From Coast to Couch.....

Anyone who read my previous posts knows I fell in love with Sedona, AZ when I drove through it on my way to Phoenix from Utah.....wow, was that really less than a week ago? I really fell in love with it at first sight but then, I got out of the car and felt the energy and saw just how spiritual this cute little town is with crystal shops, aura readings, energy healers, organic & vegan restaurants, rocks to meditate on, hiking, a creek and SO much more! My sister and I came for one night this past weekend and that was not enough for me so I am back now for 2 days and 2 nights to REALLY connect with myself and nature before moving onto my son's in New Mexico.

With this 2 day trip comes along a whole new adventure for me through what is called CouchSurfing. I am CouchSurfing while I am here, for my very first time. I learned about it while doing research for my trip. It is an online site where people go to either host travelers or surf for places to stay, for free while they are traveling. For the next 2 nights I am staying with a man (Peter) who has hosted over 250 CSers. I, as you can imagine, had some reservation about CS. It is a weird feeling to enter a person's home to stay with them when you haven't even met them. I was so nervous about it but had a great feeling about it (I am doing my best to follow my gut and intuition) and picked someone who I could tell was spiritual and who had A LOT of references. This is part of my Soul's Journey after all....to get past beliefs that no longer serve me, past my fears and to connect with like-minded people. This CS trip should prove to do all of the above especially since Peter only hosts CSers under one stipulation...that they climb to the top of Bell Rock with him (the rock in my picture). My "fear" of staying with a stranger was overridden by my fear of the hike....crazy how that happens. 

So far Peter has brought up 525 people to the top of Bell Rock, I will be the 526th person to go to the top with him. I hope you noticed how I worded that. I WILL get to the top of that rock even though my biggest fear is heights. After all, fear is just false evidence appearing real!! Peter assures me that this hike is more of a mental challenge than a physical one so I am going to conquer my mind and fear through this hike tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for pictures on Peter's fan page on Facebook at Peter Alan Gersten. You can see lots of pictures there now of others who went to the top as well as other fabulous photos of Sedona and of course....one day, many of the pics will also be on my blog (I am not posting and writing as often and as much as I would like.....yet!). 

Thank you for following me on my Soul's Journey. It is also exciting for me to find out what is going to happen next! 

View of Bell Rock while sitting on Peter's deck! 

Confirmations!

Just had a great reading with Mary Morningstar. She did a great job of tapping into and listening to her guides to deliver the messages I needed most. Now onto the Stupa & Vortexes for more reflection, meditation & introspection. 

Connecting....with self and others!

One of my biggest core desires is connection and on this trip, that is much of what I am seeking...connection with myself, nature, other people and on this leg of my journey, with my sister, Kim. It is not often we get to see one another since she lives in Arizona and I have been living in California and because we are both single mothers; me with 3 children and her with 4. For the past 10-16 years our lives have predominently been of survival with our children as our priority and with us not really even on our priority list, or at least with us inadvertently getting pushed to the bottom of it or pushed off of it all together. We both have always desired more "me" and "us" time with spiritual practices, adventures and connection but neither of us had found the balance of being able to do so, nor the financial means or time available, while meeting the demands of single parenthood.

Well today we are taking a much needed and well deserved overnight trip (journey) to Sedona....together!!!!

Sedona is not only a beautiful and serene place but has been long known for it's spiritual power center. Power that emanates from the vortexes there produces some of the most remarkable energy on the planet which is why Sedona is full of people on a path of making a commitment to grow and become as much as they can spiritually. A large New Age community has sprung up in the Sedona area bringing with it a variety of spiritual practices and alternative healing modalities and is the reason Sedona has sometimes been called a spiritual Disneyland. Well today I am going on a spiritual adventure of connection, on so many different levels, with my big sister. I cannot wait to experience all that awaits us in this energetic and spiritual epicenter. Stay tuned!!!

God's Country?

Holy Cow! Have leisure time today so am taking scenic routes to my sister's in Chandler, AZ (near Phoenix). Took 89A from Flagstaff, which was a very windy but totally beautiful drive and am now in Sedona. I am coming here on Sat w/my sister so I can't "cheat on her" & shop & sightsee (just looking for a Internet Cafe to do some work) but....I know they call Utah God's Country but OMG....Sedona is beautiful & there are spiritual stores everywhere. I am in Heaven!! 

Life IS an adventure!!

