I'm Leah.
I'm a mountain grown, free spirited wild woman navigating this thing we call life with curiosity, compassion and the urge to push myself out of my comfort zone. Every week, I sit down at my computer to write my thoughts, process my feelings and share them here as a way to keep myself accountable. I hope the stories I tell bring you comfort, a new perspective and the craving for a grand adventure.

 
The funny thing about life is…
once you think you have everything figured out, that’s when it changes. I am constantly reminded of this when I look down at my sternum to see a tattoo of an unalome (symbolizing the journey through life), uniquely mine with an upside down tear above the dot that represents total enlightenment, because once we reach enlightenment it’s time to run the whole cycle over again and learn something completely new. Yesterday, I looked down at my sternum and laughed as I once again remembered that there is no stopping the process of evolution, there’s just going with it, or being lost in it.
 
But I’m getting ahead of myself, so let me backtrack. You probably don’t know the story of how I became a massage therapist. It’s not glamorous or romantic, it wasn’t something I always dreamed of doing. Actually, as a kid, I dreamed of being an incredibly famous fashion designer - you know, the kind that is so famous, they don’t have to get their hands dirty anymore, they just attend parties and tell someone their brilliant ideas. Once I realized how much work was required to reach that level, I pivoted, hard. My next dream was to become a bartender, living out of my car and staying in ski towns in the winter and rafting towns in the summer (I’m still kinda living this dream). As I neared my high school graduation, I decided I needed a more concrete plan A. So I did the thing responsible for getting me this far in life; I googled it. I searched “jobs you can travel with” and decided on becoming a massage therapist on a cruise ship solely because of my false conclusion that I would be spending days off laying on a beach in the Bahamas (there are no days off when you work on a cruise ship). I showed up to school hungover most days and skipped almost every business class because the teacher was a jerk. I had to take my boards three times before I passed (and only passed once I taught myself all the business shit I skipped out on), but once I did I applied at a local ski resort to get experience. While I was there I witnessed, and took part in, a pharmacy of drugs being passed around. I was bullied by the assistant manager, found out that I was making significantly less than new hire males after years of employment, and after 4 years of overloading my body and gaining more experience than I could ever imagine, I was done. It took me 11 months from the time I made the decision to actually get my shit together; I took almost 200 hours of continuing education to gain the highest cert possible, which led me to find my passion in helping adventure athletes train, recover and perform better. I put in my two weeks and left for Costa Rica to become a yoga instructor. When I returned, I was self-employed and contracted at a small wellness studio. This led me to open my own wellness studio/art gallery/boutique, which I stepped away from in covid. Once the pandemic was in full swing, I cut my client list by about 70% and stopped taking new clients. I wasn’t totally sure what my next move would be, but I knew I needed to give myself the space and freedom to figure it out.
 
I spent the last (almost) three years lost. Unsure what my purpose was, unsure how to navigate a “work week” when I didn’t keep normal hours, and unsure how to move forward in light of the new shift. I was certain I was going to be lost forever. The little voice inside my head told me I had no idea what I was doing, which kept me paralyzed in fear. Slowly I started to trust myself again. I started creating the structure my nomadic lifestyle has always craved. I stopped numbing and dulling and committed to feeling it all and figuring it out. I moved my body and scribbled on notes that looked crazy in the beginning but are now making total sense.
 
On Sunday, I returned to my mountain home from Puerto Rico for 48 hours. As if the universe was working for me and knew what I needed, my already incredibly slow internet went offline for the majority of my stay. This forced me to find entertainment outside of my screens. I went from my hot sauna bag to the cool creek a dozen times, I made soup, I finished my 28 day cycle guide (Ladies who signed up for the first draft, be on the lookout for that tomorrow!) and I recreated a service that has been close to my heart through this transformation, the Whole Body Rework.
 
While it’s still in incubation, I can tell you that this service combines my 20 years of yoga practice and 10 years of massage practice with my experience as an adventure leader and lover of breath work, yummy food, writing and the healing journey. I am so excited to share more with you as I continue! In the meantime, this story was meant to remind you that if you feel lost, you are simply in the thickest part of the journey. Keep going, it gets better!

Adventures of a Boujee Dirtbag
Puerto Rico
*Note: With the addition of this new mini section, I will begin alternating the growth mindset, moon guide, adventure and dating section.
 
