EP 157: Find Yourself through Travel: A Journey to Tibet with Juliana & Mark Spicoluk of Boho Beautiful

The Flowerlounge with Katie Hess

In this episode I talk with Juliana Spicoluk & Mark Spicoluk, founders of Boho Beautiful, about their trip to Tibet. A place I’ve always been intrigued by that has drastically changed in recent time, I wanted a first-hand account of their time spent there. Juliana and Mark have traveled all over the world for several years, and were surprised when their video got censored. I was curious to know more.

They described how meeting HH the Dalai Lama in India was the best day of their lives, inspiring them to visit Tibet. After a month-long process, they were able to enter Tibet and describe the contrast they experienced while in the country. On one hand, there is the breathtaking beauty of the landscape, filled with holy places at every turn and Tibetan people who are so kind and welcoming. On the other hand, the occupation of Tibet has led to the oppression of a culture/language, where there is control around freedom of speech, leading Juliana and Mark to be blacklisted from China because of what they reported. From the vast natural beauty of lakes and mountains, to the peacefulness of monasteries, to the multitude of passport checkpoints and retina scans, their trip was eye-opening in every way.

Finally, they share a profound story of Mark getting sick -- and how his dreams whispered to take a different path -- or risk losing his life.