 💞 and my light✨  Until next time🦋 - Namaste friends!

Let's Keep Talking About Travel

Girlfriends, today we're going to talk about one of the things that truly makes me happy - travel. We're going to keep talking about travel because it gives us hope. And Miranda and I want to give you hope today. I want to remind everyone of trail magic and how wanderlust can get us in a position to be ever present in our lives. And the joy of travel brings the excitement of planning. It extends to the experience itself and it lives on in the memories we make. And as we share our experiences with others, we get to experience our travel all over again. And we're going to keep talking about travel because I know we're under COVID, but this too shall pass.

And the fact is the travel and tourism industry supports one in 10 jobs worldwide and generates about 10% of the global GDP, it's through travel that local communities are supported. And when we cross borders, we gain a sense of connection and understanding across cultures. And we need the sense of unity now, more than ever in our world.

So you guys have heard me talk to Miranda Peterson once before, she has joined me here once again. Miranda is the owner and founder of Namaste in Nature. It's a North Carolina based tour company based out of Asheville, and it curates fun and creative and family friendly outdoor adventures for all kinds of guests. They combine yoga and hiking and meditation, and this is all combined with some of the best mountain top views and waterfalls in western North Carolina. So Miranda, thanks for joining me today.

Miranda: [00:02:30] Thanks for having me.

Kelly: [00:02:32] So Miranda, you're a travel bug like I am. Miranda, why do you like to travel?

Miranda: [00:02:37] There's a few different reasons, I guess. It helps me get outside of my comfort zone. The first time I did a really big trip by myself, that was part of the goal, was getting out of my comfort zone and experiencing other cultures, other countries. And, that was when I worked for Whole Foods Market. We had a team member volunteer program. And I actually got to go to Kenya, Africa and volunteer there, and I just met so many amazing people that lived so differently than we do.

And it was the first time it really dawned on me that most people in the world don't live like we do in the U S

Kelly: [00:03:13] So, now, was that a group trip or by yourself, do you prefer to travel in groups or do you, or would you rather travel alone?

Miranda: [00:03:21] Oh man. Well, I've done a lot more solo traveling than in groups, but that particular trip, it was a little bit of both.

So we were from all over the U S and Canada. We had one person from Canada that went on that trip. And so we all traveled by ourselves, but we met there in Nairobi and then we drove out to where we stayed. We worked with a company called Ubuntu and we helped to do some construction and painting and helping to build this cafe that was going to provide jobs for the local community because they grow a lot of coffee in Kenya, but they don't have much of a coffee culture.

So they were trying to develop that there. And there was also a school for handicapped children and they employed the moms, to sew bags and coffee sleeves and things. So, yeah, it was a really interesting trip.

Kelly: [00:04:12] You know, I just, you're talking about all this and man, I miss travel. I really, I mean, you know, the corona virus, the pandemic has brought travel to a near stand still.

And you know, I do think it's changed the way we'll think about exploring in the near future. And you know, I've already gone through grieving about trips that I've had to postpone. But, you know, I do know that they're going to be back on my calendar soon, but until then I do think there's ways that we can channel our travel passions.

And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you because Miranda is one of the most entrepreneurial women I know. And she quickly adjusted to an online experience community and became a part of the Airbnb Experiences. And so for people who do not know what I'm talking about, Miranda, tell everyone and give us the inside scoop of what you were doing through your health, healing, and happiness at Airbnb experiences. Tell everybody what we're talking about.

Miranda: [00:05:17] Yeah. So like you mentioned the beginning, the yoga hikes was my regular offline experience. I got about 20% of my bookings through Airbnb experiences and I'm the leader for Asheville. So I had some experience with that. And when COVID happened, they immediately shut down all experiences.

And I was really impressed with how quickly they set up the online experience platform. And they invited me to be one of the initial hosts on the online experience platform. So I really had to change the experience a lot. I initially was just trying to translate a yoga hike, which is hiking, going to a waterfall, doing yoga, meditating outside.

