#23

Slow travel has its own kind of rhythm — one that asks you to listen to life’s natural pace instead of your to-do list. After our exciting few days together in Rome (and a very happy reunion!), we’ve now settled into a slower heartbeat in a small town called Sarteano, Tuscany.

I’ve never experienced Italy in October, and here in the countryside, where grapevines fade from green to gold, it feels like time itself is exhaling.

#22

It’s Sunday morning in Rome, and I’ve been here for two full days now. It’s been a lot to navigate on my own, and there have definitely been edges in living this new reality, but I couldn’t be happier.

Isn’t that life? We’re excited to experience something new, we give it a go, and it rarely turns out exactly how we planned or imagined. But following our desires, and that inner nudge of the soul calling us into something greater, is always a gift.

#21

My nomadic lifestyle has fully taken over. After wrapping up a few final appointments in Portland, squeezing in one more lunch with my parents, and visiting some beloved friends I hadn’t seen yet, I drove to Eastern Washington. There, I’ve been sleeping on the sofa in my son’s apartment for four nights — and loving every minute of it.

It’s been such a joy to spend this precious time with him and his girlfriend as he fits me into his busy life of work and school. A Costco run to stock up their fridge and the smiles on their faces? My heart is so happy! My kids are my heart wherever they go, and as an empty nester, any time together is priceless.

#20

I’m back on the road — slow-traveling through Europe and Asia for the next five months. Travels with Spirit shares real stories of freedom, growth, and soul-led adventure — told in real time from the journey.

There’s something that happens when you move from one stasis to the next. The energy it takes to shift from a stable home environment into a nomadic lifestyle is not always as I expect. I like to think of myself as adaptable, able to pivot when needed — and yet I also love my world to be neat and orderly. Living out of a suitcase again took more adjustment than I anticipated.