Are you wondering…”What is going on here?” “Who is this Uma Bode?” “What is she blogging about?”

Well, allow me to answer your burning questions.

(Okay, maybe burning is an overstatement.)

WhoIsUmaBode?

I’m this woman who lived her whole life dreaming big and living small. Hiding out. Afraid if you knew the real me, you wouldn’t like her. Finally, with a lot of help, a fair amount of hard work and more than a small amount of grace, I’m out of hiding.

HI!

I’m starting to live as big as my dreams. Doing the bucket list, yes. That’s part of it. But even bigger—even more Wonder Woman-ish—is showing up to each moment. To each interaction, each relationship, each email, each work meeting, each walk in the park. Showing up fully and entirely. Experiencing you and letting you experience me. SEE ME. FEEL ME. HEAR ME.

This thing that many call “the spiritual path” has always been my life. There have been so many twists and turns, dances with addiction and depression, different teachers and different religions. But what is fundamentally true (and what I’ve returned to) is that my teacher is the god of my understanding and my practice is doing what I love to do.

One thing I love to do is write. Another is to make photographs. Another is to go on adventures.

Which brings us to…

WhatIsSheBloggingAbout?

I’m blogging about following Bruce Springsteen’s concert tour. For now. This site will likely grow as “umabode.com” in the future. But for now…it’s all about this journey into the Bruce-verse.

Wait – actually – it’s about this journey into the “Uma-verse!”

This blog is a growing collection of all that I have to say and share. I hope that it serves. Somehow. I pray that it reaches people who need to hear what I have to say.

And that, my friend, is why I’m blogging.

Because deep within me, perhaps the most passionate thing that I believe is this: it is our sacred service to respond to our deepest desires. Those inexplicable but oh so potent longings…to do or go or say or sing or play or draw or sculpt or formulate or program or research or study or have a baby or build a freaking supercollider.

THOSE are the things that if we do them, we will be living our truest life.

We will be WHOLLY FULFILLED.

And, as a byproduct, we will also, probably, very likely, make a better world.

And, also, believe me, listen to me: if what you long for is to go for quiet walks and write poetry and play with your cat, never doubt that such simple acts serve you and the world just as importantly and potently than the seemingly big stuff.

Trust yourself. Know yourself. I’m writing this blog because I now trust myself and know myself and want to grow those trust and know muscles. And encourage everyone else to do the same.

See you on the path.