Oh I suppose its time!

First things first....photos!

This last month has been many things. So many things have happened internally and externally for me that I don't know where to begin. So Ill give the basics for now. Sadhana Forest is a wonderful community of a family of four that is joined by 15-20 long term volunteers (6+months) and anywhere from 20-100 short term volunteers. Crazy, yes. They are rebuilding land in Auroville (an international community outside of Pondicherry, India). This community is vegan and off the grid. We bathe in a mud pool, use our pee to water plants, and our poo to plant trees. My carbon footprint shrunk significantly while staying there. All volunteers are welcomed to offer workshops, so I led yoga and ecstatic dance! And took many amazing barrier breaking workshops from other volunteers. This place is a haven for like minded and incredible individuals- so much that its exhausting. And I didn't realize just how exhausting it was until I left. I am still recovering and its been a couple of days. But now I have an abundance of travel buddies and good friends- actual good friends. It amazing how close you can get to people in such a short time when your heart is open and your living together.
Sadhana Forest day:
615am morning circle- singing and stretching mostly
630 am- work
830am- breakfast
930am- 2nd work
1230-lunch
6-dinner

We often escaped to a local town for coffee and sweets- things not at Sadhana, during the evenings and breaks.

Now I am at a quiet guest house in Auroville. It very mellow. I like it. There is an abundance of cool things to do here- just trying to figure out what is hard. For example- last night I went to an Om choir- people chanting om together. Very powerful. Off to a sacred temple mtn for new years with some new friends and then heading back this way before going to the west coast for some nice beach time (of course with new friends). Sending my love from India!

India! Leaving Sadhana Forest

Folks, I have left Sadhana Forest and am now in Auroville. I will head off to an Indian Town this weekend with some new friends! There is so much to write that I don't even know where to begin. SO I am going to wait until I feel inspired. Happy Holidays!
KAli

Sadhana

Hello.
I am still at Sadhana Forest, making friends (there are around 80 volunteers right now), eating vegan, and sleeping with the mold (not the best part). Today is the first rainy day. I cant bring myself to focus on writing much because I need time and space to reflect. And I have many decisions to make- like should I stay or go and if I go where should I go to?
Awh choices make life harder sometimes.
Love

Oh internet!

So I am doing really good and want to write a real update. But I just cant gather myself among the people, lack of computers, and electricity to write what I want. Sometime soon I will. Hope you're all well.

Sadhana Forest- an escape from India

I am here!
In the newly planted forest in sourthern india. Sadhana Forest.
We sleep with moist blankets, bathe in a muddy pond, poop in hole which we then turn to compost to plant more trees. By day we work and by night we hang out, play or listen to music. Laugh with new friends. We eat vegan and very well. I have an abundance of papaya, pineapple, coconut, pomegranate, and bananas. I will stay here for a bit. Might explore this weekend to an Indian Full Moon celebration.

On my way here I had a layover in Bahrain, I was 1 of 2 white people. Getting on people were super pushy and the whole flight I was surrounded by people coughing and farting. I kept thinking, "Oh no, what am I doing." Once i left the airport at 5 am in the seatbelt-less, and hornless (very essential in india) old cab I hired to drive me 3 hours south and heard the sporadic loud music bursting out of shacks along the filthy road, i smiled and said to myself, "Now I know why I came..."
And here is am in the almost jungle with many wonderful happy internationals. A sanctuary.

Brief Update

This keyboard is mini and I can write well so this will be short and sweet.
Jerem and I ventured into the depths of the French Alps- see photos. It was a lovely sunny day.
The next night I decided to celebrate France with some fondue. Typical French restaurant, french friend, melted cheese, mushrooms, bread, and alcohol= french evening. I was fully prepared for a food coma but it never came! And it was amazing. I like cheese. Who was I kidding for all those vegan months?
Yesterday I departed France for London and had a hell of a time literally running all over England trying to catch the right train and find a place to drop my oversized backpack. After hours, I mean hours, of looking for a hostel I went into a B&B and asked about their rooms. They were £40. I sadly turned around and was out the door ready to cry and the guy working followed me out and said whats your max price and I said £25 (still $40) he said "you seem like a sweet girl, come on in Ill give your your own room with a shared bath for that" relieved I agreed. It was a cute little place- I dropped my things and went on a food search since I had not really eaten since 830 and it was nearly 7pm. The rest of the story is not exciting so I'll skip ahead to now: at the airport about to depart for India. Woo. Excited, Nervous. Sleepy. And wondering what unvegan thing to spend the last few £s on. Au Revior Europe! Thanks for reading :)

Off to India

So the past week has been pretty mellow. I ventured over to Switzerland for thanksgiving with an old friend Dustin from Vermont. It was nice to hangout with him again but it is soo expensive there. Now I am back in France with Jerem and I leave tomorrow for London and then India on Monday morning. I am pretty sure the internet is very bad in India so I will do my best to blog. If I have some time in London I will blog in greater detail! I will add new photos soon, so just click on an older link to see them. Au Revior

Staying in France.

