Sunshine, Blue Skies and Abundance. When Spring Break brings a bucket list road trip and a new appreciation of faith.
In total my mother and I spent about four hours in Sedona. Which seems funny, as it took an hour to drive there from where we stayed in Flagstaff, and an hour back. We were at the tail end of an epic road trip which found us hiking Pecos National Park and Bandolier National Monument Park in New Mexico, and the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It was a true adventure and we found ourselves exploring Pueblo’s, cave dwellings, the remains of a church built in the 1700s, and in downtown Santa Fe, The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, and a church with a miraculous staircase made with no nails, Loretto Chapel. We walked beside 220 million year old chunks of wood, and gasped at the beauty of a canyon so Grand, it baffles the mind.
I didn’t realize our spring break was gonna be a spiritual journey, but it most certainly turned into one. We never went to a church service, but every day were gifted opportunities to be with God.
I was naive, you see, I thought we were taking Mema to the Grand Canyon. It was her biggest wish, a bucket list trip so to speak. We figured, why not take her? So we loaded the minivan, and took off. With my husband behind the wheel, our kids tucked in back with their iPads, and my mom and I in the middle, we hit the road.
And here we are, over 3,700 miles later on the drive home—and I can definitely say this was more than a vacation. It feels so good to spend time with family, gazing into the sky, sharing memories, and exploring things. There were tears (many tears), and fights (many fights), and too many hours in a car to count (so many hours), but there were also moments of pure joy. Adventure was our goal, and fresh air the medicine we all needed.
I can’t say I have a favorite day, but I can say the perfect way to end this vacation was finding myself on a cliff with my mom and a new friend, hours before a stranger. Regardless of the limited time physically spent there, my heart will forever feel drawn to Sedona.
Mom and I walked on the Red Rocks of Sedona guided by a Shaman of sorts who gives tours of the Vortex sites. Before Anthony and the boys dropped us off in a grocery store parking lot, I chucked at the notion of getting picked up by a stranger, only to hike in unfamiliar lands with someone we just met. Years ago I admonished a friend who met a guy online and agreed to a first date where he would pick her up—at her house—then take her into a state forest for a hike. I laughed, then asked her if there was plastic on the seats and inquired if he was pulling a wood chipper behind his car. It was ridiculous.
Yet here I was, 15 years later, paying a stranger to do similar—without a moment of hesitation. Truth be told Akal wasn’t really a stranger, as he was referred by a friend of a friend, and he was most definitely not someone to fear. Sharing space with him was comfortable and genuine, and he took us to the most beautiful places my eyes have ever seen. My mom, who wouldn’t near the edge of the Grand Canyon just a day before, was suddenly walking an edge of the Red Rocks. And I, who asked that we change our travel plans to spend less time at the Grand Canyon out of fear, took my shoes off at one point to hike barefoot—too feel a part of the land and truly take all of Sedona in.
As we sat and hiked there—breathing in the beautiful air, absorbing the energy, and relishing in the opportunity to share this, and every moment of our trip—we collectively found calm. And as my mom was spritzed with sage water and fanned with a feather, I couldn‘t help but feel loved. We were supported, and guided, in ways far deeper than on our little hike in Sedona. Wether or not you believe in energy, or attraction, or vortexes, or Chakras, or medicinal flower essences, or spirit animals, or shamans, or God, or the angels—while in this beautiful place you will surely believe in peace, and opportunity, and abundance. And you can experience what it feels to know balance. To know and trust your own guides.
This place is incredible.
It was when my mom sat on a red rock, and Akal took me to a lower spot where she would not feel steady on an edgier uneven climb, that I took off my boots. We passed three other adventurers and one woman said to her guide, “Oh my, she’s barefoot. I could never do that.” I chuckled as my husband probably would’t believe it, and if I were in her spot, I would likely have said the same thing. Yet there I was, barefoot in Sedona. Hiking with our guide, surrounded by everything and nothing, somehow at the same time.
It was as I walked barefoot on those Red Rocks and sat on a million year old fossil of a spinal cord, pointing directly to a butte called Isis, that I fell in love with Sedona, and all of its natural beauty and abundant energy. Somehow that mountain—named after the ancient Egyptian goddess who brings value and respect to the roles of wife and mother, a patron of magic, nature, and healing, and often considered a protector of the dead—felt entirely peaceful. It felt like the perfect place to be. I was right were I was supposed to be at that very moment. Named long before her beautiful name was hijacked by terrorists, Isis will remain to me a beautiful butte of Red Rock, and a goddess of kindness and protection. The terrorists unworthy of her name will not share space in my mind with her powerful kindness.
If you get the chance, go to Sedona. And if you do, see Akal. We could have booked a four hour tour, but at the time it seemed expensive, a bit gratuitous, frivolous even. We felt like that would go on too long. We thought two hours would be enough. But we were mistaken. While it was enough—because a minute would be better then nothing—four hours would have been even more inspiring. A gift for the soul. To bathe in the breezes, blue skies, and beauty of Sedona with a gifted guide, was powerful.
As for Akal, he is the real deal. He is easy to talk to, meets you where you are spiritually, and makes it easy to understand what energy means—and why it matters. While he has been featured on TV shows and news programs, and recently did sound healing with Ozzy and Jack Osborne, it really felt like there are no VIPs in his world. Just people looking for peace. A Vortex guide who also does Shamanic sound healing and gong meditations, Akal really is the real deal. My guess is he has life experiences many of us cannot even imagine. And my assumption is that being open is what has given him his many gifts. To which I say, why not be open to new things?
My mom, who was born Catholic and raised in a small town, was initially nervous to go. But she’s joined me for a few other things outside her comfort zone, so I knew she would love it. Together we have gone to a lecture by Deepak Chopra, had tarot readings with my friend Theresa (AKA The Tarot Lady), had aura work with my friend Carol, went on trips to crystal shops, had acupuncture sessions with my former bosses, and had many talks about Angels and the law of attraction. Mom even bought me The Secret when it first came out. So it wasn’t entirely surprising to me that as we walked away from Akal, she said, “you better go email that nice man a thank you.”
So with that, “Thank You, Akal.”
Being surrounded by humans willing to be truly open to new experiences (including my mom), and others who possess the gift of being real (so many of my dear friends), and chatting with those among us who have unique spiritual gifts (you know who you are)—have brought me my greatest joys.
I adore my life, the people I meet, and the adventures I go on. I’m a lucky lady, filled with gratitude for this, and every, day. Sometimes I forget just how wonderful it is to be human, and have the opportunity to experience life on a daily basis. And sometimes I forget that being angry gets you nowhere. This trip, and especially Sedona, has reminded me to breathe it all in—and to enjoy every day.
Book an tour wth Akal here: https://www.sedonaredrocktours.com/about-us/
