Greece Sail and Hike

Arrival

Opa! In Greece, food is life, and life is food. So, your adventure begins by enjoying a traditional dinner and warm Greek hospitality at a five-star taverna overlooking the Acropolis.

The Path

You will start by exploring Athens’ mythical and mystical sites. Then like Odysseus, pull up the anchor of your privately captained sailboat to discover the breathtaking natural wonders of the Aegean Islands, where you will visit beaches, sea caves, and hidden valleys.

Maria Baltazzi, Ph.D., MFA, is an Emmy Award-winning television producer who has created shows from all corners of the world. She won her for Emmy the long-running CBS hit, Survivor --  the premiere and season two as one of the original show producers. She also is of Greek descent, so this sojourn is near and dear to her heart.

After years in the entertainment industry, Maria began studying Happiness and Mindfulness. It was her way of dealing with the stressful demands of television producing and now works with professionals to increase the quality of their thoughts and habits. Maria’s Happiness teachings include meditation, mindfulness, and mindfulness yoga — a restorative form of yoga that supports her Happiness teachings and meditations. 

Maria has been on all seven continents twice. Once as a storyteller. The second time was entering and walking marathons for charity. She had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro twice. Also, she hiked the Salkantay Trail over a fifteen-thousand-foot pass to Machu Picchu. She has trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal and done the last hundred kilometers of the Camino de Santiago in Spain more than once. Maria has visited over sixty countries.

When not on location producing a show, Maria curates inner and outer journeys for a greater good. She leads clients on private Transformational Travel adventures and Happiness retreats. She is the North American Ambassador for the Transformational Travel Council, a global organization of like-minded travel industry leaders.

Maria's Ph.D. in Conscious-Centered Living is from the University of Sedona in Arizona. Her MFA is in film from the Art Center College of Design in California. Additional studies include the Science of Happiness through the University of California Berkley's Greater Good Center. Positive Neuroplasticity Training with bestselling author and neuropsychologist Dr. Rick Hanson. Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica with Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick. Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher Training with Deepak Chopra. She is also a Certified Happy For No Reason Trainer, a course based on the principles of Marci Shimoff's national bestseller of the same name.

Maria loves to speak about and teach the habits of successful Happy people, travel to new places, and write about Happiness and her travels. Also, she enjoys walking long distances, taking photographs, reading spiritual and personal growth books and articles, and sipping an ice-cold glass of retsina while watching the sunset!

From arrival to departure, this sojourn is designed to ignite one’s spirit through food, dance, and each other. Each day, commune with nature as you hike its island trails. Then drift along the tranquil shores of its Islands. 

Depending on where you are in life, Maria will guide you in awaking a new perspective and reimagining your purpose. 

Each day, experience:

• A special blessing of the day
• Guided meditation and mindfulness yoga sessions
• Thought-provoking questions and discussions
• Science-backed Happiness exercises
• Silent mindfulness walks
• And, a few other surprises along the way.

This sail and hike journey is designed to empower you to become the Hero of your own life.

Your Sojourn Takeaways

• Create a happier life, lived on purpose
• Get and stay out of the overwhelm
• Get core values aligned with your purpose
• Increased creativity
• Communicate more effectively
• Live your life smarter, not harder
• Manage your stress
• Gain focused awareness
• Greater resilience
• Have closer relationships

Our sojourn experiences begin before you even pack your bags, and end a few weeks after you are home.

Before you begin, Maria will spend time getting to know you so that she can tailor your trip to your specific wishes.

Once you return, she will follow-up on your experience to find out what you took home with you.

This sojourn is perfect for a minimum of four people and a maximum of fifteen. We can curate a ladies' getaway, a guys getaway, a couples retreat, a corporate team-building retreat, a milestone celebration. Whatever the occasion, we are here to make it unique and meaningful to you.

Each sailboat holds eight passengers.

You choose the dates, as well as your traveling companions. We do the rest.

Pricing will vary based on the number of travelers, the time of year, the level of luxury boat booked, as well as special requests.

Every sojourn is a bespoke experience. We curate your outer journey and guide your inner as well. Our belief is that helping you to develop a clearer mind will lead to enjoying and savoring the experiences of your journeys. 

Testimonials

Thank you so much for helping us to design and execute one of the most memorable trips of our lives. You took amazing care of all our travel details, so much so that it felt so smooth and easy, even though we were in a foreign country. Yet the most special part was that you not only designed a trip for us, you designed an incredible experience. Feeling blessed to have you on our trip.

~ Gerardo V. | Manufacture Owner

Maria lets your journey be whatever you want it to be, whether that be based on the walking, the history, spirituality, photography, sightseeing. Personally, it was about all of the above for me. Maria is also a qualified yoga teacher and offered yoga stretching if and when we wanted/needed it. It really tops off a day of walking! I feel blessed to have experienced my journey the way I did, fun and serenity rolled into one. 

