It’s time to check in on your EMOTIONAL bank account, my friend!

Think back to this past week. Did it leave you feeling drained, depleted or maybe even flat out broke? 

Or are you feeling like your cup runneth over with goodness today? Whichever camp you are in, I want you to take a few minutes and ask yourself “Why do I feel this way?” 

If you are running on empty, chances are you had a lot of energetic withdrawals this week. Work, kids, to-dos, draining relationships (I call them energy vampires…), and other life stressors that one by one suck away our light and joy.

On the other hand, if you are feeling like a millionaire what did you do this past week that contributed to that sparkly feeling? Did you have a big win at work, spend time with people who actually leave you feeling richer and more alive, did you take really good care of your body, or finally get that meditation practice going every day?

AND…
Let’s also take a minute or two to review your inner dialogue from this past week. You talk to yourself more than anyone else in your life. You know, that little voice up in your head that either has little red horns 👹 or a halo 😇 hanging over its head. If you spent this past week beating yourself up, chances are you feel like you went a few rounds at an MMA fight. 

You see…every thought you think goes out to your body as an impulse. If you are constantly berating yourself, you’re going to feel like crap. Conversely, if you’ve been working on your INNER CHEERLEADER (I spoke about this in last week’s Snack!) then hopefully you are starting to feel that inner glow!

I’ve told you before, I spent A LOT of my younger life as my worst enemy. My inner dialogue was horrible 😳. Once I learned to truly speak to myself the way I want others who love me to speak to me, my life totally changed! Now, I make a point starting every day with a loving inner dialog. I ask myself what I need to hear that will boost me up for the day ahead. I create powerful mantras that I can repeat as needed when I start to waiver. And I end the day by telling myself good job for whatever I did, handled, or decided to not do. 
No matter how your week ended, the good news is that a brand new week starts right now! Set the intention to end it feeling like a million bucks and take time every day to make some major deposits in your energetic bank account. 
You deserve it and I’m rooting for you!!

What’s that spell? YOU ROCK!
SAY IT AGAIN!
YOU ROCK!
I CAN’T HEAR YOU!
YOU ROCK!

Yes, I know, cheering for yourself feels a tad bit strange at first. Especially if you spend a whole lot of your life stuck in the role of worst enemy and toughest critic. 

So I thought today being Super Bowl Sunday and all seemed like a really great day to work on your Inner Cheer Squad. Grab those pompoms and get ready!

I read a post last week on @lightwatkins that really spoke to me. He shared that in a book called “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, the author describes the main difference in a PRO and an AMATEUR is an amateur does what they need to do when they feel like it, and a pro does what they need to do whether they feel like it or not.

Ka-bam! Isn’t that a #truthbomb?? 

How are you showing up in your life? Is it amateur night or are you putting the same drive, dedication and focus on your goals and happiness as those football players on the Chiefs and Eagles do every single day?

A big part of turning PRO is learning to tap into your Inner Cheerleader and turn down that voice of doubt and unworthiness. Just like a pro football player spends endless hours building muscles and running plays over and over until they are second nature, we have to train our minds to overcome our negativity bias and evolve into our biggest #1 LIFE FAN.

Sadly, just as we are wired negative we are also quite predisposed to laziness and comfort as our fallback. We would rather stay in our comfort zone and be miserable than step just outside that zone where new habits, new experiences, and new adventures await us.
Ugh, right? 
\So what does it take to move from Life Amateur to Life PRO? From self-defeating nay-sayer to Professional Cheerleader?
Repeat after me. PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE

You can’t do one rep of sit ups and get a six pack. Neither can you tell yourself one time “You’ve got this!” and start to believe it. It’s a daily, life-long practice. It is all about repetition. Telling yourself time and time again that you are 100% worthy, you are absolutely ready, and that falling down is just a reminder to get back up and try it again.

Now it’s also really helpful to have a Support Squad of people who love you and want the best for you, right? That’s why sports teams have cheer squads - to keep the team and the crowd amped up even when things are going south.

Unfortunately, though, our personal support squad might not always be right there on our sidelines ready to lift us up. It seems each of them has their own life they are trying to figure out right along with us.