It just wasn't possible to bring that online because you don't get a signal out in the mountains. You just can't interact the same way. So I made it a lot more interactive. That was kind of the key to it. I know we're all familiar with Zoom by now, and they didn't want people to just talk at the guests.

They want people to really interact with the guests. So I came up with a retreat concept and online retreat. And I do it five days during the week and each day is a different theme. So I brought in nature through the themes of each day, earth, water, fire, air, and space. And each day we do different techniques for journaling and meditation and mindfulness and yoga.

And it's been really cool because I've had people from all over the world -from Canada, from the U S, from South America, from South Africa, from Qatar, I think even from Australia, from Asia. So it's really cool to, and from Europe and to connect with all these different people around the world that I never would have connected with otherwise.

Kelly: [00:07:06] I love it. I love it. I was looking, I was actually looking at some of the reviews as I was gathering stuff for your bio for this podcast. And I'm like, this is so cool that you have like, somebody from Lithuania who is basically in your living room while you know, we're at the stay at home order.

Miranda is just chitchatting with people in France and Australia and Lithuania and all over. I love that. And you know, I think that. You know, that's another reason why, I think travel is so important because it really is a connector of people and cultures. Don't you think?

Miranda: [00:07:44] Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I, when I did my big sabbatical, I call it in 2015. I quit my corporate job at Whole Foods and packed a backpack and went to India to do my yoga teacher training and then volunteered around Southeast Asia. And it was an experience for sure. I mean, I had to adjust to a lot of different things, but, and, you know, some days were lonely. Some days were challenging.

Some days were stressful, but you know, many more days were just amazing. To meet different people and to see these different places and to have these incredible experiences. And, you know, I appreciate it even more now looking back.

Kelly: [00:08:27] Absolutely. And you engaged in travel, basically. You wanted to create more happiness in your life.

And so you use travel as that first springboard to get unstuck and to basically kind of get outside the box, so to speak. And you know, you know, me, I love talking about happiness and I'm doing a little bit of happiness research, for this podcast. And, Wikipedia defines happiness as "A mental state of well being characterized by positive emotions, ranging from contentment to intense joy.".

So I've been doing my research, and doing, some just background of the philosophy and the science of happiness. And I ran across a study from a Columbia University Professor, Burns Smit, and he's done some really thought provoking research. And he says that for basically two and a half millennia, thinkers, like Confucius, Buddha and Socrates, and Aristotle, they've all been philosophizing about what constitutes happiness and what it means to have a good life. And these views really are very different and they vary widely, you know, some advise a religious life, others advise us to stay away from our religion. Buddha taught that happiness entails wisdom and Aristotle claims that happiness is intrinsically linked to ethical conduct and virtues. And I think if we explore the history of happiness, the idea that happiness is something we should have, or that it's a state that we can achieve really is kind of a relatively new phenomenon. And, you know, I wish we could go back and listen to podcast of like the Greeks and Romans of the ancient times we can take a look at language.

And one of the things I've been reading about is, some, some research from a history professor, professor, Darren McMann, he used the history of language to illustrate this point and he explains that in almost every endo-european language, the word for happiness is a homonym for the word luck.

And only in modern English are there two separate words for happy and lucky. And even the old English root for happiness is Hap, meaning, luck or chance. And so I think it's interesting because if you follow this reasoning, happiness is not something an individual can control. Rather, it's just something that happens to you.

And when I take this and take this into the world of travel, I think about some of the best trail magic happens when you go off that carefully curated agenda. And so I am sure in your travels, you have a story or two in your back pocket to share when things did not go quite as planned.

So that was a big tee up about, you know, basically some of your trail magic, you know, that that's happened along the way.  So let's, let's give us a story or two.

Miranda: [00:11:38] Yeah. Well, the first one that comes to mind is when I was in Thailand, I was in Chiang Mai and I was staying at this kind of eco village. They had little bamboo huts and, these had fans and, it was super cute and I actually wasn't having that great of a day.

