time for a pilgrimage...

It's that time of year again. Our annual family adventure. Some of us fly, some of us drive. We may stay for 2 weeks or we may stay a month. It can all vary, but one thing that doesn't is our commitment to spending time together... to slowing down our minds from the fast-paced lives we leave behind... to just being present with nature and each other. And of course the surf is amazing as well :)

There is no greater gift than being here with family and friends. Surfing and laughing, catching up on the life we've lived since the last time we were together. I treasure the time together and I treasure the solitude and peace. There is so much space, and whether you are aware of it or not, a shift happens. You stop reaching for your cell phone, you don't even think about facebook or the tv shows you are missing. Spending an hour watching the birds race along the beach feels like 5 minutes. Life is simple again- eat, surf, read, beach walk, surf, eat, sleep. And lots of laughter in between. Within a week, our bodies are bronzed from the relentless sun and strong from all the surfing. Eating only fresh food and spending hours in the ocean initiates a natural detox. Sleep is deep here, under a sky with more stars than one sees in a lifetime.

Although I find this experience incredible, it's not for everyone. However, I encourage you to take the time to find your own 'pilgrimage' to still your mind and clean your body. Be present with yourself and those around you. Connect and be in alignment with your truth. Give yourself this gift...

When this post goes live, I will have been there a few days. I can pretty much guarantee there is a smile on my face :)

Here is a blackberry video from our previous years...

 

I heart Mexican Design

I've had a long love affair with Mexico. Having traveled to nearly all of her corners, I've fallen in love many times over with the white sand beaches, dense jungles, spicy tacos, desolate deserts and colonial cities. So diverse... so beautiful.

I also adore design in Mexico. I love the wrought iron, the heavy woods, bright colors, the ceramics and antiques. Both simple and complex... it all just somehow works!

Mayan Riviera | Destination Wedding | Jamus & Laura

Since living there for a short time as a child, I've always loved the Mayan Riviera. There is something so spectacular about the Caribbean blue waters and white sand beaches. I was so excited when Jamus and Laura invited me to come with them. I photographed their engagement session last summer, and fell in love with them immediately. They are two of the nicest people I've ever met... seriously!

They had an intimate ceremony on the beach, followed by champagne and an authentic mariachi band. After dinner, they arranged for a private pool side dance floor to dance the night away under the palm trees and stars. It was truly a beautiful day!

Jamus and Laura... it was an honor to share your day with you! I wish you never-ending smiles and laughter... xoxo.

Pilgrimage | Our Baja Adventure

Each year, we pack our surfboards and make the journey down Baja. It is a special time that allows us to slow down, live healthy and just be with each other and nature. Our property is remote and the habitat is extreme. It is desolate, yet packed with so much beauty. An orange ball of fire wakes us in the morning, warming the dewy sand. The turquoise waters are rich with life, sea turtles and dolphins visiting us in the surf. And the stars... this is where they come to rest, I have never seen so many in one sky.
This time for us is about laughing and loving... and living this one life.