Which is why a super strong and highly skilled Inner Cheerleader is a MUST if you plan to become a Life PRO and join the starting line up instead of just spending life pining away on the sidelines hoping for your big break. 

Whew! Are you ready for an entertaining commercial break and some nachos?? Or are you perhaps ready to step up your game and join the PROS? 

If all this sounds great, but you have no idea where to start or struggle with accountability then look no further! I have a great coach who can help you kick start your rise to the Pro League. Book a FREE discovery call with me and Let’s Get Fired Up - clap clap clap clap clap!!

Hi my friend! How are you? How is 2023 treating you so far? I just returned from the frozen north and a trek to Juneau, Alaska to visit one of my dearest and life-long friends for a few days. Boy was that refreshing for my heart and soul!

On returning to sunny Carlsbad, CA I dove right in to my entrepreneurial life where in any given moment I’m juggling 2-5 (or more) balls related to my many on-going projects. Planning destination retreats, managing my nonprofit, coaching my clients, and preparing to launch a brand new 200-hour yoga teacher training this year…

and I found myself confronting my furry little pack of Gremlins once again. The Doubt Gremlin, The Unworthiness Gremlin, and the Fear Gremlin all decided to rear up and hold a little party in my head.

What I’ve come to understand is that we all have these same doubts and fears. We all deal with them, or avoid them, or allow them to run amok in our lives.

So, I decided to revisit a blog I shared back in 2021 about Gremlin Taming 101.

Here you go!

Quote "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve. Fear of failure." Paulo Coelho.

What is your wildest dream? Why aren't you going for it? I bet I can guess...FEAR. Fear of failing. Fear of not being ready. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of letting go of your comfort zone.

You see FEAR is the Number 1 reason people don't pursue their dreams. It is the reason so many people go to take their last breath and say "I wish I had only...." (and those dots are not filled in with the words worked more, bought more crap, or worried more).

So how do you deal with that big, nasty FEAR gremlin?

First, you need to get to know it. Like give it a name. Maybe yours is named Worry Wart or Doubting Donna or just Bob.

Next, you need to sit with it and have a chat. Find out where it originates from (somewhere in your past is most likely the answer) and get to know it's back story. Listen to all of its reasons for staying small and safe. Thank it for trying to protect you.

Then, tell that little fear gremlin about your dream. Paint a really awesome and amazing picture for it of how GREAT things could be if you pursued it. Make it as tangible and detailed as you possibly can. Tell your gremlin that you are a grown up and you've got this. Tell it that you both owe it to YOU to become the most fabulous and satisfied version of yourself that you can possibly be.

Now one thing I know about gremlins is that they have a very short attention span and memory. So get ready to have this little chit chat a few times as you move forward. Each time you do, make that dream story so irresistible that you just have to do it! Tell yourself that you were put here to do great things. Surround yourself with other people who are doing the same and who encourage you to be a Gremlin Taming Master!

Why Failure is GOOD for Success

As a recovering perfectionist I've spent a lot of my life avoiding failure. If I just don't do it, then I won't ever get caught looking foolish when I fall.

When I started doing yoga I used to tell myself a little story about why I didn't need to try to do the arm balance called crow pose (you literally are balancing on your hands with your legs propped up on your arm bones). It went like this. "I don't need to do poses like that to prove that I'm a real yogi. Those are just circus tricks. I'll just sit here safely with my feet on the ground and wait until the teacher moves onto the next pose."

But what my little fear gremlin was really saying was, "I'm afraid to fall flat on my face and look like an idiot."

It wasn't until much farther along my yoga journey that I learned that it's just part of the process to fall 10 times before you succeed. And that when you master a pose like crow, it is so much more than just a physical accomplishment. In the falling and failing you learn to refine your technique and your approach. And on the day that you finally get it, you learn how strong you are not just on the outside but on the inside.

Einstein said it best, "If you've never failed, you've never tried anything new." 
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So get out there and get messy. Fall on your face. Dust yourself off with a smile and the reminder that with each attempt you are learning something new. Oh, and remember, EVERYONE around you is in the exact same boat (or crow) and is WAY more concerned with how they look than with what you are up to.

So maybe you think you have a pretty solid gratitude practice. You spend time each day giving thanks for the good stuff in your life. Maybe you even keep a journal that you write in each morning or evening. You say “thank you” often to express your gratitude to others. In general, you are a grateful person.

