Tag: Family Travel

Reacquainting with Mr. Tucci

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Embracing Uncertainty, Life Lessons, Martial Arts, Travel, World Travel

The Tyrolean Alp surrounding a restaurant at a secluded mountain pass on a path to a remote Austrian village. Arriving – a sigh upon reaching a distant location and fading into obscurity. Until a James Bond moment and a subtle murmur in English with a strong German accent, “But Mr. Tucci last year was not your first year in Lech though was it? You were here before.” Recognized…

After contemplating the meaning of life and my life over a few Irish Coffees the night before, there was a need for something stronger – a solo hike up a mountain to sort it out. Carrying a metal hiking stick, originally with the intention of having a “weapon” if necessary, only to discover that truly, as in martial arts, the training is not for the purpose of fending off a predator but for self-preservation. More often then not, we are preparing not for the external enemy but for our own self-growth and self-knowledge, the internal conflict that can at times be more vicious.

Preparing for the somewhat challenging hike alone, initially the voices in the head go back and forth, round and round, attempting to solve the problems of the world and my world on a rational level. Next Type A gazes above to see the zenith and pushes to gain ground and heart rate. Starting to think about my life in phases and flashing moments and then I stopped, sat down and in a rare moment wept.   I thought about the many challenging times in my life and those people that surrounded me. Next, thoughts about how presently my mind was swarming with debates and manifestos though, in reality, all is truly well. There is no crisis.  Health, joy, and abundance abound but the numerous internal debates were not allowing enough room for gratitude and happiness with what is.  As I returned to my hike the path got significantly more challenging forcing moment-to-moment focus and presence to take hold.

Mountain traffic jam
Monk & Samurai carvings while hiking very fitting
View mid-hike
Alpine mountain flowers

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Upon my decent, I came upon a trio pausing to allow my careful steps. Stopping a moment for banter about the weather and the trail as I depart a synchronicity, as the woman looking me directly in the eyes and imparts, “Take your time. No rush”.

We had many great out of doors time as a family spending time each day hiking and walking.   The purity of a child’s mind unfettered by thoughts and what we are indoctrinated as “reason” is a lesson in itself. Daily the important rituals revolve around mountain flowers, insects, conversions about fairies, and pursuing butterflies. Pursing butterflies that is with the intention of having one land and become compadres. Each day a daily moving meditation practice of learning to be still and patient then one day concentration and determination paid off. Not one new connection but THREE landed and were carried by my daughter. Pure love and faith prevailed.

Top of the Rufikopf
Geological hike discovery
Family hike selfie
Always look on the bright side of life
Butterfly friends

The weeks we extended and stayed in Lech, Austria and returned after a hiatus to the Dolomites in Italy have been like therapy for us as individuals as well as Rick and I as a couple. The arrangement at our hotel allows for much needed, uninterrupted adult time with complimentary childcare. Moments to relax, laugh, and just talk about nothings and everything in the daylight and setting sun. It did not take therapy but moments of focused attention and intention.  Just like starting over and all it took was space, nature, presence, and Irish coffee.

Relaxing!
Her new Austrian dress!
Hotel barn

As for Rick’s notoriety as mentioned at the beginning of the blog, the manager of the hotel where we stayed remembered Rick from many,many years ago at a different hotel in town. As it turns out I was not the only one to get reacquainted with him!

Gratitude At the Break

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Life Lessons, Travel, World Travel

Most mornings on our trip to Costa Rica a monkey awakens me.   The primate I hear is not the screeching of a howler monkey mind you, willfully I sleep through the sounds of those, the loudest land animals, each dawn.  A 3-½ year old curled in my arms wakes me with whispers to set out to go to the beach and romp in the waves at nearly past 6am. We began this schedule each trip to Nosara, 4x now since she was born, and it is a precious time for both of us.  There is solitude and unity in those precious few minutes alone when neither individual feels the overwhelming need to communicate in words while winding down the path to the sand.

Howler monkey outside our hotel
Howler monkey outside our hotel

Now that she is old enough to comprehend, when we reach the shoreline and gaze into the waves as the sun is rising and share moments of gratitude.  I lead the words of the new day with something simple such as  “Gracias, gracias, gracias for ……” or “Thank you for all our blessings and our gifts”.  The words reverberate in the little spirit next to me who sometimes repeats verbatim but mostly adds her own thoughts as the novel daylight reaches forward.  Of all the times we have recited this simple sign of gratefulness to the universe she, amazingly for a child, never adds anything trite and senses the significance in her earnest terms.

