Vacations help you escape; retreats help you return home—to yourself. In this bonus episode, Erica and Rusty crack open the “medicine bag” from Becoming the Medicine with The Satsang Project in Costa Rica: jungle dawns, cacao ceremony, applied belonging, and the kind of community that asks, “How’s your practice this week?” Expect island humor, psychology you can actually use, and a love note to human-sized heroics.

What’s inside

• Why retreats ≠ vacations (one is escape, the other is relationship).

• The three pillars: Preparation, Presence, Continuation—and how to pack practices, not just photos.

• How to choose a trustworthy retreat (fit, rhythm, accessibility, substance-free clarity).

• Satsang’s secret sauce: immersion abroad + continuity at home (founder/director Charleen Stokes).

• Rusty’s “hot-or-cold” confession, Erica’s photographer’s eye, and the art of returning without shame.

The Aging Heroes Challenge:
Before you touch your phone tomorrow, take five slow breaths and sip your first drink with full attention. That’s it. Repeat if it feels good.

Perfect for anyone craving steadier mornings, kinder self-talk, and community that sticks around after the airport pickup.

Souvenir to keep: capacity—more breath in the body, more patience in the throat, more calm behind the eyes.

Explore Satsang retreats (destination + at-home): satsangproject.com/retreats

Hit play, take a breath, and start becoming the medicine—daily, imperfect, and very much alive.

In Bocas del Toro, even the parrots and ceiling fans find a groove—and that’s the point. This episode gets real about why lone-wolfing burns you out and how true collaboration (think dragon boats, Beatles energy, and “business hats” at home) multiplies wisdom, speed, and joy. We unpack conditioning (why your hometown smell equals stress), call out ego-in-a-canoe behavior, and give you practical tools to get back in rhythm—plus an Aging Heroes Challenge to practice syncing with one other human this week. Come for the island vibe; leave with a better band, boat, and life.

Cartagena doesn’t ask you to blend in—and neither should your life. In this episode, we wander the Walled City and Getsemaní to explore the difference between fashion vs. style, courage vs. conformity, and why individuality is a service to your relationships, work, and community. Erica shares the modeling-industry pressures to “fit the box,” Rusty roasts his old trucker-cap uniform, and together we build your “stone walls” (core identity) and paint your “mural” (how you express it). Expect practical tools, a gutsy weekly challenge, and some salsa-and-steel-drum energy—plus a playful rum-tasting confession that proves authenticity can be messy and hilarious.

• How to name your non-negotiables (your stone walls)

• Why style beats fashion every time

• The quick test to catch your conformity reflex

• How individuality strengthens relationships, work, and community

• The trap of identity foreclosure—and how to get unstuck

The Stone Wall Expression: do one real, small act that expresses your individuality (wear it, say it, make it, try it). Then write one line about how it felt—freeing, scary, energizing?

• “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice; it is conformity.” —Rollo May

• “Fashion fades. Style is eternal.” —Yves Saint Laurent

What You’ll LearnAging Heroes ChallengePull Quotes

Stay Connected — Knots, Nets, and Crab Sandwiches (S2E7)

What if the tide brought you people instead of seashells? In this episode, Erica and Rusty tug on the metaphorical fishing net that keeps us from drifting—family rituals on the Outer Banks, belly-laughs, Harry’s music nights, Katy’s legendary Pulp Fiction dinner, and yes… spiritually significant crab sandwiches.

We get real about connection (and why loneliness hits like a health risk), then turn the poetry into practice—how to weave your net daily with tiny, intentional moves. We cast wider, too: workplaces, neighborhoods, online communities, even the “island wave” you give strangers when goats are blocking the road. The net flexes in storms and tightens in joy. That’s the point.

This episode covers:

• The Net That Holds Us: family traditions, shared stories, and edible symbolism

• Weaving Daily: tech as a hammock (not a crutch), small acts that actually matter

• Casting Wider: community, work, and digital nets that show up when life gets rough

• The Connection Toast: a celebratory wrap and a grin you can hear

Aging Heroes Challenge: Add one new knot this week—one intentional reach-out. Then notice how it feels when the net tightens.

What if the medicine you’re looking for isn’t in a bottle—but in a belly laugh, a quiet truth, or a shared sunrise with strangers?

In this soul-baring, side-splitting episode of The Latitude Adjustment, Rusty and Erica take you from an airport meltdown to the lush jungles of Costa Rica, where a retreat with The Satsang Project turns vulnerability into superpower. Along the way, they share how intimacy isn’t about history—it’s about honesty. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present.

You’ll meet unforgettable retreat companions (sloths included), explore what science says about why connection heals the body, and get a simple challenge to bring that same magic into your everyday life—no cacao ceremony required.

This episode is equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and healing. If you’ve ever longed to be truly seen—or want to offer that gift to someone else—this one’s for you.

🎧 Featuring:

• Real talk about presence, laughter, and dropping the armor

• Wisdom from The Satsang Project retreat in Puerto Viejo

• Your weekly Aging Heroes Challenge

• A tropical soundtrack of steel drums, sloths, and soul

Press play and get ready to be the medicine.

✈️ Missed flights, miracle standbys, and the messy beauty of connection. In this episode of The Latitude Adjustment: An Aging Heroes Podcast, Erica and Rusty share their chaotic journey to Costa Rica as a living metaphor for what it means to “do relationships right.” From laughter in the chaos to grace at the gate, discover how small acts of presence, forgiveness, and humor can carry you through life’s turbulence.

What do a sunken sailboat, duct tape, and a seven-day art challenge have in common? Creativity, island-style. 🌴 In this episode, Rusty and Erica take you aboard The Salty Opossum’s Last Voyage—a gloriously failed adventure that turned into a floating metaphor for messy, magical self-expression.

From duct tape mindsets to “Why Not?” buttons, you’ll learn how creativity isn’t about talent or perfection—it’s about showing up, getting weird, and finding beauty in the cracks. With humor, neuroscience, and a healthy dose of island mischief, this episode invites you to live creatively, not just occasionally create.

🎨 Highlights include:

• The hilariously heroic sinking of The Salty Opossum

• Five tools for your Creative Survival Kit

• A seven-day Aging Heroes Challenge to spark your own messy masterpiece

• Why weirdness is your greatest creative superpower

Tune in, laugh with us, and remember: even if your boat sinks, make sure it leaves behind a great story.

What do bison, boundaries, and barefoot living have in common? In this episode, Erica and Rusty face down 2,000 pounds of prairie muscle and discover why every hero needs a personal Code of Honor. With humor, tallgrass wisdom, and a toolkit you can use today, they’ll show you how to define your non-negotiables, commit to what matters, and live your values when life tests you. This isn’t about rules—it’s about soul architecture, alignment, and walking your own wild trail.