There is, however, a Next Level that you can achieve in the world of gratitude that will even more dramatically change your life. In fact, this practice of Advanced Gratitude, or as I like to call it “As if” Gratitude, will turn you into a MASSIVE MANIFESTOR!

You’ve probably heard me say a time or two that our human brain is wired for negativity. It’s our default setting and part of our basic survival instinct. But, now that we don’t run from sabertooth tigers every day, it tends to spend its time fixating on our mental stressors - one of which is a feeling of lack, or “not enough” syndrome.

Research has proven that a daily gratitude practice lifts us out of the survival or limbic brain and shifts us into our intuitive, higher level thinking brain. Simply put it turns a feeling of lack into a feeling of abundance.

I’m sure you’ve experienced this in your own life. You are feeling down, crappy, and like nothing is going your way and then you pause and think about a person, a pet, or something that happened in your life that was a blessing. Immediately, feel good hormones like dopamine and serotonin are released into the body creating an overall feeling of happiness and suddenly the world doesn’t seem like such a dark and depressing place.

When practiced regularly, gratitude has been clinically proven to improve overall happiness levels and so much more. Click HERE to read some really interesting research findings on practicing gratitude (I love brain research!).

So how do you become a Massive Manifestor?
This next level of “As If” Gratitude taps into that creative, higher thinking brain of yours to bring into your energetic space the feeling of already having the things that you are desiring. 

Wishing for a new job? Rather than spending your days mucking about in the feelings of how much you can’t stand your current job, take time each day to sit with the feeling you are seeking in a new job. Create such a powerful mental visualization that you can actually feel it. Do this every single day. Live “as if” the new job is already yours.

Seeking your perfect partner? Again, instead of giving in to the woe-is-me, I’m not good enough, blah blah blah in your limbic brain, spend time each day creating that super powerful mental visualization of how you want to feel in your perfect relationship. Who do you want to be in this relationship? Find it right now with YOU and call up that feeling every single day.

Feeling unhappy with your weight or lack of fitness? Rather than allowing your negative brain to feed you self-defeating thoughts, cultivate that “as if” feeling for how you want to look and feel about yourself. Create a powerful mantra such as “I am healthy and active and feel good in my body”. Repeat it every time your self-defeating thought pops into your head. Then, put on your walking shoes and go move your body while you listen to an inspiring podcast! One I am LOVING is “Earn Your Happy” by Lori Harder. You can find her on Spotify.

I’m currently putting my Advanced Gratitude into practice with the upcoming 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training I’m launching this spring with my friend and fellow yoga teacher, Geanette Floyd. A 200-hour training is no joke! It’s a lot of work and a huge time commitment. Rather than letting my limbic brain come up with all the reasons and ways things could go wrong, I’m “as if” manifesting a full and successful training with amazing yogis who not only develop into terrific teachers, but who also form deep and meaningful connections with each other and a much deeper connection with themselves, too!

You ready to turn up that gratitude dial? Give my “As if” practice a try and let me know how it works for you!

Are you living life from the sidelines? Just a character in a random story feeling powerless and unworthy?
If you answered yes, sort of, or sometimes…I certainly can relate, my friend. You see I spent a whole lot of my life as just a character in everyone else’s stories. Doing my best to fit in, be accepted, be loved and morphing into whatever and whoever I felt I needed to be to fit the role. I made decisions based on what I felt others wanted of me or I just went along with the advice of those I thought surely knew better than I did.

What this led to was feeling completely unfulfilled, exhausted, and empty. Longing for more, but feeling too afraid and unworthy to speak up and ask. Honestly I’d spent so much time in my people-pleasing role that I had no clue what I really wanted and needed.

It wasn’t until I took a deep dive into yoga in my first 200-hour yoga training that I learned to trust my inner wisdom and to listen to the voice inside me that had been suppressed for so many years. Many people experience this same thing when they decide to take a yoga teacher training. It often leads to making big, life-changing decisions as you finally find your authentic voice. 
For me, it led to first leaving my school teaching career of 13-years which was no longer bringing me joy to eventually leaving my 18-year marriage which had been broken for way too long. I realized that those stories no longer fit who I’d become and it was finally time for me to step up, grab the damn pen, and start writing a new one with me as the AUTHOR and HEROINE.