At the Break

We stand with the waves rushing towards our toes and steer to move deeper to get thigh high for my counterpart.  Now no longer a novice in the waves, there is an ease that she now places on her approach.  Her awareness of the breaks is present but with care and ease and barely a pause in her reactions she assesses each with split second pronouncements. The unfettered mind of a child: Jump the wave? Set and take the wave as it is? Ride it, swimming in? Or if needed reach for a hand to assist.

Ah, the bliss of clarity in gauging the moment as it comes lucidly.  Along with it comes a lesson for us all, to perceive in transparency without allowing the measure of our own thoughts and emotions to crash upon us with each swell – Seeing each surge as an opportunity as opposed to a challenge.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  – John F. Kennedy

Our small token we left in Nosara was a tree we planted with the Harmony Hotel’s “Plant a Tree” program to compensate for the hotel’s carbon emissions during our stay.

Planting a tree @ the Harmony Hotel

**The Harmony Hotel maintains a five-leaf rating from Costa Rica’s prestigious Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST).

Decompressing and Harmonizing

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Embracing Uncertainty, Life Lessons, Travel, World Travel

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Our compassion goes out to our friends and family in the Northeast.  As I write this they have been hit with two snowstorms since our departure and foresee another ramming this coming weekend.  We, fortunately, got out while the getting was good.

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Some may be waiting in anticipation of where we disembarked.  We copped a squat in our favorite Central American country and town Nosara, Costa Rica.  We wanted to choose a place that would reflect complete relaxation and retreat from the rush and hurry energy of which we came, a place that would require minimal exertion on our part to undergo decompression. The comfort of this local provides us with a safe haven and respite due to our familiarity.  We have been here 5 times now, 4 years in a row, bringing the wee one here first when she was a mere 6 months.  Here we have close friends, make new friends, and meet friends of friends.

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Nosara is a surf and yoga mecca, ironically CNN and National Geographic voted it one of the “11 places to go in 2014”.   Our hotel the Harmony, is the pinnacle of serenity and nature’s elegance.  Time floats and becomes transparent – time evaporates.  No really, the hotel has no clocks in the rooms or common areas and there is no Television.   No clocks or watches seem to allow the body to naturally reset its rhythms.  Wake with the sun to the sounds of the howler moneys and exotic birds collaborating in the distance or maybe a 3-year-old eager to explore the beach.  Sleep when the urge comes to slip into a siesta.  Lights out literally in the common areas of the hotel at 10 PM and physically when the body draws you to retire synchronizing to the natural, rhythmic body clock.

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Now we are boundless, nomads.  Several days in and it has yet to completely bore into our consciousness.  Comparable to when a lover leaves, the familiarity is so fresh one expects the silhouette to surrey in and settle back into the comfortable nook.  Last year on this same trip Rick and I began to discuss the strong possibility of taking this conduit and here we find ourselves with an open pallet to add the strokes deliberately and thoughtfully.  The same we that stands here now in the universe of our creation.  Since fate agrees, then who are we to disagree?

Pura Vida!

Move Over Willy Nelson

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Travel, US Travel

On the Road Again… That was the theme of our recent exploration of California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXe1jtS7k28

The original estimates notwithstanding, here is a glance at the actuals:

10 Nights

8 Hotels (Including a pre-trip Newark Airport hotel)

20 Stops (Meaning a meal, coffee, or sleeping)

And a whopping 1123-Miles when we dropped of the rental car

A Visual
A Visual

So why the healthy jaunt through Cali?  It was a multi-faceted excursion and very practical (in theory only).  We wanted to catch up with some old friends while simultaneously cramming in every part of California we could possibly explore for future inhabitance.  This petite window helped us to rule out some parts of California for future living.   SEE RESULTS LATER IN THE BLOG

We are exploring California intently because there are many things about the state itself that we appreciate.  As a resident of the state, Bill Maher summed up many great points via his “New Rule” method.  Beside those points the weather and alternative public charter school funding and support are both sizeable pluses.

Every day 1 of traveling amazingly our daughter goes to sleep at 8:00 PM, even during travels into a different time zones.  This trip was no exception.  Over the years several people have asked if that is when we, the adults, turn down. Oh no, no, no.  Our secret hide-away, especially in warm climate or in this case not so warm, is always a room with a balcony or when not outrageous, a suite. In Cali this time of the year, balconies consisted of layers, a scarf, and one night, a very strong contact high.  A friend with 2 children once suggested always get a hotel room with a big closet and make it a special treat with lots of pillows and blankets to tuck her in but I would feel too guilty and besides 3 in a king size bed is not bad. After one early rising, I did do something I promised as a parent I would not do.  The unthinkable, a bribe of a gluten-free cupcake or treat that day if she went back to sleep and it worked like a charm (OK, more than once).  Alright, so it was a win-win and in California these are easy to come by.

