Join me in Arizona...

As some of you may remember, I had a bit of a mental health crisis last year and found myself at Miraval Resorts in Arizona. I felt tremendous guilt - not just for breaking down, but for leaving! But I knew it was necessary. I needed to be away from everyone and everything and just... be.

When I arrived at Miraval, I was a mess. There was a menu of activities I could choose from to fill my time with health, wellness, learning and more. The choices were all too overwhelming for me so I was grateful that they have planners to help you with your schedule. In no coincidence, I was randomly assigned to a planner that had so much in common with me. We had both lost people very dear to us. After sharing some tears, she created a schedule and I followed it every day like a child. It was like she knew exactly what I needed and every class, every experience, every encounter felt like it was created just for me.

I went with a lot of baggage:

Grief - from loss of a daughter and a son and a father and a dog. One loss seemingly more devastating than the last. 

Neglect - of myself and my nutrition and my emotional well being. As a Mom, I was always doing for them first. As a former flight attendant, I am reminded that it's not until I put my own oxygen on that I can then help others.

Rage - All I really aimed to do in the desert was find a remote place to scream from the deepest place inside of me.

Sadness - I needed to find joy after those Covid years and all that came with it.

Exhaustion - I wanted to rest.

I went alone. Traveling alone doesn't scare me - and being alone is what I love - but being alone and doing heavy, healing, important, life changing work can get lonely. People go there for all kinds of reasons - mine just happened to be heavy. At times it was tough being alone in my thoughts and watching groups that were there just for a fun getaway. I was so lucky in that I had an angel drop in to my life and invite me to dinner one night. I also bonded with the front desk crew... and the tour guide... the general manager... the restaurant crew... by the end I knew them all and I vowed to each of them that one day I would make my way back.

A few months ago I had an idea. I contacted my friends at Miraval and told them my intention...

I want to create Chasing Rainbow tribes. 

Once a year we can meet in Arizona in the sunshine and create a very safe, private place where we can let go, be vulnerable, rest and heal. Miraval is a magical place where you are encouraged to focus on you and all aspects of your health. I am not the "draw" - I am merely facilitating the trip and would be there to support each of you on your journeys as you have supported me on mine through the years. And to continue my own healing journey as well. I hope to create "themed" trips down the road so each trip could be focused on something I've written about over the years: grief, loss, special needs respite, nutrition, recovery. The first trip is come as you are. You can come with the assurance that you will be fed three nutritious, gourmet meals each day... will sleep in probably the most comfortable beds ever... will feel cared for and nurtured... you will find yourself crying unexpectedly and smiling even more. Miraval is such a special place.

I have been been able to secure a discounted rate (all rates are listed at the bottom of this post) which includes some extras just for us. We need at least 11 people to keep the low price and the extra amenities. Bring a friend and double up or come alone - but be assured that you will have a friendly, understanding tribe to decompress with, eat with, bond with and create long lasting friendships. 

You know what they say - the bigger the tribe, the better the vibe!

• This year's retreat will be November 9-12, 2023 at Miraval Resorts in Tuscon, Arizona

• November 10 is a federal holiday in the US (Veteran's Day) so it could be one less day off for many of you who would travel from the US!

• Miraval is all inclusive and a non tipping property. You are served three chef prepared meals a day. They also have a fabulous smoothie bar - all included.

• You will receive $175 per person, per night Resort Credit which you can use towards private sessions or special fee-based programs. I can speak to many of the private programs, including the equine experience that had me feeling connected to Gavin in an unexpected and beautiful way.

• You will receive a Miraval tote-bag and branded water bottle as a gift to you.

• Shared round-trip transportation to/from Arizona International Airport is included.

• Complimentary non-private programing from the pre-existing experience schedule including: Wellbeing programs, lectures on various subjects, fitness classes, hiking, Challenge Course activities, yoga and meditation. I discovered that I LOVED hiking while I was there and went nearly every morning up into the mountains.

• You will have access to Miraval Life in Balance Spa facilities and the Body Mindfulness Center. The spa is fee based and the Body Mindfulness Center is where you'll find the fitness classes and gym.

• Miraval is also offering a custom group experience as a gift to us that is sure to be powerful!

 

Package Pricing is total cost - excluding your airfare, private programs and any incidentals.

The following are the standard rooms. I stayed in a standard room when I was there and it was lovely. 

