Marina del Rey

Thus far, 2020 has held a lot of uncertainty. I think we’re all feeling it in the first quarter, and I know the small ripples are being felt in my own life. In January, I was feeling restless. I’d planned to join my lovely friend Echo on her yoga/snowboarding retreat to Japan in March, but something wasn’t feeling right. I didn’t think I would be able to relax and enjoy another trip after hanging out in Sydney with nothing to do for two months. The Bali workshop was already booked. Too much vacation is an easy problem to have, and I’m sure from the outside it looks like I’m never working (!!!), but I do eventually get fidgety if I’m sitting around twiddling my thumbs for too long.

It was time for the plan to change.

The day after I decided to pull out of the Japan trip (pre-Coronavirus scares!), Pixie, my El Salvador retreat leader, started messaging me. She wished we could still teach on her trip together and keep some consistency from year to year. I, of all people, realize that I’m scattered and often too non-committal, so I was nervous to tell her that my plans had changed yet again. But the wheels were already in motion.

“…What if I said I might still be able to go?”

And with that, we locked it all into place. I would land at her new apartment in Marina del Rey. She needed someone to watch her dogs for a week. I would have time for visits in LA, and we would depart for El Salvador on February 29th.

Sometimes things just click, and this felt like one of the clicks. Here’s the view from her new apartment:

I think I made the right choice.

Still fuzzy from the long flight, I walked on the beach to view the Pacific Ocean from the other side. Pixie introduced me to her new rescue baby, and we became fast friends:

Gouda (on the left) is new. Oscar (on the right) is my old pal.

I made new friends, caught up with old friends, played beach volleyball, and took some of the best walks I could have imagined. I was reminded of my old life here, and I sure did miss it.

California, there is just something about you.

Last Steps in Sydney

Suddenly, after Bali, there was only a week left in Sydney. Four months had spun past and disappeared into a cloud of fine memories. It took a lot of back and forth decision-making in the first month of 2020, but by the end, I was ready to leave. I wanted to get back to teaching and meaningful work without being held back by the limitations that come with a temporary visa.

The last days were full of my favorite things about Sydney: Bondi Beach, good food, live music, and saying goodbye to all of the dear people I’ve known here.

I had time for a Galentine’s brunch at my friend Amanda’s, safely sheltered from the flooding that drenched the city for three days.

My stuff was back in Mike’s apartment, so we go to hang, eat pizza (among other delicious Italian foods), and see some shows. I checked off the last things on my list—nope, I never did do the Harbour Bridge Climb, but I did come away with a sweet lil’ tattoo!

I definitely had tears in my eyes during the last bus ride home from the beach, but they were knowing tears. Nostalgic, grateful, but prepared tears. I was ready for the long road home.

Last days in Bali

My last days in Bali were wrapped up with trying Bintang beer for the first time and continued exploring. On the last day, I’d planned on visiting the popular Tirta Empul water temple for a water purification ceremony. But when the day arrived, it seemed like it would be crowded and far, so I caught a ride to the smaller, quieter Gunung Kawi temple.

This decision process was common in my trip to Bali—quietly going with the flow and altering the plan if something didn’t fit the moment. The driver and I were some of the only ones at Gunung Kawi early in the morning. I got to enjoy views like these all to myself:

The trip was a much needed reconnect to my spirit and practice. It’s hard not to feel spiritually inspired in Bali—every family has a temple in their backyard and they make offerings to their gods at multiple points throughout the day. Chickens, cats, and dogs roam on dirt and stone streets, and nature is abundantly all around you. Physically, I started moving and feeling good again after taking some time off to rest my back and joints. It was a joy to experience another enlightening and stress-free trip to the magical land of Ubud.

Yoga Workshop Day 5

I really left you hanging in Bali, and I’m sorry for that! I found the whole trip to be perfectly rejuvenating and exactly what I needed. I had been feeling a little lonely from months of solo travel and brand new friendships, but visiting Ubud reminded me of the joys and freedom of traveling on your own. I spent so much quiet time in nature and in the city doing the things that I wanted to. I learned even more about the yoga practice and connected with many friendly faces.

The fifth day of our yoga workshop with Kino was the closing ceremony. As usual, we kicked off with our daily discussion of the yoga sutras. We learned that in all of the 196 yoga sutras the word LOVE is never mentioned. Still, Patanjali hints at it, with references to pranidhana (devotion), maitri (friendliness), and ahimsa (non-harming). The feeling of love is infused into his words, and any act of hatred would be considered an act of self-harm. He recommends that whenever negative thought forms appear, as they inevitably will, the seeds of the opposite thought should be planted.

