Wanderlust

My family and I are still exchanging photos from May's trip. My aunt was looking for a picture and I was like, "Hey, send me that one."

At the Kingsley Plantation

Also spent more time thinking about how our itinerary could have been better and, now, I'm dreaming about being near a beach again -- as if I'm the only one with beach dreams...

Right now, I'm enjoying watching my zinnias grow. I've been watering them daily since the heat wave hit. Saw a friend post of picture of her garden and she had blooming zinnias. How did she do that? We're in the same region. Called myself planting right after the last frost. 

Comparison really is the thief of joy, isn't it?

Got to do a whole hour of yin yoga today. Now, that was relaxing and enjoyable.

Peanuts

Haven't been on a plane in almost four years and found these peanuts as I readied to put items in my carry on bag. 

One thing is for sure, with the rows being so compact, I don't enjoy being by the window anymore. 

What I did enjoy was spending time with my nephew and his family, including his infant. As I walked my grand nephew around, his little baby breaths blew me away. And I also enjoyed seeing how my nephew has grown... 

Spent first part of vacation in Georgia then spent time in Jacksonville. My suitcase weighed about 24 pounds and was mostly comprised of tank tops. The weather looked like it was going to be warm but it was cooler and perfect for walking but I almost thought about buying an extra short-sleeved shirt.

Went to see Kingsley Plantation and the palm trees and water are beautiful but I definitely thought about the people who were enslaved and the horrors that they endured.

From Kingsley Plantation, we headed to Fernandina Beach to get a glimpse of the water. Seeing the water and feeling the breeze was magical and I wish that our trip had been organized a bit differently but that's definitely hard to do with four people involved. 

Honestly,  all I wanted was to pull up a chair, listen to the water and watch the waves and repeat the watching and listening the next day.

To This Point

Retreat Center Library

There was a retreat built-in to yoga teacher training and that happened this past weekend. There was the usual gnashing of teeth over what to pack. Along with regular stuff, my packing gear had to include a yoga mat, books and blocks.

For quite a while, I actually spaced out on the fact I would need to take a day off because I wouldn't be going to the studio on Friday but three hours away. 

Also knew right off the bat that it wouldn't be a retreat/retreat because we would still be engaged in teacher training activities.

What's the point of a retreat that's not a retreat? Bonding activity? I was also a little nervous about who I was going to room with. Stacy told us to see whose habits were similar and figure it out...

Three people volunteered to drive and we met near the yoga studio and set off for our destination that ultimately led us to a red dirt road. 

Our training days were longer since we had an abbreviated day on Sunday. We left at 3:45 p.m. and we normally get out at 7. 

It was a beautiful space that we trained and practiced in but it still felt weird to be in a different space for training. 

I worried about food and thought one of the employees, Michael, exaggerated when he talked about Naomi and Yumi's cooking skills. Michael did not lie. The food was super and even though the WiFi was weak, there were no TVs and the well water was cold, I wanted to stay -- just for the food.

I was not crazy about the thin walls and the claustrophobic dorm rooms. We had to keep the doors closed because of the heating system and about three people got hot showers over 2.5 days. One of the yoga teachers told me about some cold shower theory...

The trainees were given the task of conducting a restorative yoga class -- relay-style; Stacy commented that it felt like a seamless class and that her back even relaxed. We also practiced a Sun Salutation A blindfolded to experience withdrawal of the senses. It totally makes you slow down and be more thoughtful.

My view -- after I moved away from heat source. 

I was surprised to find out that one of my yoga mates has five cats. I quickly messaged (when I reached the dining hall) my former coworker who just adopted her fourth cat. Another yoga mate has four dogs. When I encounter such animal lovers, it always makes me think of my friend Lori who rescued many animals and it also makes me think of that person's compassion.