And I tell you what, it was scary as heck! It was painful. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done…AND absolutely THE VERY BEST thing I’ve ever done and I haven’t looked back since!

Now I know that I can trust my intuition, that I can do the hard things, say the vulnerable and uncomfortable words, and that right on the other side of feeling fearful is a magical land of new opportunities to shine even brighter!

So, my friend, are you read to grab the damn pen and take ownership of your story? Are you finally sick and tired of feeling like the victim, the co-star (or maybe even just an unpaid extra) in your life story?

It all begins with a choice.
Need some love and support as you take a big, bold step into the unknown and this new chapter of your life? I’m here for you. As a Life Reinvention Coach it’s what I do. And I do it really, really well. Let’s co-create your most amazing life story. What are you waiting for?

What are you planning to do with it? More of the same old, same old? OR are you ready to turn up the heat, get a little uncomfortable and create a new life chapter that has you excited to get up to face each new day ahead?

To get the ball rolling, today I’m sharing with you my TOP 5 Favorite Intention Setting Questions that I use with my clients and groups to jump start the manifestation process. So grab a notebook and a pen and get ready to tap into some Universal ABUNDANCE!

MY TOP 5 INTENTION SETTING QUESTIONS:

1. What do you want MORE of in your life this year?
2. What do you want LESS of?
3. How do you plan to care for your body, mind, and soul this year?
4. What BIG ADVENTURE and/or CHANGE are you ready to plan/make? (this one should scare you a little…or a lot!)
5. How do you want to feel about yourself at the end of 2023?

Be BOLD, be SPECIFIC, and allow yourself to dream BIG! Whether you are stuck in a rut or in a pretty darn happy place right now, there’s always room to refine, refocus, or completely reinvent your life.

Once you’ve taken some time to journal a bit, then re-read your thoughts and see if there is one WORD or a few that really sums up what you want to focus on.

I highly recommend taking it to the next level and making a VISION BOARD for your year. You can do this “old school” style (my personal preference) using poster board, old magazines, stickers, markers, etc to craft a visual representation of what you are focusing on; or you can create one virtually that you can then print out. 

www.Canva.com has a great, free one you can try if that’s more your speed.

You see, it’s really easy to fall back into our old habits without a constant reminder of what we are seeking to change. I always keep my Vision Board in a place where I know I’ll see it every day. And I make a point of sitting down to really look it over monthly to do a little check in and refocus my energy and attention.

My BIG Intention word for this year is EXPANSION. I want to apply this theme to all aspects of my life - expanding my retreats, expanding my coaching business, expanding my connections, expanding my personal relationships, and expanding my self-care practices. I can’t wait to sit down next weekend with a group of friends and start crafting a brand new, magically powerful Vision Board!
So, what are you ready to MANIFEST, my friend? I’d love to hear your plans and see if there’s a way I can support you in making them a reality! How about adding “try coaching” to that intention list? You are at least 80% more likely to success when you have someone supporting you, holding you accountable and cheering you on. Let’s hop on a discovery call and see if coaching is a good fit for your 2023 plans!

“Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” - Ferris Buller

This has always been one of my favorite lines from the iconic 80”s movie “Ferris Buller’s Day Off” and as I sat down to write this week’s Snack for you it seemed the perfect way to kick off the month of December. 

Oh December…a month that typically is overflowing with doing, going, and rushing. A month that can become overwhelming and stressful. And a month that can be triggering of losses and dredge up not so happy memories along with all the good cheer and twinkling lights.

I purposefully decided earlier this year that this December I would truly focus on slowing down and savoring. No travel, less gifts, and way more time with the ones I love simply enjoying experiences together.
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On my Instagram feed this morning I came across this from @anniethelibra and just loved it:

Isn’t that a lovely thought? So today I decided to offer you some simple ideas for how you can finish your year of 2022 a little softer and with more grace.

