Mo Reynolds

"Mo Reynolds is an amazingly fun teller. She will take you on a seriously side stitching ride that you will never want to end!"

Donna Washington

National Storyteller

What is “peace like a river”?

I read that phrase in scripture today and as I sat by the roaring river that flows by our home here in Costa Rica, different images came to mind.

I certainly have felt peace by plenty of rivers. But, not all of them have been still. Sometimes they have been raging. Perhaps their peace is found in movement. Rivers know the way they run. Rocks tumble into them, sticks get fished out of them, kids jump in them. They simply keep flowing.

They know their purpose and they hold fast to it. Even when they swell with rain or trickle in drought, on they go, finding their way to the ocean, to that space that is bigger than they are and yet made of the same stuff.

Perhaps that is where we find peace as well.

We simply keep moving.

We breathe in and out, riding the waves and disturbances with our view fixed on where we are heading. Some days we feel full and flowing, other days we are lucky to maintain a trickle. But, on we go with the easy, sustainable pace of a river finding its way through the changing terrain.

Sometimes, peace is stillness.

Sometimes, it is a flowing river.

Always, it is gentle, grounded in love, and heading towards light.

What brings you peace? What keeps you flowing?

#rivers #peace

Don't worry, I pulled the car over and parked. My adolescent brain didn't completely take over.

#nkotb #90skid

You can fall asleep anywhere, laugh almost as loudly as I do, wear and repair clothes like a depression era grandma, and love people with all you've got. I am so lucky that nineteen years ago you came to our family. I cannot wait to see where you go next @_lucy_reynolds_

I never knew the Pause of these travels would be the thing that made it all worth it.

#connection #familytravel #pause #the303030project

Asking for a friend.

#travel #lifeontheroad #costarica

The neighbor's cat has adopted us. This is very charming when you are sitting on the couch in the evening with a good book and a purring kitty. It is less charming at 4:00AM when said kitty is now yowling outside your door and climbing the screens as a bid for affection and entrance. So, last night Daman, the therapist, had some firm words with the cat named Iris but we call Yertle. He also covered the area with tinfoil because YouTube told us that cats are scared of it.

Last night was howling and screen climbing free.

If you want Daman to solve all your problems too, you can tune into his latest podcast episode. @the.finding.podcast

Seriously, this is really wonderful stuff.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6hNcmR4F12AgW78hDPGfYE?si=OoFcqi9MTR--v4iyqAU6eQ&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A2yDphbQxozaqvKYbJaKNB0

#storyteller #catlife #therapy #podcasting

Most of the time I'm fine. And then someone sends me a picture and I am barely holding it together in the grocery store. I miss my mom so much. I can't count how many moments I have reached for the phone to text her about our adventures. I can hear her laughing at our stories, gasping at all the right moments, imagine her texting me about every crime, shark attack, or jungle danger she hears about in Central America, and just checking if we are okay. I miss her and I have a thousand regrets of things I didn't say, questions I didn't ask, moments I didn't cherish. I wish I could talk to her on speakerphone with the howler monkeys in the background. She would love that. She is a brilliant creature and I am so blessed to call her mom. For now, I'll just scroll through videos and pictures and let the tears come. If you have a memory of her I would love to hear it.

Life can change in an instant and you won't always be able to ask that question, give that hug, or make that call. Here's a gentle nudge to do it now if you can.

Grief is a journey of love and I don't know that it ever ends because love certainly won't.

Confession time.

#read #bookstagram #littlewomem #marmeeismyhero #readmore

Some thoughts on intentions.

Post on Patreon!

#storyteller #storytelling #kindness #costarica #ontheroad

Well, hello new idea. Nice to meet you.

I am getting very excited about a set of stories to capture some of the magic of our time in Mexico. I will be working on these for @timpfest and other events that are in the horizon but not announceble yet. This work will be something totally different and (hopefully) wonderful and I am really grateful that the ideas I have had popping about my head for the last few weeks are starting to fly in formation.

