Road Trip

Driving all over Europe!
Listening to music. Singing loud, very loud, in a little red BMW.
Katie and Rajko's adventures continue...
As if driving from Budapest to Vienna to Serbia was not enough - today we leave for yet another trip. A drive to Athens. The road to Greece will take us through Montenegro and Macedonia. The venture will be long. Yet, with people who love to laugh... the journey will be fun. It's a 7 hour drive to the boarder. Stopping at the coast (I am dying to see water again). This beach girl misses the ocean! Then another 7 hour ride in to Athens. A city with so much history. This will not be my first time in the country of Greece but it will be my first stop in the city named after the Greek god Athina. I'm excited to see the ruins/sites.

So what will be in store these next few days? What can I expect?
More boarder crossings and check points, passport stamps, hot hot weather, and a lot of i-pod tunes.

6 people. 2 cars. 14 hours.
Driving all over Europe!
Stay posted. More is to come on our road trip...

The Mladenovic House

Turkish coffee has been my life line. Yes, I am addicted to coffee! Hate it, but I do not deny it.

My day goes a little something like this: Wake up. Drink Turkish coffee. Quiet/Meditation time. Skype with Madre! Work. Eat. Laugh. Rest. Layout. Yoga. Eat. Laugh again. Rest. Read. Walk. Go into the city. Laugh some more. Watch Glee until I fall asleep... a typical day at Rajko's house. :-)

So, while staying with my Serbian friend Rajko over the last 3 days I have had the chance to finally rest. All the work from the major move and then jetlag... thank goodness I had this amazing place to relax. It is the only home in the main downtown of Pozarevac. Yet the house feels like it's a retreat away from the rest of the world. Here I have been able to sleep, do yoga, relax, and watch that bloody TV show Glee that Rajko has just gotten me hooked on... It's been so nice.

The Mladenovic family owns a restaurant, called Duce, in town and the food we eat is amazing! I can not count how many fresh tomatoes I inhale every day... so yummy.
The mom (Bozana) and dad (Radomir) are hard-working. They are also very funny. The pictures I've uploaded are from the house and the Duce Restaurant.
The Mladenovic house has so much history.
The Mladenovic house is rather large and very beautiful.

yoga - 1

I love Yoga.
In its purest form, it brings calm and peace to the mind and body.

No matter where I go (from Africa to Europe to South America), yoga is something that I can always take with me.
I am grateful for my yoga training. Gratitude, complete gratitude, for the fact that I get to teach yoga. Not only have I seen such positive changes in my life but I have seen it help others. It is a gift. Yoga is something I wish everyone could experience.
From headstands to back-bends to meditation... I love yoga!!!

I was reminded today how good this exercise is for the body.
As I was holding a headstand it was incredibly energizing. It's like a free cup of coffee! You feel so good.

Only in yoga do I feel energized and relaxed at the same time.
My mind clears, I focus on the breathing, my body flows from pose to pose and I find myself going zen. Vinyasa Flow is my favorite style of yoga. I can go at it for hours and get lost in the flow of the movements. Today I did a session and then took a night hike. The picture is me, in headstand at the top of a hill in Serbia. I have on a hoodie so it's hard to see my face :-)

Tomorrow I get to work with more people using yoga.
I love Yoga!
In its purest form, it brings calm and peace to the mind and body...

Slovakia Top 10

The drive from Austria to Serbia was LONG!
Left at 11am and arrived at 1am.
It included stops in Slovakia and Hungary.
Yes, a random stop in Bratislava, Slovakia for lunch.
That's the fun part of traveling, the journey leads to incredible sights.


Slovakia Top 10 List:
10 - It is a 50 minute drive from Vienna.
9 - You only need one day... maybe just an afternoon
8 - Another city with the Danube flowing through it
7 - The people thought I was a local... ummm, seriously!?!
6 - Many churches, many
5 - All the homes have this orange-ish color for rooftops
4 - Yet another city with the H&M clothing store on every corner
3 - Bratislava is a small city with an amazing castle
2 - Beautiful country with mountains, rolling hills, a river, etc
1 - It's about the castle, walking to the top, eating at cafe overlooking the city :)

The road trip continued from Bratislava to Budapest.
3rd time at the airport in Hungary!!! I was beginning to make friends there.
I had a lost bag. It finally arrived. Thank goodness.
After the bag was in my possession, the 5 hour venture to Serbia was underway.
Crossing 2 boarder check points with 2 new passport stamps. This is heaven for a girl who loves to travel. Every time I get a new passport stamp, I smile.

