I went from a sacred journey into crisis. It was disorienting. One moment I was standing barefoot on Iona’s shore, longing to breathe her air forever. The next, I was back home, my mother in the hospital, everything urgent and fluorescent.
An unexpected threshold.
Now a month into being home I am making space to write. The frequency I found in Scotland still hums underneath the noise. The island is inside me. Iona, the stones, the colors, the weather - they are folded into me. And I have stories that want to be shared.
This is what I continue to learn:
Pilgrimage doesn’t end when the plane lands.
It continues in how I show up for my life.
In how I remember.
In how I return.
I had planned to write while I was on the journey, but being present in the experience required all of me.
So, I will begin now. Not with a play by play of the pilgrimage. Not with the best places to stay, or eat the best sticky toffee pudding, or castles to visit. But with why.
Why go on pilgrimage to Scotland?
Because the land holds memory. It calls to the part of me that remembers not with my mind, but with my bones and breath.
Why take my son?
Because this is the inheritance I want to pass down. The living connection to something vast and grounding. To foster a deeper sense of belonging and connection in him. It’s his birthright to have parents who guide him in this.
He is more than an 11 year old boy from Oregon that likes to make banana bread, play magic the gathering with his friends, and play piano. He carries within him the bloodline of kings and queens, bearers of great responsibility and unique life experiences. He is descended from a long lineage of mother and fathers who were one with these lands. Because generations back, our ancestors saw no difference between themselves and the land. This wasn’t a place they lived, it was a part of them.
Here he stood in front of statues of his great grandfathers. He saw them painted on the walls. He sat where they were buried. He stood in humble buildings built in love and devotion to their family members.
He wasn’t a tourist and this wasn’t about tourist consumption.
It was about connection.
A pilgrimage is more than just a journey—it is an intentional walk toward something sacred. It is a time of reflection, connection, and transformation, shaped by the landscapes we move through and the meaning we bring to the experience. For many, a pilgrimage is a way to seek clarity, deepen spiritual practice, or honor an important transition in life.
Bringing a child on a pilgrimage adds another layer of depth and meaning. It is an opportunity to introduce them to the sacredness of the world and to help them see travel as something more than sightseeing. It allows both mother and child to step outside their usual routines and experience the magic of moving through a landscape with purpose and reverence.
Pilgrimage is an act of devotion to the self—a conscious step away from the ordinary, taken with intention, to be present with the sacred, the land, and the deeper knowing within. To journey with your child is showing them your devotion to self, the Divine, and the relationship you share.
…to be continued…
If you are interested in a journey to Scotland in 2026, reach out. I am crafting two very unique opportunities.
In April I self published my book! I would love for you to check it out.