Travel will always change the landscape of our minds, but what happens when we push beyond our comfort zones and explore from a different perspective?
When my dear friends, Peggy Markel (culinary travel doyenne) and Ashely Wick (transformational coach with superpowers), put their forces together for a collaborative sailing trip, everything in me was a YES. It was the Italian vacation of my dreams, enhanced to the max by going deep with contemplative and transformational work. I imagined the sun, salt, and wind; the picturesque coast; the bright food and wine; a group of adventurous spirits; introspection; and spending time out of time at sea. And let me tell you, reader, this is exactly what I got.
In the timeless classic "Sailing Alone Around the World", Joshua Slocum writes, “The sea has a way of stripping away all pretenses and revealing our true selves.” This could not be more true of my experience exploring the Pontine and Phlegraean islands off the coast of Napoli. After a night in Rome at a charming boutique hotel, an easy train ride to Napoli, and a quick ferry to Procida, we convened aboard our handsome 68-foot sailboat. There were ten of us aboard, including our two bronzed, affable Italian capitani. Aside from them, this trip was for women, and what an incredible smattering of accomplished, creative, gorgeous souls it was. We were shown our cabins where colorful little welcome gifts awaited us on our bunks, and then aperitivo on deck! Prosecco dotted with Amareno cherries, fat slices of juicy watermelon, plump green olives, and salty potato crisps. That first evening, we dined al fresco on the island at the edge of the water—perfect fried anchovies, a famous lemon salad, pasta with clams, swoon. After dinner, we strolled to a tiny gelateria where, as everywhere we went, the proprietor knew Peggy by name. I went to strachiatella heaven.
Days stretched long and languorous. Mornings were loose, spent nibbling from a breakfast spread laid atop a cheerful floral tablecloth in the galley, sitting meditation or reading on the deck sipping espresso, or a vigorous island walk followed by pastries and shakerato (a delicious shaken iced espresso drink) in an impossibly charming piazza hung with bougainvillea. Then we were on the move, maybe to the far side of an island where we paddle boarded to a secret grotto in the cliffside or sailing off to the next rugged island. Lunch was onboard, fresh and bright, eaten in bathing suits at our leisure, peppered with brisk swims to work up more appetite.
One day, as we headed out to sea, a maestrale blew in, and the water was just stormy enough for those of us with less experienced sea legs to get seasick! Dear reader, while seasickness is not pretty, I must tell you that the hours we spent on the rough Tyrrhenian Sea were some of the most magical of the trip. Did some of us get a little seasick? Yes! But we took tender care of each other, stared vigilantly out at the entrancing horizon, and had a sense of true adventure! Miraculously, when we came into calm water and dropped anchor, any sign of sickness vanished along with the clouds. We swam in the clear blue water, ate a luscious lunch, and sipped the most refreshingly crisp white wine produced on the island we were now looking upon. The cheer was high; the group knit together by the shared experience and plenty of gratitude for our remarkable good fortune on this trip and in life.
Each day, Ashley worked her magic, leading us through exercises designed to uncover our unique genius. Sessions included contemplations, discussions, journaling, even watercoloring. What emerged for each of us through Ashely’s masterful guidance was a clear sense of how we shine and a path for manifesting that forward in our lives.
Peggy (or Peggy Peggy as Antonio, our Capitano calls her), is a dionysian Aphrodite. She offered each juicy peach, paper-thin slice of prosciutto, and tangle of silky al dente pasta like jewels with grace, warmth, and beauty. Peggy’s relationship to Italy and its bounty runs deep. She knows each island like the back of her hand: where to procure the best capers, anchovies, or limoncello; the beach with the clearest water and cafe for aperitivo; the shop for an easy, chic sundress. Her invitation to awaken our senses, to taste the earth and the sea and its myriad of expressions, was a gift unto itself.
On the last night, we all put on our best dresses for dinner at a mystery location. A water taxi motored us over ink-dark water to a long dock leading to a staircase, leading to a restaurant perched above the sea. Peggy and Antonio were welcomed like old friends by the host and cooks. We were served all the pasta, all the fish, all the wine! A true feast. Ashley invited us to share visions of our future selves based on the work we had done with her, and the pictures painted by each woman were heartbreakingly inspiring. We laughed, we cried, we clinked glasses again and again. And afterward, full to the brim with food and love, we went to get one last gelato, naturalmente.
Peggy and Ashley have their next trip sailing out on the Italian seas planned for June 21 – 27, 2025.
To learn more and grab yourself a spot, visit PeggyMarkel.com/Adventures/Finding-the-Current-Within/