Writing & Therapy

So you want to write a book?

In 2015, not a year after being named one of the Top Voices globally on social media by LinkedIn for management and culture, I made a bold decision. I left my career as a strategic consultant in the bustling heart of Silicon Valley. The corporate world, with its endless meetings and transactional culture, had worn me out, and I wanted to write a novel. I took an offer to live in a remote corner of Death Valley, California. I found a simple three-room cabin at the foot of San Jacinto in a conservation area, a place I would later name my business after - Snowcreek. I found the will to write my first novel in this rustic and rough place. I wove the tale of a Marine medic and my dysfunctional childhood and the pain of neglect and abuse. The pain—hidden away for decades was liberating to write about.

The high desert is a barren place of searing heat and eerie silence. It was the middle of a scorching summer when the temperature regularly reached and stayed above 105 degrees. The solitude was powerful, with only the occasional rustling of desert creatures and the haunting wind for company, starkly contrasting my previous life in hyperactive, non-stop Silicon Valley. Amidst this harsh environment, encounters with venomous snakes, coyotes, and carrion birds became a regular occurrence, a stark reminder of nature's raw power. Each day was a test of resilience and determination. Yet, even with the heat and the “encounters with wildlife" (as advertised), something extraordinary was unfolding. With no running hot water in the cabin, I bathed in an old claw-foot bathtub each night, gazing at the distant peak of Mt. San Jacinto. I finally got the time to write and share the wisdom I'd gathered over the years. I discovered how I wanted to live, not why. After a winding journey that took almost another decade, I finally found my way to the serene landscape of rural Vermont, which I now call home. I embrace a lifestyle that aligns with my most authentic self. What’s yours?