A Weekend of Contrast: A Peaceful Cat Hotel, a Meaningful Mission, and the Giant Trees of Sequoia

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my blog! To share my experiences as clearly as possible, I sometimes use AI to help me organize my thoughts. However, all the core messages and personal stories are written in my own words. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey!)

This past weekend, I went on a deeply meaningful trip filled with an incredible mix of emotions. I wanted to capture everything that happened here on my blog while the memories are still fresh.

🐾 A Must-Visit for Cat Lovers: A Hotel with a Big Feline Family

To start our trip, we stayed at an absolutely wonderful hotel that I highly recommend to any cat lover out there. If you love cats and are traveling nearby, you simply have to visit this place.

The hotel is home to a large, tight-knit family of cats living together. Their personalities varied beautifully—some were a bit shy and wary of humans, while others were incredibly friendly and affectionate. Although we only stayed for a single night, I was able to spend quality time feeding them plenty of food during dinner and breakfast. Watching them eat and being surrounded by them was such a peaceful, deeply healing experience.　

JUST CUTE!

🏛️ An Unexpected Turn at the Prison: Facing Reality for My Future Work

After checking out of the hotel, it was time for the next major focus of this trip—a scheduled visitation at the prison.

We arrived and first went to a non-profit organization located right by the prison parking lot, where we received an introductory briefing. There were about 20 other visitors waiting alongside us for their appointment times. Eventually, we were instructed to enter the main building. Inside, I exchanged my money into coins and was just about to line up when my name was suddenly called out.

"Visitations for him are only allowed on Fridays and Saturdays."

This caught me completely off guard because when I checked the online system, Sunday was the only option shown as available for booking. Deep down, I had known there was a chance we might not be able to see him, but I strictly wanted to understand why such a massive discrepancy exists between the online platform and the actual facility rules. That is why I had asked my husband to drive me all the way there to see the situation with our own eyes.

Even though we couldn't meet him this time, seeing the facility firsthand gave me invaluable insights into the actual conditions and how different institutions operate. This firsthand knowledge is going to be incredibly useful for my future advocacy and research activities. I am already planning to drive back early in the morning next Friday to try again during the afternoon visitation hours!

🌲 Reconnecting with the Giant Trees: Grounding, Qigong, and Dragon Energy

I absolutely love nature, and I have a deep, profound connection with trees. Ever since my last visit in September, returning to Sequoia National Park to immerse myself in its energy was always a vital part of this trip’s design.

As someone who practices Qigong and channels Dragon Energy into my healing work, grounding is incredibly essential to me. Knowing that the morning's visit might bring intense or heavy emotions, I intentionally arranged our itinerary so we could conclude the day surrounded by the healing power of the ancient forest.

In the afternoon, stepping into the sacred space of the giant Sequoias allowed me to root my energy back into the Earth. Surrounded by their majestic presence, I was able to wash away the frustration, reset my mind, and practice my "wood rescue" with a re-energized and peaceful heart.

Closing Thoughts

This weekend was an intense journey that brought together comfort, systemic questions, and the raw power of nature. It gave me so much to think about and a renewed sense of purpose. I am going to get everything ready so I can face next Friday's challenge with a fully prepared mind.

Thank you so much for reading until the end. I love you.

Kazumi Smith