I’m a lifelong seeker and lover of all things spiritual (and religious!), yet as a child I struggled to connect with God in religious institutions. Animals, friends, and nature helped me to feel unconditional love and peace, but God seemed remote and uncaring in the religious school and church I attended. Yet, I yearned to experience the Divine and thought a Ph.D. in religious studies might guide the way. I was blessed with excellent professors and fellow students, but God remained elusive.

I craved a regular spiritual practice and community, and was drawn to practice Zen Buddhism, sitting with the Clear Spring Sangha in Charlottesville, VA. It was during an outdoor meditation session while on retreat at the Upaya Zen Center that I had my first true experience that God loved me and wanted a relationship with me. Ever since that transformative experience, retreat has been an essential part of my spiritual journey. While I continued my meditation practice, I found my way back to my Christian roots through conversations with an Episcopal priest who also sat with our Zen group.