Petra Cimbalova

From the age of nine, Petra Cimbalova dreamed of leaving the Czech Republic and traveling to exotic places. Growing up she kept a book of photographs, cut from magazines of islands and other distant lands. Inspired by cousins, who'd returned to the Czech Replublic after living in Germany for many years, Petra embarked on a trip to the United States at the age of nineteen. Landing in Newark, New Jersey, Petra made her way to Grand Junction, Colorado, staying with a friend who was a church caretaker, eventually making her way to Denver and landing a job in finance. In this episode, Petra describes the manifestation of some physical responses to the stress of her job and being discouraged by management, from using earned vacation time as factors that lead her to conclude she would need to leave this 11-year career behind. A New Year's visit to Joshua Tree and the feelings she left with, feelings of happiness within herself that she was not feeling in Colorado, were the final factors in Petra's decision to leave the job and Denver behind and begin anew in the desert. Petra talks about her transition from a daily job to finding her own way, which has included a trip to Thailand for a five week, 250-hour course in sacred dance, a dream trip she's held on to for two and a half years. Fresh off that inspiring and transformative trip, Petra has begun to share the skills and self-realization she gained, holding weekly classes at local yoga studio in Joshua Tree. What began as a creative outlet to make jewelry for herself, Petra now has an Etsy shop filled with her hemp-based earrings and necklaces - take a look here. Petra's Jewelry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HighDesertAdornments?ref=shop_sugg Petra on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petracreates Petra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofsacredfreedom/