We are all living multiple hero’s journeys, though we rarely name them as such.  The milestones of a human life—the healing, the beginnings, the losses, the triumphs—are the real epic tales.

Our modern world often dismisses these passages as mundane.  But the ancients knew better.  They marked these transformations with ritual, ceremony, and community witness, honoring the profound courage in every step of a human life.

It is time we remember that there is no such thing as an ordinary person.  Every one of these journeys requires strength, resilience, and heart.  You are already the hero of your story.

Now, I invite you to do a brave thing.

Look over the lists below.  Let your eyes wander.  And mentally tick off the journeys you have already completed.  Applaud yourself.  Acknowledge the strength it took.  You have already crossed countless thresholds and returned with more wisdom than you started with.

And if your gaze falls upon a journey that feels unfinished—one you started but had to abandon, or one you regard as a failure—see it with new eyes.

In the hero’s journey, there is no such thing as true failure.

There are only deviations from the path, delays in the forest, and ordeals that did not yield the expected reward.  Every single one of these holds a gift.  The “failed” business taught you about your true limits or opened a door you never would have seen otherwise.  The “unfinished” creative pursuit planted a seed of beauty that still lives within you.  The relationship that ended was not a defeat; it was a lesson in boundaries, self-worth, or the kind of love you truly need.

So, if you find a “failure” on this list, do not look away.  Lean in.  Don’t stop thinking until you find the gift it gave you—the resilience, the clarity, the humility, the unexpected turn that led you to where you are now.

Your story is not a record of successes and failures.  It is a map, and every line—even the ones that seem to lead nowhere—has been essential in charting the extraordinary territory of you.

This list is a quiet applause for the extraordinary feats you accomplish simply by living.

Personal Transformation & Health

  • The Journey of Healing

  • The Journey of Recovery

  • The Journey of a Major Physical Transformation

  • The Journey of Learning to Manage a Chronic Condition

  • The Journey of Confronting a Phobia

Career & Vocation

  • The Journey of a Major Career Shift

  • The Journey of Starting a Business

  • The Journey of the Artist’s First Major Work

  • The Journey of a Lifelong Education

  • The Journey of a Teacher Shaping a Classroom

Relationships & Family

  • The Journey of Becoming a Parent

  • The Journey of Caring for an Aging Parent

  • The Journey of a Marriage or Long-Term Partnership

  • The Journey of a Profound Friendship

  • The Journey of Empty Nesting

Life Changes & Identity

  • The Journey of Immigrating

  • The Journey of a Cross-Country Move

  • The Journey of Coming Into One’s Own Identity

  • The Journey of Retirement

  • The Journey of Spiritual Awakening

Purpose & Alignment

  • The Journey of Re-Alignment

  • The Journey of a New Chapter

  • The Journey of the Deeper Question

  • The Journey to Find a New Compass

Passion Projects & Pursuits

  • The Journey of a Creative Pursuit

  • The Journey of a Serious Athletic Pursuit

  • The Journey of a Community Project

  • The Journey of Mastering a Craft or Skill

  • The Journey of a Scientific Discovery

  • The Journey of Writing a Book

Overcoming Adversity

  • The Journey Through Grief

  • The Journey of Financial Recovery

  • The Journey of Rebuilding After a Loss

  • The Journey of Standing Up for a Cause

  • The Journey of Forgiveness

ThIs Hero’s Journey in 2027 – Purpose & Re-Alignment

This is the territory of the “what next?”  It can show up anywhere and any time.  Sometimes it’s for those who have already navigated many of the journeys above—building a career, raising a family, achieving a goal—and now find themselves at a new, sometimes quiet, crossroads.  The old map has been followed to its conclusion, and it’s time to draw a new one, aligned with a deeper, more personal truth.

  • The Journey of Purposeful Re-Alignment: For when the path you’re on has drifted from the purpose you feel within.  It is the conscious choice to make your outer life a true reflection of your inner core.

  • The Journey of a New Chapter: For completing a major life endeavor and consciously seeking the next great pursuit.  This is not about retirement; it’s about re-fire-ment.

  • The Journey of the Deeper Question: When the initial “How do I succeed?” has been answered, more profound questions emerge, like Who am I? What am I doing?  Am I meant to be doing something else?  What’s it all about?  Where am I going?  What is it all for?

  • The Journey to Find a New Compass: For when the old landmarks of success, duty, or expectation no longer guide you, and you must navigate by a new, internal star.

To Accept or Reject — That Is the Question

We have all lived many hero’s journeys, most of them unnoticed and uncelebrated.  Yet here we are, in strange and shifting times, standing once again at a threshold.

In 2027, Egypt will witness a rare celestial event—a total eclipse of the sun.  And now, you receive a tangible Call to Adventure: a 10-day, all-inclusive journey from Cairo to Abu Simbel, curated by Mara.  This is an invitation to walk in the footsteps of pharaohs in a land that mapped the heavens, but with a crucial, modern advantage: our secured 5-star accommodations on a Nile cruiser and in Cairo, at a time when there are no hotel beds left in Luxor.  This is a rare chance to experience Egypt’s wonders during this eclipse, not just as a spectator, but as the hero of your own story, with private access to sites most tourists only see from a distance.

This is your moment – will you accept the invitation to step into t

A Note from Mara
How was this journey conceived?
It came to me late one night, as I found myself musing about how many people coming to Egypt during the week of the eclipse might see its wonders — yet miss the deeper treasures waiting quietly beneath the surface.

Before I knew it, The Hero’s Journey began to unfold on the pages of my laptop, as if it were writing itself.  It flowed so freely, so clearly, that I knew it carried its own purpose.

Now, the invitation has been sent — shared on my website, whispered through a few chosen channels.  My part in this first stage is complete.  The rest is not mine to arrange.  Those who are meant to find their way to Egypt in this moment will come.