Tag Archives: lifestyle

Traveling Solo

If you know me, you know that one of my passions in life is travel. Travel has always held an enchanting allure for me. Even as a child, I would watch the Travel Channel and dream of visiting the places and having the experiences I saw the hosts of the show enjoying. My parents always talked about their dreams of travel, but they made it to a sad few of their destinations; I decided that I would not allow myself to not reach my destinations. So in my early twenties, I decided to start traveling to my destinations at least once per year; that commitment lasts to this day.

Now, when it comes to travel, I have found that it is often hard to organize and get other humans to commit to adventure. Unfortunately, I have met many people who have not traveled simply because they have been unable to secure friends and family to travel with them. I decided early on that I would not allow myself to be dissuaded from travel if my friends or family could not come with me because of work, money, etc, which is why I have opted to travel alone several times throughout my wanerlusting career.

In fact, as I write this I am on a solo trip through the beautiful country of Greece. As I wander around this historically and culturally rich land on my own, I am reminded of the challenges and discomforts, the opportunities for growth, and the joy that traveling solo can bring. And it is these things I feel compelled to share about with you today.

Pros & Cons of Traveling Solo

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Temple of Apollo, Naxos, Greece

Pro – King/Queen of Your Own World

When you travel alone, you are beholden to no one and free to make your own decisions without question or consultation. There is no compromise about what you want to see or do, there is no discussion about if this or that restaurant sounds good for a meal, there is no waiting on someone else to finish getting ready. Rather, you wait only on yourself, you do what you want to do, you go where you want to go, and you eat what you want to eat. Traveling solo may be one of the most independent experiences you may ever have and it is truly liberating!

Traveling Solo

Con – Lack of Camaraderie

It is liberating to answer to no one, but while traveling solo there are moments where you may wish you had a friend or ally. In uncomfortable situations when you are unsure of what your next move is or you are confused about how to navigate somewhere, you might long for a friend or significant other to be in the situation with you – helping you to figure it out and assuring you that no matter what, you are in it together. It is in these moments of discomfort during solo travel that feelings of loneliness can be overwhelming powerful. The only option you have is to breathe through the discomfort and find a solution on your own.

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Palace of Knossos, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Pro – Learning to Be More Self-Sufficient

In these moments of discomfort while traveling alone, you have no choice but to quickly learn how to problem solve. You are forced to go internal – to think critically, to think logically, and to use your intuition. It is through this process that immense growth occurs. You learn to remain calm in stressful situations, you learn to use your own brain to find the solution, and perhaps most profoundly, you learn to trust and believe in yourself to find a way and be okay.

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Filot, Naxos, Greece

Con – Dining Alone

I have heard many solo travelers talk about the awkwardness of going to a restaurant and dining alone.

It can be an experience that makes you feel totally isolated and it can also be more expensive as you do not have the option to share dishes. Here are some tips to make dining alone feel less awkward and actually be enjoyable:

  • Bring a book – I always bring a book to restaurants when I am dining alone. Reading can help you to feel more occupied and get you out of your head worrying about what other diners are thinking of you or just how alone you are. Enjoy reading in between bites of food and sips of wine. After awhile, it feels pleasurable to enjoy a meal alone with a good story.
  • Save some of your meal for later – I sometimes will eat half my meal at the restaurant and take the other have to-go (it’s called takeaway in Europe) to enjoy for lunch or dinner later on. Especially when I am in an Airbnb and have a means to reheat my dish, saving some of your meal is a great way to save money and time!
  • Connect with other diners – I have found that when dining alone, other restaurant guests will strike up conversation with you as they recognize you are alone. This can be a great opportunity for connection and even new friendship! You might even end up moving from your table to theirs to join them in the meal; it has happened to me more than once.
  • Reap the pity – When they realize I am traveling solo, some servers at restaurants seem to feel bad for me and thus gift me an extra glass of wine or a dessert on the house. I assure them that I am okay on my own, but I happily accept the complimentary glass or plate!
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Solo Dining in Chania, Crete

Pro- See more faster 

Traveling solo can often lend itself to seeing more on your itinerary more quickly, at least in my experience. Since you do not have to wait for another human to finish getting ready or coordinate with them in anyway, you are free to zip and skip around your destination and accomplish what you desire. Additionally, as a solo traveler, you are more likely to be let into popular attractions more quickly – it’s sort of like being a single rider at Disneyland.

