Trekking

You know what it's like...

The cars, endlessly dropping off and picking up

The people, rushing around trying to get somewhere, anywhere

The security lines, boundlessly meandering through time and space but seemingly going nowhere

Finally,  

you get the call, it's your turn, you made it, and the process just starts all over again... 

The queue, flowing down the path ever so slowly

The rows, inviting an adventure to cram into the tiny space provided

The waiting, reading the latest edition of whatever's freshest till it happens

The sounds get louder as the air gets colder and the lights go darker. 

I always tend to hold my breath during those first few moments. 

The point it leaves the ground I feel free, excited for my journey and what's ahead.

 I'm finally getting to a place of calm; where I'm just trying to absorb all the planning and organizing, the researching and packing, the love and energy that has gone into making trips like this happen. I long for the days of travel. The ones that remind you of a purpose, the ones that push you to your limit, the ones that 

Adventure time ... 

We fly into London on Sunday but technically its already Monday once we get there. Time is such a tricky thing, especially when you travel around. The first few days are always the hardest to adjust. I feel like I'm walking a dream until it sets in that I'm actually somewhere else entirely. We booked a great little Airbnb for our first night abroad near Kings Crossing. It is close to the train station, which will help on Tuesday when we catch out train to Edinburgh, Scotland for a week filled with family, celebration, and New Years! 

I love trains. What a great invention in its time.   
The old ones that have been around for decades, maybe centuries with their rickety parts and tiny bathrooms. You can literally see between the cars. The new ones are mostly shiny with quite spaces and bathrooms that have automated flushes. I've had great luck on trains with no real mishaps to speak of. They are a great way to travel and are usually cheaper than airfare and more reliable. They do book up and occasionally weather can interfere like the time to tracks where flooded in Thailand. 

We'll see the countryside on our way to Edinburgh. Who knows what the time will hold once we get there but I'm looking forward to exploring castles, seeing the Scotland coast, and enjoying time with family we don't see often enough. 

Then we are off the London for another week of adventuring. We will see old friends, explore new places, and eat lots of Indian food. It's everywhere in London and the best I've ever eaten since I've not yet been to India. We'll spend days looking through old museums and hope to find a few antique shops. The Old World really has the best stuff and its from everywhere with such history and depth. 

Travel does something special to us.  It takes us out of your comfort zone while reminding us that comfort is really a feeling expressed from the inside out. 

Happy Travels 

My heart is so full ...

My heart is so full. 

Full of ache for the world and those that suffer

The ones I notice and can't help, 

the ones I see hurting and can't reach, 

the ones just out of sight I've not yet approached.

Full of memories long past 

that sting like a cold breeze on your face in the early morning. 

They take the breath away as your transported back to that moment,

drowning in the torment and gasping for the heavens.

Full of questions

How is all this pain possible? 

Why are we not helping each other?

Aren't we all in this together? 

As I sit and notice, as I sit and feel

I'm also reminded of the other side 

My heart is so full 

Full of love for the inhabitants of the world

The ones that find laughter in the sorrow, 

the ones that see joy in whatever they are given,

and the ones that keep going when all hope seems lost.

Full of gratitude for the memories 

That heal your heart like a hug when you're on the verge of tears

Reminding you of the little joys, the little triumphs, 

all the things that really make life worth living. 

We don't yet have all the answers and we may never 

but that doesn't mean we shouldn't question.

We should try harder to release the pain and bring out the joy

in ourselves, in others, in our world. 

Finally a bit about Spain and some other stuff too ...

So we've been back now for just over a month now. Silly how times get a way from you as I was planning on writing this much sooner.  Oh well, things always happen and maybe my delay was for the best. My partner, Pit, and I had three weeks exploring parts of Spain and bits of Portugal.

