4/4/07 – London Underground

There’s not much more of an abrupt transition from noisy, filthy India, to the technologically equipped, spotless streets of my friend Debbie’s East London neighborhood. In hopes of catching up with a few British friends, Sharon and I scheduled a few days in London prior to reaching the states without realizing what a prime social weekend it would turn out to be. Our goal is pretty much to do as much dancing as possible wherever we go, and this weekend was undoubtedly the right weekend to pass through the UK. (Though in a city this alive, I’m not sure if there is ever a bad weekend to be here). After an excess of scones and clotted cream, we met up with Santos (Deviant Species) and Adi (Scorb) for some drinks before catching Adi’s set at the infamous “Fridge,” one of the birth spots of trance in London. We ran into Greg (Mubali, from the states) and a friend of Sharon’s previously residing in NYC who would generously escort us through the non-stop weekend ahead. After Scorb we decided to check out the Synergy Project event that was taking place in a warehouse under the arches. Composed of about 8 rooms, each with a different music style, art stations and workshops, costumes and full décor, this was the classiest event I’ve seen of this type and greatly reminiscent of “the good ole days.” Evidently a monthly, this event is a collaboration between many artists and environmentalists pushing a shared platform for music, art, and education. We saw some familiar faces from Goa, Rane (Phuture Primitive from Portland who was performing), and I even bumped into my good friend Christina from Fort Collins, Colorado currently attending school in London. The event wrapped up by an unforgettably dynamic and powerful set by Man with No Name, followed by a funky morning set from Dick Trevor. The following night, after nowhere near enough rest we experienced a most proper Squat Party with Trold, Psymmetrix, Beardy (Wild Things Records), and our good friend Layla (Dragonfly Records) being some of the headliners. Again enjoying the company of familiar faces from last year in Portugal, Turkey, and Italy, we danced through the morning and into the afternoon like true Londoners and managed to meet a couple locals who invited us for afternoon tea in the back of their “mobile home van” just down the block. Chasing what was left of the first sunny day we’d seen since we hit London, we all dropped by the quick store for some picnic snacks and hit Hyde Park with a blanket just in time for a bottle of sundowners. A perfect end to a perfect weekend, we crashed in their van before heading back to our friend’s house and awoke the next morning for our final departure to the states.

The unfriendly, unwelcoming, and arrogant security at the stateside airport was our first indication that we were no longer in a foreign country. After being away so long, I had again settled into the traveling, free-spirited frame of mind that greatly differs from one that isn’t. Not feeling completely at peace to be back yet, I’m sure all discomfort will dissolve after a few reassuring speeches by G.W. and a few long nights of restful sleep. As Goa was a dream come true, London was certainly the cherry on top for a conclusion to another chapter of this most memorable adventure.

3/31/07 – The Spirit of Goa

How quickly 3 months can pass and even more so how abruptly it can all come to a close. To experience the magic of Goa has been a dream for me that I thought I may never have the opportunity to realize. A culture that has influenced and inspired so much of myself that seemed to have almost flickered out of existence, is contrarily still burning deep within the ancient, holy land of southern India’s beach fringed coastline. My hopes for a balance of adventure and productivity were undeniably high and while neither fell short of fulfilled, the picture painted was altogether different than what I anticipated. Sharon and I had high hopes for accomplishment and where we may feel we felt short in practical research and development in designing our new future, we believe we gained in personal development. Days that weren’t filled with research, were filled with a large amount of yoga, reading, and meditation. In our final weeks in Goa we did manage to speak with a good handful of experienced individuals who offered many insights into the potential directions we may consider taking for creating a new business. Perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve learned is to have no expectation when surrendering to the flow and while you can have goals for what you want to achieve on an unknown journey, ultimately you are at the will and malleability of the canvas on which you paint.

The world of travelers never stretches out of reach, especially when you run into a good German friend of Caryolyn’s (with whom I traveled through Africa last year) from the Soulclipse Festival in Turkey or her temporary travel buddies that were from Aspen, Colorado. With only one week left in Goa, we enjoyed a visit from Milana and her daughter Bella—two extremely brave friends from Boulder, CO who had only days before moved to India to stay in Amma’s Ashram indefinitely. Admitting that we had reached the limit of productivity able in Goa with only a week to pack and tie up loose ends, Sharon and I decided to squeeze in as much adventure as we could. Milana and Bella immediately took to the easy lifestyle of Goa and we did our best to show them the best finale week possible. The adventure began immediately with a scooter accident where Sharon, carrying 10 year old Bella, hit a stone wall. Frightened, but with all limbs in tact and only a few scrapes and bruises, we set off for the northern beach of Asvem. We swam with a school of mystery fish which felt like eels circling our ankles and enjoyed a nice sunset-beach dinner before joining some friends for their outdoor short-film movie night at a nearby beach hut. They showed independent films they had produced featuring documentaries on India and the like. A late night headlamp hike with no moon illuminated the gallery of sand paintings that high-tide brushed across the beach. It was almost as if in a dream that we actually got lost on the beach as the tide completely transformed the landscape filling swales with lakes masking our coconut hut just inland. The next day we spent at the long, flat, white-sand beach of Arambol in anticipation of a huge gathering that night. With noise complaints before it even started, the party was cancelled and we ended up lounging in the spacey atmosphere of the Russian “Psy-bar” for some juices. We finally caught up with Anjuli, a friend of a friend from Colorado for breakfast at Double Dutch, the local pixie hot-spot. A countryside scooter back down to Anjuna and without reminders from my friends, I probably would’ve completely missed my own birthday. The day was spent sorting out Milana and Bella with some nice beach front property and concluded with our final sunset party at Curlie’s. I had the hardest stomp of the season and a high-energy party that pushed beyond the usual 10pm all the way until 12:15!—all I could really ask for.

