After a 2-hour, 100-mile, early morning motorcycle ride, I sat with Cristina Romagnoli at a pavilion by Lake Apopka and talk with her about how she quiets her mind, and finds mental stillness.

Cristina works in the health care industry as a physical therapist for cancer patients, this year has been particularly difficult and challenging. She was transferred from the work she loves, to working exhausting 12-hour shifts in the Acute Respiratory Unit, working with Covid-19 patients.

One of the ways she finds mental focus is by getting on her 1984 Honda Nighthawk motorcycle (named “Frank”), and going for a long solitary ride in the countryside… “moving meditation” is what she calls it.

Photos taken with a 1950s Rolleiflex twin-lens camera on Kodak Tri-X b/w film.

Podcast drops on Saturday morning at 6 a.m.  Hope you'll join us.  Available wherever you get your podcasts, or at

www.FindingMyQuietPlace.com

Recorded on October 18, 2020

Mentioned in this episode, an app for iPhone called Calimoto.  Finds the most twisty roads between two points, or creates a round-trip route from scratch. Five stars!

Melissa's son Cannon was 20 months old when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, at the time she was 38 weeks pregnant with twin boys.

Melissa took me for a drive in her minivan — her quiet place — and told me the story of getting through this challenging time, healing her son, and how it led to the start of the non-profit organization that now funds pediatric cancer research worldwide.

She also told me the story of the recent adoption of her little girl, Charlie, from Colombia, and the medical treatments she required.

We discuss how she manages being a mother, a business woman, and wife, and to give the best of herself to each of these parts of her life.

Recommended reading / listening:

 - Shonda Rimes
 - Rachel Hollis
 - Brandon Burchard

See photos of Melissa in her quiet place on Instagram at @FindingMyQuietPlace, taken with a 1950s Rolleiflex twin-lens camera on Kodak Tri-X b/w film. 

Actor, musician, public speaker and creator of Orlando's "Immerse" festival, Cole NeSmith brings his usual calming perspective to Finding My Quiet Place. 

We talk about what creates stress in his life, and how he deals with that, both in the gym and in the company of good friends, who don't ask anything of him.

See photos of Cole in his quiet place on Instagram at @FindingMyQuietPlace, taken with a 1950s Rolleiflex twin-lens camera on Kodak Tri-X b/w film. 

Christie Miga is a teacher and artist in Orlando. She is trained in experiential learning, and is happy to be instructing middle-school students. 

She calls herself an introverted extrovert, and finds interacting with people in general exhausting. 

Her quiet place is loud. Blasting Dolly Parton. Her studio is a small room at the back of her home, but it's all hers. 

She blasted Dolly Parton while painting while I was photographing her. 

Listen to find out how this dynamic artist finds peace, while making big artwork. 

Get to know Phil Hoffman, and hear how he settles himself down when he's 'agitated'.

We spend time in his quiet place, which is his media room at home. On the wall, he has framed his favorite albums of all time. 

On this episode, we talk (among other things) about the difference between dropping the needle on a vinyl record and streaming songs on your phone. In addition to audio quality, there's something about taking in the songs sequentially, as the artist chose to organize them.

He tells us what is for him the Greatest Rock And Roll Song of all time, as well as which albums he can listen to start-to-finish. He also recommends his favorite stores to buy vinyl in Central Florida.

Photos made with a 1950s Rolleiflex twin-lens camera, on Kodak Tri-X 120 film.

Meet Evan Miga, lover of robots. A self-described tinkerer, Evan spends his spare time building things — mostly robots — in his garage workshop.

We talk about the importance of giving yourself permission to play, create and make things that serve no purpose other than to be. He shares his secrets for keeping a childlike curiosity about how things work, and how you probably have all the ingredients to build a robot in your home right now.

You can meet Evan at Orlando Maker Faire, Nov 9 & 10, at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, where he will be launching his new brand: Miga Made.

Evan recommends:  Tested, by Adam Savage
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOA

This week, we sit down with Brendan L Byrne, space reporter for 90.7 WMFE in Orlando, and talk about why his quiet place is in the back of his house, making craft beer.

He talks about how mental focus and detailed planning are required to follow all the steps to make a tasty brew, and the fact that he's in control of all the variables gives him a sense of peace and calm.

Photos made with a 1950s Rolleiflex twin lens camera, on Kodak Tri-X 120 film.

Patty Sheehan, the first openly-gay City Commissioner in Central Florida, takes time out of her busy re-election campaign to talk about the importance of quiet time.

Her "garden of chaos" is a beautiful sanctuary of fruit trees, art, statues, wind machines, and of course, a chicken coop.  There are several places to sit and contemplate. It's surprisingly serene, in spite of the fact that she's across the street from Octopus Car Wash. 

We discuss the day-to-day challenges of being an elected official, and the importance of choosing how you will react to situations beyond your control. 

Her home is filled with artwork, mostly from local artists, and when she's not campaigning, she creates a lot of art herself. We learn the origin story of "Bad Kitty," and get some insight into her difficult childhood.

Photos made with a 1950s Rolleiflex twin-lens camera, using Kodak Tri-X 120 film.