Last week I told you about the magic and beauty of the west coast of Puerto Rico. I promised to report back after checking out the east side of the island and here are my thoughts: it’s a tourist trap. To be fair, I did not explore that side as much and I will say that Old San Juan was beautiful, but when I return I totally plan on renting a van to camp out of and touring the local west coast beaches for gorgeous surf waves. Last week’s highlights include; spending the day at Cascada Gozalandia, a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole. Touring El Yunque National Forest, or at least one .5 mi trail because the rest of the park was shut down. And visiting the colorful streets of Old San Juan. There was more trash, more poverty, more tourists, more fences and barbed wire, more police, less wildlife (unless you count pigeons). If you’re planing a warm escape to a tropical island that doesn’t require a passport for American citizens, check out Rincon, Puerto Rico on the west coast.
 
High mindset / Low Budget
Roasted squash soup
It’s September and 50 degrees up here in the mountains, we have officially returned to soup season (let’s be honest, did we ever really leave?). Here’s what I love about squash - they’re cheap and they keep forever! I bought a big boy the last time I was home (about two weeks ago) in anticipation for this quick spurt home. I also love squash because they’re easy; you chop it, toss it in the oven, forget about it, throw it in soup. Viola. I once talked to a busy mom who said she didn’t use squash because she didn’t have time to peel it - to which I said, me neither babe! I cut that shit off in about 30 seconds.
To start, preheat the oven to 350 if you have the time or 450 if you don’t.
 
Next cut the top and bottom of the spaghetti squash (it's the one with the long neck and big ol booty), then cut the neck from the booty - if the neck is long you can cut that in half too. With a hefty knife, cut the skin off on one side of the round gourd, turn ¼, cut again and repeat until it kinda looks like you cut a square. Then cut off the four corners, flip the piece upside down and clean up any spots you missed. Before cutting anything else, cube that piece you just skinned and throw it in your soup pot to get it out of the way. Repeat this with all parts (scoop the seeds out of the bottom). Remember that you are not in a 5 star restaurant and no two pieces have to look identical, cut lazy not perfect and you’ll be done quicker. Once everything is diced and thrown in your soup pot, toss with a full coat of oil then transfer onto a baking pan (this keeps the squash from sticking to the pan and keeps you from using an unnecessary bowl - less to clean). Throw those shitters in the oven and forget about them while you saute onions, stew tomatoes or do whatever you want to make a bomb soup. Before your broth gets thick, take the squash out of the over and transfer back into the soup pot. Simmer to let the juices soak up and then enjoy with your favorite carb as a spoon!
BossBabe
The Societe
I’ve been a huge fan of the BossBabe podcast for years and I joined their online mentoring program for female entrepreneurs in January 2021. This platform is so valuable that I have kept my membership, even with extremely limited internet. Once a week you get a live call for either mindset coaching, goal setting or questions answered by an industry expert. You get actionable steps to move you towards your goal by addressing purpose, audience and systems. You also get access to a library full of monthly masterclasses highlighting leadership, legal, marketing, sales and social media. This is a wealth of knowledge for someone like myself who is trying to navigate this business world without a business degree. If you are interested in joining yourself, click the link below and get ready to feel inspired.
 
Read more
TREAT YOURSELF
Discount codes, giveaways & classes available to everyone
Discount Codes
Point 6
merino wool base layers and socks for hiking, running, cycling, skiing, snowboarding & casual
Discount code: LEAH40 for 40% off
 
Moonflower Hemp
female-owned, mountain-made company selling smokable hemp products as well as CBD tinctures, teas and balms, and edibles
Discount code: leahmoves10 for 10% off
 
Astral Performance Gear
Shoes, life jackets, & apparel for all your water and trail adventures
Discount code: wildchildyogi22 for 20% off
 
IMBODHI
All-in-one outfits for yoga, work, dance, runs, walks in the city, or hikes in the forest. 100% made in california from plant-based lenzing™ fabric. Vegan Women's Clothing.
Discount code: LEAH.MOVES20 for 20% off
Holy shit you made it!
 
 If you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions, I would love for you to send me a message and start a conversation. :) 
 
 
 
I'm so grateful you're along for the ride.
Until next week,
 
Leah Staley