I was not ready for this...

At Chicago Airport: headphones on, leaning against the wall, waiting for my connecting flight... Staring up at the sky - trying not to cry.
I just found out that one of my best friends was denied visa and access back to the US. I'm in shock. Just talked to him while at the airport, it's real... He's not coming back anytime soon. He's my closest guy pal. Most of my fun memories go back to Raj. I'm so sad. I'm sure we will stay in touch and meet somewhere on the globe, but it's not the same. I was expecting to see him next week for another season of laughs and fun nothing's... Now I wait. Knowing that everything happens for a reason but sometimes in the moment it hurts... Good friends are hard to come by; best friends are rare. I guess I'm blessed to have such good friends, even if they are 9 hours away. Headphones on, deep yoga breathing, getting ready to board my flight.

Flying

I'm jetting somewhere in the clouds. Flying makes me happy! This trip, yoga mixed with music and familiar faces. Teaching yoga at an outdoor indie music festival this Labor Day weekend. Heading East where friends and family will meet me for the fun. It's been too long since I've seen my nieces... excited that I get to mix work and family time.
Last night I finally unpacked from Europe, did a quick load of laundry and repacked for outdoor hippie music fun. Not sure what to expect but one thing is sure, I'll try my best to rock a fun weekend... Slumber party with my nieces, yoga, music festival and all. I'm flying high :)

Honestly Me

I find that as I'm getting ready to head back to the US, I'm Sad.  Every time I travel I leave a part of my heart on my journey.  To me traveling is living.  Traveling is loving; loving life and presently loving those whom are in your company.  Traveling keeps me open-minded and connected to the world.  It is important to me to always be a Citizen of the World.  I will continue to make sacrifices in my life in order to make sure that I keep the joy of traveling alive.
My goal is to enjoy life more, work less, save money and travel more - using the gift of yoga as I go.  To work hard 8-9 months a year and then spend my summers traveling and teaching international yoga.  This last year has been a year of non-stop working, sometimes 12 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week.  I was burnt-out.  I never want to go back to that crazy work work work all the time mentality, even if it is doing what I love.  I'm learning that having time to just be is so important.  I'm also realizing that living and working in Southern California is a blessing and a curse.  CA is its own beast.  Beautiful but the pressure to look and be a certain way is exhausting.  I find that working in yoga and fitness I'm expected to be/look a certain way.  I'm a size 4.  In CA a size 4 might as well be a size 10.  I'm constantly working out, watching what I eat, pushing my body too hard.  Every time I travel, I am reminded of how the world is different.  There is not always the pressure to be thin.  When abroad, I work out less, eat whatever I want, take long walks, drink plenty of wine and I always lose weight.  I'm happier.  I do not feel the pressure to look a certain image... I'm just me.  So this time as I pack to head back to LA, I'm going to try my hardest to not care about the CA image.  I'm not going to try and be a size 2 or an XS (extra small-that's the new size now).  I'm just going to be me...

Shopping in Paris

My pockets are empty but my hands are full (of shopping bags)!  As I am ending my holiday in Paris, I had to hit the stores one more time.  Amazing fashion finds are in Paris and London like no other.  I love both cities, especially the shopping.  For some reason, fashion in Europe is better.  The look.  The style.  The sexy/classy vibe.  I love it!  I'm going home with some cool pieces, some trendy, some classy, all super fun.  My friend Stephanie has shown me the best places.  She is a fashion diva - tres chic!  So when in Paris, I recommend shopping at Massimo Dutti and Kookai.  My favorite areas are Chatelet and the shopping on Rue des Rosiers... in my opinion they are the best locations for French fashion.  After 2 days of shopping, I'm beat.  Now trying to sort out how to pack all this back in my little suitcase... hummm - creativity is needed.  I'm so excited to start wearing some of my new looks - yeah to shopping in Paris!
Check out Massimo Dutti
Check out Kookai

The South of France

The French Riviera... a place I've always wanted to visit.  The South of France has been on my travel list for some time.  Finally, the day arrived when I was here.  I've spent the last week on an island off the coast of France.  I'm not lying.  This is a dream.  It's remote.  It's not easy to find.  It's beautiful.  Stunning.  From London it took an entire day to arrive but was well worth the voyage.  I've been staying at a retreat that is not on a road, one has to hike to get to the location.  I thought I might have a heat stroke hiking with my luggage to the resort house, but I finally made it.  Yoga friends met me and it has been a fun time.  From swimming to hiking to cooking to yoga to meditation to even attending a locals birthday party... I have enjoyed my time here.  I find the French to be beautiful people, warm, hospitable, loving, and just really genuine.  I am really grateful.  Living life with locals, laughing with the French (even if I don't understand half of that they are saying!).  It's been a fun journey on the coast.  Now back to Paris...

