Next stop, New Orleans, Baby!

I just updated my "Next Trip" Countdown ticker on my blog.  And yes, you read that right.  I'm headed to New Orleans!! Squeeeeeeeeeeal!!

First time there for me.  I'm so excited, that I even started reading an Anne Rice novel! hahah! Interview with a Vampire was unavailable at the time at the library as an ebook, so I chose the The Vampire, Lestat.  The reason I never read these novels when they were the popular thing to do, is because I'm easily scared and maybe a little superstitious.  OK, a lot superstitious.  But I'm already a quarter into the book and no bad dreams yet!  I guess it helps that it's written from the monster's point of view and not the preys.

I'm only going to be in New Orleans for less than 48 hours, so I'm going to need to plan this well to get the most out of my trip.  Bar hopping in the French Quarter is a must.  We arrive at 8pm Saturday night, so it's straight to Bourbon Street.  I'll have all day Sunday, so I think I'll be doing a walking tour of the City or Cemetaries, then maybe visit a fortune teller or medium.  I still have a few days to do my research and planning, but any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

No Regrets

It's a beautiful President's Day Weekend in the Valley of the Sun.  Brian and I are off to Lake Pleasant to visit our boat, No Regrets.  I'm actually going to scrape off the "Four Winns" brand sticker and finally put her name on today.  You know it's unlucky to have a boat with now name and we've had her since July last year.

The lake has been quiet and calm lately, so today should be the perfect day for me to learn how to drive the boat.  Sounds like fun, right? Well, actually, I'm pretty nervous.  The last time I tried driving the boat, I was freaking out.  Every time I would hit a wake, I'd slow the boat down suddenly.  And if there was a boat within a half a mile, I'd freak and wonder, which way is that boat going? Am I in his way. Is he in my way? What should I do?!!!

Ack!

Well, I know if I were younger, I'd have no fear of this. I'd welcome it with open arms.  I was eager to learn and try anything new and exciting.  I learned how to drive stick shift just for that reason.  I enjoyed the thrill of being on a San Francisco hill and trying to get it smoothly into gear from a dead stop.  I need to channel that adventurous, thrill-seeking teen inside.

No Regrets is the name of our boat and that's how we need to live our lives.  How can I call myself a decent boat owner if I can't even drive her?

Wish me luck!

The World Is Just Outside Your Door

There's a book out called "1000 Places to Visit Before You Die".  I saw it at the Half Price Bookstore the other day and quickly flipped open to a random page.  Apparently, I'm supposed to visit Geirangerfjord in Norway.  I remember rolling my eyes and thinking. "There is no way I'll ever make it there in my lifetime!" Needless to say I didn't buy the book.  It would just frustrate me.  I would either have to live a very long time or die disappointed.

There are so many people that just can't do it.  They don't have the money or the means (which usually means money) or the courage to travel to places like Kenya or Mongolia.  I'm sure if we stayed in our country we can find a thousand places to see.  I'm sure we'd have a pretty sizable list of places to see just in our state!

When I left San Francisco, I kept thinking of the places I never visited.  In my 30 years there, I have only been to Alcatraz once.  I've never been to Angel Island, the island where many of the Chinese immigrants were held in barracks until they could prove they had family in the U.S.  It was like the Ellis Island of the west.  I'd like to see the poems that these immigrants etched on the walls of the barracks as they waited months, sometimes years.  I'd also like to hike Mount Tamalpais in the Marin Headlands, and not to mention all those Napa and Sonoma wineries I never had a chance to visit! It's a shame!

That's why when I moved here to Arizona, I wanted to explore the state like a tourist.  I wanted to take advantage of the state while I'm here.  Who knows how long I'll stay and I don't want to regret missing out on anything.  I've met several native Arizonans that have never been to the Grand Canyon or Sedona.  I'm sure the Canyon will "always be there".  But the truth is, we won't.  That's why I'd like to urge you to get out and see what else is around you.  Maybe you'll be able to make a list of the 1000 places you've already visited here in Arizona.

One such place I can cross off my list is Lake Powell and the city of Page, Arizona - just on the North Eastern border near Utah.  In fact, we rented a boat and our cell phone time kept switching between Arizona and Utah time depending on which tower it was using.  The lake itself is huge.  One of the largest man-made lakes in the Country.  It boasts more shoreline than the entire West Coast of the US.  The landscape is amazing with monuments and mesas that seem to just rise high above the lake level.  You can find yourself in a finger of the lake with smooth, high canyon walls on both sides.  The landscape is definitely unique and almost out of this world,  Apparently, Hollywood thought so, too, since they used this area in The Planet of The Apes movie.

Not too far from the Lake, you'll find Antelope Canyon which is a slot canyon.  Slot canyons are formed by the wear and erosion of water rushing through a rock.  Because of this, a slot canyon can be very narrow and the red sandstone walls swirl and curve like water flowing.  This makes many photographers flock to the canyon daily.  There are guided tours every day.  Since it is on Navajo land, you're required to take their guides.  The tours leave frequently, however there are one or two tours a day strictly for photographers. Those tours are reserved for the time of day when the sun shines directly into the canyon slots which make for some pretty amazing pictures.  i didn't happen to go at that time, but anytime of day, you're sure to capture some pretty cool pics.

