Hello dear friend,
Much open road has passed beneath us since last i wrote.
We left Sarasota on February 3.
That night the temperatures dropped. The next morning at Manatee Springs State Park, it was only 48°. We did not see any manatees but, with encouragement from a couple several years my seniors, i put on my suit and submerged my body in the 72° fresh spring waters. It was so pristine that i could see clear to the cavernous opening from where the waters emerged 20+ feet below. Immersing my body in these waters was one of the highlights of my life. i cannot explain it except to say it was deeply healing.
Our destination that day was ambitious… all the way to New Orleans. As we entered the French Quarter, the streets were growing dark and filling with people. i gawked through the car window, feeling self-conscious and drab when compared with the wild costumes and scanty attire of festivale-goers.
After getting to our hotel and parking our car, we explored. Coming upon an alley of artists with their art, i felt like i was coming home. My eyes feasted upon images as bold, expressive, and colorful as my own art. Inside me, I felt the stir of the desire to create.
The next day we met more artists on the plaza, visited with the mules who pull the tour carriages, and gave money to a street musician’s dog trained to fetch bills from the audience. Napping back at the hotel that evening, the sounds of the parade vibrated into our room… rousing drums shook the tired from my bones and called us out to the street. i put on what was comfy and quick: some 70’s-design bell-bottomed leggings and a clashing, loud, flowery, oversized blouse. On the street, the bands passed one by one, their rhythms vibrating through me. i gyrated and hooted and hollered with wild abandon, feeling such freedom it brought tears to my eyes. It was then i received the gift New Orleans had for me: radical self-acceptance. These are the sounds of the parade. And it is Mardis Gras right now so you can watch a street livecam here.
After New Orleans, we continued west through Texas to Big Bend, then north into New Mexico, west to Sedona, Arizona, and then up through Utah into Idaho from where i write this message to you.
Being on the road without a plan is a new experience for me. Some days we just drive without a clear destination. Those seem to be the days that allow for some of the most amazing experiences… true “happenings” … where serendipity steps in and leads us to situations, people, and experiences where something intangible and profound takes place. These connections are unexpected, and simultaneously feel like exactly what was meant to happen… connections of the heart with other souls on this crazy journey of life. My heart opens and i feel the brilliance of a momentary crack in the matrix through which we escape to experience true, timeless connection. A special shout out to the kind, welcoming souls at Ingo’s Coffee in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico and Michael and the gang at Joe Coffee in Payson, Utah.
There are so many stories to share, but i will simply leave you with some photos and videos of the vast beauty to which we have been witness.
Seagulls greet the sun over Galveston Bay… watch and hear them here.
On the road to Terlingua, Texas. See the vistas here.
Big Bend National Park, hike into Sainta Elaina Canyon, hear the subtle sounds of the canyon.
We stayed in a camper in Terlingua Ghost Town, Texas…see the sunriseand this panoramic view.
Speaking of happenings…
It occurs to me that the thing i love about the day-long and multi-day retreats i offer is the way they create intentional “happenings.” The retreat experiences are intentional sacred spaces where we circle together and open our hearts to one another. A group of strangers finding commonality, connection, and deep healing.
With this in my heart, i am looking forward to offering several retreat opportunities this summer. Leah Wentworth and i will again be offering the Find Your Wings Transformational Retreat Day for women, and a follow up multi-day Wings Retreat is in the dreaming stages for the Fall. I am also solidifying dates with Sally Hildreth of Healing Hooves at Eagle Hill Farm for two Horse HeART Retreats, a day-long like we did last August, and a multi-day retreat to deepen into our connection with the horses and our creativity. Stay tuned for more to come on all of these “happenings.”
What about creativity?
Because of our accelerated pace of travel, spending no more than 2-3 nights any one place since we left Florida, my journal and pens are my best creative friends. i have continued using the soul scribble as a starting point for diving into that still place of creativity. This is the scribble from February 17th. The first image shows the scribble after i identified and outlined the elements. The second is the completed image.
i will be offering a select group of scribble drawings as Sovereigns. If they excite you, you can reserve a Sovereign Scribble on this page. Please include “Scribble” in the notes at check out. Sovereign Scribbles will begin shipping at the end of March.
Until next time…so much love,
Larissa
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