Dream…What does this word ignite within you? Does dreaming feel like a fantasy; or does “dream” cultivate a spark of inspiration? For me dreaming feels open, fluid and expansive, which is why I chose DREAM to be my word of the year for 2018. It’s been 8 years since I started choosing a “Word of The Year” and I have experienced magnetic engagement inward and a direct positive impact in my life onward. By choosing one word to live by each year, I have found myself more consciously connected & guided by the intentional qualities of the word. Every year the words that I have chosen seem intrinsically to build on each other. The past year’s words work as essential building blocks to my ever-growing foundation. I have family and friends that join in and pick a Word of the Year for themselves as well. My husband, my Mom, my sister & a group of my girlfriends all participate; making our words engaging and alive for us all collectively. Whenever we gather, we check in with each other on how our words are showing up, what shifts in perspective have taken place. As the New Year is upon us, I wanted to write this post from the energetic thread of DREAM. I closed my eyes to feel into DREAM… instantly I was illuminated with memories from a beautiful journey last year to Napa Valley. This special place in Napa was curated and birthed by a true pioneer and close friend of mine who has always encouraged me to dream into the infinite possibilities. Which is why I feel this blog post is so in alignment, Somnium means “dream” in Latin…my girlfriend, Danica Patrick chose Somnium as the name for her vineyard/ winery located in St. Helena, California. Somnium Wine was born from Danica’s dream, her passion for wine, cooking and connection she felt when visiting Napa Valley.Inspiration, this is powerful energy that shines from Danica’s life journeys. Danica’s dream to own a vineyard brought her to a place of true connection within & beyond. To believe that anything is possible, her fierce drive, determination, vast knowledge, and intentional manifestation… Somnium has become her reality. Every year my girlfriends and I take a vacation together, Danica is a part of our sacred sister group. Traveling to new destinations together cultivates openness and conscious expansion. Last year Danica invited us to her vineyard, we were all so excited to see & experience Somnium. As we drove thru the winding roads in St. Helena all of us girls were filled with excitement & anticipation. We were about to witness and step foot onto the ground where Danica had literally planted seeds to create Somnium. It was late in the morning when we arrived at Danica’s vineyard, she said: “here we go girls”. We drove up the vineyard’s steep road, Danica shared with us about the vineyard, the grapes, her lot location and orientation on Howell Mountain. With just the right amount of sun exposure, the steep land provides for optimal rain drainage to the fertile soil that is nutrient dense all essential to produce succulent grape vines. Our car ride stopped, and we exited the vehicle to take in the majestic views. We were greeted by Somnuim’s manager, Tracy Smith. Tracy walked with us to the viewing area. Ahead you could see a beautiful table, surrounded by rows and rows of vibrant green vineyards, there was a soft breeze offering serine energy with an essence of awe & amazement. As we made our way to her outdoor dining pavilion, my heart was expanded with wonder and excitement. The sun was illuminating upon us, the ground felt saturated with intention full of growth. We had arrived, I believe I can speak for us all in the group that we couldn’t be prouder, and we are so deeply inspired by our soul sister.
“I named the vineyard Somnium, which means dream in Latin, because I thought owning my own winery was something that would just be a dream, but it became a reality. I can’t tell you how many times I have signed an autograph for a child and added the note —dream big! It is a life motto—it’s how I think, how I live and what I preach! My dreams never stop, and they continue to evolve” – Danica PatrickProprietor
I am not an experienced wine connoisseur what so ever, I’ve shared with Danica that I do love wine but have very little knowledge. As Danica always does, she said there’s only one way to learn and that is to open yourself up to experience. Our friendship is full of truth and reflection. She pushes to own my truth and to yes… to dream. So, in choosing DREAM as my word this year, it was certainly inspired by Danica, her ability to dream and manifest her reality.
Sending everyone blessings full of fearless inward & onward journeys entering 2019.
I had hoped to share this wintery journey back in late January… and I have to say 2018 has really been a whirlwind of unexpected detours. I always like to start the New Year with a fresh perspective full of goals, dreams and new beginnings, as I believe most of us do. All I can say is, though the seeds have been planted, boy has reality kicked me into the unknown! I continue to be shown that there is just so much that is out of our control. No matter how much we plan, sometimes we are tested to just let go and flow & trust the journey ahead. With 2018 already in full swing, I hope everyone is finding fluidity in this year full of transformation. As we let go of the old and make room for the new… I’m reminded to stay connected within, to stay present and just breathe… reminding myself all is unfolding just as it should.Continue Reading…
It’s been a while since I have written and shared a travel journey, 3 months to be exact! Yowzer how time flies!!! My travels have come to a halt while I’ve been immersed in my toffee business working side by side with my Mom…tis the season to give toffee! No worries, coming early 2018 I will be back traveling, writing and sharing some of my new-found discoveries. For now, I wanted to share a journey I took back in May of this year. I didn’t have to travel far, just 30 min south to Scottsdale…
May 7th, I had an awesome opportunity to sit down with the conscious and talented Thomas Brown, curator of Inner Monologue Podcast. Thomas has created a platform for people to share their inward journeys, he does an incredible job navigating each guest going back in time and then bringing it all back full circle to the present, to their awakened conscious state.
