Blog | Michelle Cromer

9 Feng Shui Dorm Room Tips for Focus, Calm & Creativity

Michelle Cromer August 3, 2026 Leave a Comment

Feng Shui Your Dorm Room for Focus, Calm & Creativity

Can you believe it? Summer is pretty much over… and that means—back to school!

If you’re a college student living on campus, I’ve got a few Feng Shui tips to help turn your dorm room into a space of focus, calm, and creativity. Let’s dive in.

Tip #1: Bed Position
Make sure your bed is against a solid wall with a headboard—this creates support and stability. Trust me, your nervous system will thank you.

Tip #2: The Door
Nothing should block your door from opening all the way. This is where energy—and opportunity—enters. Keep it clear.

Tip #4: Plants
Yes, real plants! They bring life, vitality, and fresh air into your space.

Tip #3: EMFs
Keep electronics at arm’s length from your head while sleeping. It’s better for your rest and your health.
Tip #4: Plants
Yes, real plants! They bring life, vitality, and fresh air into your space.

Tip #5: Wall Art
Hang what inspires you—nothing dark or heavy. Your walls should reflect your dreams.

Tip #6: Clutter
Get rid of what you don’t need. More space = more clarity, more focus.

Tip #7: Trash
Take it out daily. Clearing the garbage clears stagnant energy.

Tip #8: Bathroom Door
If your room has a bathroom—close the door when you sleep. It drains energy if left open.

Tip #9: Hanging Crystal
Place a crystal in front of a window to bounce rainbow light through the room. Instant creative spark.

Sure, roommates and tiny spaces can make things tricky—but don’t stress what you can’t control. Even small changes can shift the energy in big ways.

Here’s to a meaningful, focused, and amazing school year—go get it!

Are you wearing the best colors for you? Each of us has a power color based on the five elements and the day we were born. Sign up for my email list and provide me with the day, month, and year of your birth, and I will send you your birth element and power color!
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Places Remember Us: The Hidden Gift of Sacred Travel

Michelle Cromer July 27, 2026 Leave a Comment

Why Some Places Feel Familiar

I have a theory.

I think certain places remember us long before we ever arrive.

I know that may sound strange.

After all, how could a mountain remember us? How could an ancient pathway, a canyon, a cathedral, or a forgotten ruin know anything about who we are?

And yet, if you’ve ever traveled to a place that felt oddly familiar the moment you arrived, you know exactly what I mean.

There are landscapes that seem to stir something deep within us.

Ancient paths that awaken emotions we cannot explain.

Places where time softens, the noise of everyday life fades into the background, and something inside us becomes very still.

I’ve experienced it standing in Machu Picchu in Peru looking up at sky so vast it seemed to stretch beyond time itself.

I’ve felt it while climbing the stone mountains in Portugal in search for the Knights Templers.

In those moments, it feels as though the place is speaking a language older than words.

For many years, I thought I was traveling in search of sacred places. I sought out monasteries, pilgrimage routes, ancient temples, churches, mountains, and sacred landscapes because I believed they held something I needed to find. But over time, my perspective began to change.

What if I wasn’t simply finding those places? What if those places were somehow calling me? What if sacred places are not important because of what they contain, but because of what they awaken?

Sacred Sites Hold More Than History

The older I get, the more I believe that sacred sites hold memory. Not just historical memory. Not simply the memory of the people who built them, worshiped there, or walked those paths centuries ago. I believe they hold human memory. The memory of longing. The memory of wonder. The memory of devotion. The memory of our search for meaning.

And when we stand in those places quietly enough, something inside us begins to remember too. We remember who we are beneath our schedules, responsibilities, and endless distractions. We remember what matters. We remember what we love. We remember what we’ve forgotten.

Tourism Collects Memories—Sacred Travel Creates Them

That is why sacred travel is so different from tourism. Tourism asks, “What can I see?” Sacred travel asks, “What can I become?”

