This is an autographed copy.

When dead man’s travel journal found its way into Laura’s hands at a garage sale, a journey he never finished became hers to complete. This journey culminated in the writing of this book. Spiritual Nomad is more than a travel memoir; it’s a guide to listening to your inner compass and embarking on your own journey within.

Growing up, Laura’s introverted nature and deep sensitivity often made her feel invisible. She was so reserved that teachers would sometimes mistakenly mark her absent from class. Beneath her quiet exterior was a rich inner world of daydreams and aspirations, but fear kept her playing small.

That all changed at 17 years old, when she received the educational opportunity to travel to Europe thanks to a high school teacher.The exhilarating experience of traveling solo opened her eyes to a new, vibrant way of being and gave her a newfound confidence to let her voice be heard. She learned that taking risks often opened her up to incredible opportunities, so she made a promise to herself to return to Europe someday and continue her journey. Unfortunately, life had other plans.Almost losing her brother left her riddled with debilitating panic attacks.It took immense strength and resilience to rise from this oppressive darkness and see the world again.

Laura’s hope in writing this book is to share with others that emotions are messages we should pay attention to, and that our greatest gift is our willingness to be vulnerable. Through her travels around the world, she has collected not only passport stamps, but inspiring life lessons from each destination and the people she met there, and she has subsequently used these lessons to fuel her on a journey of self-discovery and healing spanning over 10 years and 14 different countries.

As a “spiritual nomad,” she learned to befriend her anxiety instead of running from it, to give herself grace and accept the unpredictable journey of life – the good, the bad and the ugly.