Single room:  $3,128

Double room: $2,707

If you prefer bigger rooms with a fireplace and a view, the following are the "Solace Rooms"

Single room: $4,199

Double room: $3,779

Triple or quad room: $3, 569

If you prefer the biggest and best, we got you. The "Unity Suites" are 2 bedroom/2 bath and have a pool. Maybe you want to come with your best friends... your Mom and sisters... this would be perfect.

Single: $9,195

Double:  $4,573

Triple:  $3,875

Quad:  $3,422

If you are interested in joining me November 9-12, 2023 - here is the next step. Please click the link below to confidentially send me your interest, information and questions. It is NOT a commitment just yet - but more for me to keep track of numbers. I am also happy to answer personal questions about the types of private treatments they offer and which ones I have experienced.

Click here to send me your interest and questions!

So, if you're wondering how it all went when I came home... it was better than I feared. Isn't it always? Everyone survived... new ways of getting things done were established... I left my soda addiction in Arizona and started new, healthy habits that I was able to share with my family. I came home with techniques to stay more mindful, focused and calm. I came home with gratitude for my body, my mind and even my often tragic story. I came home feeling closer and more connected to Gavin, Darcy, my Dad and my little dog, Beau more than ever before. I came home on a mission to continue self care. I came home to me.

I hope you will consider meeting me this year at the base of the Catalina Mountains in Arizona. It's a big commitment, but a solid investment in you.

 I can't wait to meet you.

Love,

Kate.

A Magical Day on the Farm

I am sad to say that our Farm/Animal theme has come to an end for this month at "Camp Leong." We had a fantastic trip to Cherry Crest Farm, a tour and lots of kisses from furry alpacas at Silkies Alpaca Farm. Who knew there was so much to know about Alpacas! And today - today was magical. (Do I exaggerate too much? Nope.) Brian, Hope (and I KNOW KNOW KNOW Gavin, too) spent a colorful, crisp Fall afternoon outside at Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines. 

It was founded in the 1800s by Anne Waln-Ryerss who is described as a small but mighty woman who had a large and powerful passion for animals. She was especially drawn to maltreated animals and would sometimes convince the owners to allow the horse to "rest and recuperate" on her farm... where it would often stay for the remainder of its life. When she died, she left instructions to create and maintain a farm where horses that were maltreated, injured or faithful family horses could spend the rest of their years in style. This is like the ultimate "Assisted Living" for your favorite horse! People purchase a tiny pony and immediately call Ryerss to secure the ponies future retirement there. Isn't that the best review?! 

Anyone can go to visit and walk the fence line petting noses, talking baby talk, giving kisses - and sometimes getting them, too. The farm is breathtaking - especially this time of year in Pennsylvania as the leaves change.

Visitors can even come late in the afternoon when the horses are back in their stalls for the night. 

There you can continue the earlier baby talk (is it just ME???) and even offer some treats if you donate an easy three bucks for a bag.

Horses are special. If you know, you know. I thought I knew until Gavin took therapeutic riding and it was a total game changer. I'll never forget those days in the stable with him. He was so proud and you could tell. He stood taller, he walked more, he was more verbal... it was like he had this bond with the horse that was beyond me. 

Way beyond. 

Brian and Hope laughed when they found out there was a horse named Dim Sums. We had to meet him, obviously. 

But there were a few MVPs who really stole my heart. There was Ben, the very handsome miniature donkey. 

We had a clear connection.

And we all fell in love with ol' Rubarb, the Pot Bellied Pig. Until then, none of us had ever pet a pig! His hair looked like porcupine quills! He loved getting scratched and was very friendly.

I asked the kids to tell me some interesting facts they walked away with. One cool thing we learned was what "run in sheds" are. They are built to offer protection from the sun to horses out in the pasture. But the "fun fact" we learned was that they should always face a certain direction on a farm. Do you know what that direction would be?

It's South! This way the sun will rise and set on the sides and it will remain shady underneath!

Hope liked learning what a "bank barn" is. This is a type of barn built into a hill. It looks like this:

It allows ground access from both levels. Typically, farmers will store equipment on the top floor and livestock in stalls below. 

All three of us were amazed at how much goes into a working farm. This is one of the reasons I love getting to do this with them - we get outside of our pretty sheltered cul de sac life in the burbs and learn little things to enrich our lives. Most people - or at least people who know farm life - would be laughing at the things that amazed us. "There are farm sized giant generators?" "Woah - you just pull this string and water goes into the bucket in each stall?"