Retreat Center Cat

Overall, it was a good experience. We learned a lot and we learned more about each other and, together, we most certainly had a Snack Empire. My favorite snacks came from Kakao. One of my yoga peep's husband had given her treats to share with friends. She said it's something that he doesn't usually do and it was an olive branch of sorts. Either way, I'm glad that he did...

I am officially at the halfway mark of yoga teacher training. Wasn't so sure that I would make it to this point.

The Trip

When I return from a trip, I like to review the travel information that I gathered just to see how everything aligned.

Probably could have traveled or gone about things in a more logical way but it was also fun to stumble upon stuff...

Went to the library when I returned from vacation to get cooking magazines and the Bon Appetit was interesting because of a little travel advice column:

If you're traveling with a group, split up the work, and play to everyone's strengths. Put your hyper-organized travel mate in charge of compiling flight info and Airbnb addresses. Ask your fashion friend to find the best local boutiques. If your food obsessed, reservations are on you.

Also:

Schedule Alone Time 

As an introvert masquerading as an extrovert, I love to plan vacations with other people, then promptly find ways to escape. This doesn't always go over well with my companions, but over the years I've learned how to do it gracefully and with intention.
Even if you claim to never tire of your best friend's shopping habit or your boyfriend's slothlike pace...

I don't see myself as hyper-organized but I do have some aspects of that personality...


Cannot believe that it was two weeks ago that I set off for the Las Vegas. Here are my favorite pictures from the trip.

Chiquita in one of the chapels at Caesar's Palace.

My intention was to capture the skyline but also got the couple.

Hoover Dam

Yellow, Hoover Dam

Las Vegas Antics

Since we were getting into Las Vegas  at 6:30 a.m. and couldn't check in until the afternoon, I thought that Monday would be a good day to go to the Grand Canyon but my cousin had already gone and my aunt didn't seem very enthusiastic about going and that's when I switched to Valley of Fire State Park for our first outing. I was also encouraged by a fellow yogi who told me she'd gone to the state park and enjoyed it more -- especially since it was more affordable etc. My cousin wasn't convinced about going to the state park but, luckily, she slept for most of the ride and was fairly impressed once we found our way deep into the park...

Since my cousin had never been to Vegas, we went to look at the Bellagio and Ceasar's Palace the next day. For some reason, the Fountains of Bellagio were not cooperating and we also got "lost" in  C's Palace and I’m sure it’s designed that way on purpose. Realized during this trip that the hotels are really hotels with shopping malls attached. I have to say that the fake skies in the hotels/malls are impressive though.

Fake Sky

Ventured out on my own for breakfast to a nearby neighborhood and had a very delicious meal plus saw a stunning building, The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The building alone was worth the trek.

Brain Center from a Distance

Brain Center

While my aunt attended a conference, my cousin and I ventured out to see the Hoover Dam and all I could think was What an amazing planet we live on.

My traveling companions are veteran shoppers and enjoyed going to the outlet malls. We hit Fremont Street and finally saw the Fountains of Bellagio in action; the area was packed so I let my companions out and by the time I parked, met them and walked back, I think we saw a total of five fountain shows. I accumulated 19,000 steps on this day.

Went to visit my uncle's half-brother, Sam, who has lived in Vegas for over 20 years; we should have gone to see him first because he had all of these recommendations for food. I try to keep in mind what Rick Steves says about Europe -- Behave as if you're coming back and try not to fit everything into one trip but, of course, sometimes you really don't get back to a destination for a long time. Sam's wife is patiently waiting for her son to go to college. It's my turn now. She's from the Philippines and can't wait to spend the majority of her time there.

Before we knew it, the time had come for us to pack and get ready for our crack of dawn flight. It was a 5:50 a.m. non-stop journey. Flying non-stop is nice. Waking up at 3:00 a.m. -- not so much. My aunt left on a later plane that got delayed significantly so leaving on the first flight out had its advantages.

I did Las Vegas my way -- state parks, non-chain restaurants and spending time on the pool deck reading while eating cold oranges. Think that my favorite outing was to the state park. Read a recent Instagram post about Las Vegas being anything but subtle. Well, nature's construction in Valley of Fire is not subtle either. I loved the silence, scenery and the adventure of it all.

