2011 in review

I will do my best to make a long-ish story a bit shorter. January went out with a bang at a friend’s amazing birthday retreat in NH where we made art, sang songs, practiced yoga, wrote poetry, went snowshoeing and dined on amazingly prepared raw food meals. February was when I realized I really needed to make a drastic change in my diet in order to experience real health – sugar, dairy, gluten and anything else that fed yeast was out the window. Also in February, I began designing a wedding invitation for some dear friends and took a fun trip to Franconia, NH with my mom’s family. In March I attended a fantastic course in CranioSacral therapy and added this amazing form of bodywork to my practice. I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s training program to become a holistic health coach, and I attended my goddaugter Stella’s fourth birthday party. April (back to iphoto…) found me in my kitchen or on the couch. I cooked delicious, beautiful and fun meals, looking for ways to be creative within the restrictions of my new diet, and I rested a lot.

In mid-May, my health coaching program started and on May 21st, we had a new member of our family join us – Ivy the goat was born that morning, and she continues to bring lots of joy to the goat yard. The next day, my dad and I sailed in 28 foot Mabel from Vineyard Haven to Chappy with four young people as part of their initial orientation to a year-long vineyard fellowship program. What was cool about the trip for me was realizing, finally, I am more comfortable sailing that wee boat as the captain than not. This felt like a big deal for me and a testament to a new-found level of comfort and self-confidence. It wasn’t that all of sudden I had become a better sailor; I think it had more to do with just being more relaxed and calm in general, and willing to be responsible even when I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. In June I attended what would have been my 11-year highschool reunion (had I stayed in school), and it was great fun to see folks who I hadn’t seen in years. I also finally bought myself a “real” digital camera and while I have been having a blast taking photos with it, I am a bit overwhelmed by the task of learning how to really use it. July was a busy month with lots of massage work, friends having babies, eating veggies out of the garden, visiting with family (from both coasts!) and friends, selling my photo cards at the farmers market, attending a lovely wedding in VT and camping by myself in my new tent!

August began with a bang in NYC for a dear friend’s (since kindergarten!) bachelorette party, and a day spent wandering around the village. Mid-month August found me back on the water and LOVING it. It has been six years since I worked on a big schooner and the week I spent sailing as 2nd mate in Spirit of Massachusetts from Mystic, CT to Gloucester, MA with a bunch of teenagers was the perfect way to get back at it. The crew was awesome, we had gorgeous weather and fantastic sailing. I got off the ship thinking, I want to do more of this! And then I thought about sailing anywhere but New England in the summertime and I didn’t feel so enthusiastic, so I’m looking forward to being on the water again…next summer. At the end of August, my friend Jessica had a “hurricane wedding”, and then in early September I headed up to VT with my family for a “family vacation”. This consisted mostly of us driving around in the rain in two separate vehicles, snacking and staring wide-eyed at the washed away roads and houses. We did have some nice visits with friends and family along the way as well. The beginning of October found me in beautiful Boothbay, Maine where my dear friend Charity married her new love, Rob. I have to say I had the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding, and there wasn’t even dancing. I’m not quite sure what made it magic, but it was. I spent the next two weeks packing all of my belongings into a storage locker and moving out of the sweet home I had shared with my dear friend Amanda for the last year and a half. She is engaged, and I wish her so much happiness!

Mid-october I headed off the island on a road-trip adventure. I told myself that I could go wherever I wanted once I got off the island – no one was expecting me, and my intention was to head south eventually, but the place I found I wanted to go most was Portland, ME! I headed north and spent a good five days in Portland, resting and re-charging for my road trip. And really, the only reason I was even willing to leave and head out on the road was because I told myself I could head back there soon. I had a fantastic road trip, spent many lovely visits with friends, making it as far south as Charleston, SC before being very ready to head home, exactly a month after I had left. Although I visited many interesting places on my trip, I felt clear that Portland would be my home again soon. I have spent the last month doing who knows what (read: figuring out what life is all about) and all I know is that it has been challening, and I am looking forward to landing in one place in January when I take up residence at my friends’ home while they are in Hawaii for three months. Upon their return, I plan to pack up my stuff and drive myself back up north to Portland. After that, who knows. I am excited to create a new life in a city I love, surrounded by friends and water. Please feel free to come and visit once I get settled.

Oh highway 81, how I love you.

Highway 81 made my 10-hour day of driving with my friend Becca, from NC to PA, a breeze.

I awoke this morning at 6AM, was in the car for 10+ hours, had a social evening, and here it is 10pm and I am still alive an functional. And I think I have the fabulous stretch of road that runs up along the Blue Ridge mountains to thank.