In the Ashtanga yoga closing mantra, we ask that all beings be happy and free from suffering. Kino had us take it a step further in a seated metta meditation. In metta, we first call attention to ourselves—if I’m not happy and free from suffering, how can I fully wish it for others?—then to the ones we love and feel close to, and finally (the hardest one!) to those we dislike or the people who frustrate us. As spiritual seekers, we liberate ourselves from wishing ill upon others as we do our best to free the rest of humanity.

The closing ceremony was held at the studio and hosted by a Balinese priest. He chanted and blessed us while we lit incense in our traditional flower baskets. Sometimes I roll my eyes at myself for being an American practicing yoga in a studio with American teachers in such a magical foreign country with a rich spiritual history. The traditional closing ceremony was a way to tie it all together and it helped me feel more connected to the local culture at the end of the week.

Yoga Workshop Day 4

Day four of the workshop focused a lot on physical practice. We learned more about backbends from an old skeleton who hilariously happened to be losing some limbs during Kino’s discussion. We hoped that wouldn’t happen to us when it was our turn to try! By the end of the session, I had learned even more about a safe backbending practice that I think will help me on the road to recovery from a long-ago injury. One of the main reasons I enjoy going to workshops with different teachers is to learn little techniques that have a tremendous impact on my practice. Sometimes you can hear a few people teach the same thing, but for some reason one teacher will say it in a way that finally clicks and stays with your forever.

For anyone who isn’t lucky enough to practice at a studio with a teacher for whatever reason—and this has been me pretty often lately— here are some pieces of advice from Kino on establishing and maintaining a home practice:

• Practice at the same time every day— This will help you stay consistent and avoid potential excuses or distractions.

• Attend a public class once a month— Or, if that’s not possible, attend a workshop once a year. Try to do it with the same teacher every time so they can get to know you and your practice.

• Choose only one “project” per practice— Focus on one key thing each time you practice. For example, this could be an intention or your breath, or something physical like keeping your core engaged during forward folds.

• Guard your energy— Your practice shouldn’t leave you 100% drained and unable to do anything else for the rest of the day. It’s nice to challenge yourself, but yoga should leave you feeling empowered and energized, not completely spent. If you find yourself with too much energy after a home practice, it could be time to attend a public class to get some new ideas.

Our yoga sutra discussion was short on this day. We talked about the popular 2.46 which tells us that a yoga posture should be both strong and comfortable. Once that is achieved, we can let go of unnecessary effort and focus our attention on the infinite (2.47).

The following sutra was new to me—what should we expect to happen when we do the asanas (physical poses) correctly? Number 2.48 says that we no longer become influenced by opposites or duality. In making the asana both strong and comfortable, we balance two opposites: sthira (strength) and sukha (ease). In the same way, we begin to balance other pairs of opposites in life such as like/dislike, mine/yours, pleasure/pain, etc. We are become free to remain steady without the constant distraction of running towards what we like and away from what we don’t like. We clear up space to focus on the higher limbs of yoga— pranayama (breath work), pratyahara (sense control), meditation, and, perhaps, transcendence. Finally, we find a lasting peace that is not impacted by the ups and downs of life.

Sunrise Climb

Why, oh, why would we want to wake up before 2 in the morning for a two hour hike up a volcano? I wasn’t sure, but I decided to do something active (and a little crazy) and booked the Mt. Batur sunrise trek through my hotel. Shockingly, I was able to fall asleep at 8:30pm (maybe I was worn out from my chakra balancing session that day), so I got five hours of sleep.

When my alarm went off at 1:40am I was confused, but I pulled myself together, got dressed in my warmest clothes, and french braided half of my hair before the driver knocked on my door ten minutes later. I did my best to braid the other half of my head in the van while we drove around Ubud picking up a few other hikers. Around 2:30, the six of us got out at a coffee plantation where we were served banana Nutella crepes and tea or coffee. Lots of coffee for me, thanks!

My internal clock was totally out of whack, but I felt energetic and ready to hike. I was glad to have read some reviews beforehand and wore pants and my warm raincoat. It was cold sitting at the picnic tables and waiting in the parking lot, and some of the other girls were shivering in their shorts and tank tops. Things quickly warmed up once we started walking, though.

All the treks start around 2 or 3am because you want to make the two hour climb by sunrise and it’s Bali, so once the sun is up the world turns excruciatingly hot. Our guide passed out flashlights and led us into the long line of hikers making their way up the trail.

We stopped at certain points to rest and drink water while our guides either smoked cigarettes, toked funny cigarettes, or made offerings to the gods.

Our group for the day ended up being perfect. There were only six of us when some groups had twenty people. We were all around the same age, good fitness levels, and positive energy. The trail was pretty steep and rocky, but we kept a swift pace and enjoyed getting to know each other along the way.

I was also glad to have read some accounts that said the hike would be horribly hard, long, freezing, and slippery, because I found that the whole trek was easier than I was expecting. I was definitely winded from the climb, but I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the top where I felt warm and not totally exhausted.

The epic sunrise views were 100% worth it!

The guides served us some hard boiled eggs and white bread to keep our energy up, but most of the food went toward feeding stray dogs while we were distracted by the views.

Our guide was extremely helpful and more than willing to show off his photography tricks:

The hike got even better as the sun came up. We continued on the path to see more views of other two volcanoes in the distance.

My favorite highlight was coming across some wild monkeys at the top of the trail.

In case we needed a reminder that we were climbing on an active volcano, we could see steam rising up from certain holes in the rocks. We walked around at the top for about twenty minutes, then started to make our way down. I was worried that the steep, rocky trail we came up would be very challenging on the way back, but our guide took us on a different path that was much flatter and easier.

Before we knew it, we were getting scooped up by our driver. He gave us the option of returning to the coffee plantation for a drink or heading straight back to Ubud. We all agreed on getting back sooner. I was more than ready for these banana pancakes at my hotel and to rest up before three hours of yoga workshop in the afternoon.

I’m so glad I took a chance on this incredible hike that ended up making the perfect morning! Solo travel can get lonely, so signing up for activities that you want to do can be a great way to meet awesome like-minded travelers. 10/10 I would totally do it again!

Yoga Workshop Day 3

On the third day of our workshop with Kino, things got a little more physical. We talked about the obstacles that might spring up on the path to yoga— sickness, injury, laziness, lethargy, all types of doubt, neglect, preference for sensory pleasures, losing progress, bad moods, trembling limbs, and disturbed breathing. There are so many potential obstacles that it takes two sutras to cover them (1.30 & 1.31)! Kino reminded us of some (mainly trembling limbs, doubt and disturbed breathing) when we practiced lifting our legs and butts off the ground in various arm balances. It’s definitely enough to make you wonder how we’re supposed to stay on this struggling path for the long term.

The sutras that follow offer some advice. We’re supposed to keep going by returning every day to a single-pointed meditation practice. Patanjali says that single point can be the breath or any object of attention. This led us to talking about one of my favorite and one of the most popular sutras, 1.33:

Undisturbed calmness of the mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.

Well, that’s easier said than done, especially in today’s US political climate. I know my calmness of the mind has been disturbed when I read or hear about all sides of the debate and upcoming election. Today’s sutra is a gentle reminder to maintain our peaceful attitudes toward our neighbors/friends/family members/complete strangers even when they support an opposing viewpoint from us or act differently than we do. The best way to get someone to hear your opinion is not to tell someone that theirs is stupid or wrong—surprise! If you’re living your best, most peaceful, yogic way, attitude and actions always speak louder than words.

Healing

Reflecting back on the last few months has few months has me thinking: I’ve been meditating and chanting Hindu mantras, hanging out with Italian guys and eating delicious food in Sydney, and now exploring alternative healing practices in Bali… have I turned into Elizabeth Gilbert yet?? I was really wondering that on Monday when I went to see a traditional Balinese healer named Mr. Ketut.

Note: Half the men in Bali seem to be named Ketut, and Gilbert’s friend passed away a few years ago, so I can confirm that it was not the same healer from Eat, Pray, Love.

I wasn’t visiting the healer for any specific reason, apart from some minor aches and pains. But I was curious to see what the experience would be like, and I had been feeling a bit lethargic from all the physical resting I had done during January. I did some research and found that I didn’t want to go to the fancy spa/resorts that had good reviews because too expensive or to a non-Balinese person because also too expensive and I can do that in America. After reading carefully, I wound up at a place (Ubud Chakra Healing) with fewer reviews but a positive reputation. It was on the Monkey Forest Road across from the soccer fields in the back of a shop. I stopped by to make the appointment a couple days in advance and didn’t provide any other information.