#storytelling #storyteller #writinglife #writer #folktales

I watched a monkey pick its way through trees in our backyard this morning and my eyes filled with blissful tears. My soul needed this so much. Costa Rica, I am already in love and I haven't stirred from my porch yet.

#getoutside #costarica #travel #storyteller

Someone stop me.

I am googling local vets and what is needed to get a dog across the border as we speak.....

Same place, three months later.

We have learned and loved and lived so much in these last three months. I am amazed at how much easier this drive feels now. Sure, my Spanish is better, but I am grateful to say I have grown in many other ways as well. I am feeling sad and nostalgic to be heading out of Mexico, but I am excited for the Costa Rica stage of the adventure!!

This is my little reminder to you that you might not see it, but you are definitely growing and changing. Definitely.

Here it goes.

I am applying to a Creative Writing MFA program and today I click submit on the writing sample. I would likely be older than some of my professors. Going back to school at 48 is both an exciting and terrifying prospect.

But, I have stories to tell and I want to learn how to tell them better. I will be returning to my storytelling work when we wrap up our travels in April. I do not know how the MFA will fit in with my performance schedule. I am staying open to divine directives on all fronts. I may or may not get in. I may or may not decide to attend. But I have continued to feel celestial nudges and so I shall click send, take a breath, and trust that the next step will be clear the moment I am to take it.

Whatever nudges you may be feeling, you can do it. You can absolutely do it.

In the center of one of the largest roundabouts in Guadalajara stands a towering statue of a woman. She is leaning forward, eyes towards the heavens. And all around her feet are the disappeared. Thousands of posters with pictures of missing loved ones. She seems to call them home, but I don’t know if any of them have answered.

If you don't know about Rancho Izaguirre, look it up.

Full post on my Patreon page...link in the bio.

They call this vintage. Vintage.

I need a nap.

Just started this today and I am absolutely in love. I think I know what my next travel adventure will be.

I am only in the preface but the poetic writing and storytelling is already gripping. I am so excited to walk with this book every morning.

We begin.
We continue.
We fill the blank page.

What shall we write this year?

Feliz Navidad de Guadalajara! My only Christmas wish is for our truck to magically shrink or for parking spaces in Guadalajara to magically swell. Daman is a parking Yoda, even when recovering from surgery.

#travel #guadalajara #feliznavidad #worldschool #worldschoolingfamily

My cup overfloweth.

I have been visiting this school in Los Ayala and telling stories for the last three weeks. The shouts of Senora Mo, the enthusiasm, the patience with my Spanish --all of it has been amazing. It was a little sad to walk away as our time wraps up here.

The teachers here are heroes. They deal with limited resources and a system that doesn't really give them power. There is a lack of consistency. One teacher was organized, ready, had a routine. And one time I went to another classroom and the teacher was nowhere to be found. I walked in and started telling a story because the kids just started clapping "Llegó, llegó, llegó Señora Mo!" so what else was j going to do?? The teacher never showed. The kids were muddling along in some math workbooks.

I find it interesting that in the middle of Mexico, a country often represented as "unsafe" in America, the schools are unlocked and welcoming. I just walked in, introduced myself, and started telling stories. No badge or background check. No metal detector.

And why?
Because they don't have school shootings.

There are many things I love about my country and a long list of things I am excited to have again. But I will miss this warm, genuine, welcoming space. And I wish we could have schools with this kind of secure and safe happiness in the USA. We can do better.

Tricky to record around here, but it is for a good cause. I have recorded a new braided tale, “A Troll with no Heart.”

I recently created it for a Fairy Tale Variations show and it is one of my new favorites. My Patreon subscribers get it for free! From now until the end of the year, any donation of any amount can get you the story as well! ALL the donations will go to Disconectate y Aprende, this wonderful program we have been working with here in Mexico the last few weeks. Dulce is a remarkable woman who started this all on her own because she saw so many children in her neighborhood not going to school. She wants to show them what is possible and give them a safe space to learn, dream and grow.

