Walk to the Dock Anyway
The Woman Who Goes Anyway
Iโm writing this from Bangkok. Alone.
Today I walked to the wrong ferry dock in 35-degree heat, got on the wrong boat, and for a brief moment felt that familiar flicker of fear, the one that whispers, You shouldnโt have done this alone.
Spoiler alert: it all worked out.
It always does.
Hereโs what Iโve learned after decades of saying yes before I feel ready: fear isnโt a stop sign. Itโs an invitation.
The woman who waits for everyone else will stay exactly where she is.
The woman who goes anyway?
She changes her life.
51 Lessons on Being Alive
A heartfelt list of 51 truths learned over 51 years, from identity and resilience to growth, reinvention, and the courage to begin again.
The Year I Chose to Feel My Way Forward
A year is not a verdict. A life is not a ledger." After a season of choosing silence over output and listening over declaring, I am choosing to feel my way into this year rather than rush into it. I invite you to set down the pressure of resolutions and join me in asking a different set of questions about the layers we carry.
Where I'm Local: A Journey Through Belonging
Where are you from?โ is an impossibly small question for the life I have lived. I am stitched together by many homes, from my grandmotherโs kitchen to the quiet rhythms of Botswana and the soft mornings of Costa Rica. If you really want to know me, donโt ask me where Iโm from. Ask me where Iโm local. Ask me where my soul softened and my masks fell away.
The Transformative Power of Travel: A Journey Beyond Borders
I never counted how many countries Iโve been to because you cannot count the places that have changed the shape of your heart. For women in midlife, travel is a way to answer the quiet hunger for something more. It reminds us that we are not too old to begin again and that adventure has no expiration date.
The Silent Longing No One Talks About
There is a longing that creeps in quietly, tucked under grocery lists and busy schedules. It is that tug in your chest that asks: What about me? This ache for connection and adventure is not selfish or frivolous; it is your soul knocking. Learn why answering this call is the bravest way to step back into your life, fully seen and fully you.
Why I Struggle to Call These Retreats
I struggle with what to call these trips because they are not typical yoga retreats. We aren't sitting in a group singing or following a strict itinerary of workshops. These are boutique adventures designed for the real, raw truth of our wisdom season. They are not vacations or retreats; they are a return to joy, curiosity, and the feeling of being yourself again.
The Woman Iโm Still Becoming
Raised in a volatile home and on my own by sixteen, I learned early how to survive by becoming whoever I needed to be. It took getting far from home, to starlit nights in Botswana and quiet mornings in Nepal, to finally hear my own voice again. Explore why travel isnโt just about the destination, but the slow, poetic homecoming of returning to yourself.
Overpacked, Overprepared, and Learning to Let Go
What weight are you willing to carry? Beyond the layers of clothing and skincare, we often overpack our hearts with pressure and performance. Travel has a way of stripping us bare, showing us what we never really needed in the first place. This is a reflection for the women who travel far, feel deeply, and are learning that the less we carry, the more we can receive.
The Power of Female Friendship: Finding Your Circle
Returning home after a decade abroad, I realized how much, and the women around me, were searching for community during life's big shifts. From retirement to identity renegotiation, we are all asking: Who pours into me? Discover why you are never too old to find a community that holds you exactly as you are as you bravely navigate your next chapter.
Dear lovely you,
There is a strange ache that comes after years of motherhood, marriage, and career, where you realize you forgot to ask yourself what you want. This season of life isn't a failure; it is a radical invitation to stop searching for the right person and realize that you are her. Explore why midlife is the perfect time to reclaim your joy and rewrite your next chapter.
Finding Stillness: Embracing Nyepi, the Balinese New Year
When I arrived in Bali during Nyepi, a full day of enforced silence, I initially felt a restless rebellion. But as the island went still, I realized that stillness isn't empty; it is full of the gentle truths we often miss amidst the noise. Explore how this sacred Balinese ritual mirrors the "invisible load" of midlife and why the woman we are becoming is not defined by hustle, but revealed in quiet.
The Search for Happiness: A Journey to Bhutan and Back to Myself
As perimenopause sneaks up, it can steal pieces of us, leaving us wondering where the woman we used to be went. Bhutan is a kingdom that prioritizes Gross National Happiness over profit, offering a rare space to rediscover the spark that midlife may have dimmed. Join me for an intimate journey into a world where time is surrendered to and nature is essential for the soul.
Uncorking a New Chapter: Why Iโm Going Alcohol-Free (And Why Itโs the Best Souvenir I Brought Back from India)
Running boutique adventures means a life of champagne sunsets and celebratory toasts, but the truth is that alcohol just wasnโt doing me any favors anymore. From estrogen spikes to the "tired and wired" 3 AM staring at the ceiling, Iโm sharing why Iโve decided to go alcohol-free. Itโs not about judgment; itโs about choosing to be fully present for every breathtaking experience this wisdom phase of life offers.
The Gift of Solo Travel: Walking Toward Yourself
Standing in places I never imagined, from the Himalayas to the medinas of Marrakech, Iโve learned that I am resourceful and strong in ways I never gave myself credit for. Explore how travel challenges, humbles, and expands us, and why the boutique experiences at Grit & Grace are designed to guide women toward the confidence to take that first brave step.
Why Evolution Wants Us to Thrive: The Grandmother Hypothesis and My Midlife Awakening
Why does menopause exist? Evolution suggests we are far more helpful as wise matriarchs than as exhausted new moms at fifty. But thriving in this season requires advocacy and grit. Discover my personal journey through hormonal chaos, the search for the right medical support, and why I believe travel is the ultimate rite of passage for the wisest, most adventure-ready version of ourselves.
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐
To mark my 50th birthday, I spent a month in India immersed in a 300-hour yoga teacher training. What I thought would be a simple break from decision fatigue became a profound physical, mental, and emotional reset. Explore how the intensity of practice and the grief of losing my grandmother merged into a sacred passage of un-becoming and renewal.
๐ ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฒ (๐๐, ๐-๐, ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ซ๐จ): ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐
At 50, Iโm celebrating the journey of "unbecoming" who I thought I should be. From building businesses and navigating the joys of step-parenting to finding peace in the African bush, every challenge has been an invitation to rise. This is a beginning, not an endโa time to live fully, love deeply, and embrace the boutique, transformational moments that shape our spirit in this wisdom decade.
The Winds of Change and the Freedom to Let Go
Most women arrive at my boutique retreats seeking a reprieve from the weight of responsibility. In the midst of my intensive yoga training, I realized that letting go isnโt about giving up; itโs about clearing space for whatโs next. Discover the power of releasing old narratives and expectations, and learn why stepping back from your role as the decision-maker can help you return to yourself lighter and freer.
Letting Go of the Script: Midlife, Travel, and the Art of the Pivot
The heaviest things we carry into midlife aren't in our luggage; they are the "shoulds" of who we are supposed to be. Whether you're navigating a market in Marrakech or watching a Himalayan sunrise, boutique travel has a cheeky way of stripping away roles and demanding presence over performance. Discover how movement and cultural immersion help us shed the labels that no longer fit.