When the day arrived, I wasn’t sure what to wear, so I wore my yoga pants and a tank top (I read that you’re supposed to dress modestly, but that’s all I had). I waited for a few minutes on the patio outside a family’s home and the young receptionist told me her father would be there soon. When the smiling and peaceful-looking healer arrived, we went upstairs to a room with a typical massage table and peaceful mantra music playing. I laid face up in my street clothes—beforehand I wasn’t sure if they’d give me something to change into.

He didn’t ask any advance questions about how I was feeling or why I was there, which I think is the way it should go. They say that during energy healing, the healer acts as a channel for the source energy to pass through. Their hands are supposedly guided to the places that need attention, and I think that sharing too much information might sway the healer to focus on those areas rather than letting the energy work naturally.

I closed my eyes and the healer held his hands over my head and face. He worked from my head down to my feet and back up, then instructed me to turn over for the other side. Sometimes he would gently press on a certain area or simply hold his hands over me. I read some reviews that Balinese healing sessions can be painful with a lot of kneading and pressing, but this session was very gentle with only light pressure—typically in Reiki and energy healing there is not a lot of massage or touching. I felt the most activity in my head. When Mr. Ketut pressed on my sinus area I felt a tingling sensation that lasted after the session. When he pressed his fingers above my eyebrows I could see in my mind’s eye a lot of light, almost like a strobe light or series of flashes that felt very intense. I could be wrong, but he seemed to spend extra time on my left knee, which has been giving me some trouble lately.

The whole process took about an hour and cost $40 USD (just sharing the details in case anyone reads this and is curious to try). Afterwards we sat and he asked how I was feeling. I told him I could still feel a bit of pressure and a pulsing sensation (not unpleasant) in my face and head. He didn’t speak much English, but he told me he felt some blocks in my heart area that he tried to work on. I was expecting some more revelations, but that’s all he told me. We sat for about five minutes so that I could drink water and let everything settle. I left the session feeling lighter and energized, and over the following week I have felt more energized, confident, and content.

The healer asked if I practice yoga and said that he could tell, because most people who come to see him already have a yoga or meditation practice. In my opinion, that’s a little bit of a shame because I think that all types of people can benefit from alternative healing methods. But of course there will always be some disbelievers or those who are less inclined to try.

You’ll see this crazy monkey statue at the corner of the soccer field on Monkey Forest Road

In yoga teaching these days, offering physical adjustments has become controversial—and with good reason, after we’ve seen many cases of longtime abuse being exposed. But I hope that, as teachers, we’ll continue to offer adjustments with consent, because even if you don’t believe in the energy work, there is something incredible about the healing power of touch. And I hope to live in a world where we aren’t afraid to reach out and touch someone— in a kind and mutually-agreed upon way, of course.

Yoga Workshop Day 2

I started taking yoga classes when I was 19 or 20. I was in college and it was just for fun. I remember learning from an older guy named Bill at the University of Delaware gym. My friend Annie and I would go and try to contain our laughter while he instructed us in partner poses and I would, more often than not, fall asleep in savasana. It felt relaxing and silly and like a perfectly lighthearted introduction to yoga.

The next year I started going more regularly. First two or three days a week, which eventually built up to five days. It started with Hatha yoga, where I learned slow movement, breath, and extended holds. I ventured outside the school gym to a studio down the street to learn Bikram. I liked how the heated room opened up my muscles that were tight from working out and playing volleyball. But I grew bored of repeating the same 26 poses every day. When I traveled to New York on breaks, I found a favorite studio and teacher back home. She was a former dancer who blended the foundations of yoga with creative sequencing. I fell in love with the fluid movement of vinyasa.

When I moved to Austin in 2013, I found that I could have it all. I joined a Bikram-based studio near my apartment that also offered other styles. Yoga gave me a feeling of home and sense of community in a new city. It was the same year that ClassPass started, and in the beginning an unlimited package of classes was unbelievably affordable. I tried just about every yoga studio in the city. I found my favorites (still BFree, Dharma, and Practice) and learned more and more. The quality of teachers and variety of classes made it easy for me to go every day, sometimes more than once a day.

I completed my first teacher training at Dharma and began teaching wherever I could. My long-time boyfriend abruptly ended our relationship and I cried in a lot of classes, seeking peace on the mat. By early 2018 during my last weeks in Austin, I was work-trading at BFree in exchange for a membership and taking two or three classes every day. My practice felt stronger than ever, and I was teaching two or three times a week.