We would really like to give them a bluetooth speaker and some more art supplies before we leave. Send me a message if you would like to donate! I can do Venmo, PayPal, or Wise. And in return, I’ll send you a story! Feliz Navidad y gracias.

#storyteller #storytelling #dosomegood #yourstorymatters #fairytales #folktales

I wish I could capture images from my daily beach stroll. But, I don’t want to carry my phone with me and randomly taking pictures of other people’s children is generally frowned upon. So, I shall try to use my words. Here are some things I see:

Two grandsons supporting their grandmother, who is wearing nothing but underwear and a very thin t-shirt—the lone contestant in the senior division of her very own wet t-shirt competition. She is balancing on one leg while her older grandson unwraps a white bandage from her leg. I paused for a moment out of curiosity but then decided it was probably not polite to stare and I didn’t want to risk gagging at what might be waiting under all those layers of bandage. . .

A little guy, maybe five, in his spider man shirt and dangling gold chain, red swimsuit hanging on for dear life.

A less little guy who reminded me a bit of Gus Gus the mouse, enthusiastically chasing pelicans in his underwear

A man with a long black braid cascading down his back, standing in the waves, arms lifted, trying to save the beer can in each hand. (Please note that this walk was at 8:30am, the Modelo hits the beach early in these parts)

A young woman, probably 10 years old, tall, straight, and curveless, wearing her mother’s bright butterfly minidress over her bathing suit and diving headfirst into the tide.

Every day I walk with different visitors and hear new children squeal again and again with joyful terror as the ocean surges towards them in an endless game of tag. I catch their parents eyes and we smile and greet each other in Spanish, rejoicing together at this phenomenal thing called life.

#storytelling #storyteller #mexico🇲🇽 #getoutside #lifeontheroad #lifeisgood

I have an alarm on my phone for 9:00pm every night. It reminds me to fill the ice cube trays.

Every time I put in a load of laundry, I set a timer to hang it on the line in an hour and then another timer for three hours later to bring it in so I get to it before the late afternoon humidity creeps in and makes it all damp again. We each wash and dry and put away our dishes steadily throughout the day and we do it again all together after family dinner.

These are the new rhythms of my inconvenient life, and I find myself falling in love with them.

The other day I mused to my daughter, “I wonder what I will do with all this time I have on my hands when I return to life with an ice machine and a dryer?” As I chewed on that question I realized that I am not getting less done in life right now, I am doing much more. I am writing more, reading more, playing more games with my family. I take walks, create stories, volunteer, and look out the window.

It begs the question, what exactly are we doing with the time all these modern conveniences are gifting us?

Who do we connect with during time saved by online shopping? What do we create with the moments the washing machine spares us? How do we find joy in the minutes added to our schedule by ice makers, bread machines, and dishwashers?

Perhaps the speed of the convenient life cultivated by modern comforts compels us to move faster, do more, push harder. To what end? Are we creating more with a rushed pace or is it like a rocking chair—lots of movement with no progression at all. Are we racing and rocking but not really arriving anywhere we want to be?

I plan on using an ice machine and dishwasher when we return to the States. They are wonderful inventions and they grant me more time to create, work, serve, and connect. And yet, in the midst of those conveniences, I hope I keep a bit of this inconvenient life with me forever.

#travel #storytelling #storyteller #thewritinglife #time #breathe #create

I walk by the ocean every morning and this poem has been taking shape for a while. Thought I would finally take it for a walk outside of my brain:

She Breathes

While I sleep, she changes the face of the earth.

In and out,
Up and down,
High and low.
She keeps breathing.

Her currents have
kissed rafts of refugees,
swallowed tears of the enslaved,
heard the laughter of children
and cradled sailors and voyagers lost at sea.

Hurricanes stir her
Humans pollute her
She keeps breathing.

We scratch our questions
in her sand:
What about. . . . .?
How long. . . . .?
Where. . . . .?
Should. . . . .?
She surges to us in reply
and swallows them up,

trusting that the answers will come
if we keep breathing.