After a couple days of packing and sorting, it was time to play, so we all headed to Vagator beach for some hiking and waves. I stumbled across a hidden Shiva cave, perfect for meditation, then joined the rest of the crew in getting tossed by the largest waves of the season. That night atop south Anjuna hill was a proper tribal gathering and the last we’d see for the season. A camp fire, drumming, didges, Indian chanting, fire spinning, moon set, hellos to faces I hadn’t seen yet and goodbyes to those I’d shared joy with all season. The next morning we rose early, packed and hit club Paradiso which was conveniently hosting a 36-hour party for our last sweat-drenched stomp session. We finished our goodbyes and caught the night train to Mumbai to join Ishwar for our last few days in India. A final trip to the market, some awesome Indian food, nearly a full day’s meeting with a large clothing manufacturer in Mumbai, and a quick stop at the local underground dvd shop for some rock-bottom purchases, and we thanked Ishwar and India for all it had given us.

I see now that the magic of Goa lives on even if hidden beneath the worn surface. I went without expectations and left with some of the greatest memories. The overabundance of bad music characterized by anthems and drum rolls was a bit of a shock, but those familiar, smiling faces, that I repeatedly see around the world are a reminder that it’s magic still burns in the hearts of all those it has touched. It always brings a huge smile to my face to see the Indians on the dance floor dancing harder than anyone, fully embracing this transcendental culture. No one is left unwelcome and the arms reach far is this global family. In the end, a perfect day in Goa could best be described by Doctor Seuss’s “A Great Day for Up!” story with a sky filled with kites and parachutes in celebration of life and an embracing of this one great moment worth living. (See my photo for blog entry “Coming Into Being”). “Ooo-kay Ok,” is what they reassuringly say in India, and it is certainly how I feel every time my thoughts drift back to the sunset beaches of Anjuna.

3/10/07 – Overcome with Gratitude

Fourteen years is a great distance in time from discovering a fantastic, new, inspirational world to the realization that you have come to be an active character in that very same reality. For me to say that my openness to living a life driven by my passions and my new commitment for pursuing my dreams has found me to be realizing them seems a bit redundant at this point. There does comes a point where you can view your grand experiences as a series of ripples on your life’s timeline, but remain uncertain whether or not you are merely enjoying the grace of those cosmic blessings, or are somehow responsible for attracting their existence altogether. If time is in fact one single moment and not linear, then while all that occurs is introduced to you, would you not simultaneously participate in its conception?

Now awakening as that character finds me in a state of immense gratitude. One of my greatest wishes has been not only to experience the heart of the artistic movement that helped transform my life entirely, but to have an opportunity to tell my story in the fertile setting in which it blossomed. On Friday, March 9th, I was provided with that opportunity. The Nine Bar is the most active outdoor venue in Goa featuring a different dj from around the world every night from 5-10pm. It sets atop a bluff north of Anjuna offering perfect, palm tree framed sunset views overlooking the Arabian sea. A dirt dance floor covered with a sky full of stars is all I could really ask for when my chance to spin there had finally arrived. Five hours was more than enough time for a proper, dynamic trance journey in the spirit of storytelling, and more than nervous I grabbed my digital recorder and threw on my “Choose Bliss” t-shirt ready to go. Whether it was the fact that there was no moon overhead at the time or the residual effects from the disassociating lunar eclipse earlier in the week, my headspace was somewhat off and I was feeling somehow detached from my surroundings as I began to play. Being a giant inside of a covered dj booth didn’t help, and the overhead light while improving navigation filtered much of the view to the initially sparse crowd. I continued pulling chapters from my library and at times felt nearly alone except for the lizard that crawled in through the root like window hole carefully dodging sunset as it perched above my head where he remained for the duration. Believed to be the keepers of the dreamtime, I felt honored that this reptilian shaman had chosen to assist me in this particular dream sequence. In those moments of detachment I felt that my technical focus was somehow fine tuned and so I allowed it to consume my attention. Eventually gaining some sense of the external world, I could see the amorphous silhouette of the crowd that had at some point grown to the neighborhood of 200 people, filling the entire dance floor. Peepholes through the dividing veil slowly gave way as I recognized a few familiar faces below. Finally unleashing some of my best tracks, the experience climaxed when some of the old-timer hippies easily in their 50’s gave me the “thumbs up” sign of appreciation for the classic goa melodies. As my last track tapered off, I couldn’t believe 5 hours had gone by and the crowd’s appreciation seemed to flood in all at once as if the gates dividing my experience from theirs had finally been broken allowing the larger experience to be realized.