Now I am in Pozarevac, Serbia.
Serbians are friendly and have greeted me with open arms.
I was so tired with a serious case of jet lag that I slept 12 hours yesterday. I woke up at 2pm!!! Finally feeling rested.
Today I am teaching my first yoga class. Excited :-)

31 in Vienna

Today I am in Vienna.
Today I turn 31!

Last night Rajko and I drove from Budapest to Vienna. It was an adventure!
When we arrived in the city, I dropped my bags off at the apartment and then we met up with friends for dinner. It was a fun reunion. 5 people, all from different countries... America, Austria, Germany, Serbia, Sweden. A tennis team reunion from my former days with I worked at the University.

This morning I woke up to messages from friends and loved ones.
Thank God for Skype, internet, Facebook, and text!!!
Even though I am miles away I feel loved :-) I am happy.

As I sit at Starbucks, getting ready to have a Skype date with my Madre and eat a big piece of chocolate cake... I am ready to go out into the city.

Vienna is a special place. This Starbucks is right next to my apartment. This Starbucks is where I sat 4 summers ago with one of my students on our study abroad trip. We had walked the city all day and it was the only coffee shop we could find open one night. The Starbucks was huge... not like in America. Nice leather couches, and an upstairs. As a professor, I remember sitting here and talking about life, etc. with this girl and now to have it be my local coffee spot is special. The world has a way of bringing things back into your life...

So today on my big 31, crazy 31, I am going to explore and do the very favorite things I love about this city. Go to the market, walk around, see the beautiful sites. Tonight my friends are taking me out for drinks. I feel lucky. I feel blessed.
Happy Birthday to Me :-)
Thank you for all the love and birthday wishes my friends. Thank you for being a part of my life. Much Love :)

Budapest Top 10

When traveling to a new city I always like to do a Top 10 List.

It's a funny and true take on my view of the city. Kind of like the David Letterman Top 10 but Katie Bond style. I've been doing these lists ever since I've started traveling and keeping them in my travel journal. I think my favorite list is the one I made when I went to Kenya...
As I leave the city of Budapest, here are the highlights that come to mind.
Budapest Top 10:

10 - Did you know it's the bookstore capital of Europe?
9 - The city has sooooo many bridges
8 - Buda and Pest, were two towns that started dating, forming the city of Budapest
7 - There is a McDonalds on every corner
6 - It's impossible to turn left when driving!
5 - The city is green, green, green... so many trees
4 - It's so clean you could eat off the streets, but I recommend you do not
3 - The people are friendly, but don't even try to understand the language :)
2 - Look both ways before you cross the street!!! I'm speaking from experience.
1 - If you have spare time, the Danube river cruise is cool, really Cool... take a blanket!!!

Budapest

Buda and Pest = Budapest
2 beautiful cities connected by the Danube.

After 30 hours of traveling, I have landed in Europe.
Destination Hungary.
City - Budapest... a beautiful place to explore.
The sites remind me of a combination of Vienna meets Prague. It's lovely.

I do recommend that you look both ways before crossing the street.
Today I was almost hit. My friend has laughed about it alllll day and made me put it in the blog. Said it was one of the funniest things he's ever seen. What's so funny about a car almost taking off my right leg!

The day was filled with laughs, seeing news sites, and drinking a lot of coffee!
Took a river cruise, walked around the city, and then jet lag hit.
If you ever get a chance to visit this city, do it.
The people are friendly. The food is good. The sites are beautiful.

Sitting in London

I’m sitting in London looking out at the melancholy sky.

My eyes are so heavy I can barely keep them open.

Tired, with only 3 more hours until I board my final flight into Budapest.

The journey to this point has been comical and at times frustrating.
Oh the joys of international flying; yet even with the headaches - I still love traveling.

On my last day in the US friends look me out for a final Mexican feast/birthday send off. We ate at this amazing place in Long Beach and then headed to LAX.

Since I am moving, I’m traveling with so much more than I am comfortable packing. Usually my bags are small/light… not this trip! I’m packing almost 100 pounds in my two carry on bags! It’s pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. Getting them to let me take both bags on the plane was an effort. It took 3 tries and the 3^rd time was a charm. However, in the process I got my fingernail almost ripped off. I’m serious. Go ahead, take a look at the 4^th fingernail on your right hand, now imagine it getting torn halfway back… Painful. That is how I started my venture.