Once I got home, missed my roommates and was ready to travel again but I didn't have too much time to give into that feeling since I  had to jump into weekend two of yoga teacher training. The other feeling that I love about vacation is when you lose track of time and can't tell Monday from Wednesday -- that's when you know you're really relaxed.

Somewhere

When I traveled to Jamaica in February,  my aunt D was bummed that we didn’t wait until her spring break so I told her that I would go somewhere with her and her choice of “somewhere” was Las Vegas.

It’s kind of funny because she doesn’t strike me as a Vegas kind of person but here we are again and we arrived via a nonstop flight that required me to get up at 3:00 a.m. I don’t sleep much before I fly so it worked out and, to my surprise, the plane was packed.

My cousin C, who also came along, scared the daylights out of me because she suddenly didn’t feel well and I thought I might have to signal a flight attendant. It’s very scary, though, to be in the air and  someone is not feeling well because it’s not like you can call urgent care but, if you luck out, there might be a nurse or doctor on board... Somehow, I remained calm and I tried my best to pour supportive and healing energy into my cousin. Thank God, she’s feeling better...

Since we arrived in Vegas so early, we went to Valley of Fire State Park. The signage is not the best and I struggled to find it even with a GPS. There are not many exits around that area and it cost me eleven miles but a gas station clerk directed me to where I needed to go.

I am proud of myself for not giving up or getting frustrated and it turned out to be a very nice, “off the grid” experience.

Rams. Wish that I had rolled the window down...

Unpacking

I'm back.

You never miss the beauty of Jamaica until you get back. Everything looks dull here. I miss how brightly the sun shines, the Caribbean Sea and the wide variety of fruit.

Kept thinking that I should have taken the rest of the week off but I'm also trying to watch my PTO days so I returned to work. As my aunt Debbie said You can do it (Thursday and Friday)...

On another note, I'm embarrassed to say that I did not know that there is a state of emergency in Jamaica. Found this out from one of the shop owners who bemoaned the fact that the lawbreakers were making it difficult for law-abiding citizens.

I do remember being on the yoga retreat and we kind of chuckled at being driven to a destination about five minutes away and our driver told us that it wasn't good to be walking on dark roads at night and that Negril is a different town in the p.m...

I unpacked my suitcase yesterday, an unprecedented occurrence. Normally, it takes me forever. Maybe it was because I packed so efficiently. There were only a few items that I didn't use. Think that I need to go on way more trips in order to hone my packing skills, yup.

I have also been unpacking my body. Went to yoga yesterday and got such a treat. One yogi also plays singing bowls and she gave me a brief primer and let me play her bowls. It was unbelievable how relaxing it was listening to the bowls for just a few minutes.

Went to yoga again today as I try to stay in the right frame of mind.

Intercepted

I have over 16,000 steps on my fitness tracker and that means one thing -- that David, the unofficial tour guide, intercepted me again. I'm so naive because I didn't expect to see him again and certainly didn't expect for him to attach himself to me again.

David

I made an easy target as he knew that I would probably exercise. At any rate, he showed me a few more points of interests, including the Marcus Garvey statue and the part of the beach where fisherman hangout. When I asked David if the fisherman were going to get ticked off because I was taking pictures in their territory, he said "no" and that he wouldn't bring me if that were the case then "My life over yours first..."

Fisherman's Beach

My aunt has been craving hotdogs and pizza so I found a restaurant that worked for all us as I am content to eat my weight in jerk chicken and yams right now. My aunt ordered a cheeseburger and before she finished, she burped solidly which made me laugh like a kid. I told her that in some cultures burping is considered a compliment to the chef.

Payoff

Went on a tour of the Crydoyn Plantation and our tour guide was hilarious, well-informed and just really good. He told us that our driver was competent but we might attempt to change his name to, say, Jesus as we went up the road towards the mountainous area.

