Amazing week of nature, friends, and family. The final journey was Whidbey Island, Washington (Western Washington) to Spokane, Washington (Eastern Washington--almost on the Idaho border) and back diagonally south to Santa Rosa, California. For the first leg of the drive "home", I drove in silence for 10 hours. The drive leaving Spokane was incredible. It felt like I could be in South Africa with the open view and the limitless sky. The sky was the landscape. The week of driving truly was a kaleidoscope with the views ever changing. It was like a new screensaver on the windshield every 20-30 minutes. As a teen, I drove across the US twice, but I would like to revisit that experience as an adult. Maybe after India...
The photos are the view from the Whidbey house and of the Whidbey house. Thank you Liz and Gary!! (It will soon be a vacation rental if you want to experience a slice of heaven.) The view is spectacular. Liz took me for a guided tour of the beach down below the house. We got there from a lovely walk through the trees and local vegetation. We picked up bits and pieces of litter that had found its way onto the beach and discussed some of the local environmental challenges. It is sometimes overwhelming to consider the challenges of living in harmony with the planet and the people on the planet. Even in such a pristine, beautiful location there is a lot of thought and work to respecting the water quality, future of marine life, and how to co-exist with a small carbon footprint. Returning to India's environment will be a bit overwhelming at first after experiencing such "environmental purity," but the foundation of Mother Earth is the same. Facing humans after sitting in the presence of Gurudev and many of the ashram's community was also a bit of a transition coming back from India. Of course, the separation is in my limited perception--the lint on Sue's lint screen. A constant motivation and reminder for why I have taken on this journey: to find true peace internally no matter where I am, whomever I am with, or in whatever situation. I see the possibility of the unity, but there is a lot of work ahead. Jai Guru!!
One of the other highlights of the trip was visiting my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in the Spokane area. It was so fun, they arranged a campfire with s'mores (roasted marshmallows and a chocolate square, sandwiched between two graham cracker squares) like we use to experience as kids camping together. Another gem of living, taking time to sit and visit--no hurry and no agenda. Sinking into the listening and sharing of each person's story--another dimension of beauty and grace. (A giant stack of homemade waffles was a great sendoff for the trip ahead!)
No comments:
Post a Comment