I am so loving the path of adventure my life is on right now. I have always said I wanted to travel and I have always wanted to connect with people from other areas to learn all about how others live within their demographics.....and I am doing just that!!!

A friend of mine recently helped me recall that when I was about 10-12 years old I used to buy Teen Beat Magazines and turn to the back section where they had Pen Pals listed that you could write to. I had almost a dozen different pen pals from all over the world, and one main one I kept for years from Ohio. I just loved getting and writing letters to share adventures with one another and to learn about how each other lived. 

Well yesterday, as I hiked down the Virgin River in Zion National Park in Utah, I almost had more fun talking to all the people along my path as I did looking at the scenery and experiencing the wonders every step had to offer, which I really embraced. I had a huge smile on my face almost the whole way (except when I shimmied across a tree log to get across rocks and deep waters.....I was scared to death!). I felt lesson after lesson with every step. I realized that when I hurried to catch up with my tour guide (Chris, the owner of the Airbnb I am staying at) or when I followed the path that he felt most level footed with (he liked the wet sand but I learned that I felt less wobbly on the dry sand), that is when I would lose my footing, wobble, and almost fall. I realized yesterday that when I went the speed that felt best to ME and followed the path that felt the most natural to ME, I felt most at ease and in my own power and therefore was able to have all the experiences meant for ME! Gosh, how else does this play in my every day life? 

As I write this I am sitting in the backyard of the Airbnb I am staying at in Utah and taking in all it's magnificence and beauty as I contemplate where I will stay tonight. Am I feeling drawn to stay another night here in Southern Utah or buy some camping gear to move onto Colorado to stay at a KOA before I head to Arizona to visit my sister and her kids for a few days? All I know is there is so much to look forward to on this adventure and I am tapping into my inner desires and guidance to bring me to the places where I will experience all that is meant for me on this path of discovery!! 

Every day, every moment, is an adventure in all of our lives, whether on the road living out a life long dream or waking up in your own bed and living the life you built. What do you say we all agree to live our adventures to the fullest? Let's embrace all that life has to offer with all the lessons along the way. I'm going to, are you? 

Falling in love....again and again!!

As many of my friends may know, I fell in love back in February (2014)...with Midtown, Sacramento. I was there for the first time, to teach a class, and the more time I spent there, the more I felt at home and like I found the place I belonged. It had a very spiritual vibe and a flare for "anything goes". It was truly the first time I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. So, I made the decision, based on what I truly desired, to move there just 3 months later. I rented a space in a cute Victorian with the intention to use it as my work and living space. It was perfect! Very quickly I began making great friends and business connections that made my decision feel that much more justified, not that I needed any further justification other than saving LOTS of money on rent and following my true desires. 

Two weeks later, however, the lady I was renting from decided I was not the best fit for the space and therefore gave me a 30 day notice to vacate (I later found out she also gave the same notice to her son who lived on the top floor of the unit). I was devastated, for a minute (or two, or three...) until I really connected with what this meant for me and what I felt like the Universe was urging me to do which was travel. Traveling is something I had talked about wanting to do for as long as I can remember and something that was really pulling me at the same time as moving to Midtown. I just didn't see who to make it happen.  But now, I no longer had rent to pay which allowed me to use that money instead, to travel. Sounded pretty good to me except that I had just found a place that felt like home and was making great friends. People told me that I would find other places that felt like home and meet more friends however, Midtown was the first place I had found where I felt at home. It seemed unlikely (never impossible) that I would find another place where I felt so part of a community. Well, to my surprise, the Universe would quickly surprise me. 

I set out on my USA trip on Wed., July 16th and stayed overnight in Vegas on my my way to Utah to explore Zion National Park and the other areas I had only heard about in the southern part of Utah. (as soon as I started planning my trip 3 people mentioned that I must go to Zion). Since a big part of my trip involves me wanting to connect with others (my 3 core desires that are guiding me are....Connection, Freedom and Exploration) I decided to look into a site called Airbnb where you can rent a room in someone's home virtually anywhere in the world. I was a bit nervous about doing so since I had never done anything even remotely close to something like that but I not only could I not afford a typical hotel room while on the road, I truly had a desire to connect with people all over the world. So, I booked my first airbnb, a private room, in St. George, Utah. I booked it for only one night, although I planned on staying in the southern Utah area for almost a week, just so I could check it out and check out Chris, the guy who owned the airbnb home. Well.....I immediately fell in love with the space and with Chris (a wonderful, spiritual, gay man) as soon as he greeted me at the door. He gave me a brief tour of the common use areas as well as my bedroom then we talked (truly connected) for about 1.5 hours. I told him I needed to get some dinner before I unpacked so he suggested a healthy Vietnamese Restaurant which I went straight to and LOVED. I allowed the owner to pick what I would eat. I wanted a true Vietnamese meal experience and not the "safe" meal I would have probably selected. The food, and the service, was excellent! 