Here are 6 ways you can slow down and truly SAVOR LIFE:

1. FOCUS ON YOUR BREATH
   There is no better way to truly immerse in the present moment than by noticing and appreciating your breath. When you are feeling rushed or overwhelmed, stop and take 5 slow breaths in and out to a slow count of 5. This is a wonderful way to start and end your day, too.
2. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
   I know I’ve said it a time or two before, but this one deserves repeating. Practicing gratitude is truly transformational. It helps you increase your appreciation for life right now. It also helps you to detach from toxicity and negativity (yes that can definitely be present even at the holidays…). So try keeping a little gratitude journal or use a gratitude app to make a short list each day this month so you are setting yourself up to truly savor the good stuff.
3. BE PRESENT
   How often are you so caught up in either replaying the past, fast forwarding to the future, or just simply distracted by devices that you are anywhere by HERE? Take time this month to notice when your mind is on overload to PAUSE and bring yourself back to this moment. Use the mantra “Be Here Now” to open your eyes, mind, and heart to life right in front of you.
4. UNPLUG FOR A WHILE
   Pick an hour or two each day (or maybe even a whole weekend!) to truly unplug yourself from your devices. Let the family & friends know you are going dark and encourage them to follow your lead. You will be amazed what you notice when there isn’t a phone or a smart watch constantly buzzing at you!
5. EAT SLOWLY AND TRULY SAVOR YOUR COFFEE, TEA, or THAT YUMMY SPICED OLD FASHIONED (my personal fav!)
   We tend to do everything so quickly, even eating our food. Treat yourself to something worth savoring and purposefully slow down so you can appreciate it. Admire the taste, the smell, the texture and how it makes you feel. With so many yummy temptations around us at this time of year, we might as well fully savor each extra calorie we consume!
6. SPEND TIME WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE
   Like I said at the top of this email, I’m focusing this month on experiences rather than stuff this year. Make a point to schedule some quality time with the people who light you up. Gather together to sip hot chocolate and wander the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights, get together for a game night, have everyone over to cook a special meal together, or get all dressed up and treat you and your bestie to a fancy cocktail at a frufru hotel or restaurant. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive to be meaningful. I guarantee if you tell your special loved ones my gift to you this year is more time with ME, they will be very happy indeed!

May your December be overflowing with things to be grateful for, special moments to savor, and a whole lot of grace.

“If it’s both terrifying and amazing, then you should definitely pursue it” - erada 

Yesterday I completed my first two “blue water” dives in San Jose del Cabo with East Cape Explorers- open ocean, zero reference points other than the sunlight streaming down through the deep blue, and a max depth of 116 feet! We went in search of schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks as well as other large pelagic creatures. While we didn’t get a school, we did have the pleasure of watching one solo hammerhead swim by and a lovely, graceful manta ray swam with us for quite a bit of the dive. 
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Now you might be thinking “wow that’s cool” or even “holy crap!” depending on your relationship with the open ocean…for me, it was a really big deal and required some master level inner life coaching and yoga skills. 

You see, before I met my partner, Andy, I had some pretty massive fear stories I’d created over my lifetime in relationship to the ocean. It was not a place I belonged and was teeming with big scary things just ready to eat me (thank you Jaws). I was convinced I would never ever in a million years try scuba because I’d feel claustrophobic and being that far under water would be terrifying. 

Well, about 4 years ago all that changed when I started taking on my self-limiting fear stories and reinventing my life. So when Andy convinced me to just give scuba a try on our first trip to the Riviera Maya, I said what the heck I’m in. 

And man oh man am I so very glad I did!! Immediately all of those fear stories dissipated when I discovered the peace, intense beauty, grace, and magic that exists under the sea. It opened my eyes and my mind to literally a whole new world that I am now so very much in love with.

BUT…taking on this new challenge of “blue water” diving really got up in my head this past week leading up to our dives yesterday! I literally had at least a week of waking up every night to fear stories swimming around in my brain and running amok. I’d wake up in the morning exhausted and convinced something was going to go wrong. 
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Could I really control my descent? Would I feel stressed and unable to breathe at 100 feet? Would I be able to slowly ascend and not risk decompression sickness? Oh my little gremlins were having a major party. 

