The Bear That Never Came...How We Survived a Camping Nightmare

"Get out, get out, NOW!"

Thom shouted, his voice cutting through the night.

I immediately heard a strange hissing sound, and my heart sank. My first thought? The air mattress. That glorious air mattress is my lifeline to comfort on the hard floor of our popup tent atop our trusty Tacoma truck. I couldn't lose it.

But within seconds, I realized it wasn’t the air mattress deflating. A dense, white cloud began to fill the tent, suffocating the space where, just moments ago, I felt safe.

There wasn’t a moment to think...

We were camping at Burnside Lake in Toiyabe National Forest, just south of Lake Tahoe. 

The lake shimmered under the early evening sun, a hidden sanctuary wrapped in the stillness of the wilderness.

After setting up camp, we decided to hike the nearby trail, which led to massive boulders overlooking the lake, giving us a 360-degree panoramic view. The sunset painted the landscape in gold, and the air was crisp and clean.

For a moment, life...

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The Best Travel Apps to Save Time, Money & Headache

travel & adventure Sep 03, 2024

There’s a moment—you know it—when the first inkling of your next adventure hits. Maybe it's a self care trip, maybe it's just for pure adventure. There's excitement, anticipation, magic… I absolutely love that feeling.

But as you probably know, travel comes with its fair share of little bumps in the road. That’s why, when I travel, I rely on a few of the best travel apps I've found as my trusty sidekicks.

I've been traveling before travel blogs were even a thing, so I can tell you that since I've discovered these gems, I now travel like an expert.

Translating menus in Tokyo is a breeze, navigating the streets of Baja without internet access—no problem. Finding the best local restaurants in Lisbon or securing a last-minute ticket to a sold-out show in New York? Done.

These apps have turned potential travel hiccups into seamless adventures. I wouldn't dream of traveling without them.

In this post, I'm going to share with you the travel apps that...

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13 Travel Essentials for Women for the Trip of a Lifetime

travel & adventure Jul 25, 2024

Traveling to me is sacred. It's the greatest gift I've given myself in this lifetime.

It's opened my eyes and heart to the most joyous and meaningful lessons I could've ever imagined. And oh the lessons I've learned! I've learned so much about myself through personal retreats and I've learned about people, about places, about human nature and about Mother Earth.

When it comes to planning my trips now, it's second nature. I've been through all the trial and error of packing blunders and successes so you don't have to. I'm here to help you empower yourself with this list of travel essentials for women so that you can feel confident as you set off for your next adventure.

Whether you're traveling with your partner, a group, on your own, or maybe your dreaming up your next weekend getaway, this list will be your go-to so you're prepared for any plan you might have and the unexpected turns that inevitably await you!


Need a little help manifesting the adventure of your dreams?

Check out...

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Seeing the world... in the Heart of Baja's Untamed Beauty

Traveling to other countries will always fire me up. 

There's something about the journey that leaves you with a refreshed perspective on life. And when it comes to certain trips, you know they'll be filled with adventure and the thrill of the unknown.

Our excursion to Baja was just that. 

It was rocky from the start; tempers flared and anger hung over us. We weren’t in the best place as a couple to begin this journey. 

We went anyway. 

I'll admit, the idea of traveling to Mexico left me uneasy. My imagination ran wild from tales of the cartel capturing us to being innocent bystanders caught in a crossfire.

When I mentioned our plans to my son Andrew, his imagination went into overdrive.

“Mom, really... you're going to  Mexico?” 

He painted a dire picture of us held captive, me, in the back of a pickup truck tied up, dehydrated, and Thom with a gash on his forehead from being hit with a gun. We laughed about it while I...

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Chasing Moonbeams... A Guide to Crafting Your Best Year Yet

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."   Albert Einstein 

This quote has always been one of my favorites. I'm all in for option #2 as we step into this new year. I'm also committed to helping you make it your best year ever. 

Picture this: Thom and I packed up our truck the day after Christmas and headed to Southern California.  If you’re like me, camping in the wintertime does not sound fun, but we chose Anza Borrego desert, about 40 miles from the Mexican border. Trust me, I have no regrets.

This trip was pure magic.

Photo taken at 1:00 am...completely untouched

We're big fans of dispersed camping, where you can set up anywhere on BLM land without reserving a campsite months in advance. Anza Borrego, although a state park, lets you camp almost anywhere. Want to build a fire? Just use one of those cool round metal containers. We did build a fire every night. ...

