Hello you curious cat, you!  Welcome to Maoomba!

What if there were more to life than just the everyday?  Why not consider the alternative:  that no matter who you are, where you live, and what you do on a daily basis, life can be so much richer with a shift in perspective and a willingness to try something new.  A subtle change, a simple thought, a step or two in the right direction and, suddenly, out-of-your-ordinary experiences occur!

If you are a curious, reflective, adventuresome soul, if you love to learn, take on a challenge and try new things, or even if you hope to, then you will feel right at home on the Maoomba site.

Whether you are here to tempt your taste buds with exotic and healthy fare, to follow your curiosity and discover ways to learn and grow, or to pursue experiences that make life rich and amazing or push you beyond boundaries to new possibilities, you’ve hit the jackpot.  And so have I by your being here, because you’re the kind of person I want to know!

Join the What if? Why not? (R)Evolution*

What if we opened ourselves to possibility?  Why not challenge ourselves to try something new?

These two questions get at the heart of what drives us in pursuit of a delicious meal, amazing experiences, tremendous personal growth, and the satisfaction of wild curiosity!  

Through Maoomba, I want to support your personal What if? Why not? (R)Evolution.  To challenge you, provoke thought, cultivate curiosity, and inspire life-changing or -enhancing experiences – whether through food, learning, or the exploration of ideas and places.  And, I need your help to do this.  Why?  Because the pathway to an amazing life is highly personal, requires both introspection and action, and it is where things get really interesting – especially for you!

*(R)Evolution: For a life more interesting, sometimes drastic change is required, sometimes subtle shifts.

How do I know it’s personal?

Because What if? and Why not? are the basis of a personal philosophy, one that has led me to try things I’ve never done before, take advantage of amazing opportunities, challenge myself to do more than I thought was possible, go places that don’t make most people’s travel lists, and meet some pretty fascinating people whose views have forced me to expand my own.  Learn more about me here.

What if?  It is a question that I think we ask ourselves – consciously or not, when faced with something we don’t understand or can’t anticipate the outcome of.  If asked the right way, though, it is a question that implies openness to any possibility, comfort with ambiguity, and optimism that things will work out no matter what.  It is a prompt to perform one’s own life experiments to test the boundaries of who we think we are so we can become what we believe we can be.  It is a question that guides my decisions, my goals and how I reach them, and has led me past many a mental hurdle.

Why not?  Exactly!  To me, this is less a question and more a response to opportunities that present themselves…opportunities to try new things, accept invitations and requests, meet new people.  Want to come with me to X?  Why Not?!  Want to try Y?  Why not?!  This isn’t about ignoring your instincts if something doesn’t feel right, but rather about trusting yourself enough to move forward even if something is unfamiliar or new.  That touch of discomfort is typically where the greatest learning occurs.

Life is not a spectator sport, but when we treat it that way, interesting experiences become things that other people have.  It doesn’t have to be that way, though, even if you never leave your own town.

So I weave these two questions into what I share on the Maoomba blog – whether a food experiment, a trip to someplace interesting, interviews with curious explorers, or tips on how to try something out and learn from it.

I help you experience life fully by creating books, tools, and programs to help you try new things, challenge old habits, and chart a path of purposeful exploration that takes your busy life and personal choices into consideration.

I work part time, consult occasionally, and live my life, all while cultivating Maoomba.  Some might call it a hodgepodge life, but, for me, it creates the conditions I need to work with good people, pursue a personal calling, and explore the creativity and interests I have outside of work.  For that reason, Maoomba is highly personal.  A playground, if you will, for exploring the ideas that most interest and matter to me and that I believe can also help other people.

What I create here is borne of personal experience – whether food, relationships, my love of learning and teaching, and my various adventures, both intentional and opportune.  My work also reflects the fact that life is busy, and while there are numerous blogs and sites dedicated to traveling and entrepreneurship, there are far fewer that are aimed at those of us who want to experience amazing things while choosing a life that may be more localized and involve a job, family, and nearby community.

I fully believe that we can live adventurously, curiously, and richly no matter where we are.

We will probably get along just fine if you are:

• An explorer who craves and pursues interesting experiences, conversations, and ideas.
• An everyday person who wants more than an everyday life, even if you never leave your home town.
• A dreamer who aspires to take steps (baby or bold) to get closer to the possibilities you can imagine.
• Culinarily curious and open to trying new flavors.
• An insatiable learner that finds lessons in both the doing and the reflecting.
• And, most importantly, if you are willing to explore and consider your perspectives, attitudes, and actions in order to create a life of meaning and wonder.

You probably will not “get” Maoomba if you prefer the safety of the known, the comfort of complacency,  always answer “Same old, same old” when asked how things are going, find it difficult to take risks – however small – in order to pursue a possibility, or believe that life happens to you and richness is a monetary condition.

What should you check out around here?

Definitely the Maoomba Monthly Digest.  When you sign up for it, you get a FREE real food cookbook called Roasted (my specialty is paleo-friendly, globally-inspired, naturally gluten-free and dairy-free food) and my personal tips for Pursuing an Out-of-Your-Ordinary Life.

Blog Feel free to take a look around my food posts. They will give you an understanding of my cooking approach and ways that you can begin eating a real food diet today.  But also, dig into Learning, and Exploring – the other two topics I tend to write about.

Playground where you can shop for the books, programs and resources I create to help you experience life more fully

Social Media  Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Google+.

The Backstory

• Want to know who “I” am?  Head on over here.
• Read my food story and the kiwi incident that foretold my challenges with food.
• Learn about the Maoomba name and logo – and other interesting tidbits - here.