It feels good to be headed north again. I thought I would have all the time in the world for writing and blog posts, etc. while I was on the road, but it has turned out not that way. I am itching and anxious to get home to be able to do some of that stuff. I am so thankful for all of my hosts on this journey so far, and the ones yet to come, but I am dreaming of sleeping in my own bed, cooking in my own kitchen, and washing my own dishes. Where this will happen still remains to be seen. My parents' house on Chappy will remain my home base for the next month or two as my plans evolve.

I have really loved visiting new towns and cities along the east coast, but I am still most drawn to Portland, ME and Martha's Vineyard. Coastal living takes the prize for me, and I had a charming couple days of adventure in the city of Charleston - the southernmost (is that one word?) stop on my tour of the Atlantic seaboard.

Post on Charleston, adventures in Asheville, NC and Floyd, VA to follow. I have recently become disenchanted with blogspot's abilities to display photos, so I may be moving my blog somewhere else soon. I'll be sure to post the new location.

a day in columbia

highlights include:

Realizing that I don't actually have an obsession with cleaning the kitchen... In fact, when I am not resenting someone else, or worried that someone will resent me if I don't, I have very little motivation to clean the kitchen at 9pm. I would rather read a book. Whoopee!

Eating ripe persimmons at the farmers' market this morning - an Asian variety that apparently doesn't need a frost to get sweet.

Laying on a blanket in the sun with Abbey and talking about the Enneagram, and the bizarre strategies that we have come up with for surviving in the world. Bizarre, though not abnormal as far as being human goes. Strategies such as giving things to others in hopes that they will then know what you need and want, and give that to you.

Eating stewed prunes with cinnamon and cream. OMG. yum.

Going to Gold's gym and running on the indoor track. I discovered that I have a VERY steady pace. And also that I would really like to buy those new-fangled "toe" shoes to run in cause I love to run barefoot. But it makes the bottoms of my feet hurt.

Abbey teaching me how to swim (in a salt-water pool)! For real swim. With goggles and a cap and a sporty one piece. I learned to keep my body straight like a long plank, and to let my upper body rotate, and let my elbows point towards the sky. It is a whole new world, and I'm excited to find myself a road bike and consider doing a triathlon. I didn't realize that the thing that was keeping me from doing one was not that I didn't have any interest, but rather that I didn't know how to swim!

Tomorrow we are driving out to Charleston to have an adventure. Abbey and Blake haven't been there, and I have never arrived there by land. I'll spend the night and take the bus back this way tomorrow. It has been so fun to be here visiting these dear friends. We have been eating like kings, and chatting like schoolgirls. Good times.

Blue Ridge Blues...

I spent yesterday driving south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, through the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. It was a gorgeous drive, though I am LATE. The leaves have mostly fallen. The mountains were still blue, though. I guess that isn't a seasonal phenomenon. Thank goodness. I stopped in Boone, which is supposedly a cool town, but I have to say that November, as a season, doesn't do any visual favors for most parts of eastern USA. It was pretty brown. They have a health food store, though, and whenever I am feeling lost, I can usually find myself, and my way, in one of those purveyors of all things natural. [Sometimes when I am writing, I have to wonder where the words come from. I think, "I didn't know that word was in my vocabulary, and I have no idea if I just used it appropriately". So, my apologies for any inadvertently misused and abused pieces of the English language!] I bought gluten-free ginger bread men, butter, coconut ice cream, rice crackers and chevre. Hormonal cravings sure are bizarre.

I finally made it to Weaverville, NC, outside of Asheville, to the cozy home of my friend and dancing buddy, Becca, and her sweetie, Harrison. They had made me a delicious dinner, but I was so full of gingerbread men that I only had room for tea. (Until later on, when I had lots of room for my ice cream. Funny how that works). I got to sleep in their cozy little casa that is a recently renovated chicken coop! When Becca talked about scooping out the poop and knocking down walls, it reminded me of the creation of the elementary school that I attended. I still remember walking around the dusty stalls of the barn that we later converted to a house of learning. So funny the different lives that buildings can live.

my car is probably being ticketed as I type...

...but, I'm going to take a chance and write a few words. (I started this yesterday)

I am sitting in Malaprops bookstore in Asheville, NC. Malaprop's is a "proper" bookstore with a great little cafe, and a bag-check system. The latter being important for folks like me who seem to find it necessary carry around all of their belongings any time they leave the car for more than 30 seconds. The former quality is only important so there is somewhere to sit. I have found, lately, that café's only really are good for that and free hot water. Everyone I know drinks coffee, and has it available at home, and eating gluten-free and being wary of refined carbs, there isn't really much else for me to partake it. Ok, every once in awhile I indulge in a decaf latté or cappuccino, but this morning I was treated to delicious home-brewed decaf with powdered goat milk. I remember when my mom discovered that Meyenburg stuff and my favorite application of the white powder was to stir it into hot, blackberry-sage tea with a little bit of honey. Yum!