Checklist of the abundant accomplishments this excursion included:

  • Trip to see amazing healer in Fullerton.   Ancient Chinese secret – our lips are sealed!
  • Watched the remarkable Alberto Villoldo PhD speak to his organization, The Four Winds Society, and reuniting Alumni from his classes.  The consummate orator Alberto never disappoints.  Also got to sit with him and his partner Marcella and reconnect with some other people that we have met through the organization.
  • Bruce Lipton lecture – WOW!  Simply astounding.  Oh just a little epigenetics and cellular biology defining the molecular pathways connecting the mind and body.
  • Time spent with the Drunken Taoist, Daniele Bolelli a favorite Italian Martial Artist of ours.  Daniele, an author, was originally introduced to us when he wrote the Martial Arts book On the Warrior’s Path.  It was great to catch up and have our daughters meet for the first time.
  • Santa Barbara – Lovely, lots of elements that we enjoyed.  Along with other spots in Ventura County we appreciate it for the Arts, Culture, and greenery.
  • Monterey Bay– This was just a stopping point for us on our trek.  Great vistas but wow the pier restaurant hawkers were bordering on belligerent!  Sorry we don’t want your chowder sample or to eat at your tourist trap.  We did however as you can see from our last blog Enter the Travel Guru enjoy some tasty authentic Brittany-style crepes on the pier at the Crepes of Brittany.

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Here is where things start to get blurry.  Onwards towards the Bay Area, the rest of our trip, which was supposed to be more investigative, was somewhat transformed into touring time.  We could tell right away that it did not feel right for us permanently.  Berkeley, which was supposed to be 2 days, we changed just to a lunch, too concrete jungle.  Petaluma – nice but obviously very San Fran suburbish.  Wine Country – Beautiful but touristy. Los Gatos – Nice to visit but can you say Stepford Wives?  We did manage to squeeze in a visit with my artist friend Tara de la Garza and family but bummed that it did not line up for a visit to my author friend E.V. Anderson.  By the end we realized that we were way to ambitious but got the information we were looking for.

Although we love travel and seeing new places switching hotels that many times is crazy and unadvisable unless running from the law or driving cross country on a deadline.  Contrasting hotels in other countries, most American hotel breakfasts include a personal hell filled with over-processed, high-carb foods so that is a pass for us and we head out early.  Our plans for big travels include renting places for a few weeks to a month and ah yes, breakfast sitting in our PJs.

With that many miles logged we could not help but play a healthy game of cat and mouse.  Not with the police, mind you, but our old foe the GPS.

  1. In park, set the destination and receive the arrival time.
  2. Finito.  Arrive at that time.

This technology is incredible and must be far more developed then we can comprehend.  No matter how fast our pace the arrival time never seems to get any nearer.  During the infrequent moments when it does, we are destined to encounter a speed trap thus requiring a bit more time be consumed.  Is the technology really that high tech or maybe, just maybe, we are monitored even more then we realize and the Matrix already knows our speed habits?  Our profile definitely fits the compulsive and competitive lead foots so we are categorize and triumphed over on every occasion.   Ok, one time we won by 5 minutes but that small trophy was not very gratifying for blowing 85 in a 55 plus all of the additional energy spent praying to the police gods promising to be good if they turn a blind eye once again.

Without further ado onto the results…

For us, Southern California.  We will see in the end but in contention nonetheless.

Tuckered out we returned to New Jersey with no traffic tickets and our gained wisdom of the 3rd largest state only to get catapulted right into the tumultuous packing Rick’s personal effects from PAMA and the taking apart our home.  It is daunting and exhilarating all at once, collapsing and deconstructing not only the physical but also the Egos attached to it all.  We are making progress on all accounts and in the mist of it all my ever resilient partner is planning out his seminar for this Saturday, his last as owner of PAMA 😦 🙂

Next blog:

-About the “Last Lecture” seminar

Enter the Travel Guru

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Travel, US Travel
Fitting sign from our recent trip!
Fitting sign from our present excursion!

