Jan Johnson

I was raised in a very small Midwestern town, however, I have lived most of my life in the Vail Valley. My dream came true when, together with my two sons; I was able to design and build a small ranch. Little did I know that one day it would become my sanctuary, a safe harbor, when I needed a place to heal. My home lies nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains where I live with my dogs and horse, communing in the peace of nature that lies at my doorstep. It is the place where my heart feels most alive!

My proudest accomplishment was raising my two sons, two beautiful human beings. I have authored a website in memory of my youngest son, Chad, hoping to offer a different conversation about the relationship between "Creative- Sensitive Personalities" and Addiction. (Click Above to visit add-and-addiction.com).

Writing is a passion that I cherish yet rarely find time to nurture. Upon the death of my son, I curled up with a journal; allowing written expression to become the salve that soothed my broken heart. Much of my inspiration comes while hiking or biking our beautiful mountain trails, along the river or country roads. Born ‘crazy about horses’, some of my greatest adventures have been camping and riding in the great Wilderness and Canyonlands areas. Spirit is easily accessible in these places. Sprinkled throughout my lifetime, travel has provided an opportunity to meet people from all walks of this crazy thing we call life. These trips are always great fodder for storytelling. I find myself happiest in those moments when I am creating a story, photo storybook or excavating a lifetime for its legacy.

I continue to diligently search, learn, and reach out, using felt-presence and meditation to integrate the emotions that recreate my reality. I opened my heart to transformation by exploring different spiritual beliefs as I chased Buddhist Monks and Gurus around the world. The journey back to my heart, a most arduous and rocky path, has inspired me to create a blog to promote a conversation about "Good Grief" and the Reinvigoration of a Grieving Soul. After years of soul searching, I feel quite certain that there was no other way that I could have gotten here from there.

Someday I hope to share my home with other Spiritual Warriors, offering a hiatus for the weary or brokenhearted. We all need a safe space in which to follow our calling, igniting the alchemy that will heal a heart that is waiting ever so patiently.