Aromatic lavender fields, farm to fork organic cuisine and authentic New Mexico architecture by John Gaw Meem… I am so excited to share this special & truly one of a kind property located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I first discovered Los Poblanos Inn and Organic Farm 7 years ago when looking for places to stay in ABQ while visiting my husband’s family. During my internet search, I came across this charming Inn located in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. With the Rio Grande River to the West and the Sandia Mountains to the East, Los Poblanos is surrounded by rich vegetation & beautiful views. When entering the Los Poblanos property, you drive down a road lined with giant, majestic cottonwood trees. I remember feeling enchantment and wonder… It was during my first visit to LP, that I started to dream into creating my travel blog. I thought, “unique places like this Inn have a story yearning to be experienced and shared”. Los Poblanos evokes a tranquil stillness and deep connection with the land. Once on the property, you can feel the heartbeat and soul connective thread of the owners & curators of Los Poblanos, The Rembe Family.
I am so excited to share one of my favorite mystical places to journey… Tulum, Mexico! I first experienced Tulum 3 years ago on a yoga retreat with my husband Ben, not only did we fall in love with the land and the Mayan culture, energetically we shifted and evolved. I recently went back to Tulum in February with my soul sister for some restorative vacation time. We stayed at the beautiful BE Tulum, a boutique hotel that has been on my dream list to experience. We arrived in the evening to check in and were enveloped with the calming and cleansing smoke of Copal, walking up the sand pathway with candle light glistening in the trees and the crisp smell of the ocean air. Yes, we had arrived in paradise.
Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope 2017 is feeling wonderfully expansive, supportive & wildly intentional for an amazing year ahead! I just returned home from a snowy vacation full of Big Sky, Montana exploration and some much-needed restorative down time. Ringing in the New Year in unchartered land for me offers expansion and openness to dream into the unknown. This New Year’s Eve, I decided to go to Montana during the winter for the first time and oh what a wintry wonderland journey it was…
With December’s cold weather brewing and the New Year upon us, I’d like to share a warm summer journey intended to inspire travels for 2017. Back in late July, a fellow soul sister, Dusti, and I journeyed to Bainbridge Island, WA for a weekend Heart Awaking workshop created by Elisa Romeo. Having never been to Bainbridge before I was excited to start the search for place to stay during our soul connective retreat. After spending a day navigating the web I found a charming historic farm called Heyday.
Beautiful…what does this word mean to you? In our society, beauty is seen thru external perfected imagery. From airbrushed models in magazines, to perfectly casted commercials and flawlessly edited social media posts. It’s no wonder how beauty has become defined by outward appearance. My question is this, “How do we take off our tainted lenses of preconceived external acceptance and see the true beauty illuminating within each of us?”Continue Reading…
What are your thoughts on camping? How about gathering around a crackling fire, connecting with friends/loved ones thru good conversation under the starlit sky…sounds of the flowing river soothing your soul? Imagine adding a little juxtaposition to your camping adventure with luxurious comforts that feature a big canvas tent with a private wooden deck overlooking the Black Foot River. Inside your large tent awaits a plush king bed, cozy sitting area and a full private bathroom with heated floors, spacious shower and two sinks. Electricity to offer light and connectivity with your mobile devices (if you choose) seals the deal. Then falling asleep listening to Mother Nature’s lullabies and awaken to the sun illuminating your tent with a soft glow and warmth. No need to grocery shop and load up a cooler, in this juxtaposed camping journey your meals are prepared by your private camp chef using organic and locally sourced produce. How does all this sound? Too good to be true? This experience does exist and has a name, it’s called…Glamping! The first luxury ranch resort to actually create and offer this rustic yet luxurious glamping experience is called The Resort at Paws UP… The Last Best Place.
“Awe-inspiring” and picturesque photos of Glacier National Park have been flowing thru my Instagram feed this year. One mesmerizing photo after another have been coming thru, month after month… I knew my soul journey to Montana needed to happen soon. Though my husband and I had never been to Montana before, we could hear Montana beckoning us. We’re both small business owners in the Phoenix valley, during the summer months each of us experience a decline in business, especially with my company. We’ve turned this “down time” into our opportunity to travel and get out of the AZ heat. While doing my research on places to explore and stay in Montana, I found an amazing place called Paws Up where you can experience “glamping”, basically lux camping … more on this gem coming up in my next blog post.
Inspiration, this is powerful energy that shines from Danica’s life journeys. Danica’s dream to own a vineyard brought her to a place of true connection within & beyond. To believe that anything is possible, her fierce drive, determination, vast knowledge, and intentional manifestation… Somnium has become her reality. Every year my girlfriends and I take a vacation together, Danica is a part of our sacred sister group. Traveling to new destinations together cultivates openness and conscious expansion. 