I don't like roller coasters so I'm not sure why I like going near the mountains in Jamaica but I'm thinking that it's the payoff of the view.

I loved learning more about coffee, bees and pineapple.

Most of the people on our tour bus are from Canada and not fans of their Prime Minister. We all agreed that most people have a choice between the lesser of two evils.

I have to say that I am, again, impressed with how knowledgeable Jamaicans are. Someone asked our guide about hurricanes and he went on to take about why Haiti gets walloped so often. I know about the deforestation in Haiti but I didn't think about the increased temperatures, because of deforestation, attracting hurricanes.

I am also impressed by how Jamaicans, unabashedly, ask for what they want -- like a tip for doing a job well done.

During our tour, the guide asked us to take two or three sips of our mountain coffee before adding milk and sugar and it was not bad at all.

Also, today is Jamaica Day. When I saw these girls walking arm-in-arm, I thought about the 'Fugee who reminisces about this way of walking in her homeland.

Standoff on narrow road. Our driver had to reverse.

Since it is Jamaica Day and I visited a plantation, I have to say that it was sobering hearing about the mortality rate of slaves during today's orientation; think of 20 as "old age."

Someone Had To Do It

My goal, for a year and a half, has been to get my mom and aunt back to Jamaica where they first visited in 1979. They kept finding excuses not to go, including my aunt trying to budget for a new car -- a very valid reason but if you wait for some exquisite, perfect time -- it's not going to happen.

I also did not want the duo to travel alone because they both have health issues, including bad knees. I wanted to, at least, provide the muscle and, so,
I am in Jamaica again, I think, for the fifth time. I prefer Negril but my mom and aunt prefer Montego Bay.

While traveling I realized, again, how much stamina it requires and that you also have to brace yourself for the stress of air travel; it's almost a throwaway day.

I also learned about a Category Three Landing and I'm glad that I didn't have all the details about that one.

The Journey Back

5 a.m.Goodbye View of the Sea

As my time in Croatia came to a close, I tried to concentrate on all of fun that I'd had but, inevitably, I got sad and wondered if I should have stayed longer.

Kept thinking that it was time to return to my regular life but that's not an accurate adjective because the trip was part of my regular life but, of course, vacation life is not the usual day-to-day grind.

I should be all kinds of grateful that I have a job that will let me take more than three weeks off, that I had enough stamina for such an awesome adventure and that my travel guide, the 'Fugee, planned such an adventure.

The 'Fugee's childhood friend, A, was super sweet when she asked what time "we" had to get up. We had to get up at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday in order to make it to the airport. A set her alarm clock way before I set mine. Also, the landlord was covering airport duty and said that if she wasn't up, which was highly unlikely, to wake her up. I was covered on all fronts...

The airport in Munich was super-confusing and I had such a urge to go with the crowd when we got off the shuttle bus but knew that I was supposed to be at a different terminal. The set-up was a confusing and I finally asked one of the passport control folks. It was like a maze when I got to the other terminal. This guy, traveling with his young child, was also trying to find his gate when I said to him that the airport was perplexing, he said that most airports in Europe are confusing.

I expected something different out of a German airport but oh well...

The plane, unlike the one coming from America, was huge. Three sections with four seats in the middle and two seats on each side of the middle section. I was in the middle and didn't move nearly as much as I should have.

I was knocked out from Split to Munich and kept losing control of my head on the Munich flight too. Woke up at one point and everybody had ice cream, LOL.

When we finally landed my feet felt numb and the numbness, together with my mild plantar fasciitis, made for an interesting task as far as getting my feet going. I can also see how people get in trouble with deep vein thrombosis. Someone else also mentioned that their feet felt numb...

This woman in front of me told two airport workers that her flight was scheduled to leave in about 20 minutes. Thought she might have been on my flight because I had the same issue. The workers shrugged and said That's just the way it is...

