quiet mind retreat

As a travel writer, it’s making me CRAZY to not be traveling this year. I missed out on planned trips to Sedona, San Miguel de Allende, and Hawaii. Itching to go somewhere, I decided to journey up to Julian, a mountain town an hour northeast of San Diego. But unlike previous trips there, which centered around shopping and eating, I planned something totally different: a stay at Quiet Mind Retreat Center, a sanctuary overlooking Lake Cuyamaca. The retreat center opened just before COVID-19 changed everything, and while its objective is to host mindfulness retreats, right now it’s more of an Asian-inspired…

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always italy

If you’re a reader like I am, you probably have a few rock star authors who you nerd out on. For me, at the top of that list, is Frances Mayes, she of Under the Tuscan Sun. Lest you think her repertoire starts and ends with that book made famous by the movie of the same name, let me educate you: she’s written a dozen books, most of which deal with my favorite place on earth: Italy. I was fortunate enough to have met Mayes last year when she glided through San Diego on her book tour for See You…

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I recently took a job working for a company in Salt Lake City, and while I work from home, I do occasionally visit the office in SLC. I’m so excited to explore this gorgeous area…once it warms up! I can’t stop goggling out the window at the beautiful mountains, and can’t wait until spring when I can go hiking. Lucky for me, my cousin, Genevieve, lives nearby in Park City. I spent the weekend with her, and am already ready to return.

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san juan capistrano

I’m a sucker for a Catholic church. And I haven’t been Catholic in more than 25 years! But wherever I travel, I find myself pushing the old oak doors into the heavy silence. I sit on the hard bench and take in the awe-inspiring art (because Catholics know how to do art right!). And I always, always light a candle for my dearly departed father. These candles are found at the Mission Basilica at San Juan Capistrano. If you haven’t been to San Juan Capistrano or any of the other 21 missions planted by Father Junipero Serra in the late…

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