One collects photographs. The other collects awareness. One measures destinations. The other measures transformation.

When I think back on the journeys that have changed me most, I rarely remember the hotels, the restaurants, or even the itineraries. I remember how I felt. I remember standing in silence. I remember feeling small beneath a vast sky. I remember the moment when a place somehow reflected something back to me that I needed to see.

Perhaps that is why certain journeys stay with us forever. Because sometimes a sacred place doesn’t simply show us the world. It shows us ourselves.

And maybe that is the true purpose of sacred travel. Not to escape our lives. Not to check another destination off a list. But to remember. To remember who we are. To remember what matters. To remember that beneath all the noise of modern life, there is still something ancient, wise, and sacred waiting within us.

Perhaps that is why certain places call to us. And perhaps, when we finally answer that call, we discover that what we were searching for was never really out there. It was within us all along.

Where Has Your Soul Felt at Home?

Have you ever visited a place that felt strangely familiar—as though a part of you had always belonged there?

I’d love to hear your story.

Leave a comment below and tell me:
What place has stayed with you long after you left?

If this reflection resonated with you, subscribe to receive weekly inspiration on sacred travel, Feng Shui, and creating a meaningful life.

Why Sacred Travel Changes Us from the Inside Out

Michelle Cromer July 20, 2026 Leave a Comment

Why We Travel: The Journey That Brings You Home

We Travel Because Something Within Us Is Searching

People often ask me why I travel so much.

The assumption is usually that I love adventure, history, beautiful landscapes, or ancient cultures. And while all of those things are true, they are not the real reason.

I don’t think we travel simply to see the world.

I think we travel because something inside us is searching.

Searching for meaning.

Searching for perspective.

Searching for wonder.

Searching for a deeper understanding of who we are.

Over the years, I have climbed to the Cave of Mary Magdalene in Southern France, wandered through Chaco Canyon beneath a sky full of stars, and stood in the Jordan River in Israel.

Each journey was different.

Each place carried its own energy, history, and lessons.

But the longer I travel, the more I realize something surprising:

The destination is rarely the point.

What changes us is who we become while we are there.

When the Familiar Falls Away

The emails stop.

The routines disappear.

The roles we play every day begin to loosen their grip.

And suddenly, we are left with ourselves.

No distractions.

No autopilot.

No certainty.

Just presence.

That is when the real journey begins.

Pilgrimage Is About Transformation, Not Tourism

Ancient cultures understood this. Pilgrimage was never about tourism. It was about transformation. People left home not merely to visit a sacred site, but to encounter themselves differently.

The journey outward mirrored a journey inward.

And when they returned home, they carried something back with them.

A new perspective.

A deeper understanding.

A greater sense of purpose.

Perhaps that is why certain places stay with us long after we leave them.

It is not because they were beautiful.

It is because they changed the questions we ask ourselves.

What Chaco Canyon, Mary Magdalene’s Cave, and the Jordan River Taught Me

I remember standing in Chaco Canyon and feeling the vastness of time. The people who built this extraordinary place lived nearly a thousand years ago, yet their presence could still be felt in the stones, the silence, and the sky.

I remember climbing to the Cave of Mary Magdalene in Southern France. The ascent itself felt like a pilgrimage. By the time I reached the cave, something had quieted within me. There was no dramatic revelation—just a profound stillness and the realization that sacred places often speak through silence rather than words.

And I remember stepping into the Jordan River in Israel. Standing in those ancient waters, I felt connected to countless generations who had come before me seeking healing, renewal, and transformation. It reminded me that some places carry not only history, but hope.

None of these experiences gave me answers.

But each of them deepened my awareness.

And awareness is often more valuable than certainty.

Travel has a way of reminding us how small we are—and how connected we are.

It humbles us.

It awakens our curiosity.

It teaches us that there are countless ways to live, countless ways to believe, and countless ways to find meaning.