Spain, a place I've always wanted to visit, was everything I expected and more. It wrapped me up in it's colorful art, it's pulsating cities and it's depth of history. Just thinking about the wine, the tapas, and the espresso makes me salivate like Pavlov's dog. I've been dreaming of Iberíco Jamón since. The old churches, some built as early as the 11th century, standing tall, adorned with beautifully intricate stained glass were still being used as houses of worship. The inner streets, not built for cars but pedestrians, lined with shops and restaurants were filled with people outside enjoying themselves. The streets still manage to get an occasional taxi come through but they bared the scars of tight turns and hard corners. Every place we visited was different but similar. Barcelona in the northeast felt the most touristy to me but that probably had something to do with the fact that we stayed off the Rambla, close to the Raval neighborhood. Lots of markets and outdoor spaces to explore, as well as museums and churches. Antoni Gaudí's art was a highlight for me in Barcelona. His architectural achievements throughout his life brighten my soul. Seville in the southwest was probably my favorite city. It was old, the weather was hot and it reminded me of our time spent in Morocco a few years ago. I loved the orange trees and their fragrance, the horse carriages that would take you around the park for a small fee, and the tapas bars that lines the open, outdoor squares. Seville has a rich history filled with religious controversy between Christians and Muslims and it was evident in the architecture, but I guess all of Spain does. Madrid right in the middle and the capitol of Spain was surprisingly wonderful. We stayed in a small apartment through Airbnb and fell in love with the neighborhood. We had little time to explore as our trip was coming to an end at this point in the journey but we were able to visit a few museums and find the best Mexican taqueria.

I should back up a bit because we got to spend a week in Portugal with friends before ending our trip in Madrid. It was a small surfer town called Aljezur. It was beautiful, the coast of Portugal. We had moments filled with the laughter, and dancing, of friends, lots of great home cooked food from local markets and quite periods of reflection. I've never felt more alive than while traveling. It was great to share a part of this journey with friends, new and old. If you don't have travel buddies, I highly recommend it. Travel, of any kind, is life changing but it can also kick your butt even with the love of your life by your side. With friends, the mood changes and the small nuances somehow turn into an adventure, usually including alcohol. Not to say you should always travel with friends and some you probably shouldn't travel with but it is a special kind of friend when you can partake in a journey together. We spent many moments on Cappuccino beach, that's what we're calling it, watching the waves, drinking coffee, and contemplating life. We explored our surroundings and enjoyed each others company. The week went by too fast but the good parts of life always do. We savored the moments and said our gratefuls around the table at dinner for there is always something to be thankful for.

So now, over a month later, we are getting back to our comforts and routines of living. Wonderful things like sleeping in your own bed and having your own pillows never feels as good as when I'm just getting home. The ability to have WiFi, everywhere and kind of always be connected is either pretty amazing or kinda scary. Who needs constant connection to the world wide web and what could we missing out on right in front of us? Owning a car and having the mobility it brings is a such an expensive luxury but I wish we walked more in this country as a mode of travel. Most people drive everywhere even when the opportunity to walk is present which effects the world and our health. I would sometimes jump in my car to go to the post office which is just a few blocks away more out of habit than necessity. Pit and I do live a ways from town but once there I make a point to park and walk. What would happen if we all were more conscious of how we drove our cars and thought about the effect walking more could have on our overall health. I'm grateful for it all; the moments of stress and discomfort, the moments that bring considerable joy and love, the moments that I'd rather forget and the ones I hope to hold onto for always...

Ready to trek ...

We leave on Tuesday. 

Spain is our destination until we head for Portugal to visit with friends. Travel is something that makes friends out of strangers but when you can bring friends along for the ride, why not. I love to begin and end in the same city; it reminds me of my recent growth. I am never the same as when I started, for having eyes wide open to this world is the greatest feeling of connectedness I've found. 

We'll be starting and ending our trip in Madrid. Its the largest city and the capitol of Spain. From there we head to Barcelona for days filled with walking around, taking in the sights of Gaudí, drinking too much Spanish wine, eating olives and dipping my toes in the Mediterranean Sea. More than once I presume. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with it being heavily influenced by Catalonia. There is beautiful art, lovely people, and a rich culture that I'm eager to learn about. 

Everything in Europe is old. Seville is no exception. It is believed to have been founded by Hercules himself and still has relics of a rich Roman past. For six centuries the Moors ruled influencing architecture, which I am most thrilled to explore. I think sometimes walking around I spend most of my time looking up instead of out. The attention to detail and the care that went into making buildings in a time long past is beautiful in a way very raw to me. We'll eat a bunch and of course there will be more Spanish wine. We'll take a train to Cordoba and explore the ancient spiritual site. The trains throughout Europe are amazing. They are efficient means of traveling from one place to the next for little cost and no hassle. I've always enjoyed my experiences. 

That being said, we've still decided to rent a car so we can drive into Portugal and meet our friends in Alejzur for a week of adventuring. They drive on the same side of the road, which is a major plus when renting a car abroad. We are going to take our time driving the 3-4 hrs so we can see the tiny towns and road side markets along the way. I'm looking for a human connection. I want to see a side of life that is often missed in travel cause you're in a hurry to get to the next place, to see the next thing.