I was one of those lonely days and, then I heard an American accent outside and I was like, Oh my God, another person, like from my country, I was so excited. And so I went and met him. And cause when you travel alone, you got to make friends everywhere you go. And we started talking and you'll never guess what his occupation was - he was a backup dancer for Taylor Swift and they were on her world tour going through China and Australia. And he's like, well, instead of flying all the way back home, I'm just gonna hang out here. And then, they had some time off and he's like, then I'm going to continue the tour. So we randomly just like rented motor bikes and drove out into the country, tried to find this waterfall.

We never found it, but it was still super fun anyways. And we were coming back. We heard this music coming from a Buddhist temple. And we pulled over and everyone's really friendly and welcoming us there. Not many of them spoke English, but there were a couple of younger ones that we could communicate with.

And everyone's trying to give us drinks. And even though you're not supposed to drink at temples and we're like, no, we have to drive back. Like we can't drink. And, the, the guy's name was Mason. He ended up having like a dance off with this like old Thai guy. So much fun. Yeah, it was so random. And so we eventually left because the sun was going down and we got a little bit lost on our way back to the city.

But, you know, we got back in one piece and yeah, that was one of the memories that really stands out because I mean, that was not in the plan at all ever!

Kelly: [00:13:30] I love that. I love that. One of my favorite, like off-road, was when I was traveling in Iceland and we had gone from Reykjavik, and we had gone about five hour drive to like the Southern most part of Iceland.

And we arrived at Glacier Lagoon to do some glacier kayaking. That's what was supposed to take place, but there were strong winds and there was danger of the icebergs flipping over on us. And so we had to regroup and we ended up taking a 10 mile hike up onto the glacier itself. We put on those like crampons, like over our or hiking boots and proceeded to walk across the face of the glacier.

And I mean, it was, it was magical. And like the, the glacier lagoon was supposed to be one of like the natural wonders of Iceland. And, you know, I had it all set. Like this was the thing that was the most excited about. And long story short, you know, we literally got up on the glacier and we did so much more and we actually stayed.

That was one of the longest days of the year. And so I think it stayed light until like one o'clock, but we didn't even get off the glacier till like almost midnight. You know, and, and it's the same thing, you know? And I know everybody's having these, these stories and that's, something I think, I've seen like on Facebook and social media, Instagram, as people you have gone through some of the past, you know, there's been a lot of throwback, Thursdays, right.

You know, we're just like scroll through their past, you know, whatever their magnificent view is. And so I just, I just love that. And I love hearing, the stories. So, I do, I do believe, you know, besides just it being off on stories, it is my personal belief that travel can be a positive and transformative power and a force for good, you know, I think as we become global citizens, we have the responsibility to stand up for equality and denounce racism, you know, both at home and abroad.

And I do think that travel embraces all colors and cultures, and it celebrates like the oneness of human kindness, as well as our differences. You know? I mean, like you said, we are different, right?

Miranda: [00:15:44] It's going to go both ways too. It's not just, you know, Americans getting out to experience other cultures.

I have a hilarious story from Germany when I studied abroad there. When I was at college and I was in Hamburg and this was, I think, like 2008 and, Anyways, they had kind of a welcome for all the foreigners who were studying in Germany that quarter. And this guy, this German guy sits down next to me. He's like, "So you're American, right?" And I was like, "Yeah." He's like, "But you're not fat. No? We thought all Americans were fat." I was like, Um, no."

So it was just, it was really funny. It's really funny. Cause you know, like if you know any Germans, they're very like direct and that's just kind of how they are, but it took a little bit of, you know, it takes a little bit getting used to and new cultures and customs and traditions.

But one thing I try to do in every country is I try to learn how to say. Hello, thank you, and please, in that language, don't ask me to do it now.

Kelly: [00:16:45] Follow up test!

Miranda: [00:16:47] I don't remember them all now, but when I was in the country, I knew.

Kelly: [00:16:51] I love it. I had a similar, like again, I traveled, actually traveled to, East Germany. When, when there was an East Germany, I actually spent a summer in communist Russia and East Germany before the Berlin wall fell down. And, you know, as a child, I was "taught" to not say hate, but you know, certainly the communists were bad and you know, we were at war with them and all I can say as an 18 year old, all I saw were the similarities, you know, with these fellow students, you know, they all were interested in blue jeans and music and, actually they didn't have access to chewing gum for whatever reason.

