While in attendance at a conference involving spiritual studies, we discovered our purpose in coming together in partnership. We, each with two children from our previous marriage, headed into our future together. After a year we decided to bring the four children, ranging in age from 17 years to 9 years, on a journey with us. The six of us, on a 39 foot sailboat, set out during the Christmas holiday into the Florida Keys. By the time we returned to home port, the blending as a family unit was established.  All had survived together despite the six foot rolling seas, the youngest being stung by a Man-of-War, and finally, our barely ducking the mast under a bridge - by heeling the boat to port - in order to have sufficient clearance.

As our children have grown and have become wonderful loving adults we have appreciated our blessings. Amongst those blessings are our four grandchildren ranging from pre-school through middle school age. We have been lucky enough to have our grandkids spend one overnight each week with us since they were infants-a blessing for us and their their parents.

We joined together at our work as well. Both being psychologists in private practice, we have been privileged to participate in workshops and seminars as well as co-lead trauma interventions and jointly conduct workshops.

We are currently focusing our joint energy in preparing educational and therapeutic workshops concerning restoring and enhancing connectedness in relationships for individuals and couples.

OUR JOURNEYS

For many years we have enjoyed traveling to beautiful places to experience the culture and spirituality of many peoples. Our first such adventure took us to the Andes Mountains and the Rainforest of Ecuador. The journey began in our minds when we attended a Past life Regressions Conference and met John Perkins. Accompanying John was a Native Shaman from Brazil who also managed the Rainforest Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute. His presence was full of love and so representative of the native peoples of South America that we immediately signed on for John's next trip to visit the Shuar people in Ecuador. While the Shuar are known for being fierce warriors and head hunters, we found them to be delightful, intelligent and spiritual. The beauty of the Rainforest was stunning and the devastation at the clearings was painfully ugly. We both enjoyed the challenges and simplicity of the isolation from other civilization and the laughter of the people. The Shuar believe that it is their responsibility to protect Mother Earth, for them a living being, and to teach others similarly.

Our next memorable adventure was when we bare-boated in a 40 foot sailing sloop to sail around the island of Tonga in the South Pacific. Again the beauty of the islands was matched by the beauty and friendliness of the Tongan people. Once again we were with people who lived very close to nature and were very spiritual. Their spirituality was more formalized in churches as well as native rituals. On Easter Sunday we were anchored off one of the islands and went ashore to participate in services. We were so welcomed that the local people insisted that we join them as guests of honor at a large celebration at one of their homes. They sang like angels and could see in the dark. Many nights they would float by in boats with no lights, singing throughout their travels.

By one of our personal teachers here at home, we had been told that a very holy man resided on one of the Tongan islands. We did not expect to meet him. But, the day that we were leaving the outer island for the main land we were sitting on a bench waiting for friends. A well dressed Tongan elder walked by us. In a few moments he made an about face and turned back toward us with a welcoming handshake. He thanked us for coming and invited us to go with him to his island. We told him how much we had enjoyed and his country but we had to catch a fight to the USA. He smiled us a goodbye and departed. Within a minute, we asked ourselves why we had to fly as scheduled. We searched the tiny village for the mysterious man to no avail. It was if he just vanished. At that moment we learned a great lesson: Whenever we receive an invitation the answer is "yes," and we will then figure out how to make it happen. This has been the motto that has led us to experience the mysteries of Europe, Peru, Antarctica and Bhutan.

Our first trip to Peru was in 2000, and have returned nine more times in as many years. Along with thirteen other adventurers we had a wonderful spiritual journey, with Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca being the highlights. Again we were immersed in the culture and spiritual life of beautiful native peoples, the Quechua and Aymara, commonly referred to as the Incas. The majesty of the Andes and mystical power of Machu Picchu and other sacred sites enthralled us. We knew that we needed to return and spend more time experiencing Peru. We met six months later with our Peruvian travel guide Jorge Luis Delgado, also a spiritual teacher, when he first came to the USA to speak in New York City. We arranged for just the two of us to travel with Jorge Luis in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia to meet his native spiritual teachers. From this journey came our book and photos written with Jorge Luis, Andean Awokening: An Inca Guide to Mystical Peru, published in 2006. We now take small groups to one of the most magical and mystical places on Mother Earth (Pachamama).

Another "invitation" came with a brochure from our alma mater to travel to Antarctica. A cabin on a small ship at an affordable price for our budget readily convinced us that this was truly an invitation. Antarctica, The Blue Continent, is more beautiful than imaginable. After crossing the Drake Strait, often a formidable body of water off the tip of South America, we arrived two days later at the Antarctica Peninsula, a combination of rocky mountain tops, expansive glittering glaciers and sapphire blue water. We were a group of one hundred explorers making fifteen landings by zodiacs to walk among the many varieties of penguins and seals as well as visit several international research stations. While only being there for five days, our memories will last a lifetime. Again we were reminded that we must care and preserve the beauty of Mother Earth and her creatures.

Shortly after being invited by a friend to study five days with the Dalai Lama during his visit in Pennsylvania, we received notification that our alumni group was offering a trip to Bhutan, the last remaining Buddhist Country. Nestled in the Himalayan Mountains between India and China (Tibet), Bhutan is a country that has come centuries in industrial development in the last dozen years. Since every subject in school is taught in English, these really handsome people speak the language fluently and were eager to interact with us. The highlight of the trip was our climb to the Tiger's Nest, the highest monastery in all of the Buddhist cultures and a place of sacred pilgrimage. Added to the privilege of visiting the Tiger's Nest was that, our Peruvian friend, Jorge Luis, had entrusted us with transporting a special gift of sacred stones - from Lake Titicaca in the Andes Mountains - to the Himalayan Mountains. Although the Buddhists do not revere stones as in the Andean cultures, our Himalayan guide was gracious and with his assistance we presented the stones to the monk at the Tiger's Nest. We were shocked when the monk wrapped the stones in a special white silk cloth and told us that he would place the stones in the sacred cave shrine where they would remain for eternity. Two small stones from the top of the sacred cave were then given to us to take in return to the Andes Mountains in Peru.

Our next "invitation" has arrived and we are soon headed to Kenya and Tanzania . We look forward to meeting the people of Africa and to shooting photos of the magnificent wildlife. Our journey continues.