happy new year! i want to share this story while it’s still fresh in my mind. i had the incredible opportunity to spend the close of 2024 and opening of 2025 on a beautiful holiday with my family. we had so much fun adventuring and luxuriating together. it was a dream.

out exploring one day, my family wanted pizza. since i have celiac and all of our dining choices had taken that into consideration, i decided to grab myself something to eat from the market across the street.

i got sidetracked by the crates of vinyls outside a music shop and while my family ate their slices, i enjoyed flipping through the stacks and seeing old cover art. i didn’t find any that i wanted to try and pack home, so after i’d checked every record, i figured it was time to go to the market.

i walked over by myself, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. “this is heaven” i thought to myself. as i walked up the stairs to the market, standing just inside the door was the icon, Rick Rubin. my jaw dropped and i stood there in a little bit of shock.

the timing! had i not stopped to look through vinyls and gone to the market first, i may have missed him. as he walked by, i reached out my hand and gently touched his arm while saying, “thank you for all that you do. as a musician and producer, your work is so inspiring and i really love your book.” He replied graciously, “oh thank you so much!”

the exchange felt surreal. i don’t get starstruck, i’ve met many celebrities and know that they’re human just like anyone else. but this was different, i knew that i was in the presence of a genius. someone who has shaped music and guided countless artists. i felt a high vibrational rush of energy surge through me and it emboldened me to get back to my practices.

my family met me inside the market and my husband couldn’t believe it when i told him, we both felt the awe of the moment. i had received the souvenir of a lifetime. i spent the rest of the day enjoying the beach and sunshine. it was perfection.

funny thing is, the last photo i took before our trip was a page from The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. as one of my intuitive practices, i love to open a book and read whatever i see first. this book always resonates and i find exactly what i need in the moment. it’s like an oracle deck for me.

on christmas night, i opened the book and knew that these words would serve as the perfect reminder to be present and enjoy my time away.

Sometimes disengaging is the best way to engage. (1)

a profound message that turned out to be very true. returning home, things were the same yet everything was different. i’m so grateful for this magical experience, a memory to cherish.

1. Rubin, R (2023). The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Location: Penguin House.