Some field trips will be boring, for sure. Some will be cool, but we'll forget about them in time. This field trip left a mark. I'm feeling like Ryerss will see us again. And again.

This month our "Camp Leong" theme is History! I may only be able to pull off one field trip, but it's going to be pretty epic. And the first marking period is just ending at PALCS, the kids new school this year. I'll be posting next about what our school life has been like since September and answer the questions you've sent me.

Thank you, as always, for caring about our family! 

Silkies Farm Agritour

The kids and I had another fun "Camp Leong" field trip last week when we had a personal agritour of Silkie's Farm in Chester Springs. Agritour, as we learned, is the fancy Nancy way of saying farm tour. I found the farm because I discovered several local online homeschooling groups and joined them. They have the BEST ideas!! I know I'm technically not a homeschooler. I think I checked the (non-existent) "I'm the fun field trip Mom" drop down box. It was in one of those groups that I learned of Silkie's and immediately booked three tours.

First of all - this is not a promotion for Silkie's Farm. But let me be clear - this is TOTALLY a promotion for Silkie's Farm - or ANY Alpaca farm where you live - because we are now completely obsessed with everything Alpaca. I mean, look at this face.

We were given our tour by a woman named Adrianne who might possibly be related to me in some way. She has to be. Her short story - she came for a tour and left with alpacas but she lived in a townhouse. Her alpacas continue to live at Silkie's and she is now a devoted and passionate tour guide there! She can see her Alpacas and picked up a fun hobby!

After I learned that Adrianne had a rug made from her very own alpaca's fleece, I could see the look of fear on my kids' faces. The "Oh no. This may happen." I mean, after all - I met my doppleganger.

I asked the kids just now if they could remember some of the cool facts that they learned about alpacas. Here you go:

Alpacas are herbivores - they eat hay, plants and grass.

Their fleece is sheared once a year and different than wool in that wool contains lanolin. And alpaca fleece is extremely warm.

Alpaca pregnancies last almost a full year! And baby alpacas are called crias. 

(Cree-uhz)

When people buy alpacas, they never buy just one. These sweet, gentle animals could literally die from loneliness! You have to see this video - Hope and Brian were swarmed with adorable, fluffy, gentle alpacas that wanted to sniff and kiss them!!

Silkie's has other animals, too, including chickens. Did you know that the color of the chicken's earlobes tells you what color their eggs will be?? 

Did you even know that chickens had earlobes?!? I am here to say I never gave thought to chickens and whether they had earlobes.

We also met "Squirt" the tortoise. Squirt was malnourished in his former home. We learned that his shell should actually be flat and smooth. 

The peaks that you see are the sign that he is not in optimal health. Yet! He has a great home now!

After the tour, we stopped in the little shop on the property. I am always cold - and I burn through slippers so I made a beeline for the sock section. I live in slippers and I'm super fussy about them. They can't be too hot. They can't be too thin. They don't need to be expensive - they just need to be warm. Well, I decided to bring home a pair of alpaca slipper socks with grippers on the bottom shaped like alpaca hooves. I'm here to report back after a week of daily wear - these are the warmest, coziest slippers I have ever owned. I know what everyone on my Christmas list is getting this year! Surprise!!

This was such a fun field trip and we will absolutely be back to Silkie's. They have Yoga with Alpacas... you can take felting lessons... paint the alpacas... it's just cool and quirky and fun. And I'm so, so grateful for my life - that having the kids in a virtual charter school allows me to learn by their side - and also beat a lot of crowds during the quiet weekdays.

Watch this space for our next outing!

Down on the Farm

Hey! You came back! I'm so excited! I hope I don't bore you.

I'm kind of shocked that Fall weather is here and we're almost through our second month of virtual school at PALCS. The kids have settled in well. Brian is enjoying his classes and what they're covering so far. The middle school teachers he has are constantly communicating with each of the kids with feedback or encouragement which makes it all feel more personal. He's thrilled that his first "virtual" field trip  is a live African safari! I believe they will resume "in person" field trips after COVID is tamped down enough. We are more than happy to be patient for that.

Hope is also enjoying her new "life of leisure." When she isn't in a live zoom for math, reading, music, art or gym we are learning about social studies or economics, practicing spelling and vocabulary words, and taking play breaks, bunny breaks, snack breaks, doggy breaks, gymnastics breaks, ipad breaks... you get the idea. We get it all done!