Flash forward to Los Angeles, I was in deep. I completed my 500-hour advanced teacher training with YogaWorks and taught 10-15 classes a week. Keep in mind that 10-15 classes weekly isn’t even a full-time yoga teaching schedule for a new-ish/non-famous teacher—many teach up to 25! I was working other jobs as well. I was so grateful for the opportunity to teach and to learn from my mentor, Heather Seiniger, along with some other wonderful teachers in LA, but by the end of it all, I felt burnt out in my mind and worn out in my body.

In this week’s workshop with Kino MacGregor, we’ve been discussing the Yoga Sutras. These 196 sutras, or truths/statements, explain the basis of the philosophy of yoga. Historically, a person in India would have to memorize them all (!!!) in order to demonstrate that they were ready to begin the practice of yoga. Now, every teacher training covers them, but we’re only required to memorize about 3-5. I’m enjoying studying them more deeply with Kino because she has a deep knowledge of sanskrit, so we go through each word and break down the translation. I love learning languages, and it helps me to understand the full meaning when I can see the roots in a word.

On day two of the workshop, we talked about Sutra 1.14, which tells us the three necessary qualities of a yoga practice:

Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time.

Kino explained further that a solid yoga practice contains three elements:

1. For a long time- A “long time” can mean different things, but in this case it’s one human lifetime. No biggie.

2. Uninterrupted- Kino says six days a week for at least five minutes a day.

3. With devotion- Your intention matters. Why are you on the mat? Why are you practicing?

2019 was the first time that I took any significant breaks from taking yoga classes. During months that I was working and teaching a lot, I sometimes couldn’t find the motivation to drive to a class or do a whole video sequence. When I moved to Sydney, I got back on the horse and began a physically intense Ashtanga practice, but by the end of the year I found that pushing through old injuries and being so hard on my body was catching up to me. I needed to rest.

January 2020 has seen a slow start for my yoga. I haven’t taught a class since October, and my daily practice has often been rolling around on the floor or seated meditation. My mind doesn’t know what to do. Is the rest appropriate, or am I being lazy? Is Ashtanga not right for me, or have I been doing it wrong? Am I still a teacher if I take a break? What should my practice look like now?

This month I’ve been seeking out the answers. The love and devotion is still in my heart, but there has definitely been some interruption. I’m glad Kino mentioned that 5 minutes a day is enough, because that’s about all I’ve been able to muster so far this year. She also told us that it’s important to take a sabbatical from teaching every few years, and I’ve certainly appreciated that. Since October, I’ve been able to be a regular student from some of the best teachers in the world, and now I feel lit on fire, eager to share all I’ve learned. (starting in El Salvador next month!)

I’m also ready to return to a more balanced practice. This week in Bali has felt incredibly healing—thanks to breath work, chakra balancing, massage, and trauma release (I’m spoiled. I know)— and I miss the sweat and power of using my muscles within their limits. I don’t think I’ll go back to taking three classes a day while demonstrating poses alongside my students. But after a sweet period of recovery, it feels right to continue my yoga practice for the rest of this one human lifetime.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. <3

Namaste.

Penestanan

When in Bali, a brave person might do something wild like rent a scooter and drive themselves to anywhere they wanted inside or outside of the cities. I’m too afraid to drive unchaperoned in a foreign country, so I’m on foot. But these feet have taken me to some pretty nice places so far: on a ridge walk, into a rice paddy field, and up this sweet green flight of stairs to a new land…

They led to Penestanan, a lesser traveled part of Ubud, where I found gently trodden trails, a quiet market, and a homey cafe.

Penestanan is actually quite easy to walk to. You simply venture to the end of the main road, under the part with hanging vines, and cross the bridge over the river. Soon, the stairs appear on your left.

This part of the city is elevated, up the stairs or a big hill if you’re driving, so when you get to the top you see views like these:

I don’t know why, but the last time I stayed here I imagined that Ubud was smaller. I wasn’t sure if I would have enough to do during a six day trip. However, now that I’m here I’m finding so much to see and do! Even if those things include a slow walk past roosters and rabbits or sitting outside and reading a book.

I’m tempted to say I wish I had more time here, but actually I think I have daresay the perfect amount of time.

Yoga Workshop Day 1

When I mentioned to my grandma that I would be attending yet another yoga retreat, she was confused. “So, when you go to all these workshops and retreats, will you be learning new yoga or is it the same yoga?”

