It is a place where roads are named Lizard Head, Broken Arrow Lane and Devil’s Pass. It’s not unusual in this stunning, mountainous region to see cars parked on roadsides for mountain bike riders (young or old) to get their groove on in the valiantly hilly topography of Sedona, Arizona. Through the red, rocky mountains, the stars seem closer than usual at night and the air is cool, crisp and fresh. It’s a place where the mountains are so high in the sky, you have to tilt your head back to see the peaks. It’s a place where peace and serenity abound. Where it seems as though God took a little extra time in painting the scenery.

I was in Sedona to complete number six on my bucket list: To be a speaker at the University of Sedona, where I obtained a Master’s Degree in Metaphysics.  My talk was titled Dancing Toward Enlightenment.  I shared personal details about how the triumphs and tribulations in my life awakened me to my own personal mission statement and shaped who I am as a mother, a wife and a healthy lifestyle ambassador. More than thirty speakers from around the world talked about their life experiences and their inspirations. It was truly an honor to be one of them.

While my presentation was the purpose of my trip to Sedona, I also wanted to immerse myself in this mystical place where discussions of crystals, hiking and vortexes was commonplace.

Trying to cram in a quick mountain climb seemed impossible though, when I was immersed in the convention, giving a speech, and absorbing the information from so many other wonderfully wise speakers.  There were too many trails, mountains to climb and exciting things to see that I hired a guide to help me narrow down the route.  “Take me to the heart of Sedona,” I said to Taylor, who assessed my physical capabilities and decided to veer off the beaten path and onto a more advanced trail.  When Taylor told me he was a marine and had been to Iraq twice, it was all I needed to know – that I was in the right hands should something unexpected occur. There had been posts about bear sitings and potential injuries from inexperienced hikers falling off of cliffs.  Having a former marine as a hiking guide told me that no matter what we encountered during our journey, he would figure out a way to overcome the obstacle.

Taylor decided to take me on a more challenging hike that included climbing the steep, slippery, shale-
sided Mescale Mountain with passes called “Dead Man’s Pass” and “Trail of Fools”. I loved every
minute. For six miles, we scaled the side of the red, glistening rocks that were millions of years in the making.  Such history.  So breathtaking. We saw ruins that could have been thousands of years old, showing clues of a past fireplace in a cavern that once provided essential heat for a family.

It was one of those trips when you have to talk yourself down from the psychological “high” you feel when you’re amidst a deep, magical setting that’s surrounded by spiraling energy. Sedona is one of those places that settles into your soul, Devil’s Pass and all.

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