One of my favorite things so far about our new virtual school is the flexibility it offers. Last week we worked ahead so we could take a random day off. The kids and I spent a fun, sunny day at Cherry Crest Farm in Ronks, PA. We had been there for a school field trip a couple years ago, but there were so many things we still wanted to do and vowed we would go back one day.

 We were very tempted to sit in these swings longer than normal people would. I mean, I can get behind this kind of school day!!

I decided that each month will have an educational theme - or something we can do together. This month is dedicated to farms and animals, hence this field trip. Whether we visit places or watch something or read up on a subject - it will be fun to discover things together. Like these ducks Hope and I discovered. We couldn't stop laughing at them - in the nicest way, of course. They are crested ducks and look like they have toupees on their little ducky heads! We also learned a little bit about bee keeping which we really want to learn more about. Watching a colony of bees in a honeycomb is mesmerizing.

Apple shooting at targets was hilarious fun! They got to shoot targets with paintballs, too

 

Brian and Hope worked together to walk this round bale racer back and forth.

The three of us went down the giant slide together with me filming. Can I get credit for not dropping my phone?!?

Brian was thrilled to share his knowledge of gems and minerals with Hope as they both did the mining experience.

And he was kind enough to label all of Hope's "precious gems" when they got home. He was excited that she now had her first collection!

I'm collecting the questions that came in about our new school and all that goes with that life and I'll answer them in a future post. I am always happy to share - and equally happy to hear from you what ideas you have or things you may have done with your own family. Next month's theme will be History so I am open to all suggestions for fun field trips or learning experiences! 

Sleeping In is the new Morning Rush

You know when you put something off and put something off and the longer you put it off the bigger and more insurmountable it seems? That's what this entry has felt like. For a couple of years! There is just way too much to catch up on and I've lost way too many nights' sleep. I mean, the two aren't connected - but still. 

So let me catch you all up to speed on the Leongs and what we're up to. I hope (truly hope!) that, like us, you have had a healthy few years. COVID - and all the baggage it arrived with - really affected me. I know first hand what it is like to experience something weird or rare or never heard of - so when they said "Global Pandemic" and the whole world was locking down - my Mama Bear instincts kicked in. I was built for these moments. But boy - it got dark fast in the USA.

It has been truly depressing how many times I've found myself saying how relieved I am that Gavin isn't here for this. It was a challenge to protect him from illnesses and we changed our lifestyle, our house rules and had our own extra precautions that we took when we were out in public to protect him. Generally, no one fought us on anything we asked - things like removing their shoes or not coming to our house if you were sick. I would just explain to them that Gavin being sick affected so much - he would miss important therapy sessions, playtime with Brian, and he would often regress. Not to mention I may have PTSD from seeing him through deeply scary medical issues and procedures. I suppose it's not a huge shock that I see things through a filter that is strongly shaded with Gavin memories.

We kept Brian and Hope home all year. Hope's first grade and Brian's 6th grade experiences were entirely virtual. They had a handful of classmates in each of their grades joining them at first. Eventually, all but a few went back in person. We feel extremely grateful (and very blessed) that we had the luxury to keep them home. Ed was able to work from anywhere so the four of us have been together this entire time. While understandably virtual school was difficult for some - my kids came to enjoy it. They loved being home and getting to sleep in, have snacks and water delivered to their desks and have lots of free time to play. We spent a lot of time at the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey which did NOT stink. And all year round, thanks to technology, the kids were still able to facetime friends to talk and play games together. 

I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that we have been extremely cautious when it comes to COVID. Ed and I were vaccinated almost immediately when it rolled out. And as soon as they announced that 12 year olds were eligible Brian was ready to go. If you have followed us for a while you'll know that if something "out there" or seemingly far fetched is going to happen... it's going to happen to me. Or to us. It has already - numerous times. So given the options of getting a vaccine that scientists have been working on and preparing for many years - staying home to stop the spread as much as possible - and wearing masks whenever we are anywhere - versus POSSIBLY getting a virus that could MAYBE take one of us away from Brian and Hope? You know which one we'll choose. Watching a child slowly lose brain function on a ventilator will do that to you. We will never risk losing another Leong if we can help it.

