Seeing the world through a new lens
Where are you now?
Maybe you are reading this from your kitchen table filled with scraps from this morning's breakfast and echoes of laughing children.
Maybe you’re watching strangers pass by from a steam-fogged window at your favorite cafe.
Maybe you are alone, sitting quietly with your thoughts and the delicate melody of songbirds from your window.
Wherever you are, we invite you to embrace your now.
Perspectives are not a static state of mind
Transformation does not ask where we’ve been.
It asks how we’ve allowed the people, places and experiences we’ve encountered to become part of who we are.
The more freely we give of ourselves, the more the world has a way of giving back.
It is here that we find our place within the ecosystem of life.
My first calling to openness came while sailing uncharted waters
In 1968, I boarded a ship bound for a foreign exchange student program in Germany with little more than a suitcase and a willingness to say yes.
I dove into German culture, feasting on Schinken (a cured ham) for breakfast, learning to water ski in Holland, sipping my first grappa overlooking St. Mark’s Square in Venice, learning to play chess (lost every match except one or two), and receiving a speeding ticket on my bicycle–go figure.
But beyond my newfound passion for experiencing culture, Germany taught me that listening with openness and living with fearless curiosity create space for discoveries that leave lasting change.
And so, we began weaving a tapestry of meaningful connections
Back in the States, I hopped into a VW van with a dear friend and drove from Iowa to Mexico City, where my now-life partner, Michèle, would join us.
My father was not happy.
After feasting at Caesar Cardini’s restaurant (the creator of the Caesar Salad) and enjoying the best Sole Meunière of my life,
I asked Michèle, “Where else can we go? I’m going to spend all of my money.”
She suggested Guatemala, so we hopped in the van and made our way through Oaxaca and Chiapas.
It was here we fell in love–with each other, with Guatemala, and with the richness that emerges when we allow another culture to become part of our own lives.
Over time, we were no longer traveling; We were adopting the world.
What began as a love of experiencing different cultures slowly became part of how we lived, created, celebrated and connected with others.
This philosophy has led us to friendships that span generations, cultures and continents. Some began over shared meals. Others started with a simple question on a street halfway around the world.
Each reminds us that the greatest gift of travel has never been the places we’ve visited but the way our lives have changed because of it.