My Mothership: Yoga And Detox
This trip has offered much variety from transition to service to exploration. Now I reach my Mothership of this trip, yoga and detoxing. This couldn’t come at a better time post sickness. I have practiced yoga in each country I have visited but it was not with the same consistency that I have been used […]
Food For Thought, Literally!
I eat to live. Since I enjoy living a healthy life, I eat healthy to live healthy. For me being health conscious is just living mindfully which helps me be more clear and balanced, not only physically but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Thus, I am a conscious eater which some might coin as “picky.” I […]
Surrendering To The Pause
What you can experience in just a night in Bangkok! Before you read any further I had a very “PG” experience with the exception that we accidentally booked our hotel in what turned out to be one of the red light districts. That is as Hangover 2 as it gets folks. I was blessed to […]
Siem Reap And The Flow Of Life
The visit to Siem Reap started as an auspicious day. Currently, this is a special time in Cambodia as the Pagodas (Buddhists Temples) are celebrating Pchum Ben (Ancestors Day). This is a period during the year where for many days the people of Cambodia pay their respects to their deceased relatives for the past 7 […]
Last Day At Joy Daycare Center
I started to miss the kids already a couple of days prior to my final day. I knew this was just a 2 week placement but still found myself growing attached to these beautiful souls. In such a short time we have grown to understand one another. Although we barely speak a common language, there […]
Raw, Real, And The Universal Language
What makes a place sacred? Spiritual? A few posts ago I mentioned that Cambodia is not considered one of the more spiritual places in the world. On the surface with the corruption, lack of structure, haggling, etc, yes, it doesn’t scream of that which is spiritual and sacred. But I was forced to take a […]
Giving Of Gifts Or Service?
Cambodians are a very interesting bunch and to fully experience this a trip to a market or two is needed. It is one thing to do this on your own but another as you go with a Cambodian for a specific reason; to help those truly less fortune in a country where everyone is in […]
Name That Itch!
After spending the last 3 years of my life cold, I am definitely getting what I asked for on this trip, HEAT. A way of staying cool in the Cambodian heat is the use of the oscillating fan. Yes, it keeps you somewhat cool but often times I find it drying out my contacts or […]
Full or Am I?
Last night our host family cooked us a Korean style barbecue. It was similar to fondue in that you have all these items from vegetables to fish and meat all cooked on a grill in front of you then dipped in an amazing soy based sauce. To top the night off we finished with fresh […]
Beauty Within The Chaos
As I reflect on my first week in Cambodia and even my time since I left New Zealand, a common thread of thought has been woven through each day, where is my peaceful oasis? I have grown an even deeper appreciation for the land of New Zealand; the luscious bush country, the clean air, and […]
And My Heart Broke Wide Open
My heart completely opened today. I jumped back in with the 2 year olds to give them some consistency and also to step up to what I was feeling like a challenge. Today improved from yesterday as I implemented what I like to call “creative expansion time.” At least that is what I called in […]
How Can I Reach These Kids?
Today began the volunteer work in Cambodia. It was an eye opening day and one that had me feeling many emotions. Here’s some background before I go any further…. Volunteer Placement: Joy Day Care, Phenom Penh, Cambodia Children: Ages 2-7 Description: 30-40 Children from 2 dumps (landfills) just outside the city of Phenom Penh who […]
All In The First Day Including A Fried Bird….
Our first day in Cambodia started with embracing a moon cake for breakfast as a celebration for the Moon Festival, a day adopted from the Chinese once a year to honor the full moon. We furthered the celebration in the evening with more offerings and lighting special ornaments. Somehow on my first morning I found […]
With Cambodia I Begin To Listen
A common question about this transition is “what next?” I was recently told a good quote from my husband as he read the book Quantum Warrior. The author discusses his 2-3 year sabbatical to contemplate his career and how he had no other plans but to listen because in taking time to listen we find […]
Holy Tourist!!!!
Back in the saddle again of traveling…. My first day brought many realizations, such as I no longer live in NZ, I no longer have a home, and that my life will not have it’s usual daily schedule of “to-do’s.” This sent me in some what of a spin I must say. I am one […]
Because I knew You
As a traveler, and in life, you never know what door you might walk through or what turn you take that could change your life. In 2009, for just purely wanting to practice yoga in a hot room to be rescued from cold, windy Wellington, I walked into Hot Yoga New Zealand. It is 3 […]
A Time Of Transition
Welcome To Transition Central! I have been living in New Zealand for over 3 years and after a lot of soul searching, I (along with my husband, Garnett) have decided to relocate back to the USA. Why leave such a beautiful country that most consider to be Mother Nature’s Playground? Good question. In February, it […]
1 Year Since Leaving the US
I can’t believe it has been one year since I have arrived in Wellington, New Zealand. This goes to show how fast one year goes by. I left July 14, 2009 saying that Garnett and I would return in a year and, obviously, this is not the case. It took a full 6 months to […]
A Kiwi Christmas
Merry Christmas! This year Christmas has definitely felt different but in some ways it has felt the same. We have been very blessed to have made great friends in New Zealand who have included us in the traditional Kiwi BBQ’s and invited us to family Christmas celebrations. So, we have felt like we have been […]
Buying a Car in Another Country
The Mission: We are in the process of buying a car. Our goal is to have one in 6 days….by the time my mom gets here, which by the way I am very excited about but is another story within itself, family here in Wellington, yesssss! So, is it smart to in a time crunch […]