 When Will International Travel Return? Here’s What We Know Right Now January 22, 2021  Hello Sojourners,
Where to begin…? So much has happened in the world since our last edition of 8GT.
Inauguration Day ignited a sigh of relief for many, many Americans. I wept joyous tears throughout Wednesday’s celebration. Amanda Gorman’s poetic words and Yo-Yo Ma’s stirring music profoundly touched my heart. This week, we also remembered the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most charismatic leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. These two moments in time, then and now, brought both divisiveness and hope to our nation. As I have mentioned in previous editions, in many respects, we come full circle with events of the 1960s. And now, launch into the 2.0 version of healing our world. No matter what side of the aisle you stand on, this is a time to remember that we are interconnected, one way or another, on some meaningful level, and more than just in the United States. This is true throughout the world. We are witnessing and experiencing an indisputable inter-dependence as we collectively deal with the global pandemic. What happens in one country does indeed reach the shores of another. Our survival depends on working together to develop and distribute vaccines. Figure out how we will be able to travel again. How will we work and study in the future? Climate change is an issue that touches each of us. Social justice is for all. It is a humbling statement to say that this is a monumental moment in time.
Whatever your belief system, may peace and love be in your heart and actions.   P.S. Here is a very informative talk about the efficacy and safety of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The speakers are the Dean of the USC School of Pharmacy and the Chair of the California Pharmacists Association COVID-19 Taskforce. I highly recommend investing the hour in watching it.
P.P.S. Please share 8 Good Things with your family, friends, and colleagues. It may brighten up someone’s day. Perhaps, even help somehow live life a little better. 8 Good Things is a curated newsletter of inspirational and informational articles, videos, and quotes. If my thoughts about an article or video interest you, please click the ‘source’ button (e.g., NEW YORKER) to learn more. If you come across a story you would like me to consider sharing, please send it to explorer@sojourn-intl.com. This newsletter comes out once every three weeks. 
 Don’t Let the Pandemic Winter Get You Down: 9 Creative Ways to Socialize Safely Here are great ways to stay connected with folks you love, even though it is cold outside throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. One suggestion is to create a “COVID pod” of no more than six people, which is what I have done. I have one friend that every Saturday night, we hang out around her outdoor fire pit. It has done wonders for my morale these last nine months.  11 Healthy Morning Habits Nutritionists Swear By. The start of the year is always a great time to create new habits. How you wake up really sets how your day will go. Here are some good tips for when you wake up and some for when you go to sleep. This year, think about book-ending your day in a way that supports you.  Reducing Stress with Jon Kabat-Zinn With so many current events still rocking and rolling us, some wise words by a wise author and mindfulness expert. If you have never listened to Dr. Kabat-Zinn, I highly suggest it. He is one of my favorite mindfulness teachers. In this video, he offers insightful ways to overcome stress.  Is it Really too Late to Learn New Skills? The answer is “no,” and here is some inspiration.  How Did You Do on Financial Goals for 2020? Here’s What to Do For a Better 2021. To say that 2020 was a tough year financially for many people is an understatement. Here I am offering some advice on how to make this a better financial year. Also, It’s Been A Hard Year Financially. How Can I be Hopeful About 2021? + Money tips for the new year: Here are 21 ways to reduce debt, build an emergency fund in 2021. 
 When Will International Travel Return? Here’s What We Know Right Now Optimistically, predictions are that we could be traveling more widely around May. You may not need a vaccine to travel. However, you will need a negative COVID test. Find out more details.  Explore Europe The Sojourn Explorers team can help you plan a spectacular trip.  Ten Scientific Discoveries From 2020 That May Lead to New Inventions How recent discoveries in nature could influence this year’s technology. Like building robots based on the way a bee navigates around branches and shrubs or creating light for plane landing strips when there is a power outage by replicating the protein that causes a Tube Worm to emit a blue glow — fascinating and cool findings. 
