Healing Through Conversation and Connection empowers people to share their stories and perspectives. We aim to connect to people from different walks of life and gain insight on how we can help "walk each other home." We discuss coping with trauma, celebrating joy, and the emotional journeys that we all take.
This episode, Mark and Melis, talk to Janey and Kenneth (aka Burn Unit and Bam) about their epic adventures on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.
Topics discussed:
What prompted them to do their first thru-hike
How they met <3
The preparation for the CDT
What kind of gear/clothes/food they took
A typical day of hiking
Wildlife encounters!
Other memerable experiences
The best and hardest things about being in the wilderness for 4-6 months
How it changes your worldview/priorities
Nature facilitating deep healing from trauma and addiction
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.instagram.com/pocketofpsychadelia/ (https://www.instagram.com/pocketofpsychadelia/)
https://www.instagram.com/misadventuresofmarknmelis/ (https://www.instagram.com/misadventuresofmarknmelis/)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
25 Jun 2025
Climbing Mount Everest
Photographer Jason Weiss discusses his Mount Everest summit, sharing insights on training, overcoming grief, and integrating mountain lessons into daily life in an interview with Mark and Melis.
2 Mar 2025
We Love Our National Parks!
This episode, we reminence about our five months on the road, in which we let go of the life we had to experience true freedom. When the oncologist told Mark that his cancer was terminal and there were no viable treatments, we decided to quit our jobs, sell the house, buy an RV, and head out on the adventure of a lifetime.
Topics discussed:
Update on NPS and how to help save our parks
Favorite Parks in general, for hiking, and for scenery
Best Parks for camping, kids, and dogs
Most underated
Wildlife encounters
Scariest and funniest times
What we learned about ourselves and how we are integrating that into our lives
How we are doing
Where to next
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.nationalparks.org/ (https://www.nationalparks.org/)
https://www.nps.gov/ (https://www.nps.gov/)
https://www.instagram.com/misadventuresofmarknmelis/ (https://www.instagram.com/misadventuresofmarknmelis/)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
21 Oct 2024
Empowering Our Health Through Ayurveda
This week, Mark and Melissa invite Richard Powell, Doctor of Ayurveda, to discuss accessing your optimal health through the science and wisdom of the world's oldest medical system
Topics discussed:
What is Ayurveda and how is it different from Western medicine?
Helping you achieve greater health, peace, and purpose
Using Ayurveda to heal the body with cancer.
Simple ways to bring the basics of Ayuveda into your life.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Richard's website https://www.richardgpowell.com/ (https://www.richardgpowell.com/)
To be on email newsletter list, scroll to the bottom of this page https://www.richardgpowell.com/contact1 (https://www.richardgpowell.com/contact1)
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/homa.healing/ (https://www.instagram.com/homa.healing/)
Youtube www.youtube.com/@homa.healing
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
21 Sept 2024
The Suicide Awareness Bus and Spirit House
If you are feeling suicidal, call 911. If you need to talk, call 988 for crisis hotline
This week, Melissa and Mark welcome Cory and the Suicide Awareness Bus talk about Mental Wellness and Suicide Awareness. Cory and his wife travel the country in the most artistically decorated bus that is a traveling memorial for lost loved ones.
Trigger Warnings:
Suicide, assault, rape, domestic violence, miscarraige
Topics discussed:
Suicide Awareness
PTSD in Public Safety and Military
Stop the stigma
How to get help
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/280859390592075/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/280859390592075/)
https://988lifeline.org/promote-national-suicide-prevention-month/ (https://988lifeline.org/promote-national-suicide-prevention-month/)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-suicide-awareness-bus-arrives-in-temple/ar-BB1jbVLE (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-suicide-awareness-bus-arrives-in-temple/ar-BB1jbVLE)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
25 Jul 2024
New Beginnings
This week, Mark and Melis talk about what it's like to walk away from their jobs, house, family, and community to embark on a wild adventure across the country in a 24' Winnebago motorhome. They banter about what has been the most challenging and most rewarding about being on the road.
Topics discussed:
Letting go
Living on the road
National Parks
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.instagram.com/misadventuresofmarknmelis/ (https://www.instagram.com/misadventuresofmarknmelis/)
Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVoJWTIpx0_loV5RyxloAA)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
6 May 2024
Letting Go
This week, join an intimate coversation between Mark and Melis about their journeys of letting go.
Topics discussed:
Update on our status
Letting go of our lives as we know them.
How to know what to let go of to allow space for new adventure and joy.
What has been hard but necessary to let go of.
What it means to surrender and live in the present.
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/ (https://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/)
https://beherenownetwork.com/category/ram-dass/ (https://beherenownetwork.com/category/ram-dass/)
In the spirit of letting go, this podcast is raw and uncut with no editing.
