Mother of Four Finds Independence At Wanderlust Squaw Valley

Wanderlust Wanderer: Michaela

Hails from: Orange County, CA
Arrived by: Car

Michaela’s trip to Wanderlust Squaw Valley was thanks to a good friend of hers, who not only saw the inherent value, but also supported her and helped make it happen. Michaela is a recently separated, mother of four, from Orange County, CA. Her friend helped her apply to be a volunteer, offered her a room over her head and the mental support needed to coordinate the trip. This sort of thing ain’t easy when you have children and family who depend on you.

When Michaela separated from her husband, it was a massive step towards independence. Since leaving high school, Michaela’s sense of self had always been wrapped up in her identity as a stay-at-home-mother. Becoming a certified Yoga Instructor last year gave Michaela independence and the ability to feel confident.

“Yoga has helped me find myself: security, confidence and the ability to know that I can change, in all parts of my life. It gave me back my connection with my intuition and gut. I believe that I can make decisions and trust myself again.”

Prior to coming to Wanderlust, Michaela was looking forward to experiencing classes from well known teachers but was surprised at the end to discover her favorite experience was the Five Rhythms Meditative Dance Class.

As we parted ways, Michaela grinned wide and exclaimed, “I’m going to come back as often as I can!”

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Lauren Lindley is a Tahoe based traveling photographer. She is an adventurer and athlete claiming the following to her sports resume: runner, swimmer, cyclist, snowboarder, and sometimes climber. Lauren is a music lover, prolific reader of literature, and the only bottle of wine she doesn’t like has the word Merlot on it. Lauren is also a firm believer that guacamole is an all the time food and when she’s not doing athletics, you’ll probably find her on the dance floor.