So what did I do? I sat with them. I talked to them. I reminded them that I was in charge. I used mantras to replace the thoughts. I practiced my breathing. And I shared my fears with Andy who gently but firmly reminded me that I am a great diver and totally ready to take on this new challenge. 
Then, as we began our first descent I TRUSTED and I SURRENDERED. I opened my eyes to the present moment and the mystery and magic around me. I focused on slow, peaceful breaths. I was simply present for what was. And it was truly amazing!

So my question for you today, my friend, I’d how much of life are you missing out on thanks to your fear stories? How much larger, more amazing, more beautiful, more fulfilling could your life be if you learned to surrender? 
Ready to explore life on the other side of fear? Let’s get on a coaching call and start to make some big magic happen for you!!

The Sunday Snack is BACK! As I sat down to write this newsletter for you I had a little “ah-ha” moment. It was that feeling in my gut that for so many years I’d ignored. That little voice saying, “You know what’s right for you, my friend” that I didn’t trust. The old me would get a gut feeling and then immediately start second guessing and overthinking it. She’d go ask 5 other people for their opinions because A) surely they knew better and B) making others happy was her main priority. 

What the older and wiser me has learned, though, is that by making myself happy and by living my truth I am a way more likable and lovable person! So the decision I made the other day was that I like The Sunday Snack. It speaks to me. I like the idea that each Sunday you get a little slice of positive goodness in your inbox that you can nibble on either right when it pops up or at your leisure during the week ahead. Sunday is both a day of rest and a time to prep for what’s on your plate the next few days. A perfect day for a little Sunday Snack news.

So what are we nibbling on today, you ask?

Well, I recently returned from 9 blissful days leading back-to-back Women’s Retreats on the Sea of Cortez in Mexico which got me thinking about why RETREATING is so very important for us to do. 
What is the difference between a Retreat and a vacation? I think of vacations as an escape from day to day life. They are about resting and relaxing, or adventure seeking depending on what you enjoy. While vacations are absolutely important and wonderful, typically you only come home with a souvenir or two, some great pictures and fond memories. Then back to “reality” you go. Picking up right where you left off.

A Retreat, on the other hand, is a PURPOSEFUL GETAWAY designed to immerse you in a transformational experience - this might include yoga, meditation, or even wine tasting or knitting if that’s your thing. The what isn’t as important as is the HOW and the INTENTION. 

To give you a little more insight, here’s short list of what you can expect on a Retreat:

• Retreats offer a full immersion into the practices being offered. It’s dedicated time to check out of daily life and check IN to yourself.
• They offer a greater level of CONNECTION with others. You spend time with others who have similar interests, issues, & goals which allows for deeper and more meaningful connections. 
• Retreats offer a healing and safe space which fosters growth.  Your retreat guide and other attendees are there to hold space for your growth. It’s a judgement-free zone where you can be vulnerable and feel protected.
• Often Retreats are held in nature where it is much easier to connect with yourself away from all of the normal distractions of life. Most retreats take place in beautiful settings near the ocean, in the countryside or up in the mountains.
• Retreats are fully planned for you - all you do is show up ready to immerse. How nice is it to not have to make any plans other than who is taking the kids to soccer practice or walking the dog? Just book a flight and you are done!
• Retreat leaders are experts in their field and offer specialized guidance. This is HUGE. Your retreat leader is sharing something they have spent their life working towards. They are there to share their knowledge and wisdom with you!
• And, most importantly, you have the opportunity to return home feeling a shift, a sense of change, growth, expansion, or letting go. You have new skills and tools that you can apply in your day-to-day life which helps you stay in touch with what you discovered during your time away!

Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it?
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Here are a few pics from my blissful time in the Bahia de los Sueños with two fantastic groups of women. Can you even handle those amazing shades of blue?!?!

Are you ready to RETREAT with me?
My next adventure for body, mind, & spirit is happening next July 2023 in BALI, Indonesia! This trip is open to men and women, couples, & singles seeking adventure, culture, self-connection, meaningful connections with others and a whole lot of BLISS in paradise. The trips is already over 1/2 full and is guaranteed to be sold out by the end of this year. I currently have 5 rooms left for either double or single occupancy. You can save yours today with a $300 deposit (next payment is due 1/15/23 and remaining balance due 5/1/23). To learn more about the trip, the amazing location, what’s included, as well as rooming and pricing options, use the link below: