Lacy, Author at A Sacred Journey

My Love Affair with Markets: My Favorite “Third Place”

satsumas in La Jolla » asacredjourney.net

Satsumas — a necessary purchase at the La Jolla Open Aire Market

We all have places we visit on a regular basis—some because we want to (the local coffee shop, the library, a church home), others because we have to (the gym, the grocery store, the hair salon). These places are the third places in our lives—the places where we gather beyond home (our first place) and work (our second place) on a regular basis. And while home is about family and work is about…well…work, our third places in life are about community.

Intentional or unintentional, these third places are gathering spaces that encourage relationships we might not have had otherwise. They also present more opportunities to be known, if we are open and vulnerable. After all, it’s no coincidence that “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name” is the opening line in the chorus to the theme song of a show about community found in a local bar (a third place spanning centuries and civilizations).

Some of my favorite third places over the past few years have been markets—places that I originally go to for physical nourishment, but where, after returning again and again to the same venders, I end up finding relational nourishment, too.

Sosio’s — our favorite produce stand in Pike Place Market

The first market my husband and I visited on a regular basis was none other than Pike Place Market in Seattle. Famous for its fish market, Pike Place is over 100 years old and houses beneath its roof most anything you could possibly need. A visit to Pike Place Market is a staple in my ideal Seattle day, and I love the long hall filled with brightly-colored bouquets, the displays of Rainier cherries that make their appearance in summertime, and the many cafés and takeaway restaurants (my favorites are Piroshky Piroshky, The Crumpet Shop, and De Laurenti).

However, the place in the market we frequented most often was Sosio’s Produce in the main food hall. During our first year of marriage, we lived just half a mile west on the same street of the Market and didn’t have a car, so Pike Place Market was truly our closest resource for produce, and we relished the opportunity to build a relationship with a vendor. We were regulars there, and while cruiseship-bound tourists slowly passed by, causing traffic jams as they stood there gawking, we snuck in amongst the fruit-filled tables, each time being greeted by familiar faces. When we went back to Seattle to visit just under a year since we had moved away, we were surprised and so happy to find that we were remembered; they knew our name and they were glad we came (and consequently sent us home with the juiciest cantaloupe and a large bag of Washington’s own cherries).

herbs at Urban Roots Farm » asacredjourney.net

Packing herbs at Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, MO

After such a rich experience in Seattle, markets have become a necessary third place and a regular part of our weekly routine. Visiting the Farmers’ Market of the Ozarks in Springfield, MO was one of the first things we did when we moved from Seattle to Springfield in September of 2011, and while I struggled to settle in, missing the community I had left behind, it was that initial visit to the farmers’ market that confirmed that Springfield could in fact feel like home, at least for a little while. After some time, we not only were visiting the market on Saturday—we also harvested for one of the vendors every Tuesday at their urban farm which just so happened to be down the road from where we lived. Yet again, our time at the market brought us not only good food, but also great friends.

We’re currently living in San Diego, CA, and the La Jolla Open Aire Market has become a Sunday ritual (and let me tell you, I’ve never tasted juicier satsumas). Since we knew we would only be here temporarily—we’re moving back to Seattle (for good!) in less than a month—having the farmers’ market as our third place here has been particularly valuable and enriching, making us truly feel like a part of the local community, if only for a few months.

Since Kyle and I will both be traveling some before we move to Seattle, yesterday was the final day we would spend together at the market during our time here. Though it’s just a place to some, saying goodbye to this farmers’ market in this season will be as difficult as saying goodbye to old friends, just like each market and third place before it.

GO FURTHER…

What are some of the third places in your life?

In Which God and I Make Dinner

I interrupt your lovely weekend to bring you this bonus post: I’m guest posting today over at the blog of Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist (which I just finished!) and wanted to give you a little preview and a link, ~~especially since there’s another chance to win a copy of~~ ~~Pilgrim Principles~~!

Some days, when the chaos of the work day is behind me and the evening ahead is open, I love making dinner. I enjoy cooking at other times, yes, but there’s something about making dinner at that particular time of transition from activity to rest that is just what I need. It’s usually a recipe that involves a lot of chopping and then throwing everything into one pot to simmer and stew. I love the steady rhythm of the knife in my hands as I dice the carrots, the celery, the onions—the common ingredients for all of my favorite soups. As I chop, rocking the knife back and forth, up and down, my body slows from the day’s quick pace, and my mind ceases from its dancing. I don’t turn on music or the television on days like these—I’ve had enough stimulation for the time being. Instead, I relish in the silence and the sounds that surround me, bringing me back to the present moment with their gentle rhythm, calling me back to a sacred inner stillness…

Read the rest of the post ~~and enter the giveaway~~ at sarahbessey.com »

Behind the Scenes of “Pilgrim Principles” (part 1)

So this is really more of an interview than a tell-all, but I thought the phrase “tell-all” seemed a lot more exciting. Still, I do share a lot of my process behind writing my new book Pilgrim Principles: Journeying with Intention in Everyday Life in a two-part interview I gave with our January Pilgrim in Residence, Kayce Hughlett over at her own blog, Diamonds in the Sky with Lucy. I had such a fun time looking back on my process and answering Kayce’s questions, and I hope you enjoy seeing behind the curtain a bit!

Read a preview below, and then click over to read the rest of part one of the interview and enter for another chance to win a copy of Pilgrim Principles!

Kayce: One of my favorite quotes in your new book is, “Without curiosity, the pilgrimage would never begin.” As a writer, I’m always curious to know what compels other authors to put in the time and effort to bring a book to fruition. Can you share how, when, or why you knew you wanted to write Pilgrim Principles?

Me: Pilgrim Principles was birthed out of two things: 1. I had been developing A Sacred Journey for six months and was ready to offer something more, and 2. in the six months of exploring the practice of pilgrimage on A Sacred Journey, I kept hearing the same question from readers: “What does this mean for me in my everyday life?”

While in graduate school, I wrote a Rule of Life for pilgrims and called it Pilgrim Principles (you can get a free copy of the Rule of Life when you subscribe to A Sacred Journey), and so in response to this question from readers, I decided to develop the Rule of Life further and turn it into an online course. That’s right—a course! In fact, I didn’t even know I would turn it into a book until I finished the first draft and realized that what I’d written could be a book. But once I came to this realization, I knew that turning Pilgrim Principles into a book, instead of a course, was the best step for me and A Sacred Journey. And who knows? Perhaps Pilgrim Principles wouldn’t be available today if I had sat down last year and said, “Okay, now it’s time to write a book. Go.” I always joke that the online course was my Trojan Horse—a necessary deception that was just what I needed to get the real work done.

Kayce: Chapter 5 is dedicated to daily rhythms of grounding. Did you establish your own sacred rhythms during the writing process and, if so, could you please share what they were and how they worked?

Me: I definitely developed some rhythms in my writing process that helped get the initial words onto the page. They weren’t necessarily overtly sacred in the spiritual sense, but I would still describe them as sacred rhythms in that they were the perfect formula for me to start writing, and it was no doubt through being faithful to these rhythms that something sacred emerged…

Read the rest of part one of the interview and enter to win a copy of Pilgrim Principles at Diamonds in the Sky with Lucy »

Why I’m Putting Success to Rest (my un-word for 2014)

Today I’m linking up with The Nester and sharing my un-word: the word I’m going to leave behind in 2014.

Two weeks ago I shared my word (phrase) for 2014: sink in. Apparently I’m not the only one with a word for 2014. Whether they’ve chosen the word or allowed the word to choose them, people all over the blogosphere have been sharing their words for 2014. This is my first year to determine a word, and I love the idea. Already it’s serving as a North Star as I navigate daily life and make plans for things to come (and also as I learn to plan a little less—all a part of sinking in for this wanderer who is always ready for what’s next). Additionally, as I said to Dan in the comments of my 2014 word post, I’m hoping that my word will not only continue guide me this year, but also be a promise of things to come.

However, as much as I am grateful for my 2014 word, I was intrigued last week when I stumbled upon this invitation from The Nester last week: choose an un-word for the year—a word you’d like to leave behind.

Already totally in love with my word for the year, sink in, I began to wonder what word I’d like to leave behind—to say “no” to, at least for a little while. It didn’t take too long to realize the little word wrapped up in big expectations that had driven me crazy all of 2013: success.

I’ve already shared with you how difficult it’s been to find my way over this past year with A Sacred Journey—to follow my path, to find my voice, to determine what I have to give. I spent a portion of the year caught up in the sizzling world of online entrepreneurs, influenced by posts about “My First Five Figure Launch” and courses claiming to teach me “How to Get 1,000 subscribers in 30 days.” I learned a lot of valuable things about running a blog and using Social Media during that season, certainly. But I was also left with a great sense of lack.

