When Two Gypsies Collide

 They climb Red Rocks to a magical spot for prayer tie creation.

They request to go up the mountain a day early. The Universe says yes. They go. They pick the only two spots without any shade. They fast. They bleed. They meet the Grandmother. They reunite. They watch the sun rise. They shed tears to the pounding of the sacred drum inside the Shaman's Cave. They become soul sisters.

They take the road less traveled by. The crows become their guides and the hawks their protectors.

 

They ask trees permission before climbing them.

Sometimes they say no (in that case they get hugs and lots of lovin!).

And sometimes they say yes.

They climb into the womb of Mother Earth.

They find their way to the Edge....

...and decide to stay for a bit.

They listen to answers blowing in the wind.

They find joy in existing.

 They let the waters move them.

They discover hidden beaches...

...and hidden coves...

...and find solace in both.

They ask the Universe for what they desire and later stumble upon it in the woods.

And when it's time to go, they take one last picture together, hold each other tight, exchange words of love, and head opposite ways knowing full well that their paths will one day cross again...and it will be beautiful.

We see in order to move; we move in order to see.

This past week has been all about movement; physical, emotional, spiritual. It all started with my last minute adventure to Detroit to pick up this beauty-

I landed in Detroit around 2am and didn't get to bed until 3:30am. My plan was to be on the road by 9am but quickly went down the drain when this pretty lady figured out I was in town-

 

I didn't hit the road until 10:30am (totally worth it!). Ahead of me was a 27 hour drive back to Spanish Fork, Utah which I completed in 34 hours (bathroom/food breaks, and a few hours of sleep in my back seat at a creepy hotel parking lot are responsible for the additional 7 hours.) What can I say? I'm a champ. Maybe I should become a truck driver (thanks for the suggestion, Mom.)

Arriving in Spanish Fork felt like coming home...and that's exactly when I knew that I must leave, sooner than later. I wish that I had taken some pictures of my last few days at the Temple, but I was so caught up in soaking up every second, every moment, that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind. All I can say is that there was minimal sleep involved, lots of climbing, camping, hiking, karaoke bars, lots of snow (Utah's first snow fall happened to occur on the day I returned; another reason to leave sooner than later) and lots of adventures...especially involving my car. Then, before I knew it, Sunday had rolled around and with it my day of departure. This round of goodbyes was easily the hardest. As I was driving away every single doubt, fear, and anxiety entered my mind tempting me to turn around and stay. But I turned up the music to drown out my thoughts and kept driving. It was so beautiful; so powerful.

The further I got, the quieter my mind became. And the moment I saw a Redtail Hawk sitting on the side of the road staring at me, every ounce of fear and anxiety dissolved. All it took was this sign from the Universe and I knew that I was on the right track. Fearless. And then I realized how disconnected I had become at the Temple. The forces are always in motion guiding us; we just have to listen, and I forgot how to listen. I let my emotions get in the way of my connection with the Truth. But now I am in Sedona and I'm listening. I came to Sedona to support a Vision Quest, and instead I decided to quest myself. Please keep me in your thoughts as you eat, drink, and rest.

After the Quest, I think I'm gonna spend some time in a little town known as Jerome. I passed it a few years ago when I was driving back from the Grand Canyon and set the intention to one day return. Well, that day has come. Also, I'm really looking forward to spending lots of time amongst the red rocks climbing, hiking, and existing. And speaking of outdoor adventures, I'm really jonesing for some new outdoor toys. On top of the list are a kayak and a mountain bike since I now have a top rack to accommodate them. Hopefully I can make this a reality...soon.

Well, the time has come for me to crawl into my sleeping bag and drift off to the sound of running water under the star lit sky...(Did I mention that I love my life?)

Sorry for the scattered post. I'll do better next time; whenever next time may be. And until then, take good care of yourselves and others.

Full Circle

Well, here I am; sitting at Salt Lake City International Airport waiting for my 5pm flight to Detroit. Crazy part? I found out I was flying to DTown less than 24 hours ago. Even crazier part? I will be in Michigan for less than 12 hours before hitting the road again. Yes friends, the rooted down, home-base Taurus has found her wings and learned how to fly (without any assistance from Red Bull, may I add). And since you all know how I feel about flying, you can safely assume that there is beer involved. Surprised?

 I didn’t think so.