The attempted digital recording didn’t work (always read the manual before assuming you can use the equipment in an unfamiliar situation regardless of how straightforward it seems) but the priceless memories continue to sink deeply as the space afterward has finally allowed them to be absorbed. Now if my story is remembered or only resonates in the memory of the swaying palms and setting sun, the fulfilling sensation of deep gratitude that permeates my being is enough. “Just another beautiful sunset in Goa” holds new meaning, and now in some strange way, I feel like I belong here.

3/7/07 - India's Splendor (Part 3)

One of our main draws to southern India was to see the infamous backwaters of Kerala, where the sea stretches inland creating an endless series of channels and canals. We met a couple of other Americans and lazily drifted along in a canoe enjoying a soundtrack of Hindu chanting as it echoed through the canals from a nearby temple in celebration of a holy day. The guide made stops for us to see coconut twine making, wooden canoe construction, and a small spice plantation—the backbones of business along the backwaters. Hoping to catch Amma (The Hugging Mother) at her ashram and receive one of her infamous darshan hugs, we spent a night there on our way north, surprised to find out that not only was she not there, but that the schedule was quite loose and currently lacking any yoga. I did, however, score a great deal of sandalwood beads for a fair price in the ashram shop. Another 5 lazy hours on a ferry headed north, drifting and napping through rice fields at sunset had me longing for another beach. We finally made our way to Gokarna, our final destination where we planned to park for a few days on Om Beach. This was meant to be our official downtime with no schedules, obligations, or travel. Perhaps the laziest beaches in India, here you’ll find nearly deserted, beautiful shoreline fringed with thatched and mud huts for a buck a night, and activity that doesn’t exceed leaving a hammock. Needless to say I got a lot of reading done, yoga, a few shades added to my tan, and spent a great deal of time impersonating seaweed on the churning waves. There was a perfect point for meditation on a peninsula overlooking the sea doubled with prime viewing of the school of dolphins below. In celebration of the full moon, we enjoyed a very inspirational music meditation to FSOL’s “Lifeforms” album (what else), but didn’t make it until the am to see the lunar eclipse.

Now we’ve returned safely to our base in Anjuna feeling refreshed and grateful for the many colors of India we had the opportunity to see. Having missed our “home” in Goa a little, we already have a list of all our favorite spots serving unmatchable fruit juices and lassis that we have to visit. Once again we now look toward the future we are trying to create with renewed inspiration and a journal of new experiences.

3/7/07 - India's Splendor (Part 2)

Now with Sharon getting her first taste of real India, we set out for Hampi, another backpacker hot spot known for it’s 42+/- sq kilometers of amazing, but not-so-ancient ruins from the 13th-16th century, lush rice fields, groves of banana and palm trees, and a winding river all set amidst a rolling boulder-stacked landscape similar to that of Vedawoo in southern Wyoming. Other than the hungry touts seeking to snag tourist business, the atmosphere is summed up by rooftop restaurants, stepped vistas overlooking the river, and a tendency for hours of boulder watching. After more than a days worth of ruins we enjoyed a 360 degree view at sunset on Matanga Hill, the most choice peak in the area. As nothing but the peaceful breeze over our faces was felt in an extended moment of silence, Sharon mutters, “I like the weather here.” Not nearly ready to tackle the bustling air of Bangalore, India’s most progressive city, and what I refer to as the “western east”, we meet up with Sharon’s friend Mithune, now living there and willing to give us the official tour. The City of Gardens, as Bangalore is known, with a large central city park (filled with perfect climbing trees), runs off of the caffeine of multiple coffee shops per block. We found it is best experienced through the cuisine, but requires a native to guide you, for victimization by artificially “urbanized” food is rampant. While being a huge fan of Indian food, Sharon and I agree it’s a bit too spicy and heavy for breakfast. Masala tea (chai) is hard to come by there, but we finally filled our craving for carrot halwa (a fine sweet desert). I got my teeth cleaned for about 20 bucks, but curiously right after the their sparkle returned, the dentist asked if I wanted to join her for some abnormally sweet Indian-style coffee. Why not, it’s India. Our Bangalore stay ended with another 360 degree view just in time for an impressive sunset at Nandi Hills, a favorite nature spot of Mithune.

Already burnt from the chaos and air pollution of the cities we headed for the beach in south Kerala to Varkala. FINALLY able to get large pots of spiced chai (about 9 cups for 60 cents) and a proper fruit muesli breakfast we quickly sank into the traveler vibe again atop the west-facing cliffs that overlooked the sea. Filled with hammocks, yoga and reiki on the beach, and ayurveda spas everywhere we knew 2 days wouldn’t be enough time here. Kerala is also home for Kathikali dancers (traditional costumed Indian dance/plays) and we managed to catch a colorful performance in a small, cramped, non-ventilated shed. We got to experience a seasonally unusual rainstorm, and a bit of rumbling serenity on the beach where the bellowing thunder rolled down the cliffside colliding with the crashing waves. All the men in Kerala wear diapers, though there I think the proper spelling is “dhoti.” So "when in Rome"…I went out and bought a couple of diapers for myself, which I must say are quite comfortable...

3/7/07 - India's Splendor (Part 1)

It’s amazing when you remove all points of reference that bind you to a familiar timeline, how adventure and the directions of unknown currents can sweep you into a flow of timeless experience continuously revealing the most sacred beauties through a myriad of forms. Without trying, old dreams can be fulfilled and new ones created within one single breath. Nearly one moon ago, through the interwoven threads of friendships, Sharon and I found ourselves spending a most magical sunset in an intimate home setting with Goa Gil (Indian sadhu/godfather of goa-trance) and his wife, Ariane. We were invited and honored to join them for one of their African drumming practices in their backyard. The picture-perfect view toward the setting sun across rice fields, I swear I must have seen on a goa-trance compilation back in the mid 90’s somewhere. The deteriorating ruins of a neighboring building and the tree that effortlessly overtook them created the perfect backdrop for this rhythmic ritual. I managed to snag some recordings and hope to go back again for a full session of recording as Gil expressed interest in my doing so. Finally meeting the legend was in some way fulfilling and his gentle and fun nature perhaps inspired or at least reflected the shanti spirit of Anjuna.

The next day, we finally experienced a proper beach party at Curlie’s for sunset packed with smiling faces on a sandy dance floor. Following, George was kind enough to spend some time showing me some tips in music production and we spent a day writing a trance track, exchanging ideas and sipping chai under the hanging canopy of the German Bakery. Soon after, the time had ended for George and Alanna’s stay in Goa and we awoke for sunrise and some morning dancing before sending them on their way to Nepal. Later that week we hit Ingo’s night market—an international market with a large amount of European artists/designers—for the annual Goa fashion show and to do a little research. Definitely styles that attempt to avoid the mainstream, the creations were across the board available at European prices, and it was the first fashion show I’ve attended where a trance party among the models actually broke out on the runway. Ahhhh…Goa. The following weekend was Shivaratri, a major Indian holiday, and accordingly there was a gathering held at the Hilltop Lodge. Pumping trance, blacklight painted palm trees, a sky full of stars, and over 500 people made for the most amazing gathering we’ve experienced in Goa so far. It seemed reminiscent of a proper Goan gathering with Tristan playing “behind” the audience, and focus instead directed toward the deity tapestries of Shiva, Ganesh, and Buddha, that garnished the temple of speakers. The annual Carnival was held in Arambol the next day, on a long, flat beach in northern Goa. Seemingly a little piece of Burning Man, the carnival was an excuse for all of the westerners to display full costumes and body paint as a moving drum circle paraded down the beach from one circus-themed art installation to the next. Climaxing with an amazing fire spinning circle, we decided to head home and pack for our two weeks worth of travel through southern India which began early the next morning...

2/4/07 Coming Into Be-ing

In one single, elongated moment, I’ve returned from (the beginning of) my most transformational journey, completely released the shackles to my previous life situation, embraced the teachings handed to me along the way, acknowledged my blessings, and surrendered to my passions for life. All this allowing me to begin applying those teachings toward a be-coming into the eternal present. By the measure of clock time and celestial cycles nearly 5 moons have passed since I’ve taken the time to express the many transmutations occurring both within and without my will’s realm of control. My return to the states ended up being just another transition in this endless adventure..

It continued with a wonderful Earth Dance celebration back with my extended family in the mountains of Colorado in September. For nearly 10 months I went without sight nor scent of those beautiful Rockies and without sounding too impersonal, I think they were probably what my heart missed the most. After spending time with my immediate family back in Arkansas (just as important as the Rockies, of course) I was lucky enough to be stranded in nowhere-southern Kansas for, yes, 9 days with major car trouble. I can tell you first hand there’s no Dorothy, and there’s no Oz, but fortunately quite the abundance of timely synchronicity. Finally exceeding the pull of the black hole I made it back to Colorado and packed my things freeing me for what was next.

