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Here is this week’s 8 Good Things. This newsletter is my year-long weekly gift containing everything from articles to books to quotes to videos that are meant to be helpful, inspirational, aspirational, informational, and just fun to read! Make sure to scroll all the way down to see our upcoming expeditions, programs, and nonprofit causes we support!

Sojourn Explorers: Trek. Fundraise. Inspire.

1) Did you know Halloween used to be a great day to find your soulmate? According to Nicholas Rogers’ Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, in some parts of Ireland, people celebrated the night by playing romantic fortune-telling games that predicted who they would marry and when.

TRAVEL+LEAISURE

2) Halloween Fast Facts. Did you know the top three pet costumes for 2017 are a pumpkin, a hot dog, or a pirate? Find out more.

CNN

3) Fantastic! Google to create its own neighborhood with weather management systems and ‘flexible’ buildings.

INDEPENDENT

4) Congratulations to a couple of colleagues from my days as a producer on Survivor, Chris Campbell and Matt Bartley. They just launched their OTT, called NuBlu. Kudos to them for being both proactive and interactive. They are making content they want to watch and giving viewers the opportunity to decide what happens next in the continuing storylines. Their vision: to share stories that take you to places you have never been. They open a portal to unique places that few have ever seen and invite you to enter the real world of Special Operations, Intelligence Operatives, Adventurers and larger than life Characters. Check them out.

NUBLU.COM

Picture Happiness: Take a Shot

5) What happens in your body and brain while you sleep? The mystery is revealed here.

NBC BETTER

6) Some people cultivate mindfulness to hone their attention and focus, while others see it as a tool for a kinder attitude. Which mindfulness skills can benefit you?

GREATER GOOD BERKELEY

7) How to be an emotional Jedi? Marc Lesser of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute explains the seven keys to a successful mindfulness practice.

YOUTUBE

8) A friend just sent this to me (thank you, Dan Golden of BeFoundOnline.com). Nice throwback. This song still makes me smile.

DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
~ William Shakespeare

Upcoming Expeditions

In partnership with
Great Plains Conservation’s Wild Studio

Photographic Safari and Mindfulness Workshops
Kenya, November 23rd – December 2nd, 2017 | March 3rd – 8th, 2018
Botswana, Inquire About 2017 Dates | March 21st – March 28th, 2018

Great Plains Conservation’s Wild Studio was started by award-winning National Geographic filmmakers Beverly and Dereck Joubert. Whether you are a pro or an amateur, you will have the extraordinary experience of photographing lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo. Best part is that there will always be a veteran wildlife photographer there to give you tips on getting great shots. Leave with an amazing portfolio of your wildlife adventure. Africa has long been my favorite place in the world, and I look forward to sharing it with you. Please join the Wild Studio Team and me on a uniquely curated safari that will tap into your true inner-photographer.

View Kenya View Botswana

Greek Islands, May 25th – June 2nd, 2018 | Memorial Day Weekend
If you romanticize sailing and hiking the islands in the Aegean, then come along with me. Explore, meditate, do restorative yoga, energizing breathwork, eat great food, dance. Find your inner Zorba. Opa!

Learn more

“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying
has the good fortune to sail the Aegean Sea.”
~ Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba the Greek

Ongoing Programs

Happiness: The Art of Life Balance (Beta)
I am committed to helping those who sit in the overwhelm, continually feeling out of time, and always stressed. As a longtime TV producer, I have been there many times over and have spent the last eleven years studying what to do about it. My promise is to get you out of the crazy and into the happy. To do that, I have put together a program that can fit into anyone’s schedule and can be joined anytime. For a complimentary consultation, please contact me.

Learn More Book 50-Minute Phone Consultation

Personalized Teaching
Offering sessions in Mind-Body Centering (includes Restorative Yoga), Mindfulness Meditation, Primordial Sound Meditation, Prayer of the Heart Meditation. Available in-person or on Skype.

DETAILS CONTACT ME

Sojourn Cares

Puerto Rico Disaster Response | Global Communities, Partners for Good
This is a call for support. Drawing on a decade of experience in partnering with communities to recover after natural disasters, Global Communities has staff on the ground in Puerto Rico to provide limited emergency assistance while assessing immediate and longer-term needs resulting from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. They are seeking up to $10 million in resources to deliver significant, tangible reconstruction assistance warranted by the scale of the disaster. These funds will allow them to rebuild homes, local infrastructure, and livelihoods across an estimated twenty communities. To join their effort, please contact Ann Nicocelli-Bailey, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, 301.587.4700 | abailey@globalcommunities.org

Camino de Santiago Fundraiser | UCLA Neurosurgery
I recently returned from my sojourn along the Camino de Santiago. I did the last 100kms of the French Way as a fundraiser in support of UCLA Neurosurgery. It was a walk I have wanted to do for a few years, and fantastic in so many deeply meaningful ways.

Why my sojourn? A couple of years ago some friends shared that their son was suffering from a neuroendocrine tumor. These tumors can occur anywhere in the body where endocrine cells exist, including the pancreas, intestines, lungs, and brain. In the case of my friends’ son, it was his brain. The initial news was devastating to all as you can imagine. However, the great blessing is that he eventually got through it. At the time, I wanted to be supportive and do a fundraiser to raise awareness about the groundbreaking research that was, and is, being done at UCLA Neurosurgery, though I was not able to do it until now. I have raised some money and would like to raise more. I plan to keep my Crowdrise fundraising page active. Donations can continue to be made. Whether you can donate $10 or $100, it all counts. All funds are distributed through the Network For Good and the UCLA Foundation.

MORE DETAILS PLEASE DONATE

Happy Weekend! Love,
Maria and Team Sojourn
Learn More About Us | +800-869-0538

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