Travel – Kayla MacArthur

October 29, 2022

The Call Back Home

Feet sinking into sand. Sticky air. Heat kissing my face and arms. The sound of waves galloping to shore. Foamy fingers. Bubbles popping as the ocean calls herself home. Birds whistling. Palms rustling. Driftwood everywhere. The sharp scent of smoke. Salt and ash on my tongue. And the foul bowels of low tide. I am here, in my body, tasting every sense, one at a time. My phone is untouched in my backpack. There is no podcast playing. There is no book in my hands. There is just me and the ocean, her heartbeat thumping rhythmically with mine. As a collective, we are losing the experience of presence. The devices...

August 31, 2022

Magic & Mexican Beach Towns: When Vision Board Life Becomes Real Life

Create, Explore

When I first visited Sayulita back in May of 2021, there was a particular doorway I would always pass on my way into town. Aside from it being bright red, there was nothing uniquely noteworthy about it, yet every time I walked by, I had a feeling that I had seen it before; like I had known it from some other part of the world. For weeks, I walked past this door, unable to shake the mysterious familiarity. Then, during the last week of my visit, it finally clicked. Ryan and I were walking back from breakfast when I gasped and came to a dead stop on the sidewalk. I...

May 21, 2021

What a Bad Surfer Taught Me About Hitting Home Runs

Create, Explore, Reinvent

I learned something new this week: Ryan is pretty bad at surfing. Most days around 5pm, we close our computers and head down to the beach. While Ryan typically surfs in the gray dawn of morning, on Tuesday, he decided to bring his board. Knowing how fond he is of the sport, I was excited to witness him catch a wave. I mean, he’s surfed in Portugal, Australia, and Peru; he had a business training professional athletes; and he was a YES to Sayulita FOR surfing! He must be good, right?! After picking out an empty spot on the sand, I unfolded my chair, sat down, and scanned the horizon for...

May 5, 2021

Living Nomadically: Is it For You or Not?

Explore

Living a nomadic lifestyle is not a constant state of wonder all the time. You may see the magical moments on social media, and while the highs and happy feelings are VERY real, there’s also the spaces in between where things aren’t as pretty as the pictures. Last week, I went LIVE on Facebook to share some of the low points Ryan and I have experienced while living and working in Mexico. If you’re personally considering a nomadic lifestyle, these are challenges to consider. *Before I share, it’s important for me to acknowledge my privilege. My intention is to share my personal experience, however, in no way can these challenges...

April 13, 2021

Going On a Trip? Bring Conscious Relating to Travel with These 7 Questions

Create, Explore

Before embarking on each new adventure, Ryan and I have a conscious conversation designed to deepen our experience of a trip. It’s something we’ve been practicing since we met. When we first came together as virtual strangers to live as roommates in Mexico, there were a lot of unknowns. What if our personalities and lifestyles were vastly different? What if our daily routines clashed? What if we got on each other’s nerves and there was conflict? The typical response for me—and, I would assert for many others—is to brush these questions under the rug, let the trip unfold, and then deal {or not deal} with whatever comes up. Fear of rocking the...

December 18, 2020

Love in the Time of Corona

Create

“I’m sorry, but I don’t choose you as my person.” I remember Ryan’s face falling from across the table. It was Saturday night—the night before we moved to our separate apartments while his family came to visit. We had been dating for a few weeks and he was curious to know where my feelings were. From the beginning, Ryan was like a laser. He knew what he wanted—he knew I was who he wanted. I’ll never forget when he asked me out on our first date. He said, “you are everything I want in a woman and I’ve been searching the world for you. Can I please take you on...

September 8, 2020

Butterflies & Spirit Whispers: How I’m Using Travel & Relationship for Growth

Create, Explore, Reinvent

On Saturday, I was biking to the Chedraui when I saw a giant butterfly trembling in the street. I pulled over to scoop up paper wings in my palms. I knew death was near and I couldn’t bear for this magnificent creature to be torn to shreds by the bustle of life. I carried her to the forest, where I laid her to rest and thanked her for blessing the world with beauty, if only for a little while. The next morning, I saw the same kind of butterfly, not once, but twice, on my ride to the playa. Giant wings shimmered iridescent blue and brown as they floated, very much...

August 18, 2020

The Power of Choosing

Create, Explore

July was a slow month. Time crawled and blurred together. Day after day looked the same—wake up, work out, work, watch Netflix. The ruts of routine grew deep and I forgot the feeling of being alive. When this happens; when I fall into a rabbit hole of living a life less than what my heart deeply desires, my emotions spin out of control. I become a twister of confusion and exhaustion until I make something different occur. In a particularly sullen session with my Coach, she pulled this out of me—my own internal alarm system that screams: “WAKE UP! It’s time to course correct!” …“But Leighann, I can’t do what...

June 17, 2020

The Three Gods

Create, Explore

One sunny morning in Canggu when Mark and I were waiting for his surf instructor, a Balinese woman appeared in the open space next to us and began blessing her storefront with the day’s offerings. She laid out colorful woven baskets, filled with flowers, incense, and bits of rice. Curls of smoke danced through the air and tickled our noses. As she bowed her head in silence, I wondered what she was praying about. When she opened her eyes, she dipped a small bristled brush in holy water and sprinkled each offering three times. Mark turned to me and said: “She does it in threes. Once for each of...

April 11, 2020

On Becoming Her

Explore, Reinvent

Towards the end of my trip, I was walking to the Green Window for breakfast when a little Balinese man slowed his motorbike and came to a full stop in front of me. He greeted me warmly, like we were old friends. He said: “You love your life. You love your life so much. I see it here.” {Pointing to my third eye}. “You are wide open. Your heart is wide, wide open.” Taken aback by his astute reflection, goosebumps prickled on my skin. Why, yes. I did love my life.And my heart was more open than the sky. If only my new friend could see me two weeks later—home...