“Full-time massage school will be like drinking out of a firehose,” they told us. “Pace yourselves. Know that it will take a long time to integrate what we are teaching.” Now, four months into this six-month journey, I can say: they were right. It’s both wonderful and stressful. I’ve been trying to drink out of …
An Unlikely Journey: Tech Refugee to Wilderness Therapy Guide to Bodyworker
Hello friends, from the one and only San Francisco! I’ve been back in my old apartment the past few months, after nearly two years of living as a vagabond-nomad, and conditions could not be more different than when I left. This time, I’m on a path of truer purpose and calling. I’m feeling grounded. I’m …
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Nine Months a TrailWalker: My Time Working in Wilderness Therapy with the Anasazi Foundation
Trail Journal, February 2025: A poetic and inevitable rainfall Back story: I’m with the girls’ band. We made it to this week’s “Final D” (final destination) and have set up camp at the foot of a small mountain in the Arizona high desert. We are tucked into a hillside juniper grove just above a running …
Nomad Life Continues: Journey to Arizona Update #1
Time for an update! I've been starting to pull together some writings I worked on sporadically over the past months, to tell the story of where this adventuresome life chapter has taken me, and how I've been growing. I hope you enjoy! It's been a wild and spirit-guided journey... A rollercoaster of change and exploration, …
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Quitting and Drifting: Five Months Later
Dandelion Diaries.... Newsletter from A Garden Weed (Do you like that title? I was playing with the idea of a better personal brand for my online life updates.) I wrote this on September 15th, 2024. Why didn't I post it? Not sure. Maybe I meant to say more. It's outdated but was an honest mental …
Eulogy for my Nanu: Honoring my Grandfather, Ray Arata Jr.
Today was the memorial service for my paternal grandfather Ray, who passed on December 10, 2024. It was a beautiful service and reception, which was lovingly put together through the hard work of many people (big shoutout especially to my aunt Sandy and my dad, Ray the 3rd!), and attended by over 200 people. I …
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Three Months with Movement Mexico
My 2024 started with a bang: a three-month Movement immersive in Puerto Escondido at Movement Mexico. I lived two blocks from a beautiful beach, lived barefoot, and dedicated many of my hours to studying and practicing "Movement" with world-class teachers and a sweet community. Tres meses en el paraíso! What an honor and a blessing! …
Goodbye Mexico! Hello Home!
A warm Hello to you, from Fairfax CA! It’s time for an update. Much has come to pass, and much is in flux. My 4 month Mexico trip has come to an end, and I’m officially back on US soil, enjoying some quality time with family and friends… and resting. Read on to hear about… …
Puerto Escondido Update #6
Hi digital friends and family 👋 It’s been longer between updates because I am without a laptop now, and writing this update on my phone. So I will try to keep it short and sweet 🙂 But there is a lot to catch up on! At a glance: I am finishing up my three month …
Puerto Escondido Update #5: Spiritual Wilderness & Why Write A Blog?
Hi beautiful souls! This is update #5 from my “digital nomad” journey in Puerto Escondido, Mexico… which turned from a “remote worker digital nomad” story to a “newly funemployed amateur movement artist & wandering creative soul” tale in a matter of weeks. (Feel free to catch up on the story if you missed Updates 1, …
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Expressions from this side of the here & now 