March 25th, 2016

Dear Milissa, You finally made it to your first day, first step of so many steps you will be taking over the next six months. You probably, most definitely, cannot even fathom now, what you are about to experience. The glorious sites you are about to see, the moments of pure surrender, of complete gratitude, the challenges that will feel insurmountable at times, but that you will rise to meet head on. You have just embarked on a journey that is going to change you, for the better. You have, by signing up for this journey, made a silent deeply personal agreement with yourself and the Universe to open yourself to the multitude of possibilities and opportunities to learn, grow, transform, become wiser, sillier, take risks, be flexible, think critically, listen to intuition and touch peace in still moments of silence and reverie. You can absolutely do this, and you are NOW do-ing this!

You know your soul has been on the trail for some time now already and now it is time for your body to catch up. You have prepared so unbelievably well for this, you are ready, solid, grounded, strong, and heart open! You are HERE in this moment of the beginning steps of this journey. You are NOW lying on this Earth, writing this message to yourself, wearing your headlamp, sipping the little bottle of wine your Dad gave you as a Birthday present, feeling exhausted from lack of sleep for weeks in preparation for this. You are thrilled to finally be HERE, and you are energized and full of anticipation for what lies ahead. This day of your embarkment has finally arrived into the present moment, just like you knew it would. 

You hear faint sounds of a motorized vehicle in the distance, and wonder how far you are from that “jeep road”. You lay on the Earth, looking up at the BIG wide open sky and enjoy the dazzle of glittering stars against the black sky, just 9 miles from the border of Mexico. Reflecting on the hike from today, your first day, late afternoon start in warm sun, cool breeze, enjoying a lovely relaxed pace into the hills of High Desert. Hills doused with Yucca in full bloom, giant boulders of sandstone carved into shapes only nature can create. You passed oleander, sages, wild lilac, flowing grasses that bent in the wind and giant imposing Oaks. You knew today, your Spirit Guides were with you every step, as they will be every day. They have been with you in all the preparation too, helping your soul be ready for this Pilgrimage. Remember to listen to them, receive their messages and their guidance. Feel their presence, they are with you at each moment.

Tonight, on your first night, rest deeply, soundly, wake with a sense of beginnings, feeling motivated and thrilled to see what is around each corner. Be conscious to practice the art of Satori. Satori. Contemplate Satori. Go, read your book now, and drift off to a deep sleep, absorb the healing energy of the Earth, until the light of morning gently soothes you and you rise to take a breath of fresh wild air, touch your feet to the magnificent Earth, and WALK…..