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Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Con- No one to take your photos 

In the Instagram age, having your photo taken at beautiful and awe inspiring destinations is a must! But when you are alone, it can be a struggle to get that perfect shot. I typically hang out where I want a photo for a few minutes, identify a friendly looking stranger and ask them to take my photo. Some of my best travel photos have been taken by friendly strangers. However, you can’t expect them to take 20 different shots like you can with your bestie or S.O.

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Agios Prokopios Beach, Naxos, Greece

Pro- Meet new friends

There is something magical that happens to humans when traveling – we seem to be more open and ready for new experience and connection. I have made new friends every time I have traveled, especially when I have traveled solo. From meeting a new group of friends on my tour of Italy with whom I still talk to to this day, to encountering my buddy Fabrizio and his family in Paris and going on to stay with him in Amsterdam 2 years later, to connecting with my new friends George and Selma on a SUP adventure in Crete and going to get dinner and drinks with them later on that night, to meeting my new friend Leela who offered me a ride down a mountain in Santorini to escape the sudden rain and then asking me to go wine tasting with her and her sister. It is these serendipitous connections that make a lasting impression and memory that cannot be forgotten.

The connections I have made while traveling have inspired me to be a more open, friendly person in my everyday life and have taught me just how much we as humans are looking for authentic connection through openness and vulnerability. Moving through life with this experienced knowledge is truly life altering.

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Partying with new friends at Paradise Beach in Mykonos

Pro – Experience the kindness of strangers

This goes along with meeting new friends. One of the most profound aspects of traveling solo is connecting with strangers and experiencing their kindness. As a solo traveler, you sometimes have no choice but to turn to strangers for support or help, and the responses you may receive can be amazing. I have received so much aid and so many blessings from strangers while traveling solo. It has affirmed my belief in the kindness of strangers and the inherent good that exists in our kind. The kindness I have received from strangers has helped to color my outlook on life.

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SUP in Crete with new friends, Chania, Crete

Pro – Learning to make peace with yourself

As you can imagine, traveling solo lends itself to, well, a lot of alone time. It is a “me, myself, and I” situation all around. When you are forced to sit with yourself for such long periods of time a great deal of self-reflection begins to take place. Self-reflection can me immensely uncomfortable and we may start desperately looking for a way to escape it. However, if you can lean into the reflection, you may begin to make peace with yourself in the moment and identify ways you may grow moving forward. At first it feels like a con, but eventually it becomes a pro.

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Mykonos Town, Mykonos, Greece

So clearly, traveling solo is complex and evokes so much within us humans. I am a firm believer that everyone should embark on a solo travel adventure at some point in their lives.

Now, as a white man from the US, I enjoy a great deal of privilege in my life and feel comfortable traveling far and wide. I recognize that traveling solo to some destinations is not as accessible for women or people of color due to the inequalities we are currently battling in our world. However, solo travel does not have to be to faraway, exotic destinations; you can travel to a new city within your own country or state! Solo travel can still be a wonderful, growth-filled experience even if it is still within the safety of your own land. For example, if you are an American, maybe try traveling somewhere like New York or San Francisco on your own – same language, same culture, socially liberal, overall safe, but still big and exciting enough to get all the benefits I have mentioned in this article. Additionally, countries like Ireland and Scotland are very safe, open, and friendly to everyone and most people of all stripes say they feel comfortable traveling to these destinations. Go only where you feel comfortable and safe, but do indeed go!

Traveling solo has blessed me with some of the greatest experiences I have had in this lifetime and has cultivated growth within me that I do not believe I would have found anywhere or anyway else. Solo travel is scary, it’s exhilarating, it’s liberating, and it is profound. I hope that you can experience all that traveling solo has in store for you when you answer the call.

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Naxos Town, Naxos, Greece

 

Fun Yoga Transitions

One of the reasons I love teaching Power Vinyasa Yoga is the creative process of drawing up the sequences I guide my students through. Sequencing a yoga flow is in many ways like choreographing a dance routine; it is a craft that is both artistic and scientific and can end in a beautiful piece of movement. In the modern yoga world where all mindful movement is yoga, there is now more room than ever to experiment and present unique flows to your classes. I like to consider myself a pretty creative sequencer, I am always playing around with unique chains of postures and different transitions between them.

After humbly receiving positive feedback from my students about these sequences, I wanted to take the time and share some of my current favorite transitions I have been utilizing in my own sequences. All teachers are welcome to take these and try them on in your own classes. All home practitioners are welcome to take these and try them on in your own practice.

