Sacred Travel Journeys

Welcome to Sacred Travel Journeys, where we strive to foster awareness, peace and love through travel journeys that transform the soul….

On top of Mt. Sinai, Egypt (January 2009)

I have been traveling since before I was born…seriously! My first international trip was in-utero when my mother led a class trip to Canada. Let’s just say that traveling is in my blood. This combined with my mother’s insistence on being curious about the world around me has led me to seek out encounters that I call sacred travel journeys – experiences that transform the heart, mind and soul and lead to an increased awareness about the world around me. These journeys call me into relationship with my global brothers and sisters and greatly impact the way I view myself and others. My travels have led me to change careers paths and increasingly call into question things that I always believed to be true. Seeing the world through another’s eyes can do that to you.

Traveling has taught me many things but the two lessons that stick out most are these:

Once you are exposed to another way of being, you will forever be changed. One cannot unsee what one’s eyes, heart, mind and soul have experienced.

Being in relationship with the other leads to increased compassion. I believe that compassion is the beginning of peace.

It is my hope to guide others on sacred travel journeys, to experience places and meet people that I have built relationships with over the years. Many think that travel is not accessible or they are fearful of traveling to places that are off the beaten path. My goal is to help make your journey accessible and reduce fear and anxiety by offering you an experience of a life time.

My philosophy for Sacred Travel Journeys has been shaped by my Christian faith and my church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. My faith leads me to seek justice, mercy and humility at all times. Journeys only reinforce what my faith teaches – that we are all created in God’s divine image and called to love one another. My church teaches a way of being known as accompaniment. This informs how I understand mission and global engagement. I never enter into a place looking for what I can do or for what might be “wrong”; rather I always begin with relationship building and simply being in the presence of another. Accompaniment moves me to listen, learn and love without an agenda.

I have a few non-negotiables these journeys. Travelers that come with me will:

1. Accompany – First and foremost, all journeys begin with an understanding of accompaniment, of traveling in order to be in relationship and see the community, the people and the places for who they are.
2. Listen – Every journey will invite travelers to listen to the stories and sounds around them, to hear from our global sisters and brothers as they share pieces of their lives with us.
3. Learn – Preparation includes learning about the history, culture and people of each journey location. Travelers will engage in learning opportunities throughout their experience.
4. Reflect – Every day, travelers will be guided through reflection exercises designed to help make sense of the experience and to consider parallels between the journey and the travelers home context.
5. Grow – Travelers will grow in their understanding of self, of their home context, of the journey location and people and will grow in relationship with those who are journeying with them.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you are able to travel with me on this journey! For information about upcoming journeys, click here or to contact me, click here. Interested in my bio or resume? Click here for background information about me!