We Blog The World

Thinking beyond Covid and one of my favorite experiences we plan to return to when travel is a less stressful option: L’Agulhas, which is along the tip of southern South Africa. I’ve been there several times now over the years and regardless of the weather, it’s always a magical place. A deeply rooted historical place where you can feel its imprints and significance beneath your feet as you walk.

Located near Struisbaai and about 30 kms south of the regional center of Bredasdorp, it’s more of an epic coastal village that really connects you to history and nature simultaneously. It’s remote enough where you feel untouched by the noise that blinds us to our Higher Selves, which is so needed right now. As we all prepare to go inward for the winter season (those of us in North America and Europe anyway), it is time to reflect on the collective consciousness of 2019-2020 including our part “in it.” So much has changed in our lives. Inward allows us to truly remember the most important things in our lives, so we can make fresh starts and renew our souls.

Sending you peace and interconnectedness on this precious Sunday afternoon. ...

As the news of Biden’s victory spreads, so many feel a surge of relief and elevation not just within America’s borders but worldwide.
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-A beautiful day to all those who have been feeling the rising threat to our democracy and our free press. For those who are aching to return to human decency, ethics, honor, truth and a government for the people. For those who are awake to see what America has become in the wake of a leader who has manipulated agenda after agenda in his favor to control, control and continue to control. -
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This day also marks a day for celebration - yes - however we must also show who we are as light bearers and humanitarian advocates for the betterment of all. -
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We do this through love not anger despite what happens in the streets in the days to come. We do this through light not showing the shadows we have been triggered by daily for the past 4+ years. We do this through humility not through arrogance & jamming defeat down the throats of those who are still asleep. We do this by rising above the pain we have felt through this process to elevate even higher to support those who don’t understand or know what they don’t know. -
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-Onward & upward our incredible community but as we moved forward, remember to walk a path of non-violence, light and most importantly love. -
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Congrats to @joebiden & @kamalaharris - be PROUD tonight! We are opening up a serious bottle of #Kistler to celebrate with you!
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-And, as our friends from Europe who have said in droves - welcome back America, we say to you: it’s good to be back and thank you. ...

For those of you who don’t know about Kerala, it is a stunning part of India known for its nature, wildlife, beaches, hiking and hills. Many may have been to India but not visited Kerala – in addition to great hiking, there are also some stunning waterfalls here as well as culture -- think forts, palaces, museums, monuments and pilgrim centers. And the sunsets are....well, simply breathtaking!-
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-Nestled in the shadows of the Western Ghats, Maray​oo​r has a history that is over ten centuries old. Some say “a stone clad secret.” The jungles and hillsides are filled with what they refer to as muniyaras (burial chambers) which go back to the Megalithic Age.​ Humbling is how you feel resting in the presence of history and wisdom that goes back over 1,000 years. -
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-It’s a mystical place, one of transformation. As the folks from Kerala say “It is, after all, this is where the spirits of the past sleep.” We love this analogy and find it to be true.
Think mystery, wisdom and serenity and you will BECOME IT. Intend and know it and you will BE IT. Embrace it and you will BECOME ONE with its energy and everything else. ...

There’s nothing like a spring walk in the mountains - where snow is still on the peaks, there’s a briskness in the air and yet the sun radiates on your face as a simple reminder of how much we are connected to our planet and her to us. -
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When we connect in this way, we realize just how much our consciousness affects the universal consciousness of all there is. -
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If everything indeed does have a consciousness then do too does the Corona Virus - send the virus love rather than fight or move into paralysis & fear. -
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Don’t panic but try to understand it’s consciousness as a way to dissipate it but not with resistance and anger, but with love! Martial arts understands this approach as does every other ancient modality & philosophy from the beginning of time. -
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Sit with it, become it and the watch it (along with the fear) dissipate and retreat! Namaste on this beautiful day all! ...

