And I So Walk: On healing, gratitude, and the natural world
Episode Description:
What does it feel like to come through the hardest season of your life and discover that — against all odds — you're thriving? In this deeply personal essay, Laura Davis shares where she is right now: body, spirit, and soul. From dual diagnoses to training hikes in the redwoods, this episode is a meditation on healing, gratitude, and what it means to hold joy and fear at the same time.
To See the Images That Go with This Post on Substack:
https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/p/1138be6e-1cc5-4f27-80b9-b04cd94e39b9
What Laura Covers in This Episode:
The unexpected gift of a health reprieve — and why she's savoring every moment of it
How two serious illnesses reshaped her relationship with her body and with food
What the "organ recital" reveals about friendship, aging, and what really matters
Training for the Camino de Santiago and the joy of walking in community
The macro/micro dichotomy: how to thrive personally when the world feels like a nightmare
Why the natural world is Laura's church — and what it gives her that nothing else can
Episode Highlights:
Laura reflects on a health milestone she wasn't sure she'd ever reach — and what it means to be on the other side of it
A candid look at the ongoing decisions that come with cancer survivorship, and how Laura is navigating them on her own terms
The moment Laura stopped tracking every bite of food — and what that small act of freedom signaled about her healing
A first training hike with three women who will join Laura on the Creative Camino next fall: what the trail revealed about connection, solitude, and rhythm
The "organ recital" — Laura's name for the health-update exchange that opens nearly every conversation among her peers — and what it says about life at this stage
A stunning observation about holding two realities simultaneously: personal thriving alongside collective fear
Laura's closing meditation on the body, the trail, and the natural world as sanctuary — a passage that stops you in your tracks
A question for listeners: how do you find steadiness and joy when the world feels like it's teetering on the brink?
About Host Laura Davis:
Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping writers find their voice and tell their stories. She is the award-winning author of The Burning Light of Two Stars (BookLife Prize Winner, 2021) and co-author of The Courage to Heal.
Laura teaches weekly online writing classes, leads writing retreats, and guides international writing and walking pilgrimages, including the Creative Camino on the Camino de Santiago. Her podcast and Substack, The Writer's Journey, offer essays, curated poems, nature photography, and reflections on writing, life, and what it means to keep going.
Resources Laura Mentions:
The Creative Camino — Laura's fall 2026 writing and walking pilgrimage on the Camino Francés: https://lauradavis.net/camino/
Pipeline Trail, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park — Felton, California
The Writer's Journey Substack — laurasaridavis.substack.com
The Burning Light of Two Stars by Laura Davis (BookLife Prize Winner, 2021)
Key Takeaways from This Episode:
A reprieve is not a cure — it's a window, and learning to climb through it and stand in the light is its own kind of wisdom.
Healing is not linear, but the body has its own intelligence. Trusting it — even incrementally — is a radical act.
At any age, but especially as we grow older, feeling good is not a given. When you've known real sickness, wellness becomes a tangible, daily source of gratitude.
Holding two realities — personal joy and collective fear — doesn't require resolving the tension. It requires stretching your capacity to carry both.
The natural world offers something no human-made space can: perspective, sanctuary, and the reminder that we are small, temporary, and held.
Episode Call-to-Action:
Laura closes this episode with a question she wants you to sit with: How do you find steadiness and joy while the world teeters on the brink?
Leave a comment on the Substack post and join the conversation. You can do so here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/p/1138be6e-1cc5-4f27-80b9-b04cd94e39b9
And if this essay moved you, share it with someone who needs it today.
Connect with Laura Davis
Substack: laurasaridavis.substack.com
Website: lauradavis.net
Weekly writing classes, retreats, and the Creative Camino: lauradavis.net
The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.
You can subscribe here: laurasaridavis.substack.com
Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: lauradavis.net