When I got back to the airbnb, which is called The Zen Experience, by the way, I met the other 6 guest who were staying there and I loved them all. There was a couple from Oregon, a lesbian couple that had been all over, a guy from Armenia and a gy from San Jose, CA. We sat up talking about EVERYTHING until 1:30 am! To my amazement,  at my very first destination I found another place that felt like home!! I am finding that when you live a life based on your soul’s desires you are not only in alignment with your soul blueprint and what you were put on the Earth to do but you also attract to yourself the experiences and people to give you the experiences you most desire and need! I am in love!!!

The Zen Experience
St. George, Utah 
(www.airbnb.com)

Less Stuff, Less Responsibility!

I am absolutely amazed that everything I now own fits into a 5x10 storage unit and there is lots of room (minus all the clothes & items I am bringing w/me on the road). 

When I began this journey I decided to let go of things in order to "lighten" my load, be more free and have the opportunity to go where I want, when I want without all the excess baggage, let's just call it stuff, holding me back. Well today, the day before my journey across the USA, as I am taking care of the last if the packing & sorting & preparing and....visiting friends to say......see you later.....I do not feel free or lighter. Quite honestly, I feel lots of fear of the uncertain, and exciting, road ahead of me. Although I have chosen for this journey to me a solo trip, I fear the loneliness on the road that I already feel as I pack & plan all alone. I am unsure if/when I will come back or if instead I'll find a new place to call home. Uncertainty is, can be scary but I am so ready for this adventure. The things I know for sure is.....I get to see parts of the USA (& hopefully the world) that I have never seen before, I get to spend time with my sister & her kids, my don & his girlfriend, I may see my in-laws, and will get to spend time with my long-time friend from Japan...all while making new friends on the road. I also know that the sky is the limit. As long as I follow my dreams & aim for the stars.....I will be living a life of joy & bliss where my soul is filled & I am dancing inside. That is what my intention is on this trip; Connection, Adventure & Freedom, my 3 Core Desires!!!

It's Really About to Happen

I am getting SO excited making my plans to drive across country. I haven't taken as much time as maybe I "should" have to plan but I am just too anxious to get on the road. I have always wanted to see the world and I am so excited to be starting right here, essentially in my backyard, across the USA. 

Getting in my car (A car) and just driving, gives me a sense of freedom with the open road ahead of me. It makes me feel like anything is possible and makes me feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting to see what lies ahead. 

I am planning my route/drive to Utah to see Zion National Park. I have heard from several people that it is magical and more beautiful than Yosemite or The Grand Canyon. I am searching for the most inexpensive places to sleep since I am doing this trip on a shoe string and since I don't camp....I'm thinking I may need a bed, AND a kitchen. Lol 

Stay tuned and follow me as I embark to discover all things that fill my soul and light me up!!!! 

First Stop...Yosemite!

AMAZING! That is the best word I can use to describe my first visit to Yosemite! 

I was born and raised in California yet it took me 45 years (oops, I told you my age...lol) to get to this beautiful place. What made this trip even better is that my daughter, Ashley, and her 4 long-time best girlfriends (all of my other daughters) went with me AND a friend from high school gave us a full day tour of the park. The tour and day was simply perfect. We had laughs, oh my....so many laughs and saw amazing sites, and had a great lunch and had a few mishaps that made the trip that much more memorable. We even met a wonderful family from Belgium that we spent some time with and learned about their culture. I honestly could not have asked for or imagined a better experience!!!

Me and the girls at the first Yosemite photo opp!

Me and my friend Sean from high school. He was an amazing and very patient tour guide!!

The great family from Belgium we met on one of our walks/hikes!

This was by FAR the scariest part of the day for me when my daughter and her friend wanted to climb out to the edge of the diving board. We stopped them before they could get all the way out there! 

This may have been the funniest part of the day. So many funny moments including a man eating crab that almost attacked my daughter!! LOL