I just finished my first seven-day silent retreat. That means I didn't speak for seven days. Can you imagine? Not a word. It was difficult, for sure, but I was not alone. There were over 40 other people there, too, spending the week in complete silence.

In January of this year, as a gift to myself, I attended a spiritual adventure throughout North India with my beloved friend and mentor. Having traveled to this spectacular land before, I knew the experience was going to be extraordinary, but I was quite unprepared for the depth of my inner journey.

How I found myself on this endless summer retreat is a random set of coincidences. Coincidences that led me to believe our purpose in life is less often found by completing a life plan, but more so about being open to discovery.

Maui. Sunshine. Adventure. What's not to like? After all, the beaches and sites on the Hawaiian Islands' next-to-youngest entity (The Big Island) are a plenty that many writers have been spotlighting them in books and magazines for quite some time.