Portugal will be amazing; great friends, fresh foods and many memories to be made. We will be bike riding to markets, surfing or at least trying to, cooking meals as a "travel family", and spending time pondering the wonders of this earth with like minded people. Who knows what the week will hold but I know it will all be so worth it. I don't know much about Portugal and haven't done much research so I can't wait to discover its magic in person.

I live such a fast-paced, jammed-pack, busy but wonderful life in the states that sometimes I forget to slow down and really be present in the life I am living. Self care can be tricky to navigate in this society, especially for me. I'm a giver and that usually means to those around me before myself. We all travel to see sights, to take a break from our daily grind, and to make memories with loved ones but I mostly travel to slow down, to feel the world's breath alongside my own, and to connected with myself by tuning into the world.

In the beginning ...

When its you and the water, nothing else matters. 

There is a complete joy and visceral reaction I feel being anywhere near the water. It is part of this world, part of us, part of me and such a world unknown to most . This was a trip like no other I've experienced. It encompassed seven days in Mexico with five of them being on the water or at our sandy camp as we kayaked around Espiritu Santos, an uninhabitable island that is a nature preserve.

Some of my fellow travelers had experienced this journey before, only 10 years prior, and the other newbies and I were hungry for more even before it began. The night we arrived we drove the 2.5 hours from San Juan del Cabo airport to La Paz, on the Sea of Cortez. The drive as it winded through the desert landscape up and down what they call mountains was easy enough with glimpses of ocean along the way but not much else. We stopped for a cerveza at a road side tienda just making it before they closed. People were friendly but people are usually friendly when we travel. I feel like it is a big misconception about the world that people are unfriendly. We're all just humans trying to figure this wild ride out and provide for our family while making new memories along the way. 

We pull up to this, our place of residency for the first and last day of our trip, Posada LunaSol. This started out as just a kayaking company, Mar y Adventuras, and they would take you out to the island and do the adventuring part less stylish. With success over the last 15 years they were able to expand into a full hotel with a perfect pool, a rooftop patio, and an eating area where they provided food to varying degrees. I loved all the potted plants, mostly cactus in the most color pots. Everything about this place was great! 

I didn't know what to expect in the beginning, a wonderful adventure or disaster at sea but I was ready for it and looking forward to some much needed time away from the fast pace that is my life. The first day out we took a panga, the local name for a small power boat with a roof for shade but also for carrying kayaks, to our campsite at Esenada del Candelero. This ride alone was worth it all. The water so clear and a hue of blue/green not seen in the PNW, anywhere. The wildlife so present and healthy, birds soaring overhead and dolphins swimming below the surface. The sky went on forever with not even a spec of clouds to be seen. It was paradise, at least it was mine for the week. 

The beach camp was fully set up when we arrived. I mean the kitchen, a dinning area with shade, two toilets, and all our tents. All we had to do was unpack our bags, which they also brought on the panga and enjoy the scenery. We got time to relax while lunch was being prepared and soak in the beauty all around us. There was a cooler full of Tecate too, which went down like water as we absorbed the sun.

 

The food was the most unexpected thing on the trip. It was all amazing and freshly prepared in the kitchen tent by the cook, Martin, with the help of the other staff, Angel and Alejandro. Everything had been so thoughtfully planned out and the recipes could have been in a for sale cookbook. I would have bought one along with others from the trip. There was even a daily Happy Hour at 6pm which included a snack and cocktail in a pot. The first night we had a tuna chipotle dip and Pina Coladas.

 

 There were no fires either since the island is protected and you'd have to carry all the supplies with you. It is a dry desert landscape almost all the way to the beach and to easily perishable. The moon was on it's way to full so we were never in need of light. We sat around the table well into the wee hours enjoying each others company and chatting about the world around us. What a magical place this big ball of dust really is. We heard stories from Miguel and Marco about the history of the island and how people used to live here regularly with next to nothing. What luxury we had around us even though Pit and I forgot pillows. 

 We awoke to coffee on the beach. Since everyone is not the same pace of riser that I am, I got to enjoy a few moments of silence and some inward thoughts paired with movement. I watched more sunrises in that week than I had in the last 10 years. It was heaven, at least my kind of heaven.

After everyone had drank up the coffee and we'd eaten yet another glorious meal, we prepared to kayak. The first few days were easy little paddles around our base camp maybe reaching 5 miles in length and took a few hours. Everyone got a feel for being on the water and paddling with their partner. The more strenuous days of working the water were ahead of us.