That was always a big thing. We actually brought a lot of chewing gum and gave out chewing gum, wherever we went. But you know, all the conversations that I had even during the time that, you know, the programming was, you know, that the communists were the enemy. But, they were all about... Unity. And they were all about how we weren't deeply divided and I do think that travel unites and I do think that's part of where I think, travel is going to continue to go in this new climate and, you know, I want to bring up something that you promoted on your social media. We Hike to Heal. Can you speak to this? Can you tell people more about it?

Miranda: [00:18:14] Yeah, that was the Outdoor Journal Tour, and they're based out of Atlanta. I believe it's Kenya and Michelle, let me double check their names. on my phone - Put me on the spot why don't ya, Kelly?!

Kelly: [00:18:27] I should have told you before we, these, these podcasts are unscripted!

Miranda: [00:18:33] Yeah, it's Kenya and Michelle. and I, they, they did this We Hike to Heal event. And, they started a few years ago and I think there is it's their fourth year doing it, but yeah, I volunteered, or I led a hike in Asheville and it was just all about coming together in nature. They're very like, they're focused on empowering women to get outdoors and enjoy time in nature.

And encouraging mindfulness with journaling and meditation. So, I mean, it just totally coincided with my values with Namaste in Nature. So I wanted to be involved with that. And then as time goes on, you know, I get busier with my own thing and can't do as much for other things, but yeah, it's, it's awesome.

You should totally follow them on Instagram, the Outdoor Journal Tour.

Kelly: [00:19:18] So what are some of your favorite outdoor places to explore?

Miranda: [00:19:24] Oh, my gosh. I mean, that's why I live here in Asheville is I'm outside as much as possible. And, yeah, pretty much anywhere outside. So it's funny when I, quit my job and had my sabbatical, I felt like I had to see the world and go to these exotic places and, you know, the farther away the better.

But now that I live in Asheville, I'm like, there's so much to explore just here within an hour's drive. There's so many trails. So I went from kind of a macro level to a micro level. And now I want to know all the trails, all the flora, all the fauna. I want to be able to identify anything I see on the trail.

So it all depends on your perspective. So even if we can't travel abroad or, you know, even that much around the country, like with COVID, you can, there's still plenty to explore where he live.

Kelly: [00:20:13] I know, I know I, and you've been to Peru, which is definitely on my bucket list. And I think one of my favorite outdoor again has to be a Patagonia.

But yes, there, we can go far and wide, but you know, I invite everyone not to forget what's in their own backyard. You know, I do think we're going to see like the great American road trip, you know, exploration this summer, don't you. And you know, when it's helped people, you know, if you're in our area, and want to experience a little bit of Namaste in Nature, I have to get a plug in - Girlfriend's Guru and Namaste in Nature are partnering up for a few waterfall experiences. And the next one is on July 31st. So Miranda, tell everybody about sort of what we do on a Namaste in Nature Waterfall Experience.

Miranda: [00:20:58] Yeah. So it's our relaxing waterfall, yoga hike.

And we meet in the parking lot and we hike about a mile and a half to the falls and we do a meditation there. And if you never meditated next to a waterfall, it should be on your bucket list. It's incredible. It's, it's just. I've like the meditation is just on such a higher level when you're like surrounded by nature and the sounds and the negative ions and everything.

And then after we spent some time at the falls, we hiked down to a little secret spot off the trail and do a yoga class outdoors. And again, you know, it kind of elevates the practice, being surrounded with, the fresh air and the sunshine and the birds chirping and all the mountain energy.

Kelly: [00:21:45] It's amazing - we've done it before we're doing a little forest bathing.

And again, Girlfriend's, the next experience is July 31st. So go to GirlfriendsGuru.com, go to my website for more details and make sure you use the promotion code GIRLFRIENDSGURU for discount pricing. And I just want to tell everybody that Namaste in Nature - every yoga hike donates some dollars to plant trees, which offset our carbon emissions and ensures the preservation of our planet is sustainability is, Namaste in Nature is very much a sustainability company.