Ha ha. Since yoga as a spiritual practice has been around in India for about 5,000 years, I guess it’s the same yoga. It’s kind of like asking someone who goes to church every Sunday if it’s new church every week or the same church. And it’s important to remember that yoga didn’t start as an hour long exercise class to stretch out tight muscles. It is a spiritual practice that consists more of lifestyle and meditation than of the poses—physical asana is only one of the eight limbs of yoga.

In our first day of workshop with Kino we talked about how true progress in yoga is measured by the internal work. The purpose of yoga is to reach a state of non-reactivity.

If you read my last post about going to breathwork trauma release class and thought, “What kind of trauma do you have to release?”, well, the answer is that we all have experienced trauma, even if we don’t realize it. Even if you had an easy upbringing, there are still childhood memories of feeling ashamed or abandoned that are stored in the body and remembered. Then, of course, there are the everyday activities of living in society and interacting with one another

We go about our days experiencing a constant stream of stimuli, seeking what we think will make us happy and avoiding what we don’t like. Or worrying about the future and reflecting on the past. Yoga tries to get us to break up these habitual thoughts and to create a little bit of space between the stimulus and our immediate reaction, so that we can breathe.

Yeah, it’s interesting and exciting to learn to bend the body into new shapes. And yeah, I have (and maybe you have) heard a lot of the yoga philosophy before today. But if you, like me, have spent quite a lot of time living in society and thinking the same thoughts, maybe you’ve found that it’s necessary to learn the same lessons and practice the same good habits over and over until they fully mix things up and create new patterns in our lives. They say that freedom is what lies in the space between stimulus and response. So, I’ll be here practicing the same old yoga to become a little more free.

Expanding Expectations

The last time I came to Ubud I stayed a little outside the center in the most wonderful hotel. This time I wanted to be close to the yoga studio, so I’m in a guest house very close to Ubud market. I was nervous about staying so close to the main street—because it’s really busy and crowded with foot and road traffic—but the house is actually tucked away from the craziness of the center. I’ve been waking up each morning to the sounds of roosters crowing down the street. Then I step out onto the patio to enjoy a breakfast of what has been pancakes every day so far and might continue to be pancakes every day that I’m here.

There is a lot more to Ubud than meets the eye. The obvious place to start is the main road where you can find the market, Ubud Palace, and the Saraswati temple. But if those are your only tastes of the city, you might leave underwhelmed. The magic is out in the rice fields with views of volcanoes and banana trees. And in the little side streets with local people living their regular lives, nearby waterfalls, Indonesian warungs (restaurants), and healthy new-age healing spots.

Simply being in Bali is healing on its own. However, during this visit I’m also opening up to trying some “out-there” healing methods. After the workshop on day one, I stayed for the next class on “Deep Psoas Release Exercises” and spent the hour and a half fatiguing my hip flexors to then allow them to shake uncontrollably in order to release whatever needed to be released in there. It was astonishing to feel how much they would shake and how the shaking would travel through my body—into the back of the legs and all the way up into the abdomen. The teacher was a mystical woman who had a safe and calming energy. When I saw that she was leading a “Breath Work Trauma Release” class the next day, I decided to return… to be continued…

Back to Bali

Surprise, I’m in Bali! If I didn’t tell you, it’s because I didn’t want you to think I was being too indulgent with my travels. But why shouldn’t I indulge in my travels, especially when it brings me back here?

A month ago, I made this whole life update video, and since then I updated everything again. Number one, I’m going back to the states a bit earlier than I expected. Number two, I’m going to have to save Japan for a later trip. Number three, I am going to El Salvador with Surf Sweat Serve (and there’s still room for you to come too!) And number four, I’m in Bali!

I moved my stuff out of my apartment and back into my friend Mike’s place (thanks, Mike!). My parents came back to Sydney for a couple more days, and we had a nice waterfront dinner together in the Rocks area down by the harbour bridge. I said goodbye to them so I could fly to Denpasar the next morning.

I’m in Ubud for the week taking a yoga workshop with Kino Macgregor, another inspiring teacher. I’d forgotten all of the magic of Ubud. Walking to dinner last night, I was reminded of the flower baskets that Balinese people place outside their doors in the mornings and evenings. They’re topped with incense sticks and leave the streets smelling wonderful.

Two years ago, I was only in Ubud for a couple of days, but this week I’ll have a bit more time for excursions. I’m looking forward to doing and seeing more beyond the busy markets humming with motorbikes. Glad to be here again!