 Want to Take Better Photos? Here’s How to Practice at Home A new year, new memories to capture. Learn how to use your smartphone or tablet as a lighting source for your photos. Clever tips from a National Geographic photographer. Sojourn Programs  At the end of last year, I began doing LIVE meditations on the Insight Timer app. Come sit with me! You can also join my meditation circle. Meditation is our Wellbeing Silver Bullet.  Also, last year, I started writing video content for a new mindfulness productivity app, Centered. The app is designed to help you reach a Flow State while you work. You can use the app to organize your day’s Tasks. They play music to keep you focused as you work, or you can bring in your own Spotify playlist. At the start of each day, the app offers videos with productivity tips, inspiring quotes, and mindfulness techniques (which I wrote) to help you work smarter. Check it out. Sojourn Getaways Camino De Santiago | Spain September 19th – 29th, 2021  I really love this pilgrimage. I genuinely think what you experience on this journey is a metaphor for how life can and should be lived – with a warm, welcoming heart. We have thoughtfully curated a transformative journey covering the last 100 kilometers of the Camino’s most popular route, The French Way. We also chose this route because it is doable for almost anyone, no matter their age. Picture Perfect Holistic Safari | Zambia + Malawi November 8th – 19th, 2021  We have partnered with our Zambia + Malawi specialist to curate and guide a photographic safari that combines everything you want in an African adventure through a mindfulness lens. Please join me for this unique small group sojourn. It will give you something to look forward to this year! Arctic Quest | North Pole Launches 2023  This pioneer’s adventure to the North Pole in a modern airship is getting a lot of attention. It is one of the most extraordinary and unique travel experiences you will ever have in your life. Many travel dates are already sold out! The airship has eight cabins and can accommodate up to sixteen passengers. Prices will go up the closer we get to the launch in 2023. If you are interested, book now. Lemala Ngorongoro | Ngorongoro Crater | Tanzania  Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most iconic African experiences. This deep, volcanic crater is the world’s largest caldera and home to about twenty-five thousand large animals. Lions, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hippos, oh my! The scenery and experience here are breathtaking. Like the explorers of yesteryear, top off your day around a campfire, sharing stories over a gin and tonic. Special Guest Invitations | Through March 2022 Twenty-five percent discount for stays of four nights or more. Fifty percent discount on the second night for stays of two or three nights. 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. The Great Elephant Adventure | Kenya Amboseli National Park + Laikipia Plateau + Maasai Mara 12 Days | You Choose Your Dates  The Kenyan bush is an awe-inspiring sensory landscape that is humbling to experience. The most iconic way to do it is to move every few days and set camp like the old explorers, except with more creature comforts. We are offering an extraordinary photographic mobile safari camp experience that can be curated to your desires. No detail is too small or unimportant. This adventure is perfect for families and small groups. Sojourn Cares   Between May 17th and Thanksgiving, 2020, I walked 1000 Charity Miles for Stand Up To Cancer. I took to the foothills in my Los Angeles backyard. I hiked almost every day to support patients and caregivers with COVID-19. On Christmas Day, I pledged to walk another 1000 Charity Miles. So far, I have walked over 155 miles.
My fundraising page from the last 1000 miles is still open. Every donation is meaningful to those in need. Bless you for caring. Inspired  The Hill We Climb “If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made. That is the promise to glade the hill we climb.” ~ Amanda Gorman Poignant  Pink Seesaws across US-Mexico Border Named Design of the Year 2020 A design that encourages people to bridge communities instead of dividing them. Picture Perfect  2020 An Extraordinary Year in Photos Indeed, it was… Art & Science of Happiness in Action  Active Listening I thought this is a good reminder about actively and compassionately listening. Start by finding a quiet place to talk without distractions. Invite the person you are with to share what is on their mind. The following can help:
One, Paraphrase. Once the other person has finished expressing themselves, paraphrase what they said to make sure you understand and to show that you are paying attention. “What I hear you saying is_____,” “It sounds like_____,” and “If I understand you right_____.”
Active listening helps one better understand another’s perspective and helps one feel more understood and less threatened. It can prevent miscommunication and spare hurt feelings on both sides.
Time Required: As long as it takes | Frequency: As much as you want Thoughtful  “Sometimes people just want to feel heard. Here’s to possibilities of friendship and connection and understanding.” ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian Writer
~ Unknown Stay safe. Stay well.  Maria Baltazzi PhD, Conscious-Centered Living | MFA, Film Emmy-winning TV Producer | Happiness + Mindfulness Teacher Transformational Travel Council Advisor Seven Continent Marathon Walker ABOUT Every three weeks, we bring you eight big ideas to help you live better. Each edition selects topics that reflect The Sojourn Experience’s desire to serve the greater good, both inwardly and outwardly. We are a conscious-centered company with three portfolio brands. The first is Picture Happiness: Take a Shot, which focuses on the art and science of happiness and mindfulness. The second is Sojourn Explorers, which curates transformational travel experiences to extraordinary places around the globe. Part of the money for each trip goes to nonprofit organizations we support. The Sojourn Media Group looks to create 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.  Let us know your favorite things from this week. Share how your perspective changed this week. |
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