 

I was surprised the first day out how hot is got on the water. I was thinking I'd be wearing my bikini but most of us were in long sleeves and a life jacket (mandatory). There was even a spray skirt that I wore most of the time to protect my legs from burning because the sun was so intense. During out paddles out we were followed by the panga. This was for safety but also became useful for a beer delivery system. 

Upon returning to camp, it was Happy Hour again and the nights events unfolded. It was easy living in a rustic environment paired with great friends, new and old, our bellies filled with fresh fish tacos, and the stars overhead. We packed up the next day and hit the water early to paddle 17 miles to the other side of the island. Yes, you heard right, 17 miles to get to where we were camping. It seemed impossible but it was glorious. 

We were going to Bonanza Beach. It was a 3 mile long beach filled with beauty. Of course when we arrived camp was set up and we were all ready to explore our surroundings. After the 17 miles, most of us were just ready for Happy Hour. 

 

A life that was

Thoughts of you engulf my consciousness. 
I'm reminded of all you were and all you wanted to be.
I'm in awe of your strength, your courage, your love.
I feel the pain of your absence like a cold, hard downpour I can't escape, no cover to be found. 
I'm drowning while the world watches and there is nothing to be done but be wet. 
I put on a smile, cause who likes to frown but it feels raw, forced, bleak ahead. 
I'm trying. 
I'm trying to make sense of the senseless, the unattainable, the reality that is. 
If only I had a moment to connect again ...

If only I had a moment to connect again

I would hold you up,
like the sky holds the stars on a dreary night. 
Safe and secure up there in the vast darkness  
with room to shine their light so very bright upon the world. 

I would listen to your fears, your hopes, your dreams 
like the sand hears the waves at the ocean's end.
Constantly present, but never predictable,
quietly awaiting the next whispers to be spoken.

I would wrap you up in a blanket of love
like the sun does each morning with her gleam upon the surface.
Never wavering in occurrence and always there behind the clouds
bringing life and warmth to the world. 

You're gone and as the days fade on, 
I'm left to bare the pain, to bare the sorrow.
I'm trying

Baja adventures are coming ...

I've been to Mexico but not like this before! 

Kayaking around an island off the coast of Baja, Mexico for a week is my kind of travel. Nature, physicality, secluded beaches, wildlife, water play, sunshine and friends. Doesn't get any better than that, right? 

There are nine of us adventuring around the island. The group can hold up to 16 so there might be some additional like-minded travelers along for the ride. I love meeting new people and kinda hope it's a full trip. Part of travel, for me, is meeting folks from different backgrounds and places. Everyone had a story to tell and people are so very interesting. The amount of difference in the world is vast and when you get right down to it there is just as much similarity among us.

We are going to circumnavigate the island above, Isla Espíritu Santo, while camping along the way at pre-determined locations. This island is a nature preserve, so it's uninhabited and protected. We will gently be using the beaches as camp sites and the island with its pristine waters as our playground. You probably figured that there will be kayaking and lots of it. Each day we will rise and hit the water for two-four hours of paddling through the majestic waters to reach our next destination. There will be day hikes and strolls, the opportunity to swim with seals and other wildlife, fishing in the wee hours of daylight (if the want arises), and plenty of time to relax and enjoy our surroundings with each other. A few of the travelers in our party have done this trip before, years ago, so it's been nice to get their first hand account of the awesomeness this trip beholds.

It's not like we are roughing it either. The outfit we are going through, Kayak Baja, does most of the heavy lifting. They will be taking our camping supplies, food, and personal items along with them in their small boat that goes ahead of us kayakers to set up the next location's camp. We have to put up our own tent but meals and drinks are included and waiting for us upon arrival. Paddling, of course, is most of the trip but if your having a rocky day, you can lift your paddle into the air and hitch a ride on the boat. 

I'm looking forward to so many things about this trip; the natural beauty, laughter among friends, some splashing about and a place to really breath deep. Life is such a gift and I'm hoping to take it all in. I'm eager to practice yoga on the beach while listening to the waves of my breath and to just be truly grateful for the experience. I hope to connect with our fellow travelers and share life stories. 

Today

Today is all we have.

A temporary moment in space, passing far faster than we take notice.

A spec of life, on a ball of dust, floating amongst the stars.

Think about it. Really.

The one place that we can breath, the only place that we can grow.