Tasmania Day 3

Three days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Hobart, Tasmania. That is, unless it rains on the third day and cancels your planned activities and also your flight. Then you’re sort of stuck on an island with not that much to do, but I’m back in Sydney now so this story has a happy ending.

I said goodbye to my mom and Mike in the morning. They were departing in their rental car for a few days of golf in another part of Tassie. I was supposed to hitch a ride to the top of that mountain up there and spend some time at the summit exploring the hiking trails and gullies. Unfortunately on that day the cloud cover was too dense and there were thunderstorms in the forecast, so the tour company had to cancel the trip.

I went back to the bagel place, obviously, because decent Australian bagels are not something you find every day. And bagels with vegan jalapeno cheddar cream cheese and pickles on them are a delicious novelty.

I also took an excellent yoga class where the teacher/studio owner is from Texas and did her first yoga teacher training at the same studio where I did mine. Wild stuff!

The tour guide felt bad that the Mt. Wellington tour was canceled and that I would have a free afternoon, so he offered for me to join another trip to the nearby historic town of Richmond. It’s home of Australia’s oldest bridge and Catholic church, and I didn’t have anything else to do, so I agreed to go.

Richmond was a cute little town and, though it was a sleepy afternoon visit, I was happy to have somewhere to pass the time until my flight… or so I thought!

When I got back into town, I retrieved my bags from the hostel and grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to the airport. BUT right after I ordered my food, I saw an email that my flight had been canceled. Totally canceled. Bummer. I was eating a super early dinner for nothing.

*Side note: this was my first time staying in a hostel at the ripe age of “over 30”. It was ok! I think I’m outgrowing the bunk beds and staying in a room with five other strangers. However, I’m still here for the affordable prices and you do find people of all ages staying at them. This one was a nice experience.

I booked a flight for early the next morning and had to search for a new place to stay, since my hostel was already full for the night. No matter, it was easy to find a solo room in a guesthouse—woo hoo, free from dorm life! Now I’m “home” and happy to have known another part of this beautiful country.

Tasmania Day 2

Our Tasmanian expedition continued on day two (i.e. the best day!) when we visited Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. We saw the devils, which was only appropriate after being in their namesake.

Of the only two wildlife sanctuaries that I’ve visited in Oz, this one was my most favorite. We were lucky to see all sorts of rescue animals. We even watched a surgery being performed on a baby wallaby with burnt paws from the brushfires. This was a very special place.

Believe it or not, this was my first time seeing koalas and kangaroos since I came back to Australia. Bonorong really made up for it. There were more kangaroos than I ever could have imagined in one place! And there was an area where they could relax if they didn’t feel like being bothered by human contact, so it was different from other places where kids are touching them and tourists are bombarding them with handfuls of food.

Afterwards we stopped for a nice lunch along the river where we saw a platypus swimming in the WILD!

Then it was time for a short hike in Mt. Field National Park to Russell Falls. I’ve visited quite a few national parks in the US, so it was interesting to do a comparison in Australia. I found their trail maintenance and signage very impressive. The nature made me feel like we were walking into Jurrasic Park! And we spotted a few pademelons hopping around near the trails.

We saved up some energy to try another brewery when we got back to Hobart (Hobart Brewing Co.) There were enough food trucks, shipping containers, and fire pits to convince you that you were in Austin, TX or any other trendy US city.

We finished off our day with dinner at the Drunken Admiral where the service was a bit slow but the cocktails were quite tasty. Cheers!

Tasmania Day 1

I linked up with my parents again in Tasmania! This has been a fun little adventure, getting to see them for a bit, going our separate ways for a few days, then meeting up to hear about all the fun they’ve been having. My flight got into Hobart earlier in the day, so I had time to visit the very cool Museum of Old and New Art. I loved being so close to the water during the trip—you take a ferry from the city down the river to the museum. The ferries are part of the experience, so you can drink champagne and ride on sheep and whatnot.

This museum experience was unlike any other. After riding the ferry and passing through the entrance, you head underground to see the art. I spent about three curious hours down there, and there’s no way I could have seen everything.

I also had an actual good Australian bagel (not at the museum), which is definitely something worth writing home about (Bury Me Standing).

My parents flew in later, so we tried out Cascade Brewery and celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday at the wonderful Old Wharf Restaurant in their hotel. It was so nice to get to be a part of her extra special day!