And while I'm talking about this can I just get something off of my heart? It has been so hard for me to reconcile peoples' angry reactions to wearing a mask to protect others. I've seen and experienced things that you just can not unsee or unlearn. I've seen children with weakened immune systems who have chronic illnesses or have a terminal disease. The protections that are put in place around those children force others to accommodate. They may wear masks or a gown - they may be asked to wash their hands or not bring certain kinds of items around them. I've seen children and adults recovering from an organ or tissue transplant. They are in a most fragile state - hoping to protect this gift of life they've been given. I've seen my own child wheeled in to surgery to donate his own organs. My mind and my heart immediately thought of those people. I still think about those people every single day. They must be terrified. Imagine your loved one waiting for years for an organ transplant - finally getting one - only to be exposed to a virus and die because someone unmasked was carrying the virus and didn't know. Because of these and many other reasons, we decided to do everything we could to help stop the spread. I couldn't live with myself if I learned I exposed someone I knew... or even someone in my community that I don't know. I've lived long enough to know that we are all connected. 

As summer came to an end, we waited to see what the kids' school would announce. We were hoping for virtual due to the Delta variant - at least until Hope could be vaccinated. But if we learned it was important to the kids we were open to allowing them to go back in person if the school required masking. At least until more of the virus was slowed down. The school did require masks but - plot twist - we decided not to go back! 

We were sad to pull them from the school we've been with since Brian was in Kindergarten, but we left with love and they left their door open for us! I am not homeschooling - but something even BETTER that, to me, feels like my dream come true. We enrolled them in an online charter school called PALCS or Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School. Basically, the kids have REAL teachers (not me, YAY!) and I get to be the fun field trip Mom, come up with extra educational activities, I'm the homeroom Mom and the lunch lady and I haven't even told you the BEST part yet. The best part is - I get to be actively involved in their days. I've already had cool discussions with Brian about what he's learning in World Studies or Science when it's fresh and not at the end of a long day when all the details get less exciting to retell. The school is very flexible and allows the kids to choose electives that meet their interests. Brian chose Computer Science, Coding and a language which shocked even his Dad: Chinese! He decided on his own to learn Mandarin. Since Ed likes to say he only speaks "menu" Brian is kinda on his own! 

This is definitely an experiment this year - with Coronavirus being the impetus. I can see this going really well - with us traveling in the future and allowing the kids to "see the world" while we can still do it together. The benefit of being older parents with young kids. But I can also see them wanting to go back to a brick and mortar school and we are open to returning. So far, so good though as both Brian and Hope are thoroughly enjoying all that this school has to offer - freedom, flexibility, more time in their day and the idea that they can do school mostly on their terms. No more waking up before the sun or arriving home with little time to play before homework. Their school work IS their homework. And our new family motto? "Sleeping in is the new morning rush." They have dedicated live zoom times for certain classes, but if we have plans as a family they can also watch a recording. Hope is loving her new school and lifestyle! Her first question and biggest concern was if she could go to this new school with blue chalk streaks in her hair. Need I say more? I am with Hope 90% of her school day and facilitate much of her learning online. I won't lie to you - the hardest part of all is being patient. Sometimes I feel like my main job is to try to keep a buttered noodle stuck to a chair. But hey - I can go with the flow! So we have ELA on the couch and Math at the desk. Art in the basement and Social Studies on the porch. I try to make it fun because she will still need to be accountable and show what she knows to her teachers.

I'm sure, like we did, you have a bunch of questions about this new school and life. I'll attempt to answer them all. We are very happy. We love that one day we are attending Hope's art class in our basement at home... two days later we are heading to Ocean City for a long weekend because we were able to work ahead in our own time and have two extra days off! It's a different life... not for everyone... lots of chatting all day long and add in two doggies, two bunnies and one hamster who travel with us. Oh, wow - just reading that back. I might need professional help. What was I thinking?

I don't always feel like I have time - or at least time that is strung together in a long enough bunch to form a coherent sentence. So I promised myself that I'll write when I'll write. It will be as long or as short as it will be. It will have pictures or it won't. I have to be cool with myself about this or I'll never make myself do it. I'll tell you about our experiences with charter school, the good and bad. I'll tell you what extra stuff we do - field trips or excursions. Maybe someone will get something out of it all - that would be cool. 

I'll leave you with this.

Having lost Gavin, we realized how fragile life is.

Having thought I lost all of my writings - Gavin's entire life story, I realized how important KNOWING your story really is. And how having it is such a gift. I hope these words will be received as gifts one day to Brian and Hope. I hope they can feel my love for them in every decision I make.

Thanks for finding me again, friends!