Hey I'm Elise, I recently did a run in the Flinders Rangers in SA and it was one of the most incredible places! Loking forward to hearing about everyone's adventures :)

For several weeks I had been buried under an avalanche of work. No sooner had I finished one project than two more landed in its place. For some reason I could not shake off the constant pressure, that voice in the back of my head saying: you have no time, you cannot go anywhere, you have to work. You cannot afford anything serious. The rare free moments I did get, I spent cleaning, cooking, shopping, and at best I allowed myself to work out in the olive grove right next to the house. I will not lie, that last one I could do all day long, but time has been a scarce commodity lately. So that constant "you have no time, you are swamped, work or perish" never left me. One day, after several hours at the desk, the screen started losing its sharpness and my focus began to collapse. I could feel that one more moment and I would not be able to carry on. Then suddenly, without warning, something inside me shouted: enough! Get up and finally go explore those rocks on the other side of the valley that you have been wanting to visit for six years! I still had many hours of work ahead of me, but that voice was stronger, and before I knew it the computer was already off. I called my twelve-year-old son and told him, in a tone that left no room for discussion, that today we were finally going to explore those rocks I had mentioned so many times but never actually reached. The worst part is that this trip requires zero preparation beyond grabbing a water bottle. It is genuinely close, maybe a twenty or thirty minute walk. And yet it had been waiting six years to happen. But where does all of this actually take place? We live in the south of Spain, in the mountains known as Montes de Málaga, which begin at the beautiful city of Málaga and stretch northward for several dozen kilometres. They are covered in olive groves, almond trees, carob trees, an abundance of herbs, and at that time of year, it was April, an enormous number of colourful wildflowers. Less than twenty minutes had passed since that spontaneous decision and we were already on our way. I slipped into a completely different state of mind. I was on an expedition, hungry for adventure, paying attention to every nook, every little beetle and every blooming flower. The moment we left the path to cut across the wild terrain toward our destination, it was as if someone had let the toxic air out of me. The sense of relief did not let up, and the constant tension gave way to something like childlike joy, as if I were the same age as Gustav. We passed streams and ancient, thick olive trees with twisted, wrinkled trunks. Old Mediterranean oaks, which are sadly becoming increasingly rare here but were once the dominant species in this area. We were bursting with energy, so wherever we could we ran from one interesting point to the next, until we finally approached the first rocks. We were halfway up the slope of a valley where a stream meandered below, the views were beautiful and familiar but seen from a completely different angle. A totally wild place. The variety and density of plants suddenly increased, and with it a blend of scents: wild lavender, thyme and others I could not even identify. I let my son go ahead since there was not much room underfoot and we were moving single file. Gustav disappeared behind one of the first larger boulders. Then I heard: oh wow, Dad, come quick, you have to see this! I scrambled over to him and saw him standing inside something that looked like a long cave. In reality it was a jumble of large rock pieces that, through erosion and the gradual deepening of the valley, had collapsed over time and formed a labyrinth of nooks and that larger corridor. We went deeper straight away. Several metres high, with holes, formations and crevices throughout. I felt like I did back in Laos, exploring a great cave on the other side of the world, the same feeling of discovery, the same wild joy that the world still holds surprises. How lucky we were to be there together. We made our way along the rocks, pushing through dense undergrowth, dwarf palms, thorny asparagus and fragrant herbs, constantly stumbling upon new grottos, recesses and tunnels of various sizes that we absolutely had to squeeze into. We came across bones, seed shells and animal droppings. Animals must like these places as they offer shelter. This area had already been frequented thousands of years ago by Phoenicians, Romans and other peoples. I found myself wondering how many people had passed through here over the centuries and why, when was the last time someone had come here and for what reason. We found a ledge tucked between one wall and a small drop, where we spotted the remains of a campfire. The circle of stones was barely visible and the charred wood was heavily faded. It could have been a year ago, but ten years seems just as plausible. Who had lit a fire in such a random and hard to reach place? After three hours of pushing through the terrain we reached the last of the rocks, where the sun was tilting toward the west and a beautiful view of the mountain ranges was waiting for us. I had seen those rocks every single day, driving to the shop or taking Gustav to his classes in the village. The thought always came to me that one day I should go visit them. And finally I did, though I had absolutely not expected those walls to hide such nooks inside them or to offer the potential for such a rewarding outing. It felt like being in some national park far away, yet it was barely half an hour from home. We will definitely have to go back, and well within the next six years. Or maybe they are just ordinary rocks somewhere out there, nothing special, and the way I experienced them was simply dictated by total exhaustion? That is entirely possible. But it makes no difference to me whatsoever.

Hey everyone, So glad you're here. This space has been a long time coming - a place where conscious creators, practitioners, and storytellers can gather to draw out and share the real work behind what we do. We would love to get to know you. Drop a hello below and tell us: What's the work you do in the world right now, and who are you hoping to reach more of? What does being a "conscious creator" mean to you? I'll be jumping in to respond to everyone personally. The alchemy happens when what's true in you meets the space to actually say it. Every story here adds to the elixir. Looking forward to meeting you all. With love, Codey & Ayla https://moralkemy.com/