Most importantly, it reminds us that life is bigger than the stories we tell ourselves.

The irony is that many of us travel looking for something “out there.”

A sacred site.

A breathtaking view.

A transformative experience.

Yet what we often discover is something that was waiting within us all along.

The courage to begin again.

The willingness to let go.

The capacity to be present.

The ability to see our lives through new eyes.

Perhaps that is why we travel.

Not to escape our lives.

Returning Home More Fully Awake

The great poet T.S. Eliot wrote:

“We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”

I have always loved those words because they capture the true purpose of sacred travel.

The goal is not simply to reach the destination.

The goal is to return home changed.

To see the same life, the same relationships, the same challenges, and the same blessings—but with greater awareness, gratitude, and wonder.

Because in the end, the most important journey is not measured in miles.

It is measured in transformation.

And perhaps that is why we travel.

Where Has Your Journey Changed You?

Every meaningful journey leaves us carrying something home that didn’t fit in our suitcase.

What place transformed the way you see yourself—or the world?

Share your story in the comments below. Your experience may become the inspiration someone else needs to begin their own journey.

If you’re drawn to sacred travel, subscribe to Creating a Meaningful Life for weekly reflections, videos, and stories exploring how travel can become a path of transformation rather than simply transportation.

The Deeper Meaning of the Kama Sutra

Michelle Cromer July 13, 2026 Leave a Comment

Couple sharing a quiet moment near Indian temple architecture, symbolizing presence and meaningful connection.

Few ancient teachings have been more misunderstood than the Kama Sutra.

Most people hear the words Kama Sutra and immediately think of sexuality. But while studying in India, I became fascinated by something much deeper.

The Kama Sutra was part of a larger philosophy about conscious living, pleasure, beauty, emotional connection, presence, and relationship.

It made me wonder how much of that deeper meaning we have lost.

Because ancient traditions often understood intimacy differently than we do today.

It wasn’t meant to be rushed.

Performative.

Or disconnected.

At its deepest expression, intimacy could become a way of becoming more present. More awake. More aware of another human being.

And perhaps that is what so many of us are longing for now.

The Deeper Meaning of the Kama Sutra

The Kama Sutra has become so closely associated with sexuality that its broader teachings are often overlooked.

But what fascinated me was the larger question behind it:

How do we live with greater awareness, beauty, pleasure, and connection?

That is a very different question from the way the Kama Sutra is often portrayed in popular culture.

When we look beyond the sensationalized version, we find an invitation to consider the quality of our relationships and the depth of our presence within them.

Intimacy becomes more than something physical.

It becomes a way of paying attention.

Intimacy as a Practice of Presence

How often are we truly present with another person?

Not checking our phones.

Not thinking about what we are going to say next.

Not performing.

Not trying to become what we think the other person wants us to be.

Just present.

There is something deeply intimate about giving another human being our full attention.

To look at someone and truly see them.

To listen without preparing a response.

To allow ourselves to be known without hiding behind the roles we play.

Perhaps intimacy begins there.

Not with desire, but with presence.

What Are We Really Longing For?

We live in a world where connection has never been easier.

We can text someone instantly.

See their lives on social media.

Swipe, like, follow, and connect with people around the world.

And yet, many people still feel profoundly unseen.

Perhaps what we are longing for is not simply more connection.

Perhaps we are longing for meaningful connection.

To feel seen.

To feel met.

To be fully present with another human being—and to feel that they are fully present with us.

That kind of connection asks something of us.

It asks us to slow down.

To listen.

To become vulnerable.

To stop performing long enough to allow ourselves to be known.

The Sacred Space Between Two People

We often think of the sacred as something we must travel to find.

A temple.

A cathedral.

An ancient stone circle.

A mountaintop.

A pilgrimage route.

And I believe deeply in the power of sacred places. Travel has taught me that certain landscapes and ancient sites can awaken something within us.

But perhaps the sacred is not only found in places.