~ Valli K. | Awesome Mom 

Our trip exceeded all of my expectations from beginning to end. It was truly the best family trip we’ve ever had. Thanks again and best for you and Sojourn Explorers.

~ Andres V. | Climbing Guide 

Highly recommend attendance of Maria’s retreats to others. She has a wonderfully peaceful presence about her and shares information and actionable steps in a thought-provoking, comfortable environment. Thank you! Appreciate you sharing and guiding! 

~ Loyelle E. l Sales Manager

Maria’s meditation retreat did not disappoint. It was part workshop, part therapy session. She welcomed a varied group of people whose common goal was to de-stress and calm. She shared her experience in her own journey and provided us with the tools and encouragement to embark on our own journey.

~ Beverly P. l Adult Literacy Coordinator

"Maria has a true passion for "living life" and wants to share this with others. Her topics are brilliantly selected to couple our everyday challenges and to relinquish what no longer serves us. Therefore, replacing it with behaviors and thoughts that will allow us to live our life to the fullest. There is an open session at the end, to share our experiences and thoughts. We walk away regaining an open and positive mind with tools to achieve forward thinking. There is a sense of community, love, and support at times when I've become desensitized and closed off from society. I'm reminded that God is always in our midst with Maria. She is His example of how essential it is to give back and inspire others with our God giving talent."

~ Georgia T. l Entertainment Industry Professional

"My biggest 'takeaway' was being able to dig deep within myself with the questions you provided, to self-reflect on past attitudes, and to have a better understanding of 'who I am." I found it interesting, how difficult it was for me to observe "quiet time" yet realizing later how therapeutic it really was. "The Plan of Action" to ensure we attain our service for the year was excellent. I've read a lot about the importance of setting personal boundaries. After attending your meditation retreat it occurred to me, how can we set boundaries if we haven't truly connected with our inner self? My answers to the Spiritual Questions you presented, was so instrumental in helping me discover and now, finally, being able to implement my personal boundaries. Thank You, Maria, for the wonderful, insightful, and inspirational seminar. You have truly made a positive difference in my life."

~ Amanda P. l Teacher, Adjunct Professor

Thank you for being so generous with your time and expertise. Your meditation workshops have significantly improved my life. I feel a greater sense of peace and I feel that I have the means to help me manage stressful everyday challenges. Your workshop on 'Setting Intentions’ was outstanding! The process was well-organized. The exercises were engaging. Each one helped us to uncover and focus our thoughts. At the end of the program, we had the tools we needed to help us achieve our emotional, spiritual, and behavioral goals.

~ John V., Client l Sales Executive

I was privileged to participate as a student in Ms. Maria Baltazzi’s in-depth meditation class. She provided the outmost levels of instruction of a powerful meditation technique in a format that was easy to practice and learn. Her passionate and dynamic teaching allowed me to enter into a deep level of awareness, to develop and maintain a personal practice of meditation on a regular basis, and to reap the benefits of evident spiritual growth in addition to an increased sense of well-being, energy and creativity.

~ John K. l Executive Director

Great insight into your mindset and how you can affect change in your life. Learning to deal with negative emotion in a constructive and positive way. 

~ Saira M. | Teacher

Maria’s spirit and practical personal experiences, tools for managing one’s inner thoughts give the stressed modern worker hope in this complex world. 

~ Elaine B. | School Nurse Practitioner

I appreciate the wonderful information and strategies that I will apply in my life and at work. I can be more positive as I approach negative emotions. Thank you. 

~ Maritza M. | Teacher

Wonderful suggestions and guidelines for everyday situations! Learned to understand myself a little more. 

~ Virginia N. | Business Store Manager

Truly an unforgettable experience! You have done an amazing job. We appreciate you putting this wonderful trip together in such a thoughtful way! Thank you for all the things you have cared for and all the detail information you send in every email! Loved your packing list by the way! I was really doubtful about packing. Big family hug!

~ Monica H. | Chemical Engineer 

What a fabulous trip we had with Maria! Very last small detail was executed perfectly? We wanted for nothing! Accommodations were splendid and the food!!! We ate so well, I thought I was going to have to start jogging to work off the pounds gained!! Our local guide was very knowledgeable but also charming and fun. I would be more than happy to recommend a trip to anyone I know. Thank you — Thank you!!

~ Helen G. l Former radio talkshow host

My trip was so well-orchestrated! Each detail was spot on perfect! I can’t thank Maria Baltazzi enough for making this experience so magical! Her choices of locations, accommodations, meals, tour guides, and on and on was literally spectacular! I can’t wait for the next adventure!

~ Gary G. | Former BP Operations Engineer 

We are lucky to have had you ;-)

~ Gera V. | Engineer