Freefalling…

That is how I feel after retiring from my 25+ years of teaching law, moving to a new city, and living through a period of collective fear and social distancing.

This was supposed to be my GAP year. By now, I thought I would be traipsing around the world to magical, mystical places –seeking out venues for my next retreat and launching my new career.

Instead, I find myself at home, confronted with the reality that our world may never be the same again. Wondering what will be gained and what will be lost in this collective reawakening. Rethinking what I am being called to let go, and what is ready to come into being.

The word I keep coming back to is freedom. Freedom to be fully authentic. Freedom from pleasing others and meeting their expectations. Freedom to choose how I spend my time and who in included in my tribe.

I have also been thinking a lot about why people love to travel, and why they choose to go on retreats. As a Sagittarius baby I was born to wander. Nothing brings me more joy than setting off on a new adventure, seeing amazing scenery, immersing myself in a new culture.

But retreats are something different — something deeper and more profound. We go on retreats to experience ourselves in a different way. Maybe just to relax and unplug from the ceaseless demands of our electronics. Maybe to learn something new. Maybe to try on a different way of being in the world, or to share time with like-minded travelers.

So, what is to keep us from having that experience while sheltering at home? With the wonders of Zoom and modern technology, we need not be physically present to experience connection and transformation.

I know many of us are zoomed out with meetings, work-at-home, and home-schooling. But a virtual retreat would be a different experience — one where we get to show up as ourselves and connect on a deeper level.

So that is the current plan for my new business. It will start with a series of free 30-minute virtual retreats on Facebook Live. You can show up any time, and come as you are. You don’t have to show your face and we won’t see your cool pajamas.

Please let me know what you think, and don’t forget to say hi if you join me on Facebook!