How did we decide to become sojourners?  Some background:

Rick and I do not make take grand decisions lightly.  We have been contemplating a move for quite sometime.  How long?  Believe it or not since 2008.  We think BIG.  Places we have examined in detail and even house hunted and bid on houses including as near as Hopewell, NJ and as far away as Chile, Southern Sweden, Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica, Ojai CA, Sedona AZ, and Asheville NC.  Other visits and research include but not limited to Boulder CO, Brattleboro VT, and Great Barrington MA.   All great places but in all cases things did not seem to click or materialize for us as they should, so the search continues………

Comments and suggestions welcomed!  PS we are of Mediterranean decent, moderate climate preferred 🙂 

Our Search
Our Search

We began this process and intention as a couple and continued when our 2 became 3 with more fervor.  We feel even more of a desire for a community with creative like-minded people, nature, sustainability, art, and culture.  How can we continue the search with a 3-year-old in tow?  Easily when the origin of her name is Happy Woman/Bringer of Joy.  For those of you who know her, she is without a doubt just that and one hell of a seasoned traveler already.  Starting at 3 months she has already racked up frequent flyer miles going to Europe 3X, Central America 3x, the Caribbean 1X, crisscrossing the US 13X by plane not to mention long car rides up the East Coast.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the trees.

As I write this we are mid-trip driving up the coast of Cali.  OK, READY?  You may get tired just from reading this……… 10 days, 12+ stops, 6 hotels, 816+ driving miles (+ local miles) and lots of investigating and examining for a possible future location for our family after our sabbatical.  Very ambitious for just two adults let alone with a little one and she does not watch TV so the car rides are creative.

Crepe connoisseur Monterey Bay
Crepe connoisseur Monterey Bay

It has been a lesson for us from our little buddha. In anticipation of our trips around the world Rick and I are being schooled with some great travel wisdom that will truly come in handy.

  1. Why not wear your favorite clothes over and over?  Favorites over function, if you find them after rifling in the suitcase it doesn’t matter if they are worn and possibly with stains.  You need much less than you think.  Leave the rest home and this will make the packing very light.
  2. In adverse situation with controversy between travel companions just be quiet.   Testy when our blood sugar drops?  Simply said, “Mom and Dad stop talking to each other.”  Done, problem solved – Ferme la bouche!
  3. No matter where you are the place where you sleep is “Home”.  As in – after dinner 3-hour time difference and you are kept awake in anticipation of the 1-hour Fall Back daylight savings time change, “I am really tired, I really want to go home —- I want to go to the hotel.”  Ah embracing the blog namesake.
Fitting Quote found on LA wall!
Fitting Quote found on LA wall!

– Saving the Cali trip details for the next blog but here is a teaser:  It involves world-renowned authors and friends Daniele Bolelli and Alberto Villoldo as well as  Bruce Lipton.

Embracing Uncertainty

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Embracing Uncertainty
Rick beginning to pack his office up. These bookshelves used to be completely full and overflowing!
Rick beginning to pack his office up. These bookshelves used to be completely full and overflowing!

The choice was made in a moment but we had talked, contemplated, and deliberated about what we were going to do for quite some time as only two Scorpios can.  The decision was made to move on from Princeton Academy of Martial Arts, a thriving martial arts mecca he had built, cultivated, and loved for almost 27 years and the life changing place that I had trained and taught for over 15 ½ years – but we would be transitioning far more then that.  The decision was made to move on from all of it, the academy as well as the traditional rules we have been told by society we must play by.  More money, more money, work and work, first for yourself then for your children until (maybe if you are lucky) retirement when you are too old or tired or set in your ways to enjoy each moment of unfettered experiences.

We have decided to step beyond it all and sell the business to our trusted friend and student then to deconstruct our lives completely.  Upon hearing the news about selling the business everyone’s first question – What are you going to do next?  To answer the question – Nothing, everything, and anything.  We are putting everything we own in storage, taking a sabbatical, and letting life lead us in the short term and then eventually in the long term.  The response from all has been a mighty WOW and positive encouragement.  And of course some Oh you are lucky — not really luck, this is a choice to put ourselves as individuals and our family first.  We are not independently wealthy but we are independent thinkers.  Anyone could do it, maybe not daring in this huge way but in everyday life and the decision that are made whether they are made from the heart and soul or from the mind, fear, and societal pressures.

To be a true Martial Artist means not only the physical excellence but researching philosophies and examining ourselves on a deep internal level.   We constantly talk and embrace, as true Warriors, courageousness and understanding that it is not truly the fight against ones enemies that we train for but to truly know oneself and how we relate to every situation and adversity.   We are taking this step as warriors not out of fear but out of love.  Allowing ourselves to decompress and to truly align with Spirit and our true selves.  Knowing all of these things, I doubt we will ever look back on this time we are entering and say we wish we had stayed the course instead of following our hearts.  We would not consider it luck but great fortune that we have made a conscious decision to truly Live Wherever We Are.

Stay tuned for more posts on:

–      What brought us to this decision?

–      Where to next?  The where, how, and why.