Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved history, the past, other cultures, the unknown, far off places, and mystery! I went from wanting to be an archaeologist to an FBI agent to a Sports Medicine Physician and back to an Archaeologist by the time I started Rollins College for a BA in both Classical Studies and Anthropology, and a minor in Archaeology.
I remember how hard it was for me to narrow my focus in life, during high school. I was really into fitness at that point, but still yearned to learn about the past, see and unearth and decipher ancient gifts to help us unlock details from the past. I finally settled into pursuing fitness for myself, and learn and go deeper in the body and nutrition and exercise on my own, when I had free time. And I choose Classical Studies for my major, and Archaeology as my minor in College. But as SOON as I entered college, I realized I wanted to focus on trade relations between ancient cultures from the classical period. But that would mean I need a degree in nautical archaeology as well as classical archaeology. So I quickly started figuring out the route I needed to take. I added Anthropology as a second major, because nautical archaeology is run from Anthropology departments in Universities.
It was a whirlwind of four years for me, I really remember thinking I could do it all….On top of my course load, I was waiting tables, interning and had a serious boyfriend. I don’t know how I did it all, but I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to immerse myself in learning about ancient cultures, shipwrecks, new advanced archaeological preservation techniques.
When it came time to think about my senior thesis, I wanted to focus on a late bronze age shipwreck off the coast of Uluburun in Southern Turkey. I’d become fascinated by the archaeological reports I’d read in this shipwreck led by Dr. Bass at Texas A&M. I poured myself into my thesis and learning about this ship, but also the techniques they were using to pull this submerged ship and its artifacts out of the water and preserve them. Underwater archaeology has such a difficult job of preservation, these items have not been buried on land, they have been submerged for thousands of years. It was a fascinating ship, shipwreck, archaeological expeditions, preservation techniques and findings. And this ship, what remains of it, is preserved at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Bodrum, Turkey. Since I first started my senior thesis in 2003, I have wanted to visit the beautiful port town of Bodrum, and visit the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
In 2021, when I was at Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Advanced Brain Science and Meditation Retreat in Mexico, he told the group he’d be teaching another advanced retreat in October in Anatolia Turkey. At that very moment, I decided I would be going to Dr. Dispenza’s Turkey retreat, and I would be finally visiting Bodrum and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, and I would also teach my first international retreat, post nerve damage and covid! That’s when the birth of 2022’s Yoga, meditation, history, adventure retreat through Turkey was born.
The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology is SO COOL! It is housed in a real ancient castle, and holds some of the world’s most incredible shipwrecks! I was extremely impressed by the entire experience, the artifacts on display and the interactive exhibits of excavations underwater.
When I visited Bodrum last year to plan this years retreat, I was in such a hurry to get to the museum I didn’t really notice the city, until after I finished the Museum tour. And oh my gosh, this is one of the most beautiful little port towns I’ve ever experienced. Bordum is a favorite vacation spot for all locals because it has incredible energy, lots of awesome restaurants and shops and its all on the water. I loved this town so much I added an extra day for you guys to enjoy all of this awesome awesome town!
We’ll arrive in Bodrum on day 8 of our retreat. We’ll wake up in Ephesus and enjoy yoga, meditation, breakfast and then we’ll be transported to Bodrum. First off we’ll make our way to the Museum, where we’ll see a collection of fascinating relics from the lives of ancient shipwrecked mariners, with glassware, copper-ware and gold items from the ships on display. Then you will have the evening on your own to explore the port town of Bodrum, take in the views, locals and good vibes and enjoy a delicious dinner. Day 9 is a Full Moon, a day of rest from yoga practice. So you’ll really have the opportunity to enjoy your evening and your walk by the ocean the evening of day 8.
Day 9 is a Full Moon day so we will take rest from Yoga Asana. For those who enjoy meditation, I will be doing a guided Full Moon Meditation and Journaling session for everyone to enjoy! After breakfast, we will be picked up from our hotel for our Bodrum Boat Trip. The tour takes around 7 hours with lunch. After the tour we will be transferred back to our hotel and have the evening on your own to enjoy the views, shops, restaurants of Bodrum.
If you’d like to learn more about the 2022 Turkey Yoga and Meditation and Adventure Retreat, tap here – https://olotita.com/turkey2022/