Join us at Wisdom 2.0 this year, an event we team up with every year as a media partner. They are at the crossroads of innovation, technology, wisdom & heart-centered connection.
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-They aim to address the great challenge of our age: to not only live connected to one another through technology, but to do so in ways that are beneficial to our own well-being, effective in our work, and useful to the world.
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-Thru meet-ups, talks, events & workshops, Wisdom 2.0 brings critical topics at these crossroads to the forefront all under one roof for a few days -- in a way that is accessible, innovative & inclusive.
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-In addition to topics focused on mindfulness, connection & kindness, you'll get experiential sessions as well -- from yoga & meditation to dance & movement. There are also exercises as well as something they call Hosted Conversations. -
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We'll be doing one of those as well as a hosted dinner around the topic of Consciousness. We'll write about it in more detail later in March, but the jist of it is addressing questions that are on our minds most.
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-Are you living your life’s purpose and what are the distinctions between a career you may love and living your life’s purpose?
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What stops us from stepping into our purpose and living our passion?
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What stops us from speaking our truth without fear or resistance? (difference between claiming “”this is true” versus “this is my truth)
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Where does Consciousness come from? Is Consciousness located in the brain - or somewhere else?
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-What is the difference between the Soul and Consciousness?
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-The speakers are always really powerful as well and are working on aspects of health, humanity and technology, mindfulness, well-being and social change. Some of this year's line up includes Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Jack Kornfield, Byron Katie, Diego Perez, Dan Siegel, Russ Hudson, Rick Doblin & others. ...

The raw beauty of hiking in and around Hermanus, which is a seaside town southeast of Cape Town. It's known for whales, great wine and food, Voëlklip Beach and tGrotto Beach, overlooking Walker Bay. Theres also an ia fishermen’s village and the Whale House Museum. ...

I love being involved as co-curator of TEDxBerkeley every year. This year’s theme is Moonshot: Small Steps to Giant Leaps. Join us Saturday, Fab 8 at TEDxBerkeley.org for live streaming of the talks all day. -
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The phrase “moonshot” has its origins in the audacious mission to put humans on the moon, a feat that most thought would be impossible. In his famous 1962 speech announcing the start of the American moonshot, President John F. Kennedy famously remarked that “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” -
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-Many doubted that America would be able to achieve such a lofty goal in such a short time frame, but through bold innovations & sheer perseverance in the face of obstacles, we achieved the impossible. Fast forward 50 years. We live in an incredible time — an era of new possibilities in realms that were previously unimaginable.
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-TEDxBerkeley 2020 hopes to capture the sense of wonder & enthusiasm for discovery that comes with the beginning of a new decade. Today’s issues are not just limited to technological progress but instead cut across all aspects of society. We need moonshots — solutions that aim to address the insurmountable — to solve humanity’s most pressing problems, from climate change to human rights violations. -
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-Paving the way forward will not be easy, but the most remarkable challenges are always big and bold. Join us at TEDxBerkeley 2020 to grapple with the greatest challenges of our modern age and launch your own moonshot! ...

We are thrilled to be speaking at this years New York Times Travel Show! If you’re in the greater NY area and would like to come to the show, tickets are only $20 to attend —email me or comment for discount codes! We will be focusing on Transformative Travel on Sunday, Jan 27 at 1 pm at the Javits Center in Manhattan! ...

We loved our time in Yamanashi & Nikko and spent a lot of our time exploring the various shrines and temples of the area – they are endless and the energy is so powerful! - -
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It’s the sanctuary of Syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, so for Japanese, they run alongside each other – one is not necessarily practiced or embraced and not the other. During the Edo period, the Nikko shrines were managed by the Tokugawa shogunate.
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-Stunning and not to be missed include Toshogu Shrine, the Five Story Pagoda, also an important cultural monument, the massive and ever so impressive Rinnoji Temple, which was built by the Holy Priest Shodo, who is known to found many temples in the Nikko area. Note: if you go here, call in advance and make sure they’re not expecting school tours or other larger tours – you want some sacred quiet time in this place.
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-The Nikko Futarasan Shrine is also an incredible wonder – there’s a sacred bridge here which is connected to snakes (a legend where snakes turn into a sacred bridge so that Shodo could cross the Daiya River – early 1600’s). the Takinoo Shrine is breathtaking here because it’s located in heavily wooded mountains roughly a mile from the main Futarasan Shrine entrance. -
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More on the shrines, temples, Mt. Fuji, food of Japan, Yamanashi, Kofu, Kamakura, Tokyo and culture in a future post when we begin to push out our articles which includes reviews of the various onsens we stayed in as well. ...