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Today’s Gratitude’s & Tomorrow’s Visions

Today I am sharing about a mindful practice I have begun over the past few months that I have found to be meaningful and powerful in my life. I call this practice “Today’s Gratitudes & Tomorrow’s Visions”. This practice is a journal based daily ritual very much akin to the Gratitude Journal often promoted by Oprah. In this practice, I take a few moments before going to sleep to write 3-5 things I feel gratitude for, followed by 3-5 things I would like to manifest the next day. The gratitudes elevate my positive vibrations and the requests for manifestations go out into the universe overnight to hopefully brew and make their way back to me. Having continued this practice for about three months now, I can tell you honestly that Today’s Gratitudes & Tomorrow’s Visions have had big impacts on my life! So grab one of those pretty journals you have on your shelf that you’ve never used and let’s get writing!

Today’s Gratitudes & Tomorrow’s Visions How To:

Step 1: Make a Few Minutes Before Bedtime

I deeply feel that the very end of the day is the best time to practice this ritual. Reflecting with gratitude on the day stimulates a sense of contentment and peace. Expressing hopes and dreams for the following day allows us to go to sleep without imaging or worrying about it because you have gotten it out on paper.

Step 2: Today’s Gratitudes

Write 3-5 things you are grateful for from the day. Write whatever first comes to mind. Write them in bullet points and keep them short and sweet. You can be grateful for big or small things, grand or simple things, deep or silly things; as long as it is authentic and true, it is noteworthy.

Somedays what comes to mind for me are the big, obvious things like my family and friends, my health, for simply being alive. Somedays what comes to mind are really ridiculous things like peanut butter and coffee (peanut butter makes an appearance in my journal at least twice a week) – but I am grateful I have those things as simple as they are, and so I still feel inclined to write them.

Try not to overthink, really just reflect and find gratitude for all.

Step 3: Tomorrow’s Visions

Write down 3-5 things you would like to transpire the following day. Similarly, write these aspirations as bullet points and keep them short.

What is different and key when it comes to Tomorrow’s Visions is to keep your requests somewhat open-ended. As I discuss in my piece, “Manifestation: There’s Something to It”, it’s important to leave room for the universe to gift back to us what it feels is right for us, even if it is slightly different than what we originally envisioned. If you write out how you want tomorrow to unfold hour by hour, then you have really limited all of the possibilities the universe might have brought your way, and thus the universe is probably going to ignore you and you will be disappointed.

So rather, you keep your requests for manifestation more broad: I would like to have a good meeting with my boss, I would like to receive good news of some kind, I would like to find some time in the day for me to relax a little bit, etc. These requests leave plenty of room for the universe to cook up something for you that fulfills the request, perhaps even beyond what you could have imagined!

So keep it open, and of course, keep it positive!

Step 4: Start Writing!

This is a practice I have found to be uplifting, and at times, magical. I feel the expression of gratitude changing my energy for the better, and I have seen how my visions have been manifested in some shape or form the following day. It’s just another way to elevate the vibe of your life!

I hope you find this practice to be as wondrous as I do!

Do you have other daily practices or rituals you do to elevate your vibe? Let me know below!

 

 

27

Today I turned 27 years old. This is not an age that is by any means a milestone. It is, however, a number that holds much significance for me personally.  Ever since I was a little kid, 27 was always my favorite number. I know, it is a very odd number to select as a favorite; why not one of the primary numbers like 3 or 5, why not the superstitious 13, why not the clean even 20? I can’t explain it, but I always liked the look and feel of 27; an age young but mature, a dollar amount not huge but still worth something, a quantity amount enough but not excessive. 27 is the age I have assigned to many of my characters in my writing throughout the years. And now, I am this age and for me, there is a lot to reflect on because of it.

27 represents a crossing from the mid-20’s to the late 20’s – the final third of the golden decade.  When I was a teenager and even in my early 20’s, I truly believed that by my late-20’s, by 27, I would be a wildly successful writer of sorts, a homeowner, and married. Yet here we are and I am not close to being any of these things. My life has not unfolded in the ways I thought it would, but this is not a unique sentiment. Ask anyone and you will probably find that their life’s journey has unfolded in a multitude of unexpected ways as well, usually taking them to different destinations than they ever thought they would end up.  So rather than being disappointed or discouraged with where I am at as I become this age, I am choosing to be at peace and trust in the divine flow of the universe and my part in it. Additionally, I am choosing to believe that 27 is going to be a wondrous year for me. While my 27 does not look how I envisioned when I was young, I have reason to believe that my 27 will still be significant and meaningful.