Veganuary Update

This might be more of a lack of Veganuary update after a few slip-ups, but I’m doing my best! I like starting the new year off with a healthy challenge, so I’m trying to be meat and dairy free for these 31 days. I was finding it very easy during the first two weeks, because Sydney has a ton of vegan restaurant options, like this pancake place right down the street from my building:

And this coffee shop with cool graffiti in Marrickville:

I’m finding that I feel better eating vegan this January than last year. Last time, I think I was eating a lot of nut-based products, which were making me feel bloated and gassy (sorry TMI!) This year I’ve been sticking with veggies, beans, and some soy stuff from the grocery store. King Street in Newtown is my favorite strip in Sydney for plant-based eateries. I also like making my own stuff at home, like this vegan pizza or last week’s cauliflower tacos:

However, this past week proved more challenging! My friends from England hosted a Sunday roast, and I wanted to try new things like Yorkshire pudding and old favorites like stuffing. It was my version of a Thanksgiving since I missed the one at home. Then I really fell off the wagon since there were invitations to multiple sushi restaurants and a friend made me some amazing cheesy risotto.

As usual, I find eating vegan very easy when I’m on my own. But when I’m out with friends, I hate being the fussy one. It’s hard to stick to my guns because I’m not completely opposed to eating meat and dairy. I just don’t enjoy it on a regular basis. I don’t think I’ll ever be fully animal product-free, but it’s nice to do the challenge. I’ve been finding myself choosing vegan more often throughout the year, too, so never say never.

A Rainy Day in Sydney

Day two of my parents’ visit brought even more rain than day one! We kept our spirits up by checking out the aquarium down by the harbor. This one was a good one, even though I am not a huge aquarium fanatic— probably because the only times I go are when it’s raining and therefore full of three million rowdy young children. However, we did enjoy seeing the sharks, rays, sea pigs, and a few different styles of penguins!

More pub crawling was in store, but first we stopped at the local brunch spot for the best and fluffiest hotcakes I’ve ever had. Then my mom and I headed back to the Bondi Icebergs to start the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. It’s one of my favorite things to do here! The views are so beautiful in any weather. Fortunately, it only rained on us at the very end of the trek. We were close enough to Coogee Pavilion to take shelter with some chips and a drink.

At night, we went down to The Rocks— a historic and touristy promenade area that’s close to the bridge— for dinner at a recommended Japanese restaurant. We enjoyed some sushi (I broke Veganuary again…) and bbq wagyu beef cooked at the table on a Himalayan pink salt block. Very fancy stuff!

My visitors are flying down to Melbourne today, but I’ll meet up with them again next week in Tasmania for a few more days.

Visitors in Sydney

My mom and stepdad were in town visiting for a couple days. It’s been rainy in Sydney, which is good for putting out fires, but not the best for hosting guests in such a sunny and outdoorsy city. We managed to get around anyway, during some breaks in the rain. On the first day we bar hopped via ferry at the Manly Wharf Bar and Watson’s Bay Hotel.

They weren’t too jet-lagged and were good sports about adventuring in the rain. Did you know they had this trip booked before I planned on moving here? They’ll be bouncing all over Australia and then to New Zealand. It made it easier to come this far abroad knowing that I would have some visitors a few months into the trip.

From Watson’s Bay, we took a short ride to Bondi and continued our hopping at the Icebergs Bar. It has the best view of surfers and the beach, even on a cloudy day. We enjoyed some Australian wine and a quick bite to eat in Bondi before they headed back to their hotel to get some rest.

First Week

I had to follow a sad fire post with a positive life post, because it really has been a fine first week of 2020! In spite of reading/worrying about the fires and feeling guilty about living a normal life while people are facing loss and disruption, I did some regular old fun things. I found a new yoga studio:

It’s in a neighborhood called Rosebery that is a little sleepy but sweet and reminds me a whole lot of California. There’s a market where you can order coffee and toasties and have yourself a pretty nice Saturday morning, if you so choose.

We had our first brewery and first beach day of 2020:

At the beach, there were announcements of rough currents and a SHARK SIGHTING so they kept closing the water to swimming. As someone who was not in the water at the time of the shark, I found this very exciting! And I’m glad to know they have a beach-wide announcement system to let you know about these important things.

My English friends introduced me to a game called beach cricket. I’m certain I didn’t follow all the rules, but I laughed a lot in the process of learning them.

And, wow, look at this view from the ferry on the ride back:

It was SO HOT on Saturday night, but it’s since turned into cooler weather and bits of drizzle here and there. Keep the rain coming please.

I went to my first show of the year on Sunday night! There will surely be more to come.