The Woman and the Tree

A poem about nature’s healing magic by Serena Kelley

In the heart of a forest, where solitude thrives
A woman sought solace to quiet her cries.
Beneath the grand canopy, she found her retreat
A wise old tree, a friend with roots firm and deep.

The woman approached, burdened by the mundane
Her spirit entangled, a wearisome chain.
She sighed to the tree, "Oh, one so wise,
I'm mired in life's struggles, beneath sorrow's disguise.

Each day feels a burden, a weight on my soul
I long to be free, feel happy and whole.
Tell me wise one, with your wisdom so vast,
How can I find freedom to break free from the past?"

The tree whispered softly, its branches swaying low,
"My dear, you are free, more than you'll know.
Bound not by the world, but the thoughts you believe,
Release the shackles and your spirit will free.

The roots that ground me reach into the earth
But they do not define me, they're simply my birth.

As such, your routines need not keep you confined
For you hold the power to leave them behind.

Choose to dance with the wind, like leaves in the breeze
Embrace the untrodden path, let your heart find its ease.
The world may throw troubles, but they need not define
For you, my dear friend, possess a freedom divine.

Open your eyes to the beauty around
The caress of sunlight, the songbird's sweet sounds.

Your soul is unbounded, a spirit that's free
Release all worries, and your eyes will see.
Embrace life's adventures, explore the unknown
For you have the choice, you're not meant to be thrown."

The woman listened, her heart stirred by the tree
A hope awakened, her spirit set free.
She looked up in awe to thank the tree so grand
For showing her freedom lay within her own hands.

From that day forward, she walked a different path
Unburdened by routines, liberated from the past.
The forest is her haven, her sanctuary of choice
Finding solace in nature & the tree's gentle voice.

So remember dear wanderer, when life weighs you down
Freedom's within you, a choice to be found.
Seek the wisdom of trees, let their voices guide
And embrace liberation, for on wings of joy you'll glide.

—Serena Kelley

Horses are some of nature's greatest healers

There’s something truly enchanting about horses, something that transcends mere words and touches the deepest corners of our souls. They possess a unique kind of magic that fills our hearts with wonder and awe.

🐎 Horses are more than just graceful animals; they are empathetic beings, capable of forging a connection that goes beyond human understanding. Whenever I find myself in their presence, an indescribable sense of peace washes over me. They are the call to any storm.

Throughout history, horses have been revered as symbols of strength, freedom, and spiritual connection. Their presence exudes a kind of ethereal beauty that effortlessly captivates anyone lucky enough to witness it. They are the embodiment of grace, power, and resilience, teaching us valuable lessons about life and ourselves along the way.

Beyond their physical allure, horses possess an incredible ability to heal. Their nonjudgmental nature and unwavering acceptance create a safe space where we can truly be ourselves. When you’re around them time slows down, worries fade away and you find solace and serenity from the chaos of everyday life. This is why I chose to volunteer at an equine mental health facility and pursuit certifications in equine mental health facilitation.

My love for horses runs deep, all the way from childhood in Brazil. They were an escape from me during extremely hard times and will forever hold a special place in my heart. They taught me patience, perseverance, and the importance of trust. Through them I’ve learned to embrace vulnerability, listen with my heart, and communicate beyond words. Horses are not only companions but soulmates, connecting with me on a level that words alone cannot express.

This horse is Bella and she lives in . I spent every day with her for hours when visited her ranch, in her presence during my cross country trip. Her demeanor and love for connection was unparalleled, and I have never met a horse like her since.

Let their presence remind you of beauty and peace in the world.

Why nature is such a powerful tool

Something special happens the second I get out in nature. Less stress, more present, less vulnerable to the elements and more comfortable just being.

Nature has such strong healing powers. I’m so glad more studies are coming out and more subjects about grounding, energy, natural medicine and more are becoming more mainstream. Everything that we need to heal, nature already provides.

I’m so thankful I get to spend my time enjoying the incredible beauty that this world has to offer. The USA is a beautiful country with breathtakingly gorgeous mountains, beaches, lakes, canyons and waterfalls. I have so much more appreciation for this place than I did just a few years ago. Likewise the more I travel the world, the more thankful I am to live this life and be able to experience as much as I can through travel and exploration.

As much division and frustration and sadness there is around us now, one thing we can all agree on is how blessed we are to live in a beautiful world, or to be in the USA, a massive country with plenty of space and beauty for all of us.

And if you haven’t seen it…I suggest you go out there and give it a try!