It’s been an amazing round trip via the #Nobu Railway Ltd Express from #Tokyo to #Nikko. We’ve been in good hands with #TepWireless, a mobile router that goes with you everywhere and is about the size of an iPhone. So far so good - we’ve gotten connected seamlessly & instantaneously everywhere we’ve attempted to connect, whether it be on the train, car, in the rural countryside, the mountains around the lake, or in off-the-beaten path cafes. We are loving our experience so far! -
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Note: we were sent a router to review temporarily but all opinions expressed are our own. ...

So the truth is, we didn’t realize that vineyards existed in #Japan and I’ve sampled wines & done wine tours all over the world including South Africa, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, Washington State, France, Italy, Chile, every wine producing region in California, Oregon, Arizona, Mexico, upstate New York, Germany, Austria, Israel — the list goes on. While Japan isn’t a large grape producing nation & the climate isn’t ideal for some of the deeper bolder reds we gravitate to, we were surprised by what does exist.

Our tour of the wineries in the greater #Kofu area was amazing, kicking things off at Xhateau Mercian which is the most renowned & has won several awards. -
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We really loved the #Chardonnay from the #Hokushin region of #Nagano Prefecture. It is not oak heavy like Napa & Sonoma Valley wines nor is their white wine they call Koshu, which is super light and delicate, making it a perfect wine pairing for so many of Japanese dishes and raw fish delicacies. -
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Some of the Koshu is almost orange in color which if you didn’t know, might be confused for a Rose. The white grapes in particular were huge and people served them to us at many restaurants in the area as a fresh but simple way to end the evening! Loving our experience so far! ...

When you write about travel or have traveled for as long as I have (am starting to count those wrinkles 😉), there are some destinations that call you in ways others don’t and Mount Fuji is one of them. Although I’ve been to Japan before, Mount Fuji wasn’t on the itinerary so am thrilled to be here this week. -
There’s a resonance & knowing about volcanoes 🌋 (inactive included) that seem to surpass other forces of nature. Their strength & ability to shift an entire planet is innately known by all living creatures and so there’s a sacredness in honoring its presence in ways that we have forgotten to do with lesser natural forces of the Earth. -
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Our hotel overlooks this beauty and you can see it from our private onsen we soak in early in the morning and late at night. She is truly a force that is felt even in her silence as she is awe-inspiring every time you set sight on her! ...

I always feel rejuvenated when I spend time around the Redwoods. Not only are they the tallest tree on Earth, growing up to 300 feet or more, but there’s a spiritual connection to them —a mystery if you will. Despite its root system being only 6 to 12 feet deep, Redwoods create the strength to withstand powerful winds and floods by extending their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk and living in groves where their roots can intertwine.
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-Apparently they are also almost as old as Dinosaurs — and came before flowers, birds, spiders… and, of course, humans. They’ve been around for about 240 million years and in California where we see them all the time, for at least 20 million years, compared to about 200,000 years for “modern” humans.
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-Coast redwoods along the Pacific Ocean where we drive often, can grow 100 feet in their first 50 years. -
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The other mystery about them that shouldn’t really be a mystery (for me, it’s an inner knowing of their magic), as climate change begins impacting the Earth and all on it, if one of very few places that provides it is cooled by coastal summertime fog and is still largely unpaved. And so, wild animals also thrive here as well as endangered species because they need large, connected areas of diverse habitat to thrive among humans. - -And, did you know that a Redwood’s bark contains tannin which protects the tree from fire, insects, fungus and diseases and so she is certainly a sturdy one. Resistant and strong because she’s an old one as the bamboo can bend, not break. -
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We have so much to learn from trees 🌳 🌲 if we only listen to their wisdom & of course protect them as they deserve to be protected! ...

Summer bliss at its best — unedited too. We were sitting on this dock sipping a glass of wine not realizing just how dramatic the sky has become before our eyes! Pure and simple, spending time in #nature & more importantly, listening to her #wisdom will soothe your soul like no other experience will! ...

We love Golden Gate Park for its beautiful natural setting and the ability to find a quiet corner to yourself under a tree 🌲 or on a patch of grass or flowers 🌺! -
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Pianos are set up throughout San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park every summer for people to play and from small children to professionals, music lights up the skies, warms people’s hearts, heals people’s souls and entertains visitors. -
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Here’s a link to our video from the day! https://bit.ly/2KdzDFn ...