When I finally realized my goal wasn’t really to have a five figure launch and that I was only feeling the need to grow my subscriber list because that’s what they were telling me to do, I left my unnecessary (and unhelpful) number-oriented ambitions behind and began to focus more on the content that I wanted to offer. I started writing my first e-course, Pilgrim Principles (which you won’t find anywhere in this form because it doesn’t exist), and made plans for a library of other courses and offerings related to the 10 types of pilgrimage, because that’s what people I admired were doing.

But when I finished my first draft of Pilgrim Principles, the thought of selling it as an e-course felt constricting, and I wasn’t excited about any of the other offerings I’d dutifully added to my list of “shoulds” and “to-dos.” Even though I was told that high-priced courses would solidify the value of my work and be the path to success, it wasn’t a path I felt comfortable taking. It is a great direction for many, but it wasn’t mine—at least not yet.

And so I turned the material I’d written for my Pilgrim Principles e-course into my first book, and made changes to A Sacred Journey that were less oriented toward offerings and more oriented toward what I love: regular posts on the topics of spirituality and intention in travels and everyday life. I decided to slow down on my drive toward stability and certainly and decided to instead enjoy and be present for the journey.

And most important, I decided to leave success behind.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t want my book to sell well (you can buy your copy on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com), and that doesn’t mean I don’t want to grow my audience, either. I’m passionate about viewing travels and daily life through the lenses of pilgrimage and journey and am so eager to have conversations about spirituality and intention. But I’m not going to let numbers determine the worth of my words anymore. And I’m not going to let money or missed milestones define the value of what I have to offer.

And so, in 2014, I’m saying “no” to striving for success, letting go of ideals that so often distract me from staying in the present and delighting in my questions, my passions, and my desires. Call my un-word “unsuccess,” if you’d like, but I have no plans for sabotage. Instead, this year I’m releasing my preoccupation with success, letting A Sacred Journey guide me wherever it leads, and learning more and more to sink in.

GO FURTHER…

What about you? What’s your “un-word” for the year ahead?

Read the rest of the posts in the
“Un-Word of the Year” linkup
at thenester.com.

Travel Tip: DIY Memento Pouch

Today I’m introducing a new Tuesday series called Travel Tip Tuesday, where I’ll be sharing some of my favorite travel tips for the enlightened traveler. Have a travel tip you’d like to share? Let me know here.

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is collect mementos along the way—ticket stubs, brochures, funny advertisements—even olive leaves from the Roman Forum have found their way into my pocket as I attempt to take with me just a little bit of the places I fall in love with. Truth be told, the olive leaves and Vatican ticket from that journey remained in the outside pocket of my purse for five years until I gave them to a friend—a small memento of a journey long since passed.

And you know how people sometimes find money in their coats when they put them on the following winter? Well I just recently gave away a rarely worn coat and in its pockets found a ticket stub from a flight to Russia, a National Express bus pass, and a bus ticket from a late night spent moving suitcases across town in London (and, for the sake of full disclosure, a handful of tissues). Though the real reason I still had these things after 4 years was because I had only worn the coat a few times since, discovering these items in my pockets brought back a flood of memories, and perhaps I kept them in my coat pocket all those years just because I loved the surprise of remembering.

I’m sure we all hold onto mementos like these with the best intentions. We’ll scrapbook! Or perhaps we’ll use them in a collage? Maybe we’ll frame them! But you know where mine usually end up? In a box in my closet (and the pockets of my bags and coats). So here’s a travel tip that I plan on following in the future: glue an envelope in the back of your travel journal, creating a pouch for all of your mementos (a DIY inspired by Moleskine). These mementos are tangible keepsakes of your experience and they deserve a place alongside your reflections, inviting you to journey once more and bringing to mind some of your most transformative memories as you flip through the pages and sift through the ticket stubs years down the road.

GO FURTHER…

Do you collect mementos from your travels? What do you do with them?

AND ONE MORE THING…

Did you enter to win a copy of Pilgrim Principles last week over at The Cream to My Coffee? If so, head on over to see if you’ve won! If you’re the lucky one, Ashley will be connecting with you soon. And if you’re not? There’s another chance to win my book this week over at The Meaning Movement (ends 1/19 at midnight PST). enter here »

There’s still time to enter the other giveaways that began last week! Each item is an excellent resource for infusing your travels and daily life with spirituality and intention.

A copy of The Desire Map book by Danielle LaPorte
ends 12/14 at midnight PST
enter here »

A copy of As I Lay Pondering: daily invitations to
live a transformed life by our January Pilgrim in Residence,
Kayce Hughlett
ends 12/15 at midnight PST
enter here »