Again, 27 has been an important number for me since I was a little kid. And they say that numbers you feel drawn to or repeatedly see again and again may be your Angel Numbers. What are Angel Numbers? Angel Numbers are codes from your spirit guides to convey messages to you throughout your life. Your numbers can change over time depending on what you are going through, and others stay constant. 27 has been constant for me and so I finally looked up what this angel number means.

The Angel Number 27 is a message from your angels that new information or news of a positive nature is on the way. It is a message to believe in yourself, your intuition and the callings you feel within. Angel Number 27 is a message of faith, trust, and self-belief. Your angels ask you to step forward on your life path with confidence and grace. Maintain a positive attitude and perspective and trust that you will manifest positive results, rewards, and blessings into your life.

What a positive meaning behind this number! The good, however, does not stop there. 2018 – this year that I turn 27 in – is a big year in astrology. I recently read an article from an astrological contributor at Elephant Journal that tells us that each sign in the zodiac has a lot of potential in 2018. I am a Pisces, and very much so, here is what they had to say about Pisces in 2018:

“A magical carpet ride is about to be set in motion. 2018 is your year to become enchanted with all of the mysteries of the universe and refuel your emotional reserves. Out of this realm discoveries are awaiting. Its finally time to swim care-free through an ocean of positive emotions. Your Pisces Mantra for 2018: ‘Get Enchanted’”.

So if we put this all together, I am in my Angel Number year of 27 being guided toward positive news and encouraged to believe in myself in addition to being a Piscean in 2018 which is to be an enchanted year that takes me on a magic ride. What a combination, right? So here is to believing that this new year of life, this next jaunt around the sun, is going to be beautiful!

Fulfilled

Dear ones,

I recently published an article on Elephant Journal titled, “Fulfilled.” The piece details my experience in my recent career transition and the discoveries that came out of that time. I was lucky enough to work on the article with one of the publishers at Elephant Journal and I am very proud of the final product. Please read the article when you have a moment.

You can find “Fulfilled” here: https://www.elephantjournal.com/now/fulfilled/

Making Waves

 There is a quote that I once read which I come back to time and again when I am in need of a reminder about my own abilities and worth. It reads:

“Your thoughts and words are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to grow and expand outward. The power you have to make impact on the world is far greater than you could ever imagine.”

Further exploration and interpreting of these beautifully strung together words leads to the discovery that each and every one of us is an incredibly powerful being with great potential to spark change and manifest good. We all come with our own unique strengths and sets of gifts, and when we believe in ourselves we can use those strengths and gifts to make ripples, even waves, for the greater good. You alone have the ability to do wonders.

            Allow me to craft a simple example to help illustrate the potential power you hold to create good and have it ripple outwards towards growth:

            Imagine you are at a coffee shop. You walk up to the cashier to order your coffee. The barista manning the cash register has had a tough morning; they are anxious, tired, and weary of the abrasiveness of customers rushing through the morning hours. Upon your turn at the register, you pause, you greet the barista a good morning, you ask them how they are doing, you smile at them, maybe you even joke with them; you provide a much needed friendly interaction filled with warmth and kindness. Now feeling acknowledged, seen, and treated with due respect, the mood of the barista is elevated. In turn, they are  better able to serve more customers throughout the day with that same kindness and warmth, and all of those customers may now go forth and perhaps spread even more kindness and warmth. By simply being friendly, respectful, and treating everyone as your equal, you have quite possibly elevated the energy of dozens throughout the day.

            The above scenario starts on a small scale and becomes larger as the momentum catches on – the stone is dropped, the ripples spread, and the waves formulate. This can happen on even grander scales as well. Consider the following scenario:

            You are on the phone with your friend. In this conversation, you tell your friend something they deeply needed to hear – a poignant piece of truth, a broader perspective, or any other message that ends up resonating with them. This friend also happens to be a teacher. Your friend-teacher goes to their class and in their lecture relates that very something you told them to their students. This message deeply resonates with several students. Those students then go forth and apply that message to various aspects of their lives and in turn that message and the actions it invokes impacts more circles of people. Perhaps, maybe one of those students holds onto that message for years to come and eventually inspires them to do something great that ultimately benefits many people.

            Something similar to this could indeed happen, and it could happen because you dropped that something – that stone of truth, wisdom, righteousness – into a calm ocean surface and made giant waves with it. So you see, your words and actions have huge, enormous potential for growth and greatness.