Some of you might be wondering why I’m uprooting myself and backtracking. Trust me, if I could put my dead weight down and wiggle myself out of this one (those of you who have attempted to pick me up know exactly what I’m talking about), I would. However, remember this guy?

Well, he has officially gone to Nissan heaven and reincarnated as a beautiful, absolutely perfect, yellow Escape named Sunny. Unfortunately, Sunny chose to reside in The Mitten and must be retrieved by a certain traveling gypsy who is deathly terrorized by flying even though she does it all the time.

So here I am. Sitting at Salt Lake City International Airport waiting for my flight. Talk about coming full circle, right? However, I’m not the same person coming back to Michigan who left just a few short months ago. I have changed in so many beautiful, unbelievable ways. When I first started this journey, I was attached to Michigan with every intention of returning (sooner than later) and setting down permanent roots with the certainty of starting a family.  But this journey is showing me that’s not who I am and it’s definitely not what I want or need.  Instead, the person coming back is a strong-willed, unattached, partner-free, home-free, llama cuddling, rock climbing, spontaneous, free-spirited, song belting, fearless, uninhibited, powerful woman. No fear. Seriously. Well, except, maybe, for flying. But that’s it. No joke. Fearless; fully, completely, whole-heartedly.

So you may be wondering, what next? Or maybe you’re not, but I’m gonna tell you anyways.

Well, I get into Detroit around 1:30am tonight and I leave around 10am in my gorgeous, absolutely perfect, fearless (just like his owner), ‘ready to hit the road’ Sunny. And where am I going? Back to the Krishna Temple, of course! I mean who would ever want to leave this place?

The Krishna Temple has been an absolute blessing in my life. The environment, the people, the energy…this place has been incredible. And it’s exactly where I needed to be. And as much as I would love to stay here forever, I can’t. In fact, I come back on Wednesday night (I will attempt to make the 25 hour trip in less than two days…) and I leave for Sedona, AZ on Friday (maybe Sunday depending on what that little crazy voice inside of me says). But the day I leave will be a sad, sad day. I have connected so much with the devotees, the other volunteers, and the land. Just thinking about leaving shatters my heart…and that’s exactly why I must do it. You see, my whole life I’ve been attached to places, people, and circumstances. I fall in love with a certain idea and I am ready to sacrifice anything to make it happen. But that’s no good. It’s not healthy or in my best interest; and it’s time to break that habit. I have to keep moving, I have to keep learning, and I have to keep growing.  And that’s exactly what I intend to do.  That’s exactly what I will do.

Last night, while camping (the awesome thing about these people is that we can decide to go camping at 8pm and be at the campsite by 10pm) I was asked a question that I couldn’t answer right away. The question- “What is the rose, bud, and thorn of the time you spent at the temple?”  For some reason this question hit me hard. I couldn’t give an immediate answer, but after much thinking, reflecting, and absorbing, I finally have an answer.  This answer might change with time, but as of this moment, it is what it is.

The Rose: The people I have met, the experiences I shared with these individuals, and the lessons I have learned.

The Bud: I realized how fast I get attached to places and people, and this realization has taught me that change is inevitable and is the only constant in life. Everything is always changing. People leave, places alter, feelings change. But the experiences remain untainted, the memories unflawed, and the lessons life-changing. And who knows? Maybe the seeds planted will grow into full-blossomed greenery with the potential to thrive forever. But in order to find out, one must surrender; surrender to the Universe, Nature, God, Krishna, or whoever you choose to surrender to.  You have to keep moving with the guidance of that little voice inside to find you personal truth, whatever it may be. And that is my Bud.

The Thorn: I avoid thinking about the pain I’ll feel leaving. It will be heart wrenching, throbbing, yet unavoidable.  The sadness I feel just thinking about it is overwhelming. However, I think this trip to Detroit-back to Spanish Fork- will allow me to think, absorb, and accept.

My life has become a never-ending tunnel of adventure, the unexpected, and spontaneity. As much as I want to share all the details, pictures, and experiences with all of you, I can't bring myself to do that. Some things I will hoard and keep sacred. Maybe one day, depending on the moment and the timing, I will give you all a clearer view of my time here, but today is not that day. I live a good life. I am endlessly blissed out with happiness just thinking of where I am, who I'm with, what I'm doing, and where I'm going. I couldn't have wished for anything more. I live a dream. And thank you, each and every one of you, for sharing that with me. 

And now the time has come for me to board a flying piece of metal and put my life on the line. Wish me luck!