In this Valentine’s Day episode of Explore Beyond, Courtney reflects on what it really means to love yourself, your body, and the life you’re living right now.

So often we think we should be somewhere else, feeling something different, or accomplishing more. We judge our bodies when they are injured, judge our moods when we are not feeling great, and forget to appreciate the present moment.

Through personal stories and simple reflections, Courtney explores how self love can look like compassion instead of criticism, presence instead of pressure, and gratitude for where we are rather than where we think we should be.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How to practice self love in everyday moments
Learning to treat your body with compassion instead of frustration
Why loving the present moment changes your experience of life
How small moments can shift your mood and perspective
Ways to offer yourself kindness during difficult times

This episode is a gentle reminder that loving your life does not mean everything is perfect. It means meeting yourself where you are and choosing compassion, one moment at a time.

Whether you are spending Valentine’s Day alone, with loved ones, or somewhere in between, this conversation is an invitation to pause, breathe, and find one moment to fully love yourself, your body, and your life.

In this episode of Explore Beyond, Courtney shares one of the wildest stories from her years living and guiding overseas.

While working as an outdoor expedition guide in Oman, Courtney experienced a rare medical situation after a fly flew into her eye and laid larva. What followed was a week of discomfort, multiple hospital visits, and eventually a late night emergency ophthalmology visit in Dubai where doctors discovered seven parasitic bugs living in her eye.

This story is equal parts unbelievable travel experience, wilderness medicine reality, and a lesson in resilience, intuition, and staying calm when things feel uncertain.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Living and guiding in Oman and the Middle East
• Recognizing when something in your body isn’t right
• Navigating hospitals in a foreign country
• The importance of trusting your instincts
• A wild but true travel story that Courtney now looks back on with humor

If you love real travel stories, behind the scenes experiences of living abroad, and moments that test your resilience in unexpected ways, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Explore Beyond, Courtney talks about loss and what it really looks like to experience sadness honestly instead of pushing it away.

After receiving a text about a friend’s aging dog, Courtney reflects on how easily we try to hero our way through grief, cover sadness with gratitude, and avoid feeling what is actually present in our bodies.

Through the lens of conscious leadership and personal experience, she shares how learning to sit with sadness, allow emotions to move, and create space for feelings has changed the way she navigates loss in her own life.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How we often avoid feeling sadness by distracting ourselves
Why covering emotions with gratitude can keep us from processing loss
What it looks like to let emotions flow through the body instead of holding them in
How to create safe space to feel difficult feelings
Why allowing sadness to be present actually helps it pass more gently

This episode is a gentle invitation to stop fixing your feelings and start allowing them to move.

If you are navigating loss, grief, sadness, or emotional heaviness, this conversation offers a grounded, compassionate way to be with what is here.