Photo By Master Sgt. Salli Sablan | Cal Guardsman, 1st Lt. Jamee Richardson, stands with her parents and sisters on the...... read more read more
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Rancho Cordova, California— Colorful birds sang from the lush treetops within the Costa Rican jungle canopy as a group of 16 U.S. men and women explored the soil of this foreign land. At the front, Jamee Richardson, with a 4’11” frame and an authoritative voice, led the group into their adventure. However, this adventure embraced a different kind of thrill-seeking motive… one of self-improvement and wellness.
“Exploring the world and being extremely humbled by places, spaces, languages, and culture is like the perfect brew,” said Richardson. “It’s the perfect mixture of ways to help inspire change, but not necessarily about moving forward all the time, [it’s] about evolving and becoming cyclical.”
Richardson juggles a lot of different hats when she isn’t leading retreats in foreign countries or in California. From her role at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services as the Deputy Branch Chief, Cyber Threat Intelligence to her role as a yoga instructor, in front of a yoga group, in a cross-legged, “Sukha Sanan” pose, she shares how she is living her best life. Richardson is constantly balancing her roles and responsibilities, especially as a U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Military Intelligence officer for the California National Guard.
She credits military service for her skillset to plan, organize, follow-up, and execute these kinds of events. She finds combining full time government work with topics close to her heart satisfying. In fact, navigating the demands of a military lifestyle resulted in her discovery of the healing powers of combining yoga and travel.
“I think being able to create this business and marry all of these different paths and passions into one business and then have this other side of my life with meaningful government service has given me a sustainable path to walk down, meet other people and grow,” she said.
Her multi-faceted company, created with her husband Clay’s support, offers “eco-friendly goods, wellness programs, and global adventures, all designed to heal and elevate the body, mind, and soul,” she said. Before exploring Costa Rica August 2024, they led a group to Italy in 2023. As wellness driven entrepreneurs, the couple have travel events booked out to 2027.
Coming from Fallon, Nevada, a town with a little over 9,000, gave her a thirst for travel and knowledge. After High School, her curiosity drove her to join the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Arizona. Richardson’s time in ROTC launched her “boots first” into a variety of training and travel in places like Jordan, Morrocco and Malawi. Her double major in Middle Eastern North African studies and Arabic language further birthed a worldly curiosity. The first time she traveled internationally was during college, to Amman Jordan.
“The experience was extremely humbling and very eye opening. It catapulted me into this world of languages, and cultural understanding. It resulted in me becoming an advocate for Arab women and for women all over the world,” she said.
The early beginnings of her company took shape in 2018 as a holding place for her freelance writing for women’s travel websites. From 2018 to now, she references nature when thinking about lessons learned with her business and in life. “As in nature, anything that’s meant to be will grow naturally and doesn’t need to be forced. My lesson is to continue to work on accepting imperfection through all processes connected with running this business,” she said.
Next year’s training will add several California coastal, weekend retreats, to include hiking, yoga, meditation, and of course, adventure. She depends on the partnership of Clay, who is a full time Firefighter for the City of Milpitas and an Armor Officer for the Nevada Army National Guard. Together they strive to balance their careers and stay true to their dream.
“We are rooted in philanthropy, culture, and language and a mission to inspire a conversation, and inquisition between all living things and within us. We believe there are no limitations, there are no borders, and there is nothing you cannot trek,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2024 15:24 |
| Story ID: | 483172 |
| Location: | RANCHO CORDOVA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Balancing Ambition and Service, by MSG Salli Sablan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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