This photo was taken in Ohariu Valley, New Zealand at a place called Boomrock. I remember sitting at the edge of Boomrock’s earth marveling at what a blessing it is to possess innate superpowers and to experience the adventure of being human.

Today I read a blog post, which offered a similar reminder:

“The thing that comes most easily to you is probably also your superpower. For the longest time I thought my strengths — like making conversation — were nothing special because they felt effortless to me. But over time, I’ve learned that your power lies in your true nature. It is inherently yours, and you don’t have to ask anyone’s permission to use it. Own it.” — Uli Beutter Cohen

Hello, 2019! In the past year alone, I traveled through 16 countries on five continents. Each new piece of planet earth activated different senses. Why are we drawn to something, someone or some land more than others? Astrocartography, known as location astrology, offers some answers. It is the science of map making uniquely linked to your astrological birth chart.

Alexandra Clark of ASTRO/CARTO projects your natal chart (please know your birth date, exact time, location) over a map to determine your most supportive places around the world. She uses a custom blend of astrological techniques including Astrocartography, human design, local space, and geodetics. Alexandra brilliantly connected my human design type to the colorful lines of planetary influence to create a full picture about which cities and countries favor love, positive career risks and growth, community, money, and more. I was blown away by my intuitive knowing of some places she mentioned! For your own time-of-birth snapshot of the sky on a world map, reach out to ASTRO/CARTO. Playful self-discoveries await.

Sometimes pulling yourself out of one environment and putting yourself into another environment is what it takes to recognize the power of now. A motorcycle ride at sunrise in Bali, Indonesia with a British stranger three years ago was one of those moments for me. And when our rendez-vous’ing around the world found us globetrotting into one another over and over again, I surrendered to a daring invitation. He said: join me on the Island of Magic at a place called Rosemary Dream to connect with the inner monk, monkey and modern human. I said: I’m in!

Rosemary Dream is located in Southeastern Brazil in Barra da Lagoa (the Island of Magic as referred to by locals). Part empowerment center, part bohemian experiment, you will feel a part of a global family. This infinite container is for you to carve out your personal, optimal way of living. You will be kindly pushed beyond limits to discover your heart’s desires and carry tools back into the world to make dreams reality. Here are eight life reminders from a month in the wilds of Rosemary…

1. Crying is good. Letting go allows space for something new to sprout. “Meditacion Alquimia de Fuego” at Rosemary Dream in Florianopolis, Brazil is an alchemical fire meditation focusing mainly on the first three chakras. Standing in a circle, you begin 30 minutes of yogic breath followed by another 30 minutes of intense breathing coupled with body movement expression exercises, all with your eyes closed. The fire rises within. Eventually guided to sit and open your eyes, each participant is asked to write what they feel. Journals are passed around and a new story is written. The process is raw, revealing, intimate, therapeutic, connective. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will walk away feeling lighter.

2. Bamboo takes time to develop. Be patient with yourself. Place your hands over your heart. Can you feel it beating? You are alive. Rosemary Dream’s resident monk, Dada Suvedananda, is available for guided meditations. Begin a morning routine. Maybe it’s three minutes of sitting in silence. You’re worth it.

3. Walk barefoot. As much as possible. Many of us hustle and bustle throughout our lives without physical touch to Mother Earth. During the Monk-Monkey-Modern Human program, I walked barefoot 99% of my time on the island. If you aren’t ready to be barefoot on the subway, at least take a moment in the morning to walk outside and stand on pachamama. Release back into the soil what no longer serves you. Synchronize with the earth’s natural electric charge.

4. Rewild yourself. Rosemary Dream is set in wild nature. The three founders are 30 year old former Israeli Special Forces soldiers. They are badasses with huge hearts. They will guide you into the jungle forest to catch and forage food and build a natural sleeping habitat. We swam down the village river, climbed tall trees, ran like wolves after dark on the beach and hiked until our lungs grew larger. This little monkey phase was my favorite, it left me wanting more of less is more.

5. Part ways with self-limiting beliefs. Stepping out of our comfort zones can feel awkward. Afterall, our brains prefer patterns. At Rosemary, I spent time with an incredible coach, Paul D’Ambrosio. Paul guided me to identify my three core values and connect them to my inner beliefs. Understanding the power our beliefs have on the shape of our lives will actually change our lives. The practice becomes real: change your belief, change your action, change your outcome.

6. Immerse yourself in a supportive community. People from around the world believe in you. When rediscovering your voice, you may lose some folks from your circles. Despair not. Having the courage to be your true self will only attract similar energy. Hang out with people who aren’t your age, whose first language isn’t the same as yours, who do not come from the same social class. Get to know the person sitting next to you. Smile at strangers.

7. Express gratitude. A simple and long-lasting takeaway has been to write down three things I feel grateful for each day. If I can do this, so can you. It’s that law of attraction kind of stuff. It works.

8. Adapt the things you love no matter where you live. Living in communal quarters for a month in a remote place surrounded by open-minded people from Iran, Israel, Australia, Hungary, France, Sweden, England, South Africa, Canada, Belgium, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil was the absolute most fun way to remember we are all in this together. And we all have the power to create our destiny. Minute by minute, choice by choice.