Green

Lying in the grass while traveling, I feel a connected to all that is, to all that represents the good.  I am grateful.  I find inspiration.  A new poem emerges...

GREEN:
Drawing Me In
Calming My Soul
Connecting to Something Bigger
Foundation of My Being,
I Find Rest.

Soft
Strong
My Quiet Haven

From London to Paris
To Traveling the World,
You Are with Me...

Providing Me Rest
Leading Me Back to Myself. 

Green - Drawing Me In, Calming My Soul, Foundation of My Being, I Find Rest.

London Fun - Olympics Yeah

 London during Olympic festivities has been awesome.  Crowded but amazing.  The city is full of life.  People from all over the world... it's exciting to see so many cultures coming together in one place.   England has done an amazing job of turning the city into this magical place.  The evenings are bursting with life.  From Hype Park to Green Park to The Queen's River Walk... these are must see places for Olympic fun.  I am so happy that I was able to go and meet my good friends from Vienna.  I'm also very fortunate to have worked with the Acro-Yoga Company of London on this trip as well.  I keep meeting so many great people.  My life is truly blessed.  Enjoy the pictures.  Next stop, South of France for a little yoga retreat.  Namaste!  :)

Olympics in London

I'm heading to London today.  Leaving Paris for 4 days at the Olympic Games.  Excited to be in a city where so many cultures are merging.  Meeting with old and new friends from all over the globe in London is sure to be fun.  One of my best friends from Vienna is flying to meet me and I'm staying with some yogi's.  This is sure to be a fun weekend filled with lots of laughter, pub crawling, and maybe even a little yoga.  Going to watch some Olympic games and just let the weekend naturally unfold.  I find that when I travel with an open agenda and no set plans, it always turns out to be better than what I could have put together.  So, to a fun weekend in London... then to the South of France for a yoga retreat.  I am blessed! 

Girls Night Out

Girls Night Out in Paris!  Once a month my friends have a 'girls night out only' rule.  They leave their boyfriends, husbands, babies, dogs, cats (you name it) at home and go out dancing.  High fashion women in beautiful dresses and high heels.  French women know how to look sexy and classy at the same time.  This month my girlfriends and I went to a tres chic club called Bizz-Art.  2 levels.  Dinner on the up and concert, stage, dancing on the first.  The clubs in Paris go until 5am.  This night was no exception.  It started with a live concert (10 of the finest getting up and performing - amazing is an understatement) and then 2 DJ's took over mashing music for us to move to until the early hours of the morning.  The dance-floor was hot and the people were have a good time, classy sexy French style.  If ever in Paris, take at least one night and go out dancing.  There are many popular clubs.  One of my favorite is Bizz-Art... www.bizzartclub.com/

happy birthday to me

Luck am I to celebrate my birthday among friends in France. I arrived here knowing 3 people and had 14 people attend my birthday party. I'm blessed that I have the gift of making friends and connecting all over the globe. And the people I connect with are real/genuine individuals. This year my birthday was celebrated outside a country French home with a big backyard party/BBQ. It was intimate and fun. The lights went out that night but we just lit candles and stayed up eating, drinking, talking, dancing, singing, and laughing till the early hours of the morning. My friends brought out a cake and sang to me in English and in French. Lucky am I to celebrate my birthday among friends in France!

Notre Dame Cathedral

Have you ever been so moved by art that you are speechless?  There are two pieces of art that have brought strong emotion over me.  The Statue of David in Florence, Italy and Notre Dame Mosaics in Paris, France.  With the Statue of David I'm in awh, can not speak... With the Notre Dame stain glass I actually find tears.  This is the only piece of art that has ever cause me to cry.  For my holiday the one thing I wanted to do was take a day and just sit, with no time limit, and admire the beauty and wonder in this work of art.  The colors are breathtaking and the grand nature of the piece makes me feel small.  It is here that I realize how grateful I am to have eyes that can see something much more beautiful and bigger than myself.  This trip, I went and stood... lit a candle, offered up prayers of gratitude and then when tears started to slowly run - I took photos.  I wait until I am moved in the most purest way and then I shoot abstract photos full of color.  Some turned out better than expected...waves of light and color... so happy!  I spent the afternoon just looking in silence.  Allowing myself to be moved from the inside out.  The Notre Dame stain glass is my favorite piece of art in world.  If you have the chance, visit it.  My wish is that even you too will find art that inspires you in such a deep way.