Perhaps it can also be created between people.

In the space between a question and an honest answer.

In the silence between two people who no longer need to fill every moment with words.

In the experience of being completely seen and still accepted.

Maybe that space is sacred, too.

A Different Way to Think About Intimacy

What if we stopped thinking about intimacy as something we do and began thinking about it as a way we are with another person?

Present.

Curious.

Open.

Attentive.

Willing to listen.

Willing to be seen.

Perhaps intimacy, at its highest expression, was never only about desire.

Perhaps it is about the courage to truly meet another human being.

And to allow ourselves to be met in return.

The Sacred May Be Closer Than We Think

Sacred travel has taught me to enter meaningful places with reverence.

To pause.

To listen.

To pay attention.

But perhaps those same practices belong in our relationships.

What might change if we approached one another with the same reverence?

If we slowed down enough to notice who was truly in front of us?

If we understood presence itself as an offering?

Perhaps the sacred is not only something we travel across the world to find.

Perhaps sometimes it is created quietly in the space between two people willing to truly meet each other.

How to Know If a Place Is Calling You

Michelle Cromer July 6, 2026 Leave a Comment

Thoughtful Female person stand look over dramatic valley on hazy morning sunrise with fairy chimneys background. Solo exploration in Turkey

The Quiet Invitations That Change Everything

Have you ever felt drawn to a place you’ve never been?

Sometimes certain landscapes seem to pull us—mountains, deserts, ancient cities, sacred paths. It can feel mysterious, even irrational. Yet many travelers describe the same experience: a quiet sense that a place is calling them. It might begin with curiosity. A photograph that lingers in your mind. A story that stays with you long after you hear it. A subtle feeling that says, I need to go there.

Learning to Listen Before You Travel

Sacred travel often begins this way—not with planning, but with listening.

Last year I was in Santa Fe during Indian Market and became overwhelmed by the sea of turquoise everywhere. The color was everywhere—necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets—an ocean of blue-green stone that felt both beautiful and ancient.

I ducked into La Fonda to escape the crowds and wandered into one of my favorite shops that carries estate jewelry. A ring caught my eye. When I asked about it, the owner told me it was a seal nearly 2,000 years old from Turkey, inscribed in Arabic with the words, “God is good.”

I loved it and bought it.

When the Journey Chooses You

When I returned home, I opened an email from a friend describing a trip to Turkey and asking if I wanted to go.

For years I had felt drawn to Turkey—to Istanbul and Göbekli Tepe in particular. There was something about that part of the world that had always intrigued me.

Moments like that make you pause.

Sacred travel often unfolds this way—not through careful planning, but through a series of quiet invitations.

Where Is Your Soul Being Called?

The question is not always where you want to go. Sometimes the deeper question is where you are being invited.

When you begin to notice those invitations—the lingering photograph, the unexpected object, the conversation that keeps returning—you start to realize that certain places have a way of finding us.

And when they do, the journey becomes something more than travel. It becomes a response.

Is there a place in the world that keeps calling to you?

I’d love to hear what landscapes are speaking to you.

Why Some Places Feel Familiar

Sacred Sites Hold More Than History

Tourism Collects Memories—Sacred Travel Creates Them

Where Has Your Soul Felt at Home?

We Travel Because Something Within Us Is Searching

When the Familiar Falls Away

Pilgrimage Is About Transformation, Not Tourism

What Chaco Canyon, Mary Magdalene’s Cave, and the Jordan River Taught Me

Returning Home More Fully Awake

Where Has Your Journey Changed You?

The Deeper Meaning of the Kama Sutra

Intimacy as a Practice of Presence

What Are We Really Longing For?

The Sacred Space Between Two People

A Different Way to Think About Intimacy

The Sacred May Be Closer Than We Think

The Quiet Invitations That Change Everything

Learning to Listen Before You Travel

When the Journey Chooses You

Where Is Your Soul Being Called?

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