So I'm excited about partnering and being outdoors and practicing yoga and meditation because you and I both know, it really supports the immune system by lowering your body's level of stress and stress hormones like cortisol. It's, it's amazing. And if you haven't ever tried it, join us, go to my website. Everything's on there. And I was thinking, yeah, going back to some happiness, I said before I was in Patagonia and I remembered in Patagonia, I read Buddha's Brain and that's the practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom. And it's by the author, Rick Hansen. And I read that on my Patagonia trip and I just, you know, I love to share book tips.

So that's what I'm going to put on this podcast to pick it up, Hansen states that by focusing your mind, you can harness the power of attention to enhance your life and your relationships with others. And, you know, that really speaks to me because I don't know why it's so easy for me to be incredibly present when I'm on vacation.

And I just remember feeling. Like everything at once when I was like in Patagonia and gaze up at those glaciers and the Southern most part of the world that I'll probably ever go. But you know, why can't I do that when I'm at my sink watching my dishes, right?

Miranda: [00:23:42] That's inspiring. I have a book too. I actually just read a really great book that's relevant called The Happiness Hypothesis byJonathan Haidt. That's HAIDT. And that was really interesting, really great. He's like a social psychologist. And so it goes a lot into like psychology and culture and everything, but I found that really interesting and relevant to today.

Kelly: [00:24:04] I love it.

And I do think we're all better embracing. I think people realize outside is better than inside. Open is better than closed, fewer people, maybe better than more people. And of course, we're going to all stay away from sick people. But, you know, I respect that everyone is at a widely different comfort level during this time.

And there are a lot of unknowns and, you know, I don't, I don't know myself, but there are. Still so many ways to expand our horizons while we're being at home. You know, we talked about Miranda and you doing your Airbnb experiences, but another way, that people are kind of getting their international travel fix is through food.

And, I know for myself experiencing, experimenting with new spices in the kitchen has definitely been like one of our family favorites during the stay at home order. I have to share, cause you know, Sun Raised Foods. a few weeks ago we ordered online a leg of lamb from Sun Raised Foods and cooked it Mediterranean style.

And then I turned the leftovers the next day into an Indian dish, a tikka masala, and two dishes that I had never attempted before. I didn't have any background in cooking them, but if I can do it. You can do it. And so if you go, I've got to put a plug in for Sun Raised Foods. So if you go to their website, SunRaisedFoods.com, they have all kinds of recipes on how to prepare lamb.

You know, if you want to keep it even simpler, they created these Charcuterie boxes that have two Sun Raised lamb salamis and two cheeses that match the flavors. They have local honey, local jelly and a baguette, and these gourmet boxes were a great date night alternative for my husband and I, and, you know, going back to the, sort of the happiness of reflecting past travel experiences, we got one of these, Charcuterie boxes, and we opened a bottle of wine from a past Napa Valley trip, you know, one of those bottles that we were saving for that quote special occasion, you know, and I was worried it turned rancid, right. Again, a COVID blessing. What are we saving these things for?

You know? But, I just offer up, you know, taking these little moments and. I don't know, Miranda, do you have any COVID kitchen recipes or, you know, you've been to some really global spots in your travels. What's like the most interesting food items you've ever tasted?

Miranda: [00:26:30] Well, one of my favorites was from Indonesia.

It's called Gado Gado, and it's a bunch of veggies and Tempeh and peanut sauce and like, anything tastes good in peanut sauce, right? So that's like a pretty easy thing to whip up and put together - Gado Gado. Another interesting experience was, somebody who did my Airbnb experience, who was actually Indian.

That's always intimidating when somebody is from India and you're teaching them yoga. And he actually grew up doing yoga in India. But he... Not only did he do all five of my sessions. He did three more in addition to that. And he was like, Oh, I'm so grateful. I've been trying to get back into yoga and doing self care for like 10 years.

And I feel like I'm actually going to stick with it this time. And, I'm so grateful. He's like, have you heard of gujarati dhokla? I said, Oh, it sounds familiar, but I don't remember what it is. And he said, well, you know, back in ancient times, a lot of times the students couldn't pay the Guru in money, so they would offer up whatever they could.