Beside her I feel
both incredibly seen and
sublimely invisible.
She is juxtaposition:

Permanently shifting.
Firmly transient.
Reliably surprising.

I want to breathe like her.
I want to ride the tides and
exist in each moment of rise and fall.
I want to let what comes
pass through me as I
breathe up and down
in and out
high and low.

I breathe with Her.

I clean up pretty good.

Excited to share a story tonight as a part of the "Trolls" show with Stories with Spirit and their amazing Fairy Tale Variations program. It isn't too late to come join the fun!

Fairy Tale Variations: TROLLS Tickets, Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite https://share.google/3qWGWuhDZTRuQIvW6

Mo's Morning Musings

Full post on my Patreon page. Link in the bio!

We stood transfixed by the “nursery,” waiting for any hint of an emerging butterfly, gasping with shock as we saw them burst out with shriveled damp wings and slowly start breathing into their new wing span. Our kind tour guide patiently let us geek out as long as we wanted. There I learned a little fact that, quite simply, might just have changed me forever.

While in the chrysalis stage, the caterpillar completely dissolves. I think I always envisioned the metamorphosis as just the caterpillar growing wings and sort of shrinking its torso. Nope, they completely dissolve. Their skin becomes their own cocoon and there inside they become nothing but a sludge of cells, ready to be rearranged into a completely new creature.

A completely new creature.

I have been sitting with that thought for a few days. We are all perpetually rearranging our cells to become new creatures, to learn new things, to love new ways. We have every potential to become something completely different. But, it takes time and a willingness to let some things dissolve......I think of the Creation. There was nothingness, a dark void. But, God saw potential. He started small. Just turned the lights on. And there, with nothing else formed, nothing beautiful of note, He saw that “it was good.” He knew the ingredients were there and even though the finished project was unimaginably far away, He saw what was there, and that what was there was good. At every stage of Creation, He declared it Good. It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t finished, it wasn’t even beautiful. But, it was good.........He loves the chrysalis, He loves the butterfly. He loves every version of me.

I am good. So are you.

Tell me about it, what cells are you rearranging?

#change #youaregood #travel #butterflies #selflove❤️

The level of awesome is not reflected by the number of pictures taken....

I had such a wonderful week at the St. Louis Storytelling Festival!! I made new friends, got free fries and a shake at Five Guys because the guy thought it was so cool that I live where their potatoes come from, barely refrained from kidnapping a penguin, and reconnected with dear pals.

Plus, I had hot water and air conditioning the whole time!! It was hard to say goodbye, knowing that I won't be at a festival for the next several months of travel. But, what a way to hit pause. Thank you St. Louis!!!

#storytelling #storyteller #stlouisstorytellingfestival #stlouis #ontheroad #familytravel #folktales #fairytales

I know I have said this before, but it bears repeating.

I love love love what I do.

A fabulous crowd of students today came along with Ananzi and his clever children. I am just so lucky.

#storytelling #storyteller #stlouisstorytellingfestival #stlouis #fairytales #folktales #followyourdreams #tellyourstory #ontheroad

The guards were waiting for me. Flew in from Mexico to tell some stories and enjoy water fountains, ice, and the ability to flush my toilet paper. I'm most excited about the story part.

I am loving our adventures, but to be back with my friends, telling stories, and exploring St. Louis is such a gift. If you are in the St. Louis area, come out and join the fun! This is a phenomenal lineup.

And...how come no one told me St. Louis was so amazing!!! This is a very cool city.

#storytelling #storyteller #ontheroad #tellyourstory #stlouisstorytellingfestival #stlouis #fairytales #folktales

Moved to our next Airbnb.

The nicest thing I can say is the toilet seat glows in the dark.

We are playing a new family game we like to call "Making the best of it."

The first one to cry loses.

One might think they speak Spanish until one has to try to understand Spanish over a bullhorn. At some point, I hope some kind Mexican tells me when and how to get off this ferry.

Travel ain't all dolphins and dreams. Sometimes it includes a fair sense of helplessness when I can't understand what's going on and I feel responsible for my family. Sometimes I get afraid. And sometimes....I get diarrhea.