Since arriving back in the states and after many conversations with Sharon (my good friend from Philly with whom I traveled through Europe), we decided to commit to a business relationship offering both support and encouragement to endeavor on a path that will essentially redesign the way we live our lives and sustain ourselves. Realizing that saving up to live the dream for a few months is one thing, but the courage and effort to sustain that lifestyle is the real test. With no short supply of ideas and a willingness to embrace this one life, we decided to put the Law of Attraction into action and uproot with plans to spend 3 months in Goa , India working on the manifestation of this new “design.” After leaving Colorado I headed straight to Philly to help Sharon shed the skin of 15 years in the same apt. so that nothing would tie us down. A few long weeks and many clouds of dust later, she was free. While on the east coast I was able to finally connect with many of the Gaian Mind crew and reconnect with good friends of Omnitribe and old Russian family from the Rockies gone-east. I had the opportunity to spin at a Gaian-Mind monthly in Philly, tag team with Coral at an Alladin Project party in NYC, and play a most special event at Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors gallery—where he and his wife (whom I got to meet) were painting live throughout the night while people swung suspended from hooks through their skin. An interesting array of attendees and expressions needless to say. We spent a mellow NYE at an art gallery, and I was able to bring in the new year with an old school Goa-trance set (foreshadowing, perhaps?).

After shacking up in Onnomon’s house for a week we set off for India, passed through London for some cream tea with Debbie—whom I met in north India and Italy with Gina the previous year, and spent a few days reconnecting with Ishwar once finally landing in Mumbai (where I finally got my Africa photos back after all this time so I can finally post some pics to the blog). Speaking of Africa …I was finally able to look into a condition I had been suffering from for many months as swollen lymph nodes on my neck. Seeing how India ’s medical is about 1/10 the price of the states I decided to have it checked out. It seems malaria wasn’t all that mamma-Africa gifted me, as I was diagnosed with Tubercula Lymphoditis as well—non-specific, chronic, swelling of the lymph nodes most likely caused by the consumption of raw milk. 6 months worth of medication and I should be fine. Needless to say I won’t be an advocate of African tourism anytime soon. Otherwise it was quite satisfying making it back to India, the land of spicy chai and even spicier curries. We visited the greatly impressive Elephanta Caves , dedicated to Shiva, on an island off the coast then caught a train straight to Goa .

Palm trees, sunset beaches, fresh fruit juices, and an air of trance music everywhere. It’s mighty fine to be back. We’ve connected with good friends from Turkey , Italy , Hungary , and Portugal , and have finally settled into a quiet neighborhood where we still struggle to get internet installed in our house. The cows that come to our porch for food aren’t always left unsatisfied and the surrounding palm forest keeps things cool and breezy most of the time in south Anjuna.

We’ve now connected with George and Alana, good friends from Boston/Asheville who are spending a few weeks here as well on their way from Thailand to Nepal . Sunsets at Curley’s beach bar/restaurant (the long time hub for trancers in the evening) are common, but the authorities don’t let the beach parties, nor many others for that matter, happen in their attempts to “upscale-ify” Anjuna’s developing areas and worn beaches for high-paying tourists. The beautiful international markets are always colorful and overpriced, but enjoyable with psytrance pumping, smiles abound, and a nack for bargaining. Getting settled and productivity have taken a little time with internet delays, a hard drive crash, e-mail account down, and the usual expect-to-get-it-at-least-once 24 hour Indian what-was-it-that-I-ate illness. Daily routines have been loose as planned and include a healthy portion of yoga, meditation, and lots of reading. Some highlights have been cruising the palm-strewn countryside once again from behind the handlebars of a scooter, upscale French cuisine at low scale prices with Ans and Ruth whom I met in Hungary (organizers of the Glade Festival in England, and of Nano Records, South Africa), and some afternoon “frizza” (frisbee) on the beach with Tristan (the one and only).

Finally feeling a groove, adjusting to the pace of “India-time,” and slowly getting my computer re-outfitted, I look forward to hours of creative exploration and continuing the balance of physical and mental exercise. We continue to practice living by the Law of Attraction and focus on the good for all. The present is good and with help from books like "The Power of Now" it is where I am slowly learning to spend most of my time.

9/1/06 - Touchdown

Velocity in my travels certainly seemed to accelerate over the last couple of weeks, and our jaunt through Europe packed as many countries into 6 weeks as I had visited in the previous 6 months. After finally retrieving our bags from the London airport and a most enjoyable stay with the beautiful minds behind Kaya Project, we sent out for our final festival on this greatest of trance tours, the Ozora Festival in Hungary. The beautiful, quiet countryside was most welcoming, and we were anxious for a few more days of trance dancing and much needed downtime that we could only seem to get while camped with thousands of others in the middle of nowhere. At the same location at 1999's Soulipse eclipse festival, the Ozora was a much smaller scene and more intimate family vibe. Familiar faces from Boom in Portugal, Sonica in Italy, Soulclipse in Turkey, and even South Africa made for quite an appropriate bookend to my 8 months of trancing around the world. While most from Boom headed to the Rhythms of Peace festival in Morocco, there was still quite a strong attendance in the most humid of climates I've experienced since east Africa. Rolling country hills blanketed in corn fields were wrapped by acres of forestland providing shade for lazy camping and hammock-slouched afternoons. On the main stage we sweated buckets to sets from Derango, Para Halu, Cosmosis, Deedrah, Man with No Name, Peter Dijital, Son Kite, and the most properly psychedelic of sets by Hux Flux who ended up being extremely cool fellas. The chill vibe was laid out by Solar Fields, Aes Dana, and Entheogenic.

