Root Adventures

Something we've been contemplating a lot.....

Seems were always saying "Time flies", "Where is time going" , "I can't believe it's already September!"

But maybe it's not time that's moving quickly. Maybe we're the ones moving quickly through time.

Eating on the go, listening to meditations in the car, taking our phones into the bathroom (which, it turns out, science would actually like us to stop doing)…it’s like we don’t want to waste a moment of life, but instead we end up missing so many of those same moments we are trying not to waste.

This week, we’re continuing our exploration of doing less and being more with a simple Walking Meditation.

A true “walk without a purpose” so that we can see more.

So that we can slow down long enough to actually be in touch with the vibrancy, beauty, and intimacy of living life on Earth.

You can check it out at rootadventures.com/tlp

Photo Cred: Our travelers.

Each one of these photos was taken by one of our travelers.

Intimacy? Getting to see the world through the eyes of someone else, who felt that THAT exact moment was meaningful.

“Enlightenment is just intimacy with all things.”

We keep coming back to this as a central idea of travel. Of taking a trip.

But taking a trip can mean a lot of things.

It can be trekking the Camino during a solar eclipse (which was incredible), eating street tacos in Mexico, or hiking the wilds of Patagonia. (Yes, shameless plugs. Come join us.)

But taking a trip can also be becoming a mother for the first time - or the third. Losing someone you love. Sending a child off to college. Falling in love. Starting over. Saying goodbye.

Because all of it points to this central truth:

You are not who you were when you started.

You won’t be. There’s no chance for you to be.

Life. Will. Change. You.

And when we are deep in the experience, when we allow ourselves to become intimate with the experiences of our lives, we have the opportunity to actually witness that deep movement happening within us.

And here’s the beautiful part:

There’s nothing you have to do.

No 10-step practice.
No other practice to master.
No new way you need to become better.

The trip of life is already rollin'.

And maybe the place of nirvana isn’t somewhere we eventually arrive.

Maybe it’s being fully here for the all of it.

Raw. Real.

Here I am.

When it’s completely dark.
When it’s bright white.
And everything in between.

What does being intimate with life mean to you?

We would genuinely love to know....in a few days we'll be sharing some responses!

Free bike tuning
+ handicrafts
+ neighborhood garage sale
+ Whittier Cafe coffee
= a nice little Saturday!

Denver Rooties!

Join us at Whittier Cafe tomorrow from 10am - 1pm for FREE bike tuning and handicrafts.

50% of all proceeds go to Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN).

Mundanely Magical Living

Last week my coach suggested we run the worst-case scenario for my wedding.

Immediately, I felt fear in my body.

Which probably meant we needed to do it.

What surprised me was that my deepest fear wasn't rain, forgotten details, or anything going wrong.

It was missing the whole thing.

Being physically present, but not truly there.

At one point she asked:

"What would it look like to be just 1% more connected right now?"

My answer came immediately.

"I would look up and see the mountains."

And just like that, I remembered.

The earth beneath me.
The sky above me.
The fact that I am held.

Sometimes we don't need to find our light.

We just need something that helps us remember it was there all along.

Mundanely Magical Living: Wedding Style

Every night I sing my daughter the same song while I rock her to sleep.

A couple weeks ago, I lost my voice and couldn't sing it.

At the time, I didn't think much of it.

But when my voice came back and I sang to her again, I realized how much I had missed that small nightly ritual. The creak of the rocking chair. Her sleepy eyes. The way she rubs her ears as she drifts off to sleep.

It reminded me that sometimes we don't know a moment is special until it passes.

As my wedding gets closer, I've found myself slowing down. Trying not to rush through this season. Trying not to miss the laughter, the anticipation, the little details, and the people I love.

Life isn't waiting for us somewhere in the future.

It's happening right now.

This week's meditation is a simple grounding practice I use when I notice myself getting pulled into planning, worrying, or rushing ahead.

✨ Inhale for 4
✨ Exhale for 6
✨ Drop awareness into your pelvis
✨ Then into the soles of your feet
✨ Gently press one foot, then the other into the earth

A practice you can do anywhere—from a board meeting to a wedding ceremony.

May it help you come home to this moment.

Because someday, you may discover it was one of the moments you'll miss.

✨ Ecuador Medicine & Mountains ✨
rootadventures.com/ecuador-medicine-mountains

December 4-11, 2026
book now and save $200 with our early bird special.

Early Bird Closes June 10, 2026

Our newest journey through the Ecuadorian Andes is officially open…and unlike anything we’ve ever offered before.

This December, we invite you into a deeply intentional retreat designed in collaboration with local wisdom keepers, herbalists, facilitators, and community partners in Ecuador.

This is not a fast-paced sightseeing trip.

It’s a carefully held experience rooted in presence, reflection, ceremony, and connection to land.

Over eight days, you’ll move through:
• The historic streets of Quito through Street Wisdom practices
• Sacred waterfalls and indigenous markets
• Herbal teachings and traditional Andean ceremonies
• A guided plant medicine experience held in a private forest lodge
• Integration through horses, nature, journaling, and time in the mountains

From volcanic landscapes to quiet fireside evenings, every part of this journey has been intentionally designed to support both outer exploration and inner reflection.

the season of s h i n i n g your light 😎

Hey there! Carisa here. 👋

I’m doing a little personal takeover of Mundanely Magical Living this month!

As we move into summer and toward the longest day of the year, we’re exploring the theme of Shining Your Light.

Over the next four weeks, I thought I’d bring you along with me a bit as I enter the final 4 weeks of preparing for my wedding in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

📖 Here’s the quick version of my situation:

I’m 39.
I’ve never been married.
I have two incredible little children (3 years and 1.5 years old) with my soon-to-be husband.
And I’ve waited a very long time for this moment.

Long enough that I think I’m entering it differently than I would have ten years ago.

So this month, I’d love for you to join me in the exploration of the Season of Shining Your Light…and as I get ready for my wedding :-) [full story: https://zurl.co/p7FGl ]

📿 how to practice
simple exercises to weave into your daily life

This week, simply notice the moments where you feel most like yourself.

Maybe it’s laughing with a friend, gardening, cooking dinner barefoot outside, or working on something you love and losing track of time.

My favorite one is just watching Brad and the kids play outside. I lounge quietly in a chair, filled with joy. I resist the urge to hop into the moment and perform and instead I sit back and just witness it with every ounce of presence. Nothing feels more real, nothing brings me more joy.

Also notice the opposite. Where do you tighten up, become overly aware of yourself?
Where do you start managing how you’re being perceived instead of simply being present?

No need to judge any of it, simply just notice. Awareness begins the process of shifting.

That’s it.
Just tiny moments of returning to yourself over and over again.

See you next week.

Much Love,
Carisa

This week on Mundanely Magical Living:

There's something so powerful about speaking things out loud.

The moment something leaves the loop of your own mind and enters shared space it holds less power.

And when one person speaks honestly, it gives others permission to do the same.

“I’m tired of carrying this.”
“I’m ready to let this go.”

Healing moves through community like a ripple effect.

This week, practice loosening your grip by sharing one thing you’re ready to release, with someone safe or even quietly with yourself.