Connection
I will hunger for the rest of my life if my actions don’t align with my design. I’m meant to explore, create, hike, swim, make art, feel the Earth under my fingers. I am built to run wild. To let wonder drive my motivations. To live intentionally and lean into what sparks curiosity.
I’m seeking what will grow me closest to the Creator. The Creator’s hand that sculpted the mountains and carved out the sea.
I want to spend my life connecting to the Earth, my community, the Lord and myself. When I don’t nourish my mind, body, and spirit I am removed from the full richness of the human experience.
Because the human experience is to experience.
We’re crafted with the ability to have sensation. To hear symphonies. Listen to laughter echo. To see the northern lights, the most remote corners of the Earth. To take in incredible vistas at the top of a hike. Touch soft silks in markets. Embrace a friend. Feel the salt of the ocean linger on your skin. To taste rain drops landing on your tongue. To smell endless fields of lavender. A bouquet of lilies at a farmers market. Bread piping hot from the oven.
Being human means experiencing the widest realm of possible sensations you can. How wonderful is it that we get to enjoy the splendors of life and play in the Eden the Lord created?
I’ve spent the better part of this year feeling incredibly disconnected though- feeling isolated and confused. I’ve therefore dedicated myself to the long haul of realigning my focus on what makes me feel my best. Learning to empower myself with the practice of intentionality, creativity, mindfulness, and movement. Rooted in, reaching out. The desire to heal my connection consumes me…I crave it. So, I’ve adjusted my lens and now see this connection as energy. An infinity sign propelling me towards another person, another creative idea, another place, etc.
Connection is necessary for prosperity.
When you begin to understand and enter the energetic waves of connection that flow all around us, you then gain the ability to feel at peace with the universe you are living in. Because you have begun to recognize the universe is in fact, within you not just outside of you.
Returning with a wild spirit and wonder filled mind to our Earth is one major way I find myself reconnecting. I’ve always been driven by the hope of exploring every corner of the Planet and gained the most joy from outdoor adventures… therefore this summer when I was able to travel to different natural wonders I rekindled my excitement over seeing such enchanting new places.
In May, I was fortunate enough to spend a week ziplining, hiking, swimming, picnicking and having late night talks on the porch, in Maggie Valley, North Carolina with friends. Connecting so intimately with the lush green forests and towering peaks of the Smokies was such a special start to the summer… We discover waterfalls, hiked to the perfect mountain overlook and set up camp to picnic. We went strawberry picking and spent hours in the valley digging through the soil and filling baskets to the brim with ripe red berries. We wandered through farmers markets and fled to the swings by the river, laughing like children as we flew through the air.
We returned to our mountain cabin at night to make dinner all together and enjoyed the hot tub overlooking the forest. Often, it would rain in the evenings and we’d lay in the bubbling water watching as the cold drops fell from the sky. We would end each day watching sunset from the porch where we gathered on rocking chairs as the misty golden sky turned to dusk. We’d gaze in awe as the stars filled the night sky. It would thunder, ground shaking and lightning bolts flashing in vibrant zig zags over the mountain peaks. We listened to the cicadas, the woodpeckers, owls, and tumbling rain as we talked about the power of our environment, how to tap into our divine potential, and how we want to live out our fate.
In June, I had the opportunity to give my friends wild experiences when they visited my hometown. Playing tour guide helped me fall back in love with the place I call home as well. Palm Beach offered us incredible adventure-filled days where we went paddleboarding, swam in the Atlantic as the sun rose over the sea, watched shooting stars from under the coconut palms, sprawled out in the sand washed up from tumbling in the surf, and swung from the trees overlooking the coast. Spending the month seeing the ocean every day and ensuring to get outside to move my body in some way, encouraged my reconnection with my environment.
One day I always go back to dreaming about, was when I had my ‘Bi -Coastal’ SoFlo adventure. I woke up for the most perfect apricot colored sunrise on the east coast- I swam in the ocean and felt the current rushing through me as I dove under the sparkling waves, kissed by the morning light. I flew my drone over the palms and filmed some beautiful landscape panoramas before I ate breakfast at my favorite outdoor cafe, did yoga, and then packed up for the next part of my day. I drove 2 1/2 hours through the Everglades to the opposite coast of my home state. I arrived in Naples, FL eager to complete my long term bucket list goal … I biked with a picnic to Vanderbilt Beach and set up camp as I watched the sunset on the west coast.
A whole day dedicated to chasing the sun.
In July, I spent the entire month abroad in Spain. I went to Mallorca and went sailing, cliff jumping, snorkeled in the Mediterranean, and took a train ride through the island. We whizzed past mountains and towns tucked away in valleys, we overlooked coves and the ports lined up with old boats. In the train we passed orange and olive groves and spotted wild horses, sunflowers, hibiscus flowers and bougainvillea blooming everywhere.
I was whisked away in time on that vintage island train, and entered a dreamland of pure beauty.
I skydived in Costa Brava on the French and Spanish border in July as well and felt the most epic adrenaline I've ever experienced. I’ll never forget the feeling of walking out onto the tarmac as the small plane pulled up, motors whirring and air slapping against us as we jumped up through the side door. Before I knew it, we were off and the huge farming fields became small beneath me. As we climbed higher in the plane and hit our target of 14,000 feet, the aircraft door swung open and the ice cold air whooshed in. It was my turn at last. As I soared through the clouds, I felt not only adrenaline but also sincere peace. I could appreciate the view of the intense coastline, boasting a national park and a stunning mountain range on the border. I felt vibrantly alive, and was utterly and completely addicted to the feeling I had while skydiving. I hit the ground running and hugged my friends in pure excitement and disbelief that an adventure that fierce just happened. We spent the rest of the day at Cadaqués beach, the birthplace of Dalí, and watched our skydiving films from the morning all gathered around a table that overlooked the harbor.
