Week One More Than The Hugging Tour

The Director's Cut:  Come Behind the Scenes With Us

You’ve seen the smiling photos and the warm embraces, the shared meals and sunny days. But behind the scenes of the first week of the Hugging Tour, there were a few twists and turns, quiet moments of meaning, and quite a lot of laughter too.

A Book Delivery Saga (With a Dash of Manifestation)

Before we even boarded the plane, there was a looming question: Would the books arrive in time?  These story books, carefully prepared and printed for the wonderful souls we’d be meeting along the way, were caught in a production limbo.

The whole thing turned into a real test of trust. As with so many challenges, it became a live opportunity to practice what we teach—visualising the outcome we hoped for, staying in the moment, and trusting that what’s meant to unfold will. That doesn’t mean we weren’t frantically emailing and troubleshooting with the printer behind the scenes, but it also meant surrendering, and imagining how we’d feel when the books arrived. That vision gave us calm in the chaos.

And they did arrive—in Eighty Four (yes, that's the actual name of the town), Pennsylvania, the day before we got there. The relief was enormous. It felt like a quiet miracle, right on time.

Tiny Plastic Chickens and Unexpected Joy 🐥

Our stay in Eighty Four turned out to be one of the most joyful pockets of the tour so far.  Christine, who hosted us, runs an organic farm and keeps chickens. A few people in our little BLE-inspired gathering (Bright Line Eating, for those who don’t know) thought it would be hilarious to bring along 200 miniature plastic chickens… and hide them.

Everywhere.

Christine’s home is full of character, colour, and charm—exactly the kind of place where tiny chickens could go unnoticed for years. At the last count, she’d found 79. She rang me today to say, “I knew  it was you who put them in my office! Only you would hide them so carefully positioned.” 

Phil kidnapped one and it's coming along for the ride on the Hugging Tour.  See if you can spot it in Phil's photos. 

Sometimes joy comes in unexpected chuckles.

Lincoln Memorial, Poppies, and Real Stories That Cut Through

While in Washington DC, we walked past many iconic landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool. But what left the deepest impression on me was the wall of poppies—600,000 red blooms, each one representing an American service member who had lost their life.

That’s a number that’s hard to comprehend—until you know just one story.

I thought immediately of Teresa Baker-Opland, who I interviewed for Casabo. Her husband Tom was a Marine, and one of those poppies was his.  Suddenly, the sea of red wasn’t anonymous. It was personal.

That’s why I do this work—why I share real stories. Because when we know just one, the statistics become human. They become heartbreak. And they become hope.

If you'd like to read Teresa’s story—the one I held in my heart while looking at that sea of red—you can find it here:

👉 From Loss to Light: Teresa Baker-Opland’s Story.  It’s about love, grief, and what it means to begin again after unimaginable loss.

And perhaps that’s part of what this Hugging Tour is about—unearthing the stories behind the smiles.  Meeting people who’ve lived through things you’d never guess from their Facebook posts or sunny porch photos.  Sitting with someone over coffee and hearing about their loss, their resilience, their next chapter. That’s the heartbeat of it all.

Balancing Joy With Compassion

There’s been a quiet hum underneath this week—a sense that while I’m writing posts about joyful reunions and hugs, someone else is receiving devastating news. And in fact, just this week, I learned of a close friend in just this situation. 

It’s a reminder that while some of us are walking in sunshine, others are in shadow.

And both are real.  That duality feels important to acknowledge—not to dampen the joy, but to root it in compassion.  To remember that light isn’t lessened by sorrow; if anything, it shines brighter in contrast.

Washington’s Contrasts (And Why the Real Stories Matter)

I’ll be honest—Washington didn’t feel like a highlight, not in the touristy, postcard sense. The current divisive climate casts a long shadow, and while the buildings are impressive, what moved us most were the people we met, the conversations we had, and the raw honesty behind closed doors.  

In every city, behind every visit, there’s been more going on than meets the eye. And maybe that’s the beauty of this trip: it’s not just a travelogue. It’s a string of real human moments, strung together with hugs, kindness, and the power of presence.

To Wrap This Week’s Director’s Cut…

We’ll keep sharing the light. We’ll keep hugging our way across the country. But I hope you know that beneath the joy is a deep reverence—for the hard things, the hidden griefs, the quiet courage people carry. And it’s all part of the story.

Because your story—yes, yours—is one the world needs. Don’t underestimate the power of one voice, one life, one poppy in the sea of red.

With love and gratitude from the road.

Live as you dream ❤️

Kimberley & Phil