The days seem to move slowly, 

lazily enjoying their time like the sun fading on a hot summer's night.

Passing in grace or at least trying for it.

The years, now those fly by without hesitation. 

A ride that ends to quickly and for some, before it really gets started at all.  

Tomorrow is neither promised or assumed.

 It is a gift to wake up alive 

 To breath in the air, to see through the eyes, to feel anything, 

to feel everything. 

No guarantee or assurance, only hope for more.

Endless possibilities await the stirrings of tomorrow.

Ideas take shape, wishes emerge, plans get created.

Hope fills us up to the brim, allowing creativity to overflow.

Unafraid and unabashed, it washes us over,

eager for tomorrow's bounty.

Yesterday is already gone. 

To late to change or choose, a distant recollection of thoughts,

our choices burned into memory.

Forever etched into the song of our being 

The silence brings peace, it also bring pain

The pain, the hurt, the frustrations.

It is all just a glimpse into our larger existence. 

It reminds us that there is purpose.

Not blindly going about, unaware of all 

but joyfully present in the life we are living
Today

Dengue Fever in Cambodia

When most people think of Dengue Fever they think of a debilitating viral disease of the tropics. It is transmitted by mosquitoes, and causes sudden fever and acute pains in the joints. It is not treatable or preventable so lots of people around the globe suffer and some even die from it. No need to worry though, I'm talking about the band, Dengue Fever.

Dengue Fever in Cambodia 

Their music is like nothing I'd ever heard before. It is a blending of 60's and 70's era Cambodian pop with a hybrid of surf and psychedelic classic rock. Their music is packed full of "lost" sounds, mostly Khmer covers that had been forgotten. The Cambodian genocide during the reign of Pol Pot in the late 70's almost wiped out this music as well as 3 million people. It is such a vibrant piece of cultural history, deviant in its survival through such devastation and Dengue Fever is keeping it alive.

"Sleepwalking through the Mekong", a 2009 Documentary featuring the bands trip through Cambodia was the first exposure I had to this beautifully moving music. Before our whirlwind trip through SE Asia in 2011 we watched it. I was captivated by the sounds, by the feelings their music invoked within me. I feel in love with her voice and just everything about this mixture of people and their production of music. It gave me a longing to see the country, to feel connected to it, to remember all that could have been and was lost, to not forget the music. That is what good music does, right? It transports you somewhere else, to a moment in time, a place you have long forgotten, a hidden connection we all feel to something greater than self.

Adventuring around Angkor Wat 

It was the music of our journey.  A five week adventure through four SE Asian countries; Thailand, Loas, Vietnam, and Cambodia. More to come on those adventures later. When we finally made it to Cambodia after almost a month of traveling we learned that Dengue Fever would be playing at a hotel in Siem Reap. I couldn't believe it, a chance to see them in person. When we tried to get tickets for their show, we found out that they were sold out except for hotel guest. Since we already had hotel reservations I wasn't sure we were going to get to see them. My partner, Pit, is amazing and loves me more than I thought possible. He surprises me everyday with the love he showers upon me and this situation was no different. He knew that I wanted desperately to go so he booked us a room at the hotel the night of the show and got us tickets to see them live.

Stage setup before the show

We were the first ones there. No big surprise to those who know me, I hate being late to anything. We got seats right up front, which were more like pillows on steps that faced forward and grabbed a drink from the bar. The people flooded in. It was a packed house and rightfully so, their music was different, a blending of sounds from times long since gone. The music was beyond my expectations and absolutely mind blowing in person. We had the time of our lives; dancing the night away with strangers in a foreign land to music that touched my soul. 

The reason I'm sharing all this now is because I just came across the photos from that amazing journey back in 2011. A picture really is worth a thousand words. While I was scrolling through the shots, my iTunes played Sleepwalking Through the Mekong. It was the first song I'd ever heard of their's and it still took my breath away. Her voice, as haunting and as touching as the recent history of Cambodia. As I sat there this morning with my coffee in hand, I was transported back to that jungle. A place that made me feel deeply and want to move with music that I could feel in my bones. 

I checked and they just so happened to have a new album being released at the end of this month and also just so happen to be touring through the PNW. I'm stoked to say I will be seeing them again, live in Portland sometime in February. Sure, it isn't as an exotic location as seeing them in Cambodia but I am looking forward to being transported back there, through the music they bring together. I'm also in need of some serious dancing! I need to shake, sweat, move about the energy within.