Other favorite activities included Tossa de Mar beach days and flying my drone over a castle on the water as well as sunny mornings on a catamaran in Barcelona. One night we even went to Bunkers for sunset and spent the evening admiring the 360 degree view from our position atop the city… we could see Sagrada, Tibidabo, Montjuic, and Barceloneta. It was magic as the city lights came on and the buildings were aglow. We ended up meeting a group from South Africa up there and talked with them about travel and about our lives in different places. Any given day, my friends and I would interact with people from all across the globe (Egypt, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Ireland, etc) and connect with them over our love for seeing the world. Whether we spent a whole night with them or just had a brief conversation, each person I met brought me new perspective. What a privilege to learn from so many people, directly and indirectly, through living as a global citizen abroad for a month. My spirit came back alive and a fire was lit under me to continue chasing such unique experiences.
Interestingly enough, during my time in Barcelona, I actually found myself without a phone one week. It just stopped working. For 10 days I was deviceless. Off the grid! I began living in my own world, and feeling free from the constant needs of others buzzing in my pocket all day long. No longer subject to the news and opinions of others flashing across my screen. While elements of this forced situation were definitely less than ideal (i’m talking no call, no text, no instagram, no internet, no maps, the list goes on) … I ended up taking it as a sign from the Universe.
I had to disconnect to reconnect.
It made perfect sense, as I’d been obsessing over the idea of connection all summer long.
Indy Blue, my favorite social media icon, sparked further interest in me when she used her platform to share her discovered value in disconnecting from the online world in order to truly connect with what’s right in front of us.
Think about it. The internet was an escape from reality for all of us it until it became reality.
We’re all living our real lives just to produce content for the fake one.
How are we supposed to see everything everyone we’ve ever known is doing all at once and feel okay? Bombarded with waves of information and expected to stay afloat. No one was ever supposed to be subjected to the best and worst possible things happening in every corner of the world at all times. There is no end post. There is no ‘all caught up.’ It goes on forever. So I have to learn to choose how much I want to consume. Because if I don’t hold myself accountable, it’ll never stop. When I spend my time scrolling, I see the same imagery over and over. The creative space is oversaturated with mediocrity and copy cat visuals. We’ve seen it all, so nothing impresses us anymore. It’s therefore become a game where we struggle to outcompete ourselves and others. To realign myself, I strive now to place value all in the experience rather than assign value based on solely what I capture of it. As an artist, this proves difficult, but learning to authentically create rather than document is key.
I had to create a separation between each world and allow myself to be fully present rather than living with one toe dipped into the fake one. You can finally feel like you have power over your life and you reestablish your presence when you experience being fully present. When often it feels like we’re nothing more than one of 8 billion, it is imperative to stay connected to your surroundings so you can feel grounded.
This idea of grounding is one that deeply fascinates me. Essentially, this concept suggests that everything is made up of vibrating atoms, and because everything has a vibration, an energy, including you and me, when we root ourselves in and sink our feet into the grass, or dig our toes into the sand; dive into a waterfall, or lay in the ocean arms spread wide, we can establish heightened connection with our Mother Earth. To feel connected to our planet, we must stay grounded.
They’re all intertwined, remember? Connecting with the land enables me to better connect with my own divine self. I feel the most ‘me’ when I spend time living in the real world and focusing on planting’ seeds in the garden.’
Something that had been scaring me was that I hadn’t gotten lost in anything in so long. I hadn’t been locked into anything, completely and utterly absorbed out of fascination and dedication. I had to recommit myself to creating, and I had to commit to healing my need for instant gratification.
I struggle with finishing books- I turn to the end because I don’t want to wait. I have a hard time watching movies -I want to see only the best parts. This attitude mirrored how I was living my life for the longest time. I’ve been so eager to only live for the highlights… to get every goal checked off. The problem with this is that I’d be missing all the in between moments - missing all the other types of rich joy and raw sorrow that could ever manifest. There’s no purpose if I’m only living to be proud of the ending. What good are the peaks without any valleys?
Terminating my view of journaling as a ‘have to do’ and instead affirming it as a ‘need’ to ease anxiety and reach the deepest parts of me, has been the game changer for connection with my own soul. I have always been an avid writer but I got lazy and skipped out on using the pen each night before bed. So, resuming my journaling habit has taught me about the power of reflecting on each day, analyzing habits, manifesting desires, and gaining clarity through writing it out.
Deepening relationships, the third pillar of connection, has been an ongoing task. Prioritizing meaningful conversations and not fearing discomfort is essential. I’ve always wanted that big perfect friend group you see in the movies and it usually seems like most everyone around us has this. But I’ve learned why I only have individual friends who are all very different. I gain something unique from every relationship I’m in and each friendship challenges me to tend to a different side of myself. Strengthening these very intentional bonds is critical therefore for connection with others.
Once we commit to prioritizing these pillars of connection, only then can we be truly fulfilled, nourished, and at home in the different people and places we call our own.
