Utopia Found: Symbiosis Gathering

Have you ever daydreamed about your very own Utopia? If I let my imagination run wild, it would be a space that incorporates elements of earth, water, and vast skies. A human experience with open minded souls, nutritious food, and conversations that expand our ways of thinking, feeling, and living.

We found this utopia at Symbiosis Gathering. Memories that make you laugh out loud and glow with bliss long after you have left. A place away from the default world, a liberating space of creativity, expression, and love.

Here are small snippets of me, my friends, and perfect beautiful strangers.

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Time Travel Through Patterns

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Veruschka by Ken Scott, 1965
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Harpers Bazaar 1960’s
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The best parts about sifting through thrift stores, antique shops and estate sales are discovering remnants of the past that spark imagination, curiosity,and journey through time travel. Coming across these images falls on this same mini victory. Someone’s artwork, relived and revived. The colors had a different glow, the shadows have a different motion, and these patterns– whoa these patterns. I love pieces like these, because deep down I know pieces like these never die, go out of style or un-noticed. And how could they? These pieces are the vibrant rebels of their times.

Mojave Moments

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Space around me where my soul can breathe
I’ve got body that my mind can leave
Nothing else matters, I don’t care what I miss
Company’s okay, solitude is bliss – Tame Impala

Tame Impala was the soundtrack to this past weekend. Always has been one of our favorite road trip tracks. As the sun flares cast shadows against the Joshua trees, and the desert pantones spread vastly into the horizon, we couldn’t think of anything better for this moment of solitude and bliss. The Mojave is home of the largest Joshua tree forest and is also known as the field of gems, housing geological magic such as opal, agates and quartz crystals just to name a few. I was enamored by the beautiful stones that lay with every step!

We love the soul of big boulders. We knew we found the perfect camp spot when a large Joshua stood just steps away from this incredible boulder formation. We climbed to the top of the boulder doing out “coyote calls” and laughing at our randomness. The 360 view from the top was a spiritual experience. We felt the pull of the desert and stayed atop these boulders and watched the sun set. It gives me goosebumps just writing about.

Tonight was the full moon-!! It cast an ambient light into the desert so bright that we didnt use our headlamps at all. We made a fire within the boulders. The smooth rocks were shaped like eggs chairs, which felt like it was made just for that. Talks varied from travel and friends to NPR podcasts.

Blessed and blissed- we laid down under the stars that night, cozied under blankets and dozed off to the sound of the wind outside our tent.

West Coast Desert

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I’m home for the holidays! Which means back and forth from the bright animated lights of Vegas, through the desert landscapes and into California, exactly that but over and over again =) My family’s home is in Vegas, but they all work and also live in Los Angeles. I think they’re more of road warriors than I am. During my time in Los Angeles, I was connected with the beautiful yoga and artist behind Wolven|Threads. A line of yoga clothes that take you on a kaleidoscopic journey on and off the mat. Art, yoga, and kaleidoscopes? Sounds right up my alley. Above are a few shots from our backyard.. the high desert of Las Vegas. These photos were inspired by the kaleidoscopic nature of her designs, the trippy visions through these future eye lenses and in honor of the last full moon this month, in Gemini. A sign I definitely connect with <3 Happy winter full moon celebrations my friends!

Film is not dead.

A few years ago, Aaron received an old Nikon film camera as a Christmas present from his grandmother. Since then it has been a travel necessity for us. Film has given us more thought behind each shot, as well as patience for developing the rolls. To our surprise, it has been much easier and more affordable to shoot with film overseas than in the U.S., where film has become quite hard to find and pricey to develop. I came across these amazing expired film shots by Tamara Skudies. These nostalgic shots were taken with Kodak Ektachrome 100 Plus film, capturing the essence of the Austrian landscape. WOW.

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Forest Offerings by Karolina

is one of my favorite artists. Her art is incredible, always evolving into prisms of color and textures. From photography, to hand-made costumes, to her forest offerings, they all combine the beauty of nature with the playfulness and the kaleidoscopic trip of her art. Here’s a quote as she connects with the therapeutic elements of creating these beautiful forest offerings in nature.