I left Kripalu and Western Mass on a gorgeous, sunny day in the early afternoon. I had considered camping in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and had a vision of pitching my tent and sitting on a picnic table, playing my guitar while the sun went down. I probably would have manifested that part of the vision quite easily, but I wasn't prepared to deal with the country's manifestation of snow the following morning. So, I kept on driving. It was a pretty drive down, though most of the foliage was way past prime.


I made it to Harrisburg, PA late that evening, and it was so good to see Yasmin. I wasn't sure how it would feel since I haven't been in touch lately with her son, my ex-boyfriend, but it was like no time had past. We had fun catching up about all that had happened in the four years since I had seen her last, and then I retired to the coziest bed I had yet encountered on my journey. I have always loved sleeping in beds that are "gemutlich" (a german word that is sort of like cozy, but even better), and this one fit the bill perfectly with its feather quilt and pillows and the addition of my duo of hot water bottles.

The snow had begun by the time I awoke the next morning, and even though the timing was slightly off, with leaves and grass still green, and halloween still ahead, it was delightful to sit around the kitchen table and visit with old friends while the white stuff fell thickly, and the power came and went. I have always enjoyed spending time in families with multiple siblings - there is something about the happy chatter and bickering that occurs in large families that just doesn't in mine. I was in heaven with nothing to do but laugh and chat and drink hot tea, and felt touched that my ex's siblings would take the time to come by and visit.

That evening we ventured out into the wild world of white and had a fantastic dinner at the restaurant where Yasmin's youngest son, Daniel, is a cook. We sat at the "chef's table", which is a rounded counter that butts right up to the kitchen, and got to watch as dinner was prepared. The food was all divine, with plenty of leftovers for the following day. My last day consisted of more visiting, and a beautiful hike in the woods outside of town, catching up with computer work in a cute coffee shop, and a dinner of leftovers in a warm house. The power had finally come back on while we were out and about. I left PA the following morning, and headed south for Virginia!

Book your trip to Kripalu today.

It is as good as you remember, or have imagined if you've never been here. Ever since I got here I have been scheming about all the different reasons I could come up with so I will get to come back soon... family vacation, extended-family reunions, continuing education credits, my 30th birthday, etc. The facility doesn't look like I expected it to, but I am having the most amazing time here. A couple of the highlights include:

~ an amazing spread of healthy foods at every single meal, from which I can choose EXACTLY what I feel like eating. And it's a buffet, so I can always go back for more, or different, or not eat it all, etc. And because there is not a big spread of sweet treats staring me in the face, I can spend my energy tuning into what I really want, instead of resisting the food that doesn't serve me.

~ The books in the shop. OMG. What an awesome collection!!! I have spent a bunch of time in there, using it like a library, and have been in heaven. One book that I found is called Trusting Your Vibes, by Sonia Choquette and it is about exactly that. And super useful.

~ The workshops offered for people who are here for R&R are great, and nice and short so they don't require a lot of commitment, which is great for 9-me. And I don't have to sign up for anything before hand, so I can change my mind at the last minute! It has been great practice in tuning into exactly what I want to do. And giving myself permission not to go to the afternoon yoga class, even though it SEEMS like a good idea.

~ I walked the labyrinth this afternoon in the snow. I found a random pink cosmos flower laying on the ground in the snow outside the entrance and picked it up. When I got to the middle, I saw that many people before me had left blossoms on the altar there. I hadn't known that was the practice, and even if I had, where would i have gotten a flower in the middle of a snow storm? The universe is taking care of me.

I could go on. It has been divine. Tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous and I am planning to leave at lunch time and drive somewhere else. Don't know where yet. Can't really believe I'm willing to have no plan, but I'm clear that's the way I'm supposed to do it. I keep imagining myself at some nice campground with a gorgeous view in the mountains of West Virginia... We'll see.

time

it's already tomorrow,
and even though
it's a day later now than it was when it was yesterday
it feels as early as the clock says it is.

a lovely wedding

I just attended my dear friend Charity's wedding this weekend, and found myself enjoying myself more than I ever had before at a wedding. I was, for some reason, in my element. It wasn't the alcohol (cause I wasn't drinking) or the hot single guys (there weren't any that I hadn't previously dated) or the dancing (I didn't even do much of that). It was the amazing people there. I had the experience of feeling really connected to a bunch of people, gathering to witness a really special occasion, and there was no stuffiness or weird dynamics or superficial conversation. I found I was genuinely delighted to see people, and I think they felt the same way. I got more hugs than I have in a long time, and found myself talking so much that I was the last one with food on my plate, hell, I was the last one at the table with a plate at all. I took so long to eat that they ended up taking my plate away even before I was finished. I felt inspired, and excited and encouraged by the conversations I had that evening.

While talking with my friend Sorcha about my up-coming road trip, I started jumping around in a circle with excitement. I got to know friends' new significant others, and found them interesting and myself not feeling lonely at all. It was a successful weekend all around.