Where the soul leads, magic follows.
I’m Crystal. A mother of three, humanitarian, storyteller, photographer, wanderer, and endlessly curious student of this beautiful, complicated world.
I’ve spent much of my life following curiosity into unfamiliar places. From remote villages in the Congo to communities rebuilding through conflict, from the wild beauty of Africa to the jungles and waves of Costa Rica, these experiences have shaped how I see the world—and what I believe matters most.
“I followed a feeling, and it led me into a life I could never have imagined.”
Somewhere between surrender and courage, the extraordinary happens.
There is something extraordinary that happens when we learn to listen to our hearts.
When we quiet the noise, connect deeply with ourselves, and find the courage to follow the invisible pull toward something greater, life begins to unfold in ways we could never have imagined.
I’ve experienced this magic.
In faraway places, unexpected encounters, extraordinary coincidences, and moments of profound connection, I’ve felt the presence of something beyond what we can see or explain.
Call it the universe. Spirit. God. The One.
“I was never able to accept the status quo. I knew there was a better way. And I would live it.”
Feet grounded while kissing the sky.
I believe there is an intelligence, a connectedness, a beautiful mystery woven through everything.
And when we trust it, when we live authentically, move courageously, and surrender to the unknown, we become part of its unfolding.
Dreams become possibilities. Possibilities become realities. And what once seemed impossible begins to manifest before us.
A journey inward and beyond.
A life lived in alignment with the soul.
An invitation to discover just how extraordinary existence can be.
THIS IS ALL THE MAGIC.
The Magic I’ve Seen
Every place holds a little magic. The countries I’ve explored are highlighted in gold. Click to discover the stories I’ve gathered along the way. More stories are still unfolding.
The Journal
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My Time as a Malaria Warrior
I first moved to DRC for a job managing bed net distributions in the rural interior of the country. I was thrown into the fire with this, only out of grad school for ten days when I left. But somehow I managed to stay afloat and figure it (thank you Google) and a few weeks…
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La Maternité
I knew I had found the best job in the whole world when my country director, Larry, walked into my office and told me he wanted me to go on a trip with him and three DFID folks to check out some of the work ASSP had been doing around the country. They had chartered…
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Maman Tshimbila’s Garden
This awesome lady was such a pleasure to spend the day with. She was one of the bright stars our nutrition team found in Kalonda West and trained to be a community relay. Long before our program began she took her love of gardening into her community and taught her neighbors how to grow their own…
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Construction Workers Everywhere
Did you know that construction workers everywhere are all the same? I know that it’s not really PC to say such a thing these days, but seriously, for the most part, they are all the same. In Congo, in Costa Rica, in the US, construction workers will whistle and yell at any woman, and I…
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To Fix a Flat
In the United States, when you get a flat tire, it is quite possibly the worst possible thing that could happen to you. At least, that’s the way you often perceive it. But in Congo, flat tires happen so often that you just kind of let it roll off your back and you get out…
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Building A Latrine
The mothers are always out and about making things happen and carrying things everywhere in Congo. I took this photo while we were trekking around in a field outside of a village where we were building a latrine out of local materials. Our project did a lot of really great work, but sometimes we had…
Step Into the Magic
A life of adventure, unexpected encounters, extraordinary people, and the beautiful mystery of being alive.
Join me for stories from the road less traveled, reflections on the human experience, and little reminders that magic is everywhere—if we choose to see it.