Image Credit: Jenny Graham

I laugh to myself, often. My laughter today emanates from a place of: I somehow managed to spend time at yet another crown jewel of a honeymoon destination and, well, I somehow just honeymooned on my own again. Of course, a honeymoon is typically a shared celebration between two people who have recently committed their lives to one another. For today, come along on an alternate version of a honeymoon, one where you find yourself falling in love with the world, making a commitment to exploration, allowing the journey to reveal itself to you. To echo the words of Alan Keightley, once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to…

A few weeks ago I had a 12 day European adventure, one in which my day job water-taxied me first to Guidecca Island in Venice, Italy. I wandered the grounds of Belmond Hotel Cipriani where orange and yellow butterflies flitted beside me, the sun shone so bright my heart expanded, and the earth’s aroma was as strong as every smile I encountered. This wasn’t an Icelandic volcanic ice climbing expedition nor was it spearfishing in a deep blue Belizean sea, yet it somehow opened up the same kind of self-love and gratitude for being alive. Being still, feeling grounded, paying attention, listening to nature, the opportunities are there each day and sometimes an unexpected spot will bring you right back to where you need to be. The subtle elegance of Hotel Cipriani’s grounds and actual happiness that comes from the wonderful people who work there made each step worthwhile. How do you see the world, no matter where you stand?

Image Credits: Jenny Graham

I highly recommend waking up in Buenos Aires on your birthday with your long distance beau. That’s exactly what I did this February. Southern Hemisphere sunshine and sexy night skies flooded our hours, amidst aimless city walks and tango dancing. Buenos Aires held my heart in its hand and it is a place I will return to again and again. We stayed at Alan Faena’s sophisticated, adept, red and white glamour of a hotel, FAENA. A pool scene fit for royalty, a spa and hammam to melt away the rest of the universe, the best tango show in town, and El Mercado to feed your every desire, Faena Hotel Buenos Aires is a wonderland worth never leaving.

It is with great sincerity and slight personal shock when I say I am homesick for Brooklyn. Twenty-three months since I moved back to the spectacular City of Angels and I can’t help but admit I am missing me some NYC. No matter your coast or continent, have yourself a merry little month of Christmas, kids. xx, JBD.

And: for fun, check out this Suspended Forest of some Brooklyn trees.

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I call my Dad (or sometimes I watch Love Actually). Usually, okay, always, I realize life is simply about changing the outlook and being vulnerable. All of us in a way are climbing blind. That last sentence isn’t a remark from my Dad, although it’s similar to his ever prescient advice. It is a quote I read by a guy named Erik Weihenmayer. Erik is a human being who lives his life knowing what’s within us is stronger than what’s in our way. He is the founder of the non-profit organization No Barriers USA. Due to a rare eye disease, Erik lost his eye sight by the age of 13. Fast forward to May 2001, Erik became the first blind man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. His passion for exploration and a life of adventure led him to create No Barriers, an organization which encourages and leads people to overcome their challenges, to push themselves to succeed in discovering what they are capable of as breathing beings on planet earth. By not limiting himself he has taken the lid off of others’ self-limits. Erik’s story gave me goose bumps and reminded me why I feel lucky to exist. I hope you will choose to read a bit more about him here and feel inspired to be your best self.

Image via this unrelated yet equally rad story.

Cheers for a holiday season full of goodness, calmness and over-the-rainbow moments. If you’re like me, you have a few items left to buy and give. Once a last minute shopper, always a last minute shopper! Below is the JBD version of a blogger’s gift guide. Definitely unconventional and clearly a sprinkling of things close to my heart. Merry wishes to you!

HEAL

Eastern Medicine may feel foreign to a first-timer, yet it is one of the greatest gifts we may give ourselves. My two favorite healers are in Los Angeles and New York. I’ve written about the magic of Erin at Radiant Heart Acupuncture here and now introduce you to Erica of Mind & Body Acupuncture. Heal yourself, heal the world.

DOGS

If you like dogs, perhaps I may convince you to fall in love with corgis, too? Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue specializes in saving and rehabilitating the more difficult dogs to adopt, always taking a methodical approach to adoption. Your donation can help a corgi like lovable Simon get the medication he needs or pay for food to keep these low riders ready for any adventure.

STARS

Astrology 101 anyone? Contact Sandra Sitron of Strong Eye Astrology for a thoughtful, intuitive astrology consultation. I had my “chart read” earlier this year and it was a ton of fun. Her creative insight is second to none.

GIVE

In the new year I’ll be sharing details of an exciting partnership with The Her Initiative, an organization which offers access to clean water and specific health and hygiene curriculum to women in the developing world. In the meantime, please consider making any donation and join us in providing safe water to the 800 million people who still need access to it.

Image via Wo and We

Two weeks ago I vacationed in Playa Maderas, Nicaragua and shared a bunch of moments here. The experience hit my reset button. I woke up to the inner light within, surrounded by old and new friends. Surf, boating, yoga, community, thoughtfulness and more await you. We lived in a jungle tree canopy at Maderas Village. Three words: go there now.Direct flights from the United States can be found out of Houston and Miami. Upon landing, be prepared to drive two and a half hours to reach this piece of paradise (100% worth the drive). Family-style dining encourages new (lifelong) friends, howler monkeys are a daily alarm clock and if you’re down for some tunes or yogis you are in luck as Maderas Village is home to on-site recording and yoga studios.

Sunrise and sunset surf before or after a day on the sea. The living is easy. And breezy.

We met new local friends who day tripped us out to Playa Hermosa. A 45-minute drive from Maderas, it is equally mind blowing. All of it was an escape that brought me back in touch with the reality of being alive. Radical, heart-beating jungle beach living.

Image Credits: Jenny Graham

At five o’clock the morning of the Summer Solstice I ballooned for the first time. The experience was a Yellow Brick Road in the sky. Mother Earth illuminated. A group of us glowing bright in the pure reflection that is, simply, a new point of view. You can hit up more of my Albuquerque experience this October or hitch some hot air in your hometown.

Image Credits: Jenny Graham (+a few more here)