In The Mountains

I am convinced that something marvelous happens when you head for the mountains. Energy shifts, the universe aligns, and it's as if the climb in altitude directly affects the odds of magic showing up. When I was all of 19, I took a road trip from Michigan to California with some friends. In Denver, we climbed into the Rockies and we were sitting along a stream in the middle of the night when a very kind man came along and played a flute for us by moonlight. He never said a word, just stopped, played and moved on - mysterious as it was wonderful. Another time, at our wedding in the mounrains above Malibu, I know it was nothing short of the dreamy location that got my dad onto the dance floor. My dad! Before that day, I had never seen him on a dance floor in my entire life.

My conviction of mountains equaling magic was made all the more strong this past weekend when we headed up to Pine Mountain Club in the Los Padres National Forest to ring in the New Year with another very special family. As we were making our way up the hill, I knew that the weekend was going to be lovely. Mandy, Griff & Fauna have so quickly endeared themselves to us. We are so similar it is shocking sometimes. We joked about this as we both showed up to our cabin rental with almost the exact same groceries. But we are different too, in complimentary ways. Like I am kind of a quiet introvert, and Mandy is one of the most extroverted people I have ever met. Best of all though, we are young families at the same place in life - likeminded and on the same wavelength. And our girls. Or girls seem like sisters. They are both calm, and even tempered, just nine months apart.

When we were not hiking, eating, or hot tubbing, we were dreaming together, brainstorming, talking and tossing around ideas. It was refreshing to bond deeper with such genuine and inspiring folk. We got to know them better, to dig deeper. I was touched when Mandy showed up with a birthday cake for me and though we went up for snow, it was so warm, we were able to have our New Year's breakfast al fresco. After three full days in cozy quarters, I left with nothing but joy and gratitude in my heart. There is magic in those mountains, I tell you. They bring people together and encourage kinship. I could not think of a nicer way to ring in a new year and it has inspired me to set an intention of meaningful connection for the coming year.
We love you guys.