Another cool place to check out in Arizona is the Tonto Natural Bridge.  It's only 90 minutes from Phoenix, so it's a simple day trip.  The bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world.  It's ceiling is 183 ft high and the tunnel is 400 feet long and 150 feet at it's widest point.  You can stand atop the bridge or it's about 1/2 mile down the to get under the bridge to admire the size of it.  There are some natural springs that flow through the land there so once your under the bridge water from the bridge above you is actually raining down on you.  This is a great way to cool off after your short hike on a hot Arizona summer day.

I found this nice list of ideas here in http://www.placestoseeinarizona.com.  I've done some editing, removed any duplicates and added my own ideas here.  So, now it's a list of 85 - still a long way to go to get to 1,000, but it's a start.  I've already done 30 from the list.

I hope this gives you some motivation to explore this amazing state we live in.  Or your own state.  You don't need to travel thousands of miles to see the world.  The world is just outside your door.  Go ahead and create your list, but don't forget the most important thing:  Get out there and start crossing things off!

Perspective

 Here's "The Happiest Kid" meme making it around the interwebs today.  Poor "Not Happy At All" kid.  I'm sure she's a very happy child running around, having fun, making faces, using rocks as cameras and bananas as phones.

But it does give us some perspective.  We have so many "things"!  But do thiese "things" make us happy?

I actually prefer this series of pics below.  They really give you a different perspective on our so-called "problems" and makes us realize all the "things" we take for granted.

This reminds me with this funny video about our "First World Problems".

Here's a bridge, Now Get Over It!



 Have a great day everyone!  Be happy with every "thing"!

YOGA ROCKS!

In just 9 days, I will be embarking on my second mother/daughter yoga trip.  This time we're headed to San Francisco for the Yoga Journal Yoga Conference held at the Embarcadero Hyatt.  It'll nice to be "home".

I won't be taking back-to-back yoga classes like I did at the conference in San Diego last June.  This time I'm going to take it easy and take one class on Saturday and another on Sunday morning.  The rest of the time I will be soaking up every bit of San Francisco that I can.

But before I hit the streets of San Francisco, I'll be taking an 8 AM class on both Saturday and Sunday morning.  On Sunday, I'll be taking a class with Baron Baptiste, "Foundations in Actions".  A class that works on improving your practice by focusing on the foundation of each pose.  Baron introduced his own style of Power Yoga in the early 90s.  In the mid 90's he was part of the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff as the "Peak Performance Specialist."  I guess it's the tough football way to say "Yoga Instructor."

On Sunday morning the class is "Yoga Rocks" with Eric Paskal founder of Yoga Shelter with 5 studios in Michigan and one in Studio City, CA.  I've taken Eric's class at the San Diego conference and loved it! That's me in his class last June.  I'm the one behind the girl in the blue and yes, probably the only one not doing the full expression of Warrior One. Yep, caught taking a mini-break. Doh!

The music was loud and fun.  His teaching style was inspirational, motivating and moving.  He broke out the guitar at the end of class and we had a group sing-along with closed eyes repeating "Let my love open the door."  What a great class.  It'll be worth waking up extra early Sunday morning to catch the BART train to take his class.

Needless to say, I am totally looking forward to my Yoga weekend in San Francisco.

Santosha

It should've been a sign, the first day of the year and my scale breaks.  Was the universe trying to tell me that in 2013, I shouldn't let the scale be a measurement of my happiness.  Every day of 2012, I stepped faithfully on that scale each morning and although some days I would be elated at the results, more often than not I felt more deflated.  That's right, deflated and bloated at the same time.

And it is this dichotomy between thought and action that is making me write today.  After my yoga teacher last week spoke about a sanskrit word "santosha", meaning contentment, I know I should be content with who I am today, and that includes my weight.  Yet, after my scale broke yesterday, what did I go and do during my lunch break? I headed out to Walmart and bought a new scale.  The body wasn't even cold yet!

It was impulsive, actually.  I did intend to just throw away my scale and never replace it. Adios! Au Revoir! Good Riddance! But on my break, as I meandered the aisles at Walmart to pick up a few things, I walked by the aisle of scales. Must...not...go!! But the force was strong with this one.  Not only did I pick up a scale that measured in 0.2 lb increments (my other one only measured by the half pound), but I got the fancy one that measured hydration and body fat.  I'm a sick, sick person.

Santosha...Contentment...Happiness.  2013 is my year of santosha.  I can sit and wallow in the sad fact that I gave in to that urge of replacing my scale.  Or I can be happy and content with my weight, return the scale tomorrow and get my $35 back.  Then I can spend that money on some healthy food or new yoga shorts.  Won't that make me happy? Or  I can just be content that I've got a shiny new scale. Yes, that's what I'll do! Now that's my idea of santosha!