The walking time to my terminal was 15 minutes so I caught a shuttle but when I got to my gate no one else was there. This woman across the way spotted me and scanned my boarding pass. I was so grateful because I did not want to delay my marathon journey...

Got up this morning and 6:00 a.m. and the tears started rolling not too long after that. It wasn't an ugly cry but...

Went to yoga despite feeling like I needed a nap because my body is tight as hell. Thought about how the tourist agent in Omis said that there used to be one person who did yoga but people were looking for more of a workout and she started doing Pilates.

In The States, it's a yoga studio on almost every corner but it worked for me to do a little chair yoga while on vacation.

During this morning's class, Annie talked about staying in the present moment which was definitely a hard thing to do as my mind kept wandering back to Europe...

Best Thing About Munich...

Seven Kuna

The 'Fugee's friend that was supposed to come with us had scheduled vacation time but was needed at work because of her unique skills etc. The 'Fugee sent her some pictures and told her that we were thinking about her... She told the 'Fugee that God had given this "time" to us and we should enjoy it.

If I had my way, I would have enjoyment for the masses...

I can't even remember what all the 'Fugee and I did before we headed off to Split the other night. What I do remember is that our bus driver drove like an aggressive bat out of hell. The third time that I mentioned this to the 'Fugee she told me what they used to say about such people -- He drives as if he has potatoes on his bus -- not people.

Split, wow, a lot of people in the Port of Split. Lots of people. Performers on the program and street performers trying to earn a kuna. Stunning architecture, lots of places to ear but too many people for me.

Port of Split

When I saw how much it cost to travel from Split to Austria, I had a moment of regret that traveling abroad never got on my radar when I was younger. The only person that I knew who'd gone abroad was an uncle who went to Germany because he was in the military.

At any rate, I've had a great trip and I'm not going to let "could have beens" diminish that fact...

Theatre, Split

Drama about what happened to people in Vukovar.

I had a superb juice of apple, pineapple, mint and something else and, of course, I had to use the bathroom not too long after that. I don't understand the scarcity of toilets -- especially in Split with the mass of humanity that visits. Eventually found a toilet and paid seven kuna then my iPod fell into said toilet. It came back on but there are issues...

We caught public transportation back home and the 'Fugee asked two young ladies a question and when she said thanks, they responded simultaneously in a singsong voice "Nista..."

The line to get on the bus was long and a single file line? Forget it. Personal space? Forget it. Air conditioner? Forget it.

This bus driver also took hairpin turns at an impressive speed. When we got off the bus, the 'Fugee asked me to slow down. "I'm walking as if I have doll's feet" she said.

Not Right

The 'Fugee and I made our way from Sarajevo to Mostar. For some reason, I don't mind traveling by bus here -- maybe it's the scenery. I was surprised, though, when we stopped by a school and about 20 students hopped on. Personal space? What personal space? Passengers sat on the steps or on luggage. I had to share my arm rest with the woman who sat on the luggage. When it came time for her to get off the bus, she called the driver a name but I never called her name for coughing all over me, ugh, cover your mouth...

Passing through Jablanica

Let me back up a bit.

The driver was a little miffed with all of us who arrived with mere minutes to spare. You all show up at the last minute then get mad when the bus leaves without you. 

The customer is not always right in the Balkans. In fact, the customer is not right.

Even the bridge (Stari Most) jumpers get miffed when they don't collect what they think they should collect. I feel like they shouldn't assume that no tourists speak their language but I also think that they don't care about same language speakers especially when those speakers are from the diaspora. In the Balkans, you're damned if you stayed and damned if you didn't...

Jumping for KM or Euros

One of the 'Fugee's friends wanted to know how we were surviving on the hottest day in Europe. We fared reasonably well by staying by the Neretva River, taking a brief tour of a Turkish bath and thinking cool thoughts -- for the most part...

Stari Most Bridge, Mostar

Hamming it up in the Turkish Bath Museum.