And he offered to do an Indian cooking lesson with me. So he actually sent me a box of ingredients in the mail. He lives in Boston and sent that to me. And I got it. And we did like a zoom call and he taught me how to cook a dinner and a dessert. It was really cool.

Kelly: [00:27:47] I love that. See - that's amazing! And we are, we're going to keep talking about travel because travel brings connections and it, I mean these conversations and we already know like travel makes life richer, and we are going to travel again.

And you know, again for now, I, you and I are both taking this pandemic seriously, you know, and I'm heeding travel advisories, and I'm going to continue to act responsible, but you know, when the time is right girlfriend, and I can't wait for that day, I am going to continue. I'm thinking and dreaming of travel plans.

You know, maybe in the meantime, I'll be sipping my wine in my backyard with my Charcuterie box from Sun Raised Foods, but I can't wait what's what's next on your travel bucket list?

Miranda: [00:28:47] Well, I do actually have a couple of trips planned that were planned before COVID happened. So we're hoping we'll still be able to do those cause it's not till later in the year, but I'm supposed to go to Alaska for my cousin's 40th birthday.

So it's kind of a family thing, but I haven't been to Alaska yet and that's definitely been on my bucket list. So super excited about that. Cause to see a cool place, to see some family that I haven't seen in a while. And then after that we're going to Montana. For my grandma's... it's going to be either her hundredth birthday or her funeral. We're not sure yet. So we'll see either way. We'll get to see more family,

Kelly: [00:29:12] What a life man, a hundred. Yeah. I want to live to be a hundred. Are you going to live to be a hundred?

Miranda: [00:29:19] Ah... depends. It depends. She's got pretty bad dementia. So, yeah, I don't know what would be, you know, better if your mind or your body goes first, but it's just, yeah. As you can for as long as you can be.

Kelly: [00:29:33] Absolutely. Keep doing yoga. It'll keep your, your body and your mind.

Miranda: [00:29:37] yeah, like Tao, like she was like 101 Tao Porchon-Lynch.

Kelly: [00:29:41] Okay, Girlfriend. So here we are, you know, we're gonna, we're gonna keep doing these online experiences. We're going to connect outdoors when we can, we're gonna connect digitally when we can.

And, we're all gonna try to keep living in the present moment with awareness and gratitude and operate from a place of love, everything that's going on in today's world. And, you know, Miranda, you know, this was a, was a fun, easy Girlfriend's Guru podcast. And I just want to thank you for joining me today and hopefully we put a, a smile on everybody's face. I appreciate you joining me.

Miranda: [00:30:18] Yeah. Thanks for having me, Kelly.

Kelly: [00:30:21] Always and Girlfriends, you know, I wish I had a crystal ball so that I can start imagining what our new world of travel is going to look like. But if you're as curious as me about what the future holds, I'm going to invite you to make sure you hit the subscribe button and go to Girlfriend's Guru and join my mailing list.

Cause you're not going to want to miss my next guest. I am bringing in an astrologist as my next guest, Joshua Robbins of Astral Above is going to join me for a very fun podcast on astrology. Not only is he going to give us a peek into what the future of summer's going to look like, but we're going to lay out New Moon energy and what the meaning behind each sign is.

So if you've never understood astrology or use New Moon energy as a source for healing, you're not going to want to miss this episode. So until next time, namaste, Girlfriend.

Thank you for listening. I hope today's episode has filled you with love and light. It is always my goal of every podcast to touch your heart and help you transform in some way.

And if you are like me, when you find something you love, the thing you love even more is sharing it with another Girlfriend.

To follow and download this podcast, go to GirlfriendsGuru.com as well as iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Join the Girlfriend's Guru Gang by subscribing to my website GirlfriendsGuru.com. You'll automatically receive not only my latest podcast, but free yoga and meditation videos delivered right to your inbox. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram at @girlfriendsguru.

The light in me sees and honors the light lit within you. Together, let's find our wings and fly! Namaste Girlfriends!