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8 Good Things is a curated newsletter of inspirational, motivational, and informational articles, videos, and quotes sent twice a month by Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA.

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115 Life-Changing Experiences in North America’s National Parks. “Travelers are dreamers who act on their inspirations.” I love the sound of that! My favorite adventure mentioned here is dogsledding in the Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska. There are no roads! Starting next March, you can do a three-day dogsledding trip. It seems like a transformative blast to me!

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

2The Best Cities in the World: 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. Six hundred thousand readers cast their votes for these awards. I think that is a pretty good endorsement for anything on this list of places to checkout. Number one on the list for Small Cities is Merida, Mexico. Though I always love the thought of Monte Carlo. Very James Bond to me. Tokyo and Kyoto, respectively, are the top two Big Cities to visit. Happy Travels!

CONDE NAST TRAVELER

3Meghan Markle Used This Tried-and-True Jet Lag Cure On Her Last Trip to NYC — Here’s How You Can Do It Too. We can all agree that traveling would be so much easier without the jet lag. Luckily, there are ways to help you get over it. Yoga works for Meghan Markle. Personally, I like lying on the floor and putting my legs against a wall and meditating for a while. Having your legs in the air relieves some of the swellings from flying. Child’s pose is a good one too. It stretches your lower back. Add a couple of slow-moving sun salutations, and you are good to go.

TRAVEL + LEISURE

Inquire About Happiness Mentoring

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4Hardwiring Happiness: Dr. Rick Hanson. I have been a student of Dr. Hanson’s work for some time now. This talk is worth the thirteen-minute and forty-five-second watch. I use his method of rewiring your brain towards positivity every day. That and meditation have made a notable difference in the way I process the events of my life. The good and the not so good.

TEDXMarin

5On the Mediterranean Diet? Here’s What Not to Eat. A Mediterranean Diet, known to assist with heart health and brain function, typically consists of fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains, and a moderate amount of red wine and dairy. This article lists foods you should avoid, along with some recipes. One of the recipes is fish tacos. Growing up in a Greek home, I promise you, there were no fish tacos on our family table. That said, the recipe does look yummy.

THE FOOD NETWORK

620 Items You Should Probably Be Replacing More Than You Are. This list is shocking in a “yew” sort of way. The bath pouf hanging out in your shower is a hotbed for bacteria, and should be changed every few weeks, not months! Did you know that your dish sponge can actually get dirtier than your toilet set? And, your bed sheets and pillows should be swapped out every two years.

BUZZFEED

710 True Love Stories That Will Make Your Heart Burst. This article will elicit a different emotion than the previous one. One of love. Nothing in life can warm the heart more than some good, old-fashioned, romantic love stories. You may get some inspiration for things to do to spark your relationship. I love the guy who planned mystery dates for his gal. What I appreciate most about the article is its reminder that we all need connection and time with those we cherish.

ELITE DAILY

Inquire About Media Partnerships

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8The Origins of 25 Fall Traditions. Now that Fall is in full swing, I thought it might be fun to read stories about our traditions. Who knew that Oktoberfest commemorates a Bavarian Prince’s 1801 wedding celebration? Homecoming was dreamt up in the 1900s as a way to get alums to come back to visit their alma mater and infuse the university with some of the money they were now earning. Apple bobbing? Was a British court ritual where women would bob for an apple with a bachelor’s name on it. That certainly would not go over today!

MENTAL FLOSS

” Thoughtful

“What I’ve really learned over time is that optimism is
a very, very important part of leadership.”

~ Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO
The Walt Disney Company

Sojourn Experiences | Inquire About Dates

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For years, I have been producing large and small-scale television shows around the world. Today, I also use my producing skills to curate tailor-made adventures.

Unforgettable Africa | Kenya
In partnership with Nomadic Africa, private luxury safaris

12 Days | From $18,735 per person for 8 guests

View Kenya

Machu Picchu, Peru | Salkantay Horseback Ride
In partnership with Peru EcoCamps, luxury geodesic domes

9 Days | From $5,975 per person for 2 guests

View Peru

Sail and Hike | Aegean Sea, Greece
9 Days | From $6,775 per person for 6 guests

View Greece

*Pricing varies based on the number of guests and time of year.

Sojourn Programs

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Insight Timer App | Silent Wisdom Meditations
As many of you know, I teach meditation. I have been a long-time fan of the practice. Why? It is scientifically proven to reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness, lengthen attention span, reduce age-related memory loss, generate kindness, help to fight addictions, improve sleep, help control pain, decrease blood pressure; and you can meditate anywhere! Meditation is about as close as one can get to a wellness silver bullet. Recently, I started recording meditations for Insight Timer. I hope you enjoy these free guided sessions. Please follow me on the Insight Timer app.

View Meditations
iTunes
Google Play
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Happiness: The Art of Life Balance
As a longtime television producer, stress was my middle name. I have spent more than a decade studying what to do about it. Now, I help professionals, especially those in the media, to get out of the crazy and into the happy (and yes, I still produce television shows). I have put together a program that can fit into anyone’s schedule and can be joined anytime.

Learn More

Happy Weekend!
Maria and Team Sojourn
Learn More | +800-869-0538

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Maria Baltazzi
PhD, Conscious-Centered Living | MFA, Film


Emmy-winning TV Producer, Certified Happiness Trainer, Transformational Travel Ambassador

About
The Sojourn Experience is a conscious-centered company with a portfolio of three entities. Sojourn Explorers curates transformational experiences to extraordinary places around the globe. Part of the money for each trip goes to nonprofit organizations that we believe in. Through Picture Happiness: Take a Shot, Maria helps professionals uplevel the quality of their thoughts and habits. She designs Happiness programs and workshops as well as leads retreats. Finally, Sojourn looks to create media partnerships with writers, producers, and directors to get their projects sold to production companies and various platforms.

Special thanks to Astrid Martin, article and video content research, and Michael Tobias, editorial review and formatting, for their ongoing contributions to 8 Good Things.

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Arctic Quest

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Thirty-six hours that will change your life. This is no overstatement. Be among the first to land at our magnetic north in a modern airship that uses innovative technology that combines the best of fixed-wing airplanes, helicopters, and static helium lift. What is old is new and even better, and more sustainable than jets or vehicles.

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