Immigrants are incredible.

Here's the rundown of our Why What Where and How this adventure is happening. We are hopping on a ferry today and heading to our next stop. Very excited to not unpack for two months!!!

A view from my office.
If this doesn't spark creativity, I'm a lost cause.

This one eyed dog (since christened Winky) followed us from the hotel to the ice cream shop, laid on the steps while we got our ice cream, walked us home, and then curled up by our door. Emma and Lucy are in love and have declared that if he is waiting for us when we open the door in the morning, he will be joining us in the truck. We usually just collect souvenir magnets, but I guess this adventure is all about change.

Braces are off and today is the day!! We start our drive to Mexico. We will cross the border on the 10th. I have a sinus infection, the kids are having serious doubts about their parents' sanity and the stress level is pretty high. Besides that, everything is great! 😂😂

Just wrapping up an amazing weekend at the National Storytelling Festival and I want to give a huge thank you and shout out to Paul Strickland.

I was working on a new set of stories for one of my 60 minute sets and I went to Paul for some ideas on how to incorporate music in an organic way and invite the audience to sing along in a manner that felt natural and safe for them. We had this amazing brainstorming session and Paul's insights really helped me reshape the structure of my set in such a way that brought the whole piece to a better level. If you feel stuck with a story and are looking for someone to help you find a way forward, I highly recommend you reach out to Paul!!

He is engaging, creative, compassionate, and far too talented for his own good. He's got ideas to spare and he is very good at helping folks figure out how to tell their stories better.

I am always learning and growing as a storyteller and I am blessed to have friends that help me do that.

#tellstoriesbetter #storytelling #storyteller #keeplearning

Adam Booth transported and inspired.

I forgot I was at the National Storytelling Festival for a moment when I walked back outside. He is a gifted writer and such a wonderful human.

I love the stories and energy of a storytelling festival. But, I also just love being around these friends that make me want to be, not just a better storyteller, but a better human .

#storytelling #storyteller #nationalstorytellingfestival

Tim Ereneta does such interesting and creative things with folk tales. I love the mix of his dry humor and the magic of these tales. Great job @storyteller_tim !!

Red lips
Red nails
Red toes

Mom's with me today. Let's tell some stories.

#storytelling#storyteller #tellyourstory #folktales #fairytales #followyourdreams #grief

I often don't know what I feel until I write about it, so my journal is never far away.

These last few weeks have been draining in many ways. Packing, sorting, deciding, redirecting, and looking for the good in deep challenges.

Today, as I finished packing my bag for the National Storytelling Festival, I crumpled a little. My brain just felt too tired to handle walking away from my family a week before we leave the country and shifting into storyteller mode at the same time.

As I wept, my husband reminded me that everyone will be fine. Everything will be fine. He prayed that I will be able to just enjoy doing what I love.

So, will we get the permit we need at the border? I don't know. Did I get Lucy enough soup and ice packs for her wisdom tooth removal recovery? I don't know. Will I make my connection in Dallas? I don't know.

But I know this.

I love what I do and what I do is about love. For the next six days I get to be with my friends, tell stories, look people in the eye, and try very hard to make them laugh, lighten their burden, and unlock a connection. For a moment, I get to pause the planning and take off my Mommy organizer hat. I strap on the bandana, put on my new red lipstick, and tell some stories. I am so deeply blessed to have this opportunity.

Here we go.

#storytelling #storyteller #ontheroad #fairytales #folktales #tellyourstory #thewritinglife #nationalstorytellingfestival

Where the magic happens.

I am soaking up my last school show for several months. Probably won't book many school shows in Mexico or Costa Rica....

#storytelling #storyteller #folktales #ontheroad #travel

Quiet time before the Once Upon a Times begin.

I am having a wonderful time in Wilmore! I survived the spooky tales night. But, I will never sit next to Bil Lepp during scary stories again.

I only wish I had hit him harder.

We are in the final preparations! Cleaning teeth, packing trucks, annoying our children. It's all going according to plan. Follow our adventures @roaming.reynolds !!