“Finally a whole grid appeared on the southern slope of one Wise Mountain. A grid of geometrical structures, each was made with different intention, vibrating with different energies. And each was programmed to heal the land and to shift its vibration; it definitely does its work! During the time spent in the forest, I could get to know the inhabitants of my surroundings, cause in almost every location I had spent couple of days. The birds started singing new songs, melodies I’ve never heard before, and these were the happy songs. The neighboring trees seemed glad too.” – Karolina

See more of her art.

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Snippets from Utah

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As we drive through Utah’s vast, infinite sky, layers of canyonlands sprawl out as far as the eye can see. I was spellbound by the colors that waved through the clouds and the deep red formations made me feel as if I was on Mars. We wanted to pull the car over every five minute to try and capture it, as if it was our way of preserving the beauty we were seeing. I remember wishing the drive through Utah would last until we got to our destination. It truly is a special place of high vibrations. It tugs at each person differently, making each person connect with a unique energy all their own. Some moments are meant to be kept, but I feel like our moments through Utah are meant to be shared. Happy Sunday <3

Shades of Life and Death in Varanasi

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Sometimes it is the least picture perfect moments that end up being the most picturesque. Varanasi is definitely one of those places I can never really begin to unravel. I have pieces of writings in my journal, an attempt to re-write in my iphone notes, a few drafts on the blog, but it’s almost impossible to put into words something that intense and mind-altering. We left the beautiful Tibetan town of Dharamsala filled with artsy cafes, prayer flags, immense mountain beauty and English conversations with backpackers for one of the oldest cities in the world: Varanasi. We found ourselves outside of our comfort zone all over again, and an all too familiar feeling.

Mark Twain once said: “Varanasi” is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”

The ancient streets were just wide enough for two people to walk by or one cow. We were here during the end of May, and the heat was almost too much to bare. The smell of dung (dog, cow, and people) simmered on concrete as you step over piles of rubble. There is no road signs or road names and I felt as if these alleyways were winding in every direction beneath my feet. You faced all shades of life and death and every facet of holy sadhus. Here you see Hinduism practiced fully all day, it’s a sacred experience and it’s easy to understand how this is the holiest city. As you pass by open windows, many are inside their homes praying to their alters. Crowds push by you as they rush to a ceremony or head to the Ganges. The Ganges display a visual that will have you feeling everything at once. To see people bathing in the same place that ashes of the dead float on is hard to grasp. Varanasi made me realize just how powerful these uncomfortable situations are, and the lessons behind the strangeness of life. It reminded me of how sheltered I am, how little I know, and how there are infinite truths I am still left to question.

The Golden City of India

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This post has been waiting to be finished for several weeks now it seems. So much has happened since Jaisalmer. We’re not even in India anymore. I’m still trying to piece together all the insanity from the last couple of months. It’s wild to look back at these photos and believe I was actually there. Jaisalmer was a special place. Special in a so many ways but I think a big part was due to the fact that it was the first long stop of my solo journey around India while Charmie was experiencing Ashram life in the north. This was a city I got to know all on my own. A place where I had several meals with locals and randomly made friends with an older chap from a nearby desert village that I ended up hanging out with for a couple days. This was also a place where I had never felt so isolated or alone. It was the “off season” so the town was extremely quiet as far as tourists go. Nothing but Indian faces and broken English conversations for days. I took advantage of having absolute freedom of going any direction without discussion. Each day I would go out and walk wherever the wind took me until sundown, getting lost in the maze of alleyways throughout the ancient fort. I remember feeling like I had discovered some sort of mystical desert wonderland and I had it all on my own.

Traveling alone in India was truly life changing. So many moments of peace, anger, excitement, euphoria, shock, confusion… all that can never be re-lived or fully explained. These are images and memories that I will forever hold onto as being one of my favorite stops along the journey so far.

Gypsy Nomads

The Kochi or Kuchi tribe is easily of my favorite tribes aesthetically. Kochi/Kuchi is a Persian word meaning migration. They are a nomadic tribe of Afghanistan traveling by camel usually grazing sheep or goats. It wasn’t until I started migrating myself that I came across their beautiful handmade jewelry. Draped with intricate bead work, heavy metal cuffs, vintage coins and beautiful embroidery. Their population is quickly diminishing and their way of life is becoming harder due to natural disasters, wars and political unrest between the borders of the middle east. Today their traditional and wearable art still has many stories to tell and many miles left to travel. We’re excited to treasure them in our shop!

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KOOCHI GIRL

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