Finally at the end of our trance tour, we hopped a plane to Malmo, Sweden for about 24 hours where we visited with Son Kite and had dinner with Gavin of Digital Structures and Renee of Beat Bizarre. We happened to hit Malmo in the peak of the Malmo Festival where Europeans flock to experience the culture and music of Malmo, while all the locals stay at home to avoid them. Then on another plane to our final destination to land at Aes Dana's house in Lyon, France. I couldn't believe a dream like this was actually coming true. We spent two days with Vincent and Sunny (Ultimae) visiting the Ultimae studios, and getting a taste of life in southeastern France. Our last night was spent drinking traditional local liquors and previewing/critiquing the latest, unreleased album by Carbon Based Lifeforms. I shared many musical interests with Vincent, not suprisingly, and after seeing him and Sunny in action, I can now understand why Ultimae Records produces the utmost in quality releases. The next morning Vincent walked me to the bus station and I entered the largest group of Americans, about to board the plane to NYC, I've encountered in months. At that moment I received confirmation that Americans reallly are the most strange and curious of peoples.

Back in NYC left me confused and chaotic among the crowds, but timing had it so that with a few of my best friends we hopped a boatride on the Hudson and got Shpongled to a Simon Posford dj set as the glistening skyline slid by. The next night my friend Coral, whom I travelled with in Cape Town in January, was spinning at a festival in upstate NY on a lake out in the countryside. So as a proper re-entry, I spent the next 3 days at a small festival with her and Chelsea, whom I travelled with in Turkey, frolicing under the trees, and dancing in the rain. Afterward I caught up with Anya, Boris, Oleg and Shy (former CO friends) and started on the last leg of my trip home.

I arrived in Arkansas last night to spend some time with my family and plan to finally reach Colorado just a few days before our Earth Dance festival on Sept 15th. This is the first time in 8 months that I've experienced an environment that's familiar and it's extremely disorienting as if just waking from a deep dream and trying to get my bearings again.

From a trip that was originally estimated to be about 5 countries in about 5 months and ended up 13 countries in 8 months, I am struggling to digest it all. I am forever fortunate and thankful for some of the most incredible experiences of my life and what I can easily say has been the most amazing 8 months of my life. I realize after finally embarking on my most anticipated international travel experience that this is only the beginning.

The most important lesson I learned on this trip and advice I can offer (after much hesitation in the very beginning while still secured in an overworked 9-5+ job) I can some up in a few words...

DROP OUT

...and choose bliss.

(FYI - As for photos, I will probably come back and insert some now that I have the ability to reduce the size of those I've taken, and I hope to write a final "Reflections" entry soon that will briefly summarize my experience through each of these countries in a compare and contrast fashion that has helped shape and influence my world perspective.)

Thanks to all who read and commented, it was so nice having you on my journey. : )

8/16/06 - Dreamswept

Can life really move so fast that you've no time to reflect, no time to ground yourself by sharing with others and no time to realize that so many of your fantasies could be dreaming themselves into existence?

Well 5 weeks and 4 countries have passed since I've had the time to reflect in any organized, recorded fashion and even think about weaving my experiences into the cyber realm. So I left off in India having quite the life changing experience in the ashram. In an instant I was transported back to the first world where the atmosphere of Rome-ance sings through the monolithic architecture and fancies candlelight dinning on the streets of a once high-civilization. From saris to Gucci, from $2 a night to $30, and from water cuts to endlessly flowing fountains of potable water on every street corner, it seems the dream of upscale civilization has been revived through the euro. A clean city (relatively) with historic sites everywhere and a haven for couples, allowed an opportunity for me to catch up with Keynes (a friend from the ashram) at a pool at a 4 star hotel for a day, meet up with Gonzalo a best friend from high school (a Spanish exchange student whom I haven't seen in 8 years) who is living the dream as a photographer/web desinger for a freestyle bicycle magazine, and connect with my third travel buddy on this greatest of journeys, Sharon, of Gaian Mind-Pennsylvania whom I connected with in Turkey. Back to a diet of only pasta, pizza, and the occasional chinese, after a week in Rome we set off for the Sonica festival near a lake in a small, quaint village in northern Italy.