So currently, I am in France. Just over the Swiss border in the French Alps. By night frost covers the ground and by day the sunshine warms the earth diminishing any site of winter. My life has hit brakes, not in a bad way, I went from city hopping (exciting, yet exhausting) to living the French country life, under the hospitiality of my friend Jerems (from NZ) family. I spend my days lounging around the morning, reading Paulo Coelho (3rd book of his since Europe), do a bit of yoga, drink some tea, until noon when his mother has prepared a vegetarian friendly meal for us. We all sit down together and eat. They speak French, and Jerem trys to get me to also... I do try but am a bit shy and have poor pronounciation. French talk with such enthusiam that I dont feel left out of the conversation. I try to help clean up...oh and we always eat bread, cheese and dessert. After lunch Jerem and our other friend Julie go on some sort of adventure for the afternoon and we come back for dinner ready to be served again. All sitting down, maybe drinking some wine. Again cheese, bread and dessert are all available along with the veggie friendly meal. After dinner at 7pm we all do our own thing, it depends on the night, but it usually involves a good talk and some lounging around. Until sleep decides to whisk us away until the next day. I will head over to Geneva at some point before taking off to London to then leave for India...new photos have been posted. enjoy. and thanks for reading my blog

Oh and....
we found a chestnut tree, which drops the fruit onto the ground surrounded in a spikey shell, you step on it to roll off the shell inside to find the chestnuts, which you take home and roast or boil....yum.. and so fun

Kali, why do you like to travel?

As I was reading the Pilgrimage, by Paulo Coelho, the following quote struck me as the perfect response:
"When you travel, you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. You confront completely new situations, the day passes more slowly, and on most journeys you dont even understand the language the people speak. So you are like a child just out of the womb. You begin to attach much more importance to the things around you because your survival depends on them. You begin to be more accesible to others because they may be able to help you in difficult situtions. You accept any small favor from the gods with great delight, as if it were an episode you would remember for the rest of your life. At the same time, since all things are new, you only see the beauty in them, and you feel happy to be alive. "

Amsterdam

I loved Amsterdam! The multi colored apartments are all falling over onto the cobblestone streets. Bikes take over the city, bike lanes everywhere and bike parks. Following the canals to various vegan friendly cafes and yoga studios. Overall Amsterdam was awesome- but another city- I have seen so many lately that they begin to blend together. But now I am in the country with my friend Jerem, who I met in NZ, at his families house in East France near Geneva Switzerand.

More photos

Okay BIG update

Cody time (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Barcelona, and Bordeaux)

Okay, upon arrival of seeing my lil bro I was ecstatic and so happy. He showed be about his place. I ate yummy vegan food and hung out at nice tea-coffee-bars. We walked a ton. The sun came out. He showed me his school and his photography. We saw firewoks. And I met his lovely group of friends. After a few nights we went to Edinburgh- a really beautiful city with cobblestone streets and castles. I found vegan hot chocolate! After just one night we headed to Barcelona. We arrived late at night and stayed at someones house on airbnb.com- a great wesbite for cheap accomodation. There was nothing other than fries to eat that was even vegetarian. It was very disspointing. So I ate my fries and some no-dairy gelato. Cody had a Kebab and we enjoyed some Cava Sangria. The next morning Cody and I went our separate ways to discover what we wanted to. That night we ate some yummy food and explored te gothic district- tall old buildings and narrow streets. The next morning we set out for the best juice I have ever had- coconut guava freshly made- amazing. Cody ate his pudding (spanish) hot chocolate, and churros (fried dough). And then we ventured to the graveyard. We went for Cody and his photography but it was very cool. The photos will show better. It was a huge hill with elaborate graves. Late that night at 2am we took off for Bordeaux france by bus. Bordeaux is a sweet old city. I loved it and fully embraced the French way- eating baguettes ad drinking espresso. We explored the city all day long and at night met up with my friend Maud from NZ- she is french- she took us to her friends for dinner where we ate a classic alps food with pototoes and cheese and wine. Yes i ate cheese. The next day we met up with our dear friend Tof, also french, but met in NZ. He took us around the city, to the ocean and then to a french restaurant. It was lovely. The following day Cody and I traveled to Paris and then parted ways.
And I came to Amsterdam.... which i will write about later