It gets even better… my flight leaving LA was delayed. Since I’m using my miles to fly for free I’m stopping in Dallas, then London, then Budapest. When we landed in Dallas, I had 15 minutes to get to my gate. They held the plane and let me out first. I’m running as fast as I can (w heavy carry-on’s) through the airport to catch the tram to the next terminal. I get on the tram with 10 minutes to spare and the tram breaks down! Needless to say, I missed my flight but was connected on a flight leaving one hour later. Once I arrived in London, I had to go through the check in process again…this time a grumpy lady took my carry on bag with all my breakables and checked it. I do not like her!

I missed my flight out of London and have to wait here at the airport for 6 hours. I have read a book, walked around, been so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, and I sat in chocolate so it looks like I shit my pants! Yes, I could not make this up if I tried. So, I did what any normal girl would do; I went shopping and grabbed a coffee. :) Feeling better. Looking forward to getting out of airports soon.

Been trying to get a hold of my friend who is driving from Serbia to Budapest to pick me up but can’t reach him. He’s going to be waiting 7 hours. Oy vey!

When life hands you lemons, sometimes it’s best to add vodka!

auf Wiedersehen Laguna Beach

The day has arrived... house is packed, everything in storage.
Even my cat, Mother Teresa, has found a new place to stay.
I'm moving to Europe.
I can't believe it. I'm actually doing this. Yes, it is happening!

I will be traveling for one month and then landing in Vienna.
The journey looks a little something like this:
fly into Budapest
drive to Vienna, drop off my bags
celebrate my 31st birthday (July 26)
drive to Serbia with friend Rajko
take a road-trip all the way to Athens
bus my way to the coast of Croatia and stay with yoga friend Ana
train-ride to Graz and into Vienna, Austria.
Once back in Wein, I hope to see my friends in Europe as much as I can taking weekend trips to various places like Germany, Spain, Ireland, England, France, Italy...

I have to finish packing...
Turn in my Mini Cooper
And a short list of other last minute items.
Today is busy. Today is bittersweet.
Today is my last day in Laguna Beach.
A city I have come to love...

Over the last days I have been able to spend time with friends and loved ones.
It has been wonderful and I am grateful to the people who make my life full.
I have a sense of peace and at the same time excitement.
Let the new journey begin.
I'm moving to Europe.
I can't believe it. I'm actually doing this. Yes, it is happening!

Surprise Party

Two nights ago I walked into my clients home for dinner. Two nights ago little did I know the surprise that awaited me.

As I entered Lonnie and Cindy's home I was asked to meet their son who was taking a semester to study abroad in Prague. And then from his bedroom, 20 of my friends popped out! What?! I was so surprised. Did not see this one coming. Literally had no idea. FUN.

The evening was filled with friends, food, and great conversations. A relaxing night with people that hold sweet spots in my life... from spin people, to yoga people, to neighbors. It was a time I will never forget as this was the first surprise party ever thrown for me. :-)

I can not describe how grateful I am for the people who make my life so rich and meaningful.
Life is meant to be shared with others.

Two nights ago I went to my first surprise party.
Two nights ago I was surrounded by community...

The Road To New Beginnings

"Life is a work of art in progress made up of beginnings and endings that run together..."

As I opened my Daily Om meditation book this morning, that was the first sentence. I was sitting on the beach patio - 6 days before I start a new season in my life - and all I could think of was 'Yes, that is So True!'

I have a never ending to-do list running through my mind.
Yet, at the same time I am calm and feel peaceful.
I'm learning to enjoy the moment. Embrace emotions.
Take as many mental pictures as I can.

Last night was my final spin class in Laguna Beach.
Today is the last yoga class at California State Univ. Fullerton.

I'm getting excited and find myself smiling when I think of the future.

My life is a canvas; a work of art in progress...

7 days till Europe

One week from today, I board a plane to Europe.
Destination Budapest.
3 week road-trip with my Serbian best friend. The plan is to not have a plan.

I have also decided to stay in Europe and land in Vienna.
Will be teaching, working in fair trade, and always Yoga!

I'm leaving the beautiful ocean view patio of Laguna Beach and saying yes to a grand adventure.
Jumping and finding my wings on the way down.

Am I scared? You bet!
Do I ask myself if I'm crazy... every day!

However, I have this desire to see the world, live in it, breath in the new sites and sounds.

7 days until the journey begins. 7 days...