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Hello Sojourners!

I hope you enjoy this edition of 8 Good Things!

We have a new Sojourn Explorers website. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Here is the latest update on my 1000 CharityMiles walk for Stand Up To Cancer. As of this writing, I am 738.30 miles into my journey. I have not made that much progress since our last 8 Good Things. The air quality from the fires in Los Angeles has been so bad. However, I will get back out there as soon as I stop smelling smoke in the air. I am walking to support patients and caregivers with COVID-19. Your donations are meaningful. Even pledging one-cent per mile makes a difference. I am grateful for everyone’s support. The easiest way to sponsor this walk is to go to my pledge page.

Inquire About Travel Destinations

1See the International Space Station Like Never Before With This Photo Book Created by an Astronaut and Photographer. For those who love space, a new photography book called Interior Space: A Visual Exploration of the International Space Station. This was a collaboration between photographer Roland Miller and Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli.

2Travel Dares. The team that produces the online show ‘Travel Dares’ shares two years’ worth of travel insights. I hope this article inspires you to get out there and explore, even if it is closer to home these days. If you are open and allowing, travel will shift and transform how you see life in the most unexpected ways.

3Best Places to Visit in October. This article came out on August 26th, 2020. For those inspired to travel, here are some suggestions of places that are open to travelers. The top three: Salem, Massachusetts (especially for Halloween.) Sonoma, California. If you want to break out your passport, Antigua and Barbuda.

4From Paralyzing Fear to Love: How the African Bush Transformed Me. This is an article I wrote when prompted to tell a story about an event that transformed me. This is what happened on my first trip to Africa; this is what travel does when you are open. Hopefully, those profound ah-ha moments to live more vibrantly that happen on the road come back with you to redefine your daily life.

Inquire About Being Happy

5How to Help the Victims of The West Coast’s Latest Wildfires. My home state, California, has experienced 7,606 fires this year, and we still have four more months of fire season. We could be facing the greatest loss of lives and property in the state’s history. There are devasting fires in Washington and Oregon as well. CNN claims the extreme fires are because of climate change. This article lists ways you can help.

6Happy Again: How to Find Beauty in the Everyday. With so much going on around us, this is a wonderful reminder to still look for the beauty and to find the awe amid the unknown.

Inquire About Media Partnerships

7America’s 9/11 Remembrance Altered by Staggering Pandemic Loss. One week ago was the 19th anniversary of 9/11. I wanted to take a moment to remember September 11th here. To offer prayers to those lost and their families, and send respect and gratitude to those who took care of us that day. May history never repeat itself.

8Relentless Enemies. A documentary from the award-winning husband and wife filmmaking team, Beverly and Dereck Joubert. Winner of BBC Wildscreen and the PANDA award for Best Sound Design, this film is about a pride of lions and the buffalo they prey upon on an island in the Okavango Delta. It is narrated by Jeremy Irons. Great Plains Conservation, founded by the filmmakers, recently sent out a link as a reminder to protect the wildlife we love and their fragile environment.

Sojourn Programs

Part of The Sojourn Experience’s mission is to help our community cultivate a healthier mind, body, and spirit. While we are all staying a social honoring distance apart, I would like to share some other offerings to support your pandemic self-care.

First are a downloadable PDF guide and recording of my Love, Gratitude meditation practice. Two things we can all use a lot of right now, and always.

When you download the PDF, you can enroll for free in my self-paced online course, Happiness: Art of Life Balance.

Sojourn Getaway Special

Lemala Nanukye Tented Lodge   |   Serengeti, Tanzania
Sundowners with a view of the Serengeti, listening to animal sounds off in the distance, is nothing short of magical.

Special Guest Invitations   |   Through March 2022


Twenty-five percent discount for stays of four nights or more. Fifty percent discount on the second night of a two or three-night stay.

First child (5 – 15yrs) sharing a room with one or more adults is complimentary.

Honeymoon Special

Groom’s first night is complimentary. The bride enjoys a fifty percent discount with a minimum five-night stay.

! Amazing
Scenes from the 2020 Tour de France.

☺ The Art and Science of Happiness in Action
Awe Walk

One, turn off your cell phone and go for a walk!
Two, go with the intention of seeing things with fresh eyes.
Three, as you walk, periodically breathe in for a count of six. Breathe out for a count of six. Notice the air as you breathe.
Four, feel your feet on the ground, listen to the sounds around you.
Five, genuinely be aware, tune-in to what is around you.
Six, notice what inspires you, big and small.
The landscape? The light? The smells?

Why This Works: Awe lifts people from their ordinary world and connects them with something more significant than them.
Time Required: As needed  |  Frequency: As needed

” Thoughtful

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which
once existed between man and the universe.”
~ Anatole France

Stay safe. Stay well.
Maria and Team Sojourn
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