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
19 Mar 2024
Taking Yoga off the Mat
This week,Melissa and Mark talk with Larry Terkel about integrating yoga into everyday life. Larry shares his personal story of how he came to yoga and redefined his life. He shares practical advice on how to incorporate the practice into family life, business, and fitness. Larry has practiced for over 50 years and honors us with some of the wisdom he gained along the way. Check out his Facebook page for 5 minute videos about yoga and meditation, his personal experiences, and views about this wild life.
Topics discussed:
How Larry started his yoga journey.
Going to the source; practicing in India.
Bringing yoga to family.
Definitions of Darshan, Asana, Satsang, and other "Larryisms."
Yoga as a lifestyle.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Spiritual Life Society (aka Main Street Yoga) (https://www.aum.org/)
Larry's Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/larryterkel/)
Larry's Website (https://www.larryterkel.com/)
This podcast made possible by Standing Rock Media (https://www.standingrockmedia.com/)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
25 Jan 2024
Learning to Love Yourself
This week, Melissa and Mark welcome Kelly Hambly to discuss the journey to loving oneself. Tune in to this heart-filled conversation between friends about transmuting challenge into growth, letting go of what no longer serves, and learning to love ourselves, even the very worse parts.
Topics discussed:
What healing in action looks like and some tools to explore.
Being at peace with being alone and adapting to living transitions.
How to stay connected.
Becoming your own partner.
Sobriety and self-medication.
Teachers mentioned in this episode:
Ram Dass, in particular, the film "Becoming Nobody."
Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein both have loving-kindness meditations and podcasts.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Kelly's Insta (https://www.instagram.com/kellyjhambly/)
Kelly's Substack (https://boththingstrue.substack.com/)
Mark and Melis's Insta (https://www.instagram.com/misadventures_of_mark_n_melis/)
For free supportive services for people living with cancer and their families, check out Stewart's Caring Place (https://www.stewartscaringplace.org/about/).
This podcast made possible by Standing Rock Media (https://www.standingrockmedia.com/)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
18 Dec 2023
Cultivating Healthy Relationships
This week, Melissa and Mark get personal and talk about the evolution of their relationship and the lessons they have learned together.
Topics discussed: (Trigger warning: domestic violence, sexuality, divorce)
We started by answering a couple questions from listeners:
What is the key to a long-lasting relationship?
How do you get over arguments?
How do you have a relationship with someone that has different views?
Then, we dove into the top 10:
Appreciation
Trust
Affection
Sense of Humor
Honesty
Making the relationship a priority
Radical acceptance
Allowing for each other's autonomy
Growth mindset
Shared vision
This podcast was made possible by @standingrockmedia and is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
22 Nov 2023
Living Your Most Authentic Life
This week, Mark and Melis invite special guest, Emily Starcher, creator of Emily Soaps, to talk about intentional living. She shares how she made the transition from full-time nurse to full-time maker.
Topics discussed:
Inspiration to go back to your creative roots
Redefining success
The challenges and rewards of creating a homestead
Healing yourself, your family, and your community by living your most authentic life
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://emilyssoaps.com/ (https://emilyssoaps.com/)
https://www.instagram.com/emilyssoaps/ (https://www.instagram.com/emilyssoaps/)
https://www.etsy.com/market/emilys_soaps (https://www.etsy.com/market/emilys_soaps)
Podcast by possible by Standing Rock Media https://www.standingrockmedia.com/ (https://www.standingrockmedia.com/) https://www.instagram.com/standingrockmedia/ (https://www.instagram.com/standingrockmedia/)
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
8 Nov 2023
Living in the Face of Death
This week, Melissa and Mark invite specail guest, Maurice (Uncle Mo) Drake discuss finding joy and staying positive while facing serious health issues.
Topics discussed:
Staying positive with a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Keeping faith when the doctors don't know what's wrong.
Alternative healing modalities, such as Ayurvedic Medicine.
How relationships change during times of hardship.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Instagram accounts to check out:
Steph Catudal, author of "Everything All At Once." https://instagram.com/steph_outside (https://instagram.com/steph_outside)
Tommy Rivs, professional runner and terminal cancer survivor. https://instagram.com/tommy_rivs (https://instagram.com/tommy_rivs)
Andrea Gibson, Colorado Poet Laureate and cancer survivor. https://instagram.com/andreagibson (https://instagram.com/andreagibson)
This podcast is made possible by John Dolovacky with Standing Rock Media
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
7 Nov 2023
Introduction
Mark and Melissa introduce each other. They share the story of how they met and how their relationship has evolved. They discuss why they want to do a podcast and why now.
Recorded 8/7/2023
Podcast made possible by Standing Rock Media.
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
38
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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