When I volunteered to "help work at the Sonica festival" I didnt realize I would actually be "working" the festival. Thanks to Sharon I ended up getting staffed to help sort all the artists out in the artists camp. That meant that myself and one other girl worked nearly 24 hours a day with short nap breaks, but did allow me the opportunity to meet nearly all of the artists including Peter Digital (Digital Structures) Atmos, Bamboo Forest, Etnica, Freq, Polaris, Psynema, Space Cat, Wizzy Noise, Zen Mechanics, Phuture Primitive, the entire Ultimae Records crew from France including my heroes Aes Dana, Solar Fields, and Carbon Based Lifeforms, and the masters Merv (Eat Static) and Olli Wisdom (Space Tribe) who were some of the chillest artists ever. Gina, who I'd been travelling India with showed up with Debbie, whom we met in Dharamsala, and Prometheus who was part of our American Turkey-tour crew from Colorado making quite a reunion. I also saw faces of some I'd met in Cape Town, Turkey, and Goa India. The festival was high energy and except for being brought down by a thunderstorm a few hours before scheduled ending, went off fairly smoothly.

Then we wisped off to Barcelona for 4 days on our way to the Boom festival, the largest and most organized trance movement in the world. Spain was quite the surreal experience, moreso like a dream as our adventures all revolved around honoring great artists. We arrived to Gerona and stayed in the heart of the stoney old town before hitting the Salvidor Dali museum (who would've been quite the hit at Burning Man) in Figueras. We went to Cap de Cruz for sundowners on the northeastern most point of Spain then to La Rambla in the heart of Barcelona to visit a friend of Sharon's. The next day was dedicated to the brilliant architect and artist Antoni Gaudi, and was spent in a futuristic crystal-geometry church still under construction, apartments with a rooftop alien futurescape, and Guell Park - an organic fantasy world where middle earth meets the underworld. A day on the beach followed, and the ocean was much more enjoyable than the thick chlorinated pool water with the consistency of liquid detergent that they passed as tap water in that city.

Then off to Lisbon, Portugal to prepare for the Boom and my baggage, yes everything I owned excpet for my camera and Nalgene bottle (what else do you really need as an American) was lost at the airport. So for three days we hung out at a campground in the city that bordered a large natural park which was quite nice with a stretching canopy of pines and swimming pool. After visiting the extremely uneventful town center and still no luggage we headed to Boom and I had two days to re-prepare my entire yoga workshop by memory with no notes or references. On day 4 I was notified my luggage had been found and was probably sitting in the airport the entire time. We spent 9 hours returning to the airport and retrieving my goods to return to Boom re-energized and fully equipped for some trancin'. The cue for entry at Boom held some trance-goers up for 15 hours! but we managed to breeze in since I was involved with workshops. The festival itself was completely amazing and certainly the most organized and incredible trance festival I've ever attended. After years of reading about Boom I finally got to witness the magic that drives the movement. Aside from a perfect location nestled in a valley in the rolling hilled Portuguese countryside on a lake, and a massive stage, was the Liminal Village. This was the counterpart to the music which was a structure (of many beautifully crafted bamboo architectural structures) where information exchange occurred in the platform of workshops, lectures/discussions, and movies focusing on sustainable living on an idividual and global scale. This was the element that completely transformed the event from a party to an educational tool providing people with practical techniques for immediate change wtihin their lives. Un-believable! I was completely honored to participate in this exchange.

I got to meet many of the speakers/visionaries that have written multiple books on human consciousness and evolutionary philosophies such as Daniel Pinchbeck. I also met one of the great masters of Goa Trance, Dick Trevor (Green Nuns of the Revolution) who had probably the most mind blowing set the entire week. Tom (DJ Green from my home family in Colorado) met me there and we shared some amazing experiences over the next week and a half. I also ran into Zay, from Kansas (Interfuse) which was quite a treat and allowed for an international bonding experience we'll never forget.

After a week in the heat slipping between the dance floor and the lake, we picked up an Austrian girl and headed to Utopia, the Boom afterparty which was probably the most amazing trance gathering I've been to over the past 8 months. Located at a campground nestled alongside a river, with a large swimming hole, shady trees, moss and ferns, and the thickest vibe ever composed of all the old Goa heads, we danced until our bodies just couldn't take it. Most were then headed off to Morocco for another week long festival Rhythms of Peace, but Sharon and I are slowly heading to Hungary for our last festival Ozora, located outside of Budapest. We arrived in London 2 days ago to catch up with a few friends and are currently staying with Seb (Shakta) and Natasha (Kaia Project) and leave tomorrow for Hungary. Almost all of our luggage was lost again when we arrived in London and was just found by an extreme synchronicity today...except for my didgeridoo.

