What began as a simple coffee in Orlando — a casual meeting to explore potential wellness collaborations with Ramona Crabtree, Founder of Authentic Life Journey — quietly opened a doorway into something far older and deeper than I expected.
Across cultures and centuries, joy has never been something we chase alone. It has always been remembered together — through ritual, movement, art, sound, and communion with the natural world. I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but that coffee planted the seed for a modern-day discovery of something ancient.
Rewilding as Remembrance
When I first envisioned Conscious Tourism, I felt a pull to create from collaboration and abundance — a collective rooted in shared resources, open hearts, and reverence for life. That vision aligned effortlessly with Ramona, a kindred spirit whose values of compassion, curiosity, and connection mirrored my own.
So I invited her to opening day at the SIS Foundation — a sanctuary where exotic animals roam freely, play instinctively, and meet humans without hierarchy.
What unfolded there was not a retreat in the modern sense.
It was a rewilding — the ancient and animal kind. What came next was the planning and preparation of the first of a series of retreats: Rewilding with the Exotic- A Day of Soulful Return
The First Secret: Arrive Before the World Wakes
I arrived before sunrise.
In many ancestral traditions, the threshold between night and day is sacred — a time when the veil thins and intuition speaks more clearly. I raced from my car toward the enclosures like a child, the sanctuary glowing in golden light.
Ollie, the black cap capuchin, greeted me first.
Big Red Dragon and Lola, the parrots, followed — vocal, expressive, unapologetically present.
They reminded me of the first rewilding secret:
Joy begins when we arrive early enough to rise before the noise.
I traded my usual coffee for tea that morning — grounding, earthy, intentional. My body knew what it needed.
The Second Secret: Gather in Circle
Across ancient cultures, healing and joy happened in circles — never rows.
When our group gathered, there was a gentle distance at first. The invisible hesitation we carry into unfamiliar spaces. But as sage swirled between us, something shifted. The air softened. Our nervous systems began to relax. We stood together, women, in shared intention — not to fix anything, but to feel something.
To let go. To remember joy IS safe!
Laughter emerged naturally during morning movement and meditation. The parrots and monkeys added their voices, as if joining the ceremony — curious about these humans relearning what play looks like.
The Third Secret: Expression Is Medicine
In tribal cultures, emotion is not suppressed — it is expressed.
During reflection and vulnerable sharing, one brave woman raised her hand. Then another. And another. Tears and laughter intertwined the sunlit faces and the jumping monkeys.
The monkeys leapt from shoulder to shoulder, unbothered by emotion, reminding us:
There is a time to be serious.
And there is a time to play.
At the art tables, brushes waited patiently. Some women felt at home. Others hesitated. But as color met canvas, curiosity bloomed. Sea life and flowers appeared. Affirmations. Symbols of the soul.
Art has always been an ancient language of joy — one that bypasses logic and speaks directly to the heart.
The Fourth Secret: Share Nourishment Simply.
Lunch was simple, nourishing, fresh — Mediterranean flavors enjoyed slowly, together. Laughter grew louder. Strangers became friends. In ancestral communities, meals were ceremonies. Not rushed. Not transactional. And definitely not distracted by television, media, or driving to the next appointment.
Connection isn’t measured by time. It’s measured by trust.
The Fifth Secret: Sound Frees the Spirit
We closed the day in a drumming circle — voices rising without judgment. Some tones cracked open hearts. Others soared like prayers. All were welcome.
Sound has always been a gateway to joy.
The animals joined in — calling, chiming, bearing witness — as if blessing this modern ritual of remembering.
When the final beat echoed through the sanctuary, I knew:
The healing had happened.
The joy had landed.
And the ripple would continue.
Rewilding Is Not About Becoming Something New
It’s about remembering what we already are.
Ancient cultures understood this truth:
Life is not a checklist to be done with.
It is a song to be felt.
We are meant to express.
To connect.
To live in relationship with the wild — within us and around us.
To every woman reading this:
Be courageous.
Be wild.
Be free.
Because joy — real, embodied, lasting joy — has never been something to earn.
It is something to remember, and we will be remembering at least 2 more chances in 2026. Check out our events page for February and September, Rewilding with the Exotic!
In light, love, and joyful presence,
KellyAnn 🌿
Founder, ConsciousTourism.com
