From Ise Does it to Seinoza - An Announcement
Hi friends!
Jeez Louise, it’s been a while since we walked the trail in Japan last year!
How are you all doing? Hit reply and let me know!
I come bearing what I hope might be good news: if you enjoyed last year’s walk, we can do it all again. Yup: on Monday, I’ll be in Tokyo, preparing to head down to Ise to walk the Ise-ji.
(And if you’re wondering why the hell I’m showing up in your inbox almost 12 months down the line and are outraged — OUTRAGED! — at the imposition, you can unsubscribe right here ;)
Kalia, who walked with me last time, will be with me again, too, although under slightly different auspices.
Y’see, we had such a hoot last year, had our lives so thoroughly rearranged by our experience and what flowed from it, that we decided to share it with other people.
Yes, we’re going to be guiding and facilitating pilgrimages through the quieter corners of Japan.
Starting in April 2026, Kalia and I will lead 8 fellow walkers-through-life — kind, curious, and compassionate types — on the Ise-ji. And our trip, starting this weekend, will be our dry run, a chance to tighten up the details, surrender to the arc that we’ve put together, and begin building the container that will support the people who choose to walk with us.
So why would someone choose to walk?
Over the years, we’ve both engaged in all sorts of work to support our growth and healing, and pilgrimage has proved to have a special kind of power. There’s something about moving through the world with intention, in connection with and supported by others who are on a same-same-but-different path. Hearts break, perspectives shift, and a new sense of possibility emerges. Our intention is to share this possibility with others, to invite them into a new way of being with themselves, with others, and with the intense beauty of the world around them.
We’re building our business, Seinoza (it means “place of stars”), in public. This is your invitation to join us as we go.
We’ll be writing a newsletter at buttondown.com/seinoza and, like all the cool kids do, documenting our days on Instagram (instagram.com/seinoza_walks), so come along however you fancy. You can expect pictures from the trail, details of the places we’ll be visiting and staying, and reflections on what it’s like — both the mess and the magic — to bring something like this into being.
Goals? To give folks a taste of what they can expect if they walk with us next year, and to give some insight into the process of creating Seinoza, a business that we’re building with intention, and a whole lotta love.
If you don’t sign up for the Seinoza newsletter, this’ll be the last you hear about this trip — I want to respect this space, and what you originally signed up to read. But I’ll probably be back in a few weeks to share some reflections on how, business aside, this walk hit me. Because while this walk is about preparing for the group next year, who knows what might unfold. That’s part of the magic of taking a long stroll…
As I write this on Thursday night, there’s so much left to do: finish the draft of the day plans, buy new shoes, pick up the calling cards, print some photos to take to people we connected with on our last walk, and — at the age of 43 — get my head around how Instagram even works, to say nothing of packing.
But come Monday, when Kalia and I spend our evening running through how we want to welcome people to the start of their journey with us, I’ll barely be able to contain myself. Underneath the stress of the next few days, that’s how damn excited I am.
So come with us — I hope you will. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a beautiful journey.
Big hugs from Sydney,
Drew