#worldschooling #familytravel #lifeontheroad #worldschoolingfamily #deepdowntheyloveus #reallydeepdown #mexico🇲🇽

As if anyone could understand my notes anyway.

Flying to Kentucky and exploring some old stories in a new way and feeling downright giddy about it.

Also, I'm rereading all of Jane Austen's books like every other respectable Anglophile and I had completely forgotten how wonderful Sense and Sensibility is.

#storytelling #storyteller #ontheroad #writinglife #janeausten #read #travel

This world could use some good stories.

In a world swimming with free content, it can be hard to monetize your work as a performer. So, I'm going to do this Shakespeare style. I am putting my recordings on podcast platforms for free and inviting donations--pay what you will based on how much you enjoy my work or what you can give. It worked out pretty well for Shakespeare.

I am posting some of my most loved braided tales on my podcast. You can find them on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple. Donations are welcome! You can send a boost of confidence through "Buy Me a Coffee" and get a shout out and a warm fuzzy. Any donations over $10 also get a Mo Reynolds storytelling sticker in the mail!

Donate through the link in the bio or just search for Mo Reynolds on Buy Me a Coffee (I don't drink coffee, but I am an aficionado of cocoa)

Most importantly, keep telling stories and keep listening. Wow. Do we ever need to listen to each other.

#storytelling #storyteller #podcasting #tellyourstory #yourstorymatters

A year ago I had the thrill of proving to my children that some people actually think I'm funny.

The crowds at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival were amazing last year and when my inlaws sent me this picture they snapped of me on the big screen I felt a little bit like Taylor Swift. Luckily, I am still able to walk through an airport without recognition. Phew.

I love what I get to do and I am so excited to be heading back to Timpanogos in 2026!!

#storytelling
#storyteller
#lifeontheroad
#tellyourstory

Life keeps us hopping! I am so sad that @marastoryteller will not be at the National Storytelling Festival this year. She is lively, creative, and talented. I am grateful I can step in and hope to honor the space on stage with joy, energy, and a few new stories. See you in Jonesborough in a few weeks!!

#storytelling #storyteller #nationalstorytellingfestival

I'm sure everyone is having a wonderful time without me....which I am trying not to resent. If you live anywhere near Lehi Utah, get thee to Ashton Gardens and bask in some amazing stories!!!

#storyteller #tellyourstory #timpfest #timpanogosstorytellingfestival

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@missmoreynolds

Who is Mo?

Storyteller

Mo is a nationally touring storyteller. She has been featured in festivals and schools around the country, including the National Storytelling Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and many more. Thousands of students, families, and storytelling fans have enjoyed her relatable style and well crafted stories.

Let's Tell Stories Together!

Speaker

Humans are wired for narrative. Stories unlock new insights, inspire curiousity, and compel growth. Mo weaves stories with unique messages for your organization, conference, or event. Whether in a conference room or auditorium, Mo will foster a connection with your audience that will spark meaningful shifts and conversations.

Tell Me More!

Educator

Mo is not only a storyteller, she is a teacher. She has taught in Junior High, High School, and College. Mo is combines storytelling with teaching techniques to lead effective workshops for all ages. She has also trained teachers to use storytelling in their classrooms to deliver content and create community. She also offers private coaching!

Come to My School!

"Mo is hilarious -- even out of character – and her story took an ancient piece of literature and made it shiny and hysterical. Some things are just too bizarre to make up. . . . I think Mo might be my new favorite storyteller. "

Lisa Gauthier Mitchison

Senior Writer "The Nuve"

"Mo's work does what stories do best: it builds community across vast spaces. Where Mo goes, there also goes friendship."

Sam Payne

Director, BYU Radio

"Miss Mo" is a master of her craft. . . (she) used the time perfectly. . . scaffolded the experience setting students up to do the same with a folk/fairy tale of their own choosing. . . She reminded me of so many things I should be doing better as a teacher,

L. Hoke. Lincoln County High School