To thrive by definition, means, “to grow vigorously and flourish despite (or because of) a set of circumstances”

I was faced with one of those “circumstances” after suddenly losing my husband of nearly 30 years in a terrible accident in 2017.  Understandably, I was terrified, heartbroken, overwhelmed, and basically drifted through each day without aim or purpose for many months after his death.

The unwavering,  incredible love of friends and family pulled me through the darkest days of my life… and two of those friends insisted I join them on their photography tour of  East Africa, which was the catalyst for me rejoining the living!   Deciding to say yes to their very kind offer let me take the first tiny step towards returning to wholeness, and towards finding passion and purpose in living again.  In fact, THAT trip to Africa changed the direction of my life completely!  From the moment my foot touched down on the African continent, I felt a vibration move through my body that I had never felt before, and my world changed!  Africa, and the people of Tanzania stole my heart… and they have no intention of giving it back!

Periquito Adventures and Travel was born in that moment… and I began taking small groups of people to Tanzania (and other places around the world) so that they also could see and do amazing things.

Then I came home from that trip, all I wanted to do was to return again and again.  I decided to start my own travel company aimed at taking small groups of people to the most beautiful places on earth to see and do amazing things.  On three consecutive safaris, several perfect strangers approached me and asked for a hug.  I’m sure you’ll agree that this is not “normal” by any definition.

One by one I gave the hug, but also asked why they felt compelled to hug me.  Each one of them made some comment about the energy I was giving off, and how they felt drawn to it or wanted to “be in it,” even just for a moment.

Whoa!  Really?  I mean, my whole life I’ve been a fairly positive, loving, and empathic person, but I had not realized that I had become a lightworker!  A lightworker is someone who is tuned into Earth’s energy and the connectedness of EVERYTHING, and who takes actions to help and heal others.  That describes me perfectly.  Thinking back, I can pinpoint the exact moment I made the shift.  It was when my foot landed on the African continent for the first time, and it has never left me since then.

So, I decided to add a new brand of travel to my tour company… healing journeys, if you will.  Essentially, I wrap traveling to epic destinations with elements of spirituality, energy, fun, and self-compassion which all contribute to healing and well being.

The new brand is, of course, THRIVE Souljourns.  In my case, however, THRIVE is also an acronym for Travel, Heal, Reinvent, Inspire, Visualize, Emerge. As for Souljourns, it’s the journey of the soul I hope to take my guests on.