A bit of my journey...

Hello! It is with great joy that I share a part my journey and myself with you.  My trail, as Edward Abbey would say, “has been crooked.” I have definitely followed my bliss, and my vision for what is possible, rather than a traditional career path. The beauty of this journey has been a wide variety of opportunities to grow and give in multiple contexts.

I have been fascinated with relationships for as long as I can remember. As a young adult I questioned many, many, many things about my world and my relationship to it, but rarely felt that I could give voice to the contradictions I observed internally and externally. This began to change after I was introduced to Joseph Campbell in an undergraduate Mythology class. He was the first person to confirm my beliefs that there is a spiritual connection between all beings and that there are universal truths in our human experience that are outside of the limiting judgments of right and wrong.

Ahhhh, the simultaneous freedom and grounding in this confirmation!

With the knowledge of my connection to all beings tucked under my arm, I set out to gather experiences that would help me place this truth deeply in my heart, while sharing it with others. My academic studies led me to focus my Ph.D. research on collaboration. In order to immerse myself further in learning what it takes for people to work together effectively, and wanting to push my own limits, I jumped the academic ship and became a Life Coach and then an Outward Bound instructor. The impact these decisions have had on my satisfaction with life continue to be far reaching! 

I want every child to have ample opportunities take risks and to learn about themselves in a wide variety of ways. Not everyone can go on an Outward Bound course, but most children do go to school. In the spring of 2006 I joined four other people who are passionate about supporting teachers in bringing more experiential education into their classrooms. The program we created became the NCOBS Educators Initiative and I managed the program during its inaugural year.

Through a beautiful chain of events, in July 2008, I began waving the experiential learning flag in new ways. This included spending school years as the assistant principal of a middle school, my holidays volunteering at schools in Guatemala and Haiti, and leading trips for young adults throughout the US and abroad. Feeling like I could support students more effectively, I became a full-time classroom teacher in 2013 at another amazing Atlanta middle school. Wheee - being a middle school teacher rocks!

Each day my students reflect the joys of being a spiritual being, as well as reminding me of my growth opportunities…
I have consciously worked to absorb the countless lessons from these experiences and the incredible people who have been on my path.  This work includes studying and practicing several traditions including Native American Shamanism, Buddhism, meditation, and yoga. The truths that have resonated with me while immersing myself in The Constellation Approach and Kabbalistic Healing have been so powerful that I have trained to be a healing arts practitioner in both traditions. 

Joseph Campbell once advised, “We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Wise man.

Many blessings on your own jouney,