The sea heart is both native and nomad — born of the rainforest, carried by the river, and received by whoever finds it.
It belongs everywhere water flows.
To hold it is to hold a piece of the forest’s endurance — and the sea’s promise that what drifts is not lost.
We came to Panama carrying our own stories — from three countries, three currents converging.
We didn’t plan for the delays, the long flights, or the laughter in customs when Sofia called my name across the crowd, her voice threading through the noise like light on water.
But from that moment on, something began to move beneath the surface — an awakening of belonging, a current gathering strength.
As the week unfolded — from the cobblestone streets of Casco Antiguo to the mangrove roots of the Caribbean — we were not just travelers.
We were being carried.
Each day offered more than beauty: a mirror.
A reflection of who we are, who we’ve been, and who we might yet become — through the courage of adventure, the humility of discomfort, the laughter of family, and the quiet ways God meets us when the world feels wider than we imagined.
🌿 What These Notes Hold
These Field Notes are pieces of that current — stories gathered like shells, each holding a shimmer of reflection on belonging, beauty, and the wild grace of being human together.
At the end of each post, you’ll find a short Sea Heart Reflection — a way to pause, to write, to let the story meet your own life.
Think of them as invitations to see what the sea has to show you.
✉️ A Rhythm Meant for Lingering
These Field Notes will arrive like the tide — every week or two, slow enough to linger, steady enough to return.
The series will carry us through December, a gentle unfolding of days, each one holding something to remember.
🌊This reflection first appeared on my Substack, Delight & Savor: Field Notes for the Soul.
There, each essay is accompanied by Sea Heart Reflections — gentle journaling prompts and a short audio note — available for paid subscribers.
You can read all the stories freely, but if you’d like to linger with the deeper reflections and audio recordings, you can join the paid circle on Substack for $8 a month or $80 a year.
Thank you for reading, for slowing down with me, and for believing that beauty and belonging are worth tending.
Delight & Savor 