It was been full-on high gear and extremely hectic over the past 5 weeks, but things are beginning to wrap up as just a few days ago I officially purchased my tickets for my return home. I will be returning to the states on August 24th to NYC and then making my way back to Arkansas to arrive around Sept 1st. After the Ozora festival this weekend we will be going through Sweden for about 24 hours to have a barbeque with Beat Bizzare and potentially Son Kite, then off to Lyon, France to spend a couple days with Vincent and Sunny (Aes Dana and wife, the label heads and currently my absolute favorite musician).

So what can I say, this past month has let me meet many of my greatest muses and given me experiences that have filled my life with so much magic and inspiration I can't even begin to express in words.

A Month Out of Time - 7/8/07

Amazing how quickly a month can pass when you're focused and completely enrolled in something you enjoy so much. Time actually seemed to disappear for nearly a month without any major responsibilities or worries. I must say 24 hours of a yogic lifestyle a day was about the most relaxing, healing, growing experience I've enjoyed since...well...

After two months in India I was ready to park myself in one place for a while and the ashram seemed the perfect home. On arrival I knew I had chosen wisely as there were two geodesik domes (similar to those scattering the playa at Burning Man) for meditation out front. The staff were amazing and the head organizer had a personality of gold. Many of those who ran the establishment had great senses of humor and musical talents so we were able to casually experience many deeper aspects of the Hindu tradition from chanting to fire arti (devotional) services. The ashram is located outside of Nasik (5-ish hours from Bombay) in the Sahyadri Mountain range. A center for yogis and holy sites, this area holds the second oldest Shiva temple in India dating around 2,000 years or so. We all feared the worst in monsoon season, but managed to have 3 weeks of nearly perfect, and yes COOL, weather before our one week of terrential downpoor. The rains wash all the critters to higher ground, but other than a few huge scorpions, a giant rat, and a 7-foot cobra, the most diverse array of bird song was the ambience that nature provided. Our group was comprised of about 40 people from every continent around the globe and made for quite the palette of story-telling and "small-worlding" you could imagine. As it turns out, one of the girls from South Africa was at the new years eve party I spun at down in Cape Town. The food was quite bland most of the time and lacked much variety but was plentiful and when special sweet dishes did appear, all's spirits were raised. We were given one day a week to hit town for correspondence with the outside world. Life on the ashram was quite peaceful with 5am wakeup calls and adventure only came when we braved the city. Although we did manage to pass around some bug of diarrhea that cycled multiple times through the group leaving only a couple spared. It was the most intense cleanse we practiced over the 4 weeks and it wasn't even a part of the program.

On one of our city trips we experienced the violence of the taxi drivers on strike as they managed to chuck a boulder through the winshield of the local public bus. Luckily no one was harmed, and the bus driver brushed the glass shards off his seat and kept going. Only in India. Another time I hiked from the Trimbukeshwa Shiva Temple up into the mountains above to bathe in one of Shiva's locks of hair spilling a few hundred feet over the peaks as the monsoons nourished the green valleys below.

After the course was completed a few of us headed straight to the 5-star Taj Hotel for a swim in the pool (cooincidentally the only sunny day we had seen in over a week) for a swim and a bit of pampering. At about the same time, the monsoons hit full force creating major problems for all of us trying to get back into Mumbai, a city that suffers perhaps the most as the floods raise. From arriving to the train station late, to getting on the wrong train and everyone literally diving off with baggage flying as the train quickly accelerated, to people and bags being left on the train, to getting on another wrong train, to delays, to sinking two cabs, to getting stranded in a suburb outside of Mumbai, the adventure ranked as probably the largest I've experienced in India. But, just as every previous circumstance, the blessings came at all the right times. And the icing on this cake was sweet! The area we got stranded in was more of an upscale area and we happened into a 3-star for some eats when our royal treatment was laid out before us. We managed to celebrate one of the girl's birthdays in style with a feast that just didn't seem to end and a staff that bent over backwards in any possible way they could.

I'm now safely back in Mumbai with Ishwar and catching a plane to Rome--what?--very late tonight. Plans continue to change as originally I was to set out for home after my training with a brief stop in the UK. Well, generous friends and opportunity have allowed for a small extension of my trip which will now take me to the ancient city of Rome, allow me to work on staff at the international trance festival of Sonica in Italy, spend a few days on a beach in Barcelona, teach a yoga workshop at BOOM, a 10 day international trance festival in Portugal, and potentially take a short jaunt through England and Scotland before hitting the states.

I count my blessings daily and continue to struggle to remain in each and every moment.

As for the knowlege I saught in the last month of training, it seemed like a guidebook for how to live a happy, healthy, balanced lifestyle. From physical conditional to mental awareness, to spiritual exploration, yoga certainly seems to be the "science of self-realization." With so many tools, and 8 "limbs" of yogic practice, and about 15 new books from the great yogis of the Bihar School of Yoga and ancient Shiva tradition, I am more than fueled and equipped for my adventure of self-discovery that lies ahead.