I LOVE to travel with my clients and students … and want share with you a little bit about why, as well as share one of my FAVORITE ways to travel!
I have always loved to travel. When I was 15 months old, my family and I moved from Cheyenne, Wyoming to the Philippines for my dad’s military service. I was very young so I didn’t know the impact then; but as an adult, I can see how much that experience shaped my love of travel. I LOVE the change in the environment, I LOVE the different cultures, I absolutely LOVE meeting new people, I LOVE learning about the history of that particular area, I LOVE the freedom to just explore, and I do like trying different foods and sometimes LOVE the food 🙂
I lived in the Philippines for almost 5 years and when I came back to the US, it was a culture shock as we moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where my parent’s families both lived. Talk about a completely different experience. What I learned very early on having moved 20+ times by the time I was 22, was that it was the contrast that provided me so much growth, learning, expansion, and opportunity.
Seeing different parts of the world at a young age gave me a travel bug when I got a bit older. My husband and I were blessed to enjoy many trips …Thailand is our favorite thus far. I learn so much about myself as well. Travel is one of my favorite ways to expand myself too. And it doesn’t have to be foreign travel. Over the past seven years, we have also begun traveling locally in our RV. Exploring this beautiful continent we are on is amazing as well and we are always learning and growing in that way. We have so much beauty right before us, that many of us (ourselves included) have missed because we are just doing what we do, day in and day out.
What I have realized more recently is that one of my favorite ways to help others expand and grow is to travel with them. Eighteen years ago, I started doing retreats in various cities: Sedona, Detroit Lakes, Minneapolis, Park City, and more. I noticed that getting people out of their day-to-day environment helped them make some really big changes. I would watch people shift over a couple of days as they dove in and did the inner work. Of course, the environment played a big role in that, as well as the supportive participants and the healing work that we were facilitating. And, it got me thinking. Could I create expansion and growth in other ways as well?
If you know me, you know I am always interested in expanding and growing myself. Always. It is a daily life experience for me. Realizing how much travel has expanded me as a person, I thought, why don’t I start taking people on trips. I can create a safe place to explore, make all of the plans, and offer a different way to learn and grow than classes, workshops and retreats. So about ten+ years ago I started with cruises. They were so fun! We had so many women in the group that were so grateful that I had organized this. They wanted to travel, but they didn’t feel safe going alone – so this was perfect, and they loved it. We did some workshop time, we played, we laughed, we ate, we drank, we connected, we grew, and we explored. We did several cruises over the years and then we expanded a little more 🙂 We traveled to Cancun 3 times cuz I love Mexico, and especially the water. We took a beautiful group to Thailand – which was a life-changing experience. We have many more trips planned in the future too!
In 2019 I had a crazy, or some might say brilliant, idea – I could take people on a Mystery Trip! They sign up, and I plan the trip … without them knowing where they were going or what they were doing. Only knowing that I have planned it and that they will experience growth, expansion, safety, fun, and joy!! I had already established that people in my community, mostly women and some special men, love to travel with my team and I – so I figured this would be another fun way to grow.
Let me tell you … we have had so much fun! There has been such a beautiful connection with the participants and the growth is inevitable. It just happens. What I love about the Mystery Trips is that it allows you to just step back, and everything is already planned and done for you. I also love that sometimes people that have control issues sign up, just to face that issue. It is sooo great! They are by far, my fav trips because its surprise after surprise … and it allows the participant the opportunity to just BE. And be-ing with a group of likeminded, like-hearted women for a few days fills the soul!
We have done several Mystery Trips and they have all been super fun. I look forward to making many more many during our upcoming adventures.
For details to any of the other trips coming up you can visit my calendar.
I hope you allow yourself the experience of travel, in whatever way you feel guided.
IT IS THE BEST! – SDJ