Currently at Disneyland for Adults- Amsterdam

and I will write more later

Scotland

Before taking off to see my brother in Scotland I taught yoga in a cute English town called Durking. It was so much fun! I forgot how much I love teaching. Currently I am in Edinburgh with Cody. Edinburgh is an amazing city in Scotland. The streets are cobblestone with old buildings and castles surrouding. I like it here. And it's been sunny everyday- which isn't supposed to happen. Well we are off to explore before heading to Barcelona!

A word from Cody...
Hi Everybody! I'm having fun and learning alot!

first round of photos

Photos :)

Spiritual Stonehenge

Kim (my friend from NZ), James (her friend from college) and I took off Saturday mid morning for Stonehenge. After 1.5 +hour drive we arrive to bustling tourists, a huge gate around the stones and a walking path that encompasses them. My first thoughts were, ut oh we just drove and hour and a half for this....It was about $12 to enter. I was ready to hop back in the car- but due to peer pressure and the distance we paid our entry fee. With the fee we also received a free automated walking tour...boring. We start by walking around listening to our headsets. After just a minute we all ditch the headsets and begin to take photos and make up our own stories. About halfway around the circle I spotted this lady with bright orange hair, a walking cane, and a large jacket. I wanted to talk with her but didn't want to intrude on her time at Stonehenge- James on the other hand, skipped right over. And was she was thrilled! She goes to Stonehenge to hang out with the people visiting. Immediately she asked James if he wanted to experience timelessness. With a questioned look in his eyes, he reluctantly took the cane with the goats head carved into the top and began gazing at the goat, which represents capricorn. As James underwent time we had a conversation with the woman and underwent time- the whole conversation transpired to me holding the goat and gazing into its eyes- we had such an elaborate deep conversation that I could not begin to rewrite it here. I know that I stepped away with a shift inside myself. I was feeling a bit insecure in this new change and travel in my life, but after meeting with her I felt suddenly calm. We all felt something- even though Kim is a bit hesitant by the woman it definitely made her think or feel a little deeper. On the drive back we all decided it was money well spent.

England

So I am here, in England, not London. I am actually in the south of England by the ocean. Off in the distance are castles, streets are small and winding, and people talk with nice proper British accents. My friend Kim, who I met in NZ has taken me in. I have my own room, in a beautiful home with a cute dog. I can't really complain.

People here are quite materialistic- well compared to Vermont. I look like a bum- but I am kinda one so it's okay. Organic has not quite taken off- which I am surprised with. Last night I went to a hot yoga class with a crazy man- absolutely insane, which made for an interesting class.

I am still getting my plans in order. I will update when I can. Maybe tomorrow I will feel more inspired to tell a funny story. Right now I am a bit tired.

We will go to Stonehenge on Saturday!

On Tuesday I will stay with my friend Nicole from Yoga Training. I will actually teach class on Wednesday! And on Thursday I will head off to Scotland to see my bro! Plans are in motion....

Rawr- NYC and London

I wrote a nice entry about my time in NY and the computer froze. So I am here in London about to be picked up by my friend Kim. NYC was full of food, friends, and walking. Saw Liana Hunt- a childhood friend in Mama Mia on broadway, got lost on the subways and stumbled upon the Wall Street Protest- very peaceful, and caught up with old friends. My flight over the 'pond' was easy- not fillled with too much sleep though-so I am bound to crash any moment. Will get more creative in future- on non deleted posts :). I AM SAFE AND HAPPY IN LONDON. :)

The itch came back and I am off on another grand adventure...

Beginning tomorrow, October 21 2011 my new adventure will begin.

First, I will spend some time in the Big Apple with some friends from college and high school. By Monday I will be off to London for a week, where I will guest teach a yoga class with a friend from Kripalu. November 3rd I will see my brother in Scotland! And after a few days there we will fly to Barcelona and venture up to France to visit friends. Cody will head back to Glasgow and I will take a train to Amsterdam to hang with my french friend- from there we have a couple weeks to play about and then I will go to London to catch my flight to India, where I will stay at an International Community called, Auroville, specifically a village Sadhana Forest where I will work on reforestation. The rest is to be determined...:)