Hello magical souls!

We might need to tally how many times I use to word “magic” in this post, or perhaps I’ll go to the trusty thesaurus.com to change it up here and there.

I recently got back from a special trip to The Bahamas and am integrating to life back in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough “The Place at the End of the Rapids.” My dear friend, Celeste invited me (along with their kin) for their Champagne Birthday Celebration. And, dang - what a celebration it was!

The people of The Bahamas are warm, open and share a deep entrepreneurial spirit and zest for life. I’m not going to question why a four-year-old boy sold me a 2L jug of coconut water as I sat in the passenger seat of our rental car. He was the cutest! And, yes, if you know me, I definitely told him he needs to rest. Not to fret, as we drove away, we noticed he gave his dad the money, then ran over to a toy car to play under the coconut trees. It’s all about the work-play balance after all! And, lemme tell you, Bahamians sure know how to play!

I can’t even begin to describe the ways in which we played, created and experienced the vibrancy of the country. Let me try in bullet form for efficiency:

• We danced, sang, hummed, whistled, strummed a ukulele

• We pulled tarot and oracle cards

• We listened and shared stories with fellow racialized Queer folks

• We bobbed in the ocean

• We jumped, skipped, twirled, cartwheeled

• We ate

• And, ate

• And, drank

• We cooked for and with each other

• We met each other with curiosity

• We giggled, laughed, chuckled, smirked, smiled, grinned

• We rested, we napped, snoozed, slept deep sleeps

• We felt all the feels

It was enchanting.

My intention for this getaway, besides to celebrate Celeste and their ethereal existence, was to introduce myself to the land. You may know that Celeste and I along with another facilitator, Jas, will be hosting a retreat in The Bahamas from February 15 - 21, 2026.

The Arrival Retreat

reflections from Celeste:

The Arrival Retreat is an ode to a long and seemingly never-ending journey of finding home - within multiple cultural diasporas of identity, within the body I am in, and within the process of healing complex trauma. I’ve always idealized the journey of reconnecting to “home”. Craving an embrace and a sense of completion. Since travelling back to The Bahamas for months at a time, I’ve realized that this journey does not solely rely on a place or a strengthened sense of cultural identity (haha, how silly of me looking outside myself). Feeling at home will always start within me, and is carried by me - through a felt sense of belonging, and an openness to receive loving guidance that moves me.

This feeling of home follows me wherever I go, especially to the places that light me up inside!

The birthing of this retreat is an emergent and awakened space of joy! I wish to provide space and be witness to those who are seeking a place to tune in to the goodness and freedom within their lives and their beings. To allow joy and contentment to lead the way. To allow a sacred pause to connect to all that already is here.

The arrival retreat is a space celebrating YOU! To remember that home is available wherever you are. To remember you are here, guided and protected. To remember that it can be easy. And to remember our joy - a joy that invites our ancestors to sing and dance, and connects us to a deep love within - will heal us, together.

Now doesn’t that sound absolutely spellbinding?!

Not only was I able to introduce myself to the land, I really felt into the essence of the land. I felt into the joy that Celeste describes above. A joy that I haven’t felt in a long time. I agree with Celeste, as an immigrant and someone with vast travel experiences, the feeling of home follows me wherever I go, if I allow it. And, I truly allowed it in The Bahamas.

I brought back lessons from The Bahamas. The most important was to lean into love+connection. I live a solitary life, one that has been rooted in survival. The beings in The Bahamas were yappers, they were story tellers, they were marvellous. They live in the void between surviving and thriving. And, that’s where the magic resides, sweet ones. The spaces in between. Notice the pause between the inhales and the exhales. And, again.

It would be an honour to meet you there. Please take a look at our retreat and perhaps share with a loved one and ask them to share with a loved one.

“To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way to embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone.” (Bell Hooks, All About Love, pg. 101)

I love you,

Des