In this week’s open journal, I catch up on the events of the past month and weeks to come. I share the experiences of two September road trips, to both the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains! An International Rock & Gem Show, a family wedding three years in the making…exciting adventure, beautiful people, and stunning scenery :)

Of all the many beautiful, remarkable works of art I had seen that day, this became the one I wanted to take home. I chose one holding a tiny amethyst point. A bright smile lit her face when she saw me select this Kristomos. She felt this was particularly special because he was holding the crystal close to his heart. Her radiant warmth, generosity, and genuine love for creating have stayed with me ever since, and this tiny figure is a reminder of the infinite connection that is possible through being open in meeting others. It’s the people we encounter on every journey who really define our experiences, like the points of starlight that comprise a constellation.

On this week’s episode of Apostrophe Soul Radio, my dear friend and business partner Mary interviewed me about my experiences as a traveler, adventure-seeker, artist, and writer. And we had a blast with this conversation! Any time I have an opportunity to openly share my love for travel, my soul lights up. Her wonderful guidance, insightful questions, and genuine interest made this interview an absolute joy of an experience. Speaking to this love of travel led me to reflect back to where it all began—and I realized that we plant the seeds of our next adventure through the act of dreaming everyday. A desire to travel allows our imaginations to be free, wild, and limitless. In sharing my experiences with Mary, I vividly recalled the earliest origins of my passion for exploring the world.

Today, I awoke at sunrise and headed to the banks of Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve, to hang out with the deer and share reflections from the week. In this Open Journal, I talk about new discoveries, engaging with the magic of nature, and generating new growth through embracing what truly lights up your soul.

For me, the connection between books and travel is inseparable. It is through books that I became emboldened to dream and imagine myself into other experiences. Places far beyond anything I had ever known. Seeing the artwork, reading the stories of others and their adventures abroad--these were the seeds that planted the beginning of my own journey as a traveler. I like to think of books as navigation tools, in opening doors within us and beyond us. They help us chart the course of our own journeys, and inspire us to take the next step.

What is a journal? To me, it’s a tool for expression that breaks through resistance. The kind of resistance we experience when launching into a big dream or idea. Through journaling, we can be vulnerable, bold, imaginative, and boundless. Honesty and clarity emerge with the practice of writing our stories. Through this act of reflection, a kind of revelation unfolds and we learn more about ourselves, on a deeper level. We become more familiar with what we truly want, and free to openly exercise our voice.