            Furthermore, your simple thoughts have large potential too! Thoughts are not merely thoughts, they are vibrations of energy. In some schools of thought, it is believed that through the power of focused thought, we can connect and create. Have you ever had a friend call you and express that they had been thinking about you shortly after you had been thinking about them? Somehow, your energy of your thoughts were connecting with that friend and prompted action that brought you further connection with one another. Have you ever been going through a difficult time and had friends and family tell you they were keeping you in their thoughts and prayers and you actually felt their intended thoughts and wishes? Or vice versa, have you ever intentionally sent someone thoughts and prayers when they were going through a difficult time only to later hear that they felt supported by you within that time? Here again, our thoughts are intentionally being sent out, being received, being processed, and sparking connection.

            This is not to say that simply thinking positive, happy thoughts is enough to promote change and harmony within our world. Using our voices and taking actions are of the utmost important within our societies and within our own circles of family and friends. Your thoughts, however, are powerful tools we also have access to for changing and creating.

            Often, it is far too easy to doubt ourselves, to think ourselves too small, to believe that we are unable to make real and true impact in our time here on earth. The truth is, however, that we are each powerful beings with every ability to touch this world in small and big ways. All you have to do now is to believe. So moving forward, believe in your worth, believe in your strength, believe in your power. Think, speak, and act. Go on and make waves.

Age 26

I am 26 years old today. Birthdays, for me, are a lot like how most people see the New Year. I look at each birthday as a new starting point from which we can set new goals and launch into a time of new opportunities. As oppose to looking at what happened between January 1st, 2016 and January 1st, 2017 and so on and so forth, I tend to look at and reflect on what happened in the space of time that I was aged 23, 24, 25. Where did I travel? What new activities did I try? Who did I spend time with? What experiences did I have? What did I create? It is always an interesting and insightful reflection, after which I start to think about what I want my next age to look like. Where will I go? What will I see? What will I do? What will I learn? There is no way to assign definitive answers to these questions, but I can set intentions on what I might like those answers to be.

Oddly, I have always been enamored with the number 27; there is no rhyme or reason for this, it has just always been my favorite number since I was a little kid. And so, I feel that age 27 is going to be a big, powerful, and exciting year for me. But for now, I am age 26. So I think that this, the year of 26, is going to be my year of setting intentions, meditating on those intentions, and ultimately manifesting those intentions in the year of 27. I see age 26 as the year of planting seeds and watering those seeds, and I see age 27, God-willing, as the year of harvest.

So I begin to flow through my new age, ever present in the moment and breathing in gratitude for where I am at a in the here and now, and while chanting positive energy and intention into the universe for the present and the future.

“Conscious Cooking” from Daily Om

I recently read a wonderful thought passage from a book called Daily Om – Inspirational Thoughts for a Happy, Healthy, and Fulfilling Day by Madisyn Taylor. This book is filled with hundreds of 1-2 page messages to inspire to thought, reflection, and ultimately you taking better action to be a happier person. I have made it a practice over the last quarter to read 1 passage in the morning and journal any quotes that I find particularly meaningful, as I suggest to you in my previous post “A Good Morning”. I have definitely found myself reading messages that seemed to be meant for me on that day. Click the link above to purchase of Amazon; I strongly recommend purchasing it and soaking up its inspiration.

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Anyway, the other day I read a passage entitled “Conscious Cooking”. In summary, the message is that it is important to take time with our food. It is primarily about the preparation of food and how we can truly affect our food with energy as we prepare it. It makes sacred the act of cooking a meal and when we can appreciate that every meal becomes nourishment rather than a means to an end, and every meal becomes a bountiful feast. Not enough people, especially in this country, value food for its own brand of magic. Preparing food is a vital part of daily life. We are meant to spend time with our food as it is at once a necessary part of human life AND one of life’s greatest joys. This message capitalizes on that and it speaks to me loud and clear. Take a read!

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Let It Go

I recently happened across an inspirational quote that truly spoke to me:

“You’ve done your best today, now let it go.”

A simple sentence with a deep and impactful meaning, one that I very much needed to read, and feel many others could benefit from as well.

Like many, I have an extremely busy life: full-time job (the American version, not the French or Swedish version, meaning over 40 hours per week as oppose to under 36 – get on board USA), a second job (teaching yoga), this blog (the writing and the social media management that comes with it), a household to run, an elderly dog to care for, and dedications to my family, friends, and interests. My plate is very full, sometimes to the point where I doubt my ability to manage all of it. In recent months, I have found myself struggling to keep up with all of my commitments and responsibilities, often feeling overwhelmed and drained.

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