You don't need half the stuff to progress in life that you think you do

The best thing about traveling without a specific hard and fast plan in mind is finding incredible place is like these steps away from your original plan.

Throughout my travels and my six month cross-country drive around the USA, I constantly pulled over and veered off the side of the road towards exits with views that looked cool, or random rivers or lakes. Many times I stumbled across hidden gems like this lake right outside of Prescott Arizona!

I feel so blessed to have disconnected from all the outside noise of media, people’s opinions and fired any sort of teacher or guide I was paying to coach me. In doing so it allowed me to create a deeper relationship with myself and connect to my intuition to where I knew exactly where to stop, exactly where to go at every step of the way. And I was able to take that connection to the rest of my life and apply it everywhere.

It’s amazing when you drown out the noise of all the other inputs around you with your own silence, that’s when you truly can hear the voices you’re meant to. And that’s the ones within yourself, your own soul, the only connection and teacher you need.

So turn off the fucking news. Stop reading articles online, stop following a gagillion influencers who say they have the only objective way to enlightenment or (fill in the blank) of whatever thing you are searching for. Stop getting offended and mad for everyone else. Because the thing you are searching for is already within you. But you can’t find it because the only person that you’re abandoning and fighting against, is yourself.

Freaking out over solo travel

When the “WTF are you doing” thoughts creep in…

Every time travel on my own there’s a moment when the plane is taking off and I freak out.

“What have you done this time?”

‘What am I getting myself into?”

“Why do I always do this?”

Blah blah and all my anxiety takes over.

When I travel I never know what to expect. I have a general idea of how I would like the trip to go, but then I leave it in the hands of the universe and allow myself to go with the flow.

Yes, it’s lonely at times. No, I don’t know anyone at most destinations. But in exchange, I discover a whole world would I never would have been privy to had I not left the comfortable walls of my house. I meet new people, make friends all over the world and discover that my journey is not only an outward journey, but inwards as well.

When I travel I learn new things about myself, about the world around me, and how so many things we are made to think are important really do not matter at all.

I learn how small I really am, how finite life is. I realize that in every spot in nature that I stand…I will be gone one day, but this will remain. The mountains, the river, the rocks… and someone else will be sitting on it, taking photos, talking about their adventures and enjoying their travels as well.

It’s experiences like these — finding yourself in magical places you never thought existed, unexpectedly meeting and connecting with new friends, or witnessing the hustle and bustle of life going on as usual around you—that make me so thankful for this life.

I discovered that the best way to find lost parts of myself is to remove myself from all the things I think make me who I am and who I think I should be. It’s a stripping away of all the outside accolades and fronts, to where it’s just me, nature, and strangers. It’s a fresh start in life, to be the person you I am without the stifling comfort of familiar surroundings. It allows me to show up for myself in exactly the way I want in that moment.

How do you show up for yourself in your life? Is there a place you want to go but don’t know how or where to start?

Plot twist: There is no right way to start. All you need to do is show up.

#sereneearthtravels #mysereneearth #worldwanderer

All good things are wild and free

When was the last time you felt truly wild and free…if ever?

"All good things are wild and free." -- Henry David Thoreau

When was the last time you felt truly free? For me I feel it every time I travel, when I explore a new destination, land in a country I’ve never been surrounded by people speaking a language I don’t understand. I relish the novelty, the excitement an the overwhelm.

But sometimes, I long for more. For true, raw, unbridled freedom. Freedom that’s hard to get in most cities, crowded spots and fast-paced lifestyles. It's being alone out in nature, in the wild, with nothing to keep me company except myself, and whatever nature is around.

Here is when I can come back to myself. Back to life, back to the beginning, naked, stripped away of everything I identity with, to remind myself of who I truly am, without all the other outside accolades and identities to hide behind. It’s here where I truly feel the freedom that life has to offer.

I hope everyone can experience the magic of nature, not just outside your door, but truly in the wild. With no one else around to tell you what to do, how to think or how to act.

We live our lives everyday under the rules of civilization and judgments of others. We're not even aware of how much this influences us until we completely step out of that bubble and see everything with a new lens.

When we connect with nature, we found parts of ourselves that we completely lost along life’s way. The parts that were shut down, the weirdness and oddities at our core that make us truly unique and connect us to the specific gifts we each have to share with the world.

I hope everyone can experience true #freedom in their lives at some point. It would change so much about who we are, how we react and show up in the world. When freedom comes from within, the rest will follow.

Cheers to forever being wild and free!