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Feeling the Fear: Adventures of a Woman Traveling Alone

 

"Do the thing you think you cannot do: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."   Eleanor Roosevelt

Traveling alone as a woman can be an exhilarating and transformative experience. 

It offers a unique opportunity to discover the world on your terms, pushing your boundaries and gaining a profound sense of self-reliance. 

In this blog post, we'll explore my journey traveling alone, highlighting the empowering aspects and offering tips for a safe and enjoyable solo adventure.

Empowerment through Independence

I had traveled alone in Europe, but it had been many years. I was nervous, scared, and aware that I’d make all the decisions by myself…a thing that always makes me nervous.

My solo adventure was for only two days. I left the friends I’d been traveling with for two weeks in Greece and flew to Rome.  I‘d booked a room near the Vatican. The host had...

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Why You Need to Unplug and be Adventurous in Nature

It wasn't the clean air or the clear starry sky nights that were the most nourishing. It wasn't the fact that I got to spend 5 days camping with my best friend or that I hiked on smooth flat rock with gorgeous views that made me feel alive. 

All of those things made my heart sparkle and glow. 

But what surprised me the most was the quiet. The stillness. 

It was startling in a way to be in complete soundlessness. I had forgotten about being out in the middle of nowhere how quiet life can be. 

I realized that living in a city or town, the sounds from the freeway are running in the background, even though for me, my house is nowhere near the freeway. 

It was the stillness and deep quiet without the background noise that soothed me the most. 

Canyonlands with Dear Friends

We started in Canyonlands, Utah, with 5 other couples. Now a delightful annual affair, we hiked, ate together, talked and laughed, did yoga up on a...

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How coaching changed my life

 2006 on my way to Europe

There was a time in my life when I was fed up, burned out, and stressed. I didn’t really like how my life was going and I was way too busy to figure out what to do about it. 

I was working as a psychotherapist in a clinic with children and their families. It was hard, challenging, and emotionally draining work. I’d been at this clinic for eight years and I felt like I made a difference in the lives of the children and their parents.  But there was a cost.

Somewhere along the line, I began dreading getting up day after day, driving 30 miles to work in traffic. Some days it was hard to walk in the door because I was already tired. 

Feeling unfulfilled in my job

Even though I felt like I was helping children and I worked with wonderful colleagues who supported each other, I kept hearing that nagging voice inside me say, “you're not doing what you love and this job doesn't really bring you joy.”

I was afraid to let...

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Surviving one of the biggest earthquakes recorded in history

On March 9, 2011, I was ticked off that I was unable to celebrate my birthday the way I wanted. I was finishing up my work as a military life consultant on an Air Force base in Japan. I realize now what a champagne problem that was...to have a stressful day on my birthday. 

Two days later I would experience one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in history. 

As I huddled inside the door frame that Friday afternoon on March 11, I tried not to panic.

I walked up the outside steps to the 2nd floor of a building on the Air Force base where I’d been working for the past three months. 

Immediately, I was met by four women whose faces were panic-stricken. “It’s an earthquake!” they shouted. I tried to calm myself. But I immediately felt nervous and scared. 

It took a second, and then I felt the scary, unnatural sensation of the building rocking and shaking. I HATE EARTHQUAKES.  I've been in...

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Learning how to overcome the impossible...Climbing Mt. Fuji

In 2014, my husband and I climbed Mt. Fuji, the highest volcano in Japan at 12,388 thousand feet. Little did I know that this experience would help me be able to deal with the current troubling times.

This was an epic trip for me. In the telling of this story about our adventure, it’s important to give you some background on what it’s like to climb Fuji-San (Mr. Fuji).

The Mt Fuji Challenge

Mt Fuji is a dormant volcano that last erupted in 1708. It was a Buddhist monk in 700 A.D. who first climbed Mt. Fuji. A temple was built at the summit 400 years later. It became a pilgrimage site for Japanese.

In 1860, the first foreigner climbed Mt. Fuji. In 1868, Lady Parkes, an Englishwoman, defied a ban on women climbers and ascended the peak. The ban was lifted afterward. What a badass woman she was!

It was my husband’s idea. Thom had dreamed about this climb even before we moved to Okinawa in 2013. He’d always said, “I’m gonna climb Mt. Fuji."

I really...

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