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Monk at Wat Chalong Temple
This monk blessed a gift for a friend who was in need of some prosperity and good fortune. We’ve been back in the U.S. for about 5 weeks now, and as you can see are very behind in writing our final travel blog entry. We hope it will not be the last of our journeys, rather just the beginning, but for the time being we will be back in our native land.
We relished our final days in Phuket. We did much lounging around, indulging in our favorite food fare and seeing some more of the local sites. We also took advantage Gai’s (the owner of the bungalow where we stayed) offer to show us how to cook our favorite Thai dishes. We haven’t had the chance to replicate them yet, but we look forward to making Masaman Curry, Pad Thai and Basil Leaf Chicken…DELICIOUS! We also showed her how to make barbeque chicken and pork and beans, Jason’s comfort foods from home!
The main attractions we saw were Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha. Wat Chalong is one of the biggest Buddhist temples on the island, and where many locals and foreign visitors go to pay their respects, pray and read their fortunes in the numbered shaker sticks. We also went to get a blessing by
Wat Chalong Temple
One of several buildings in the Wat Chalong complex one of the monks for a friend. We were pretty nervous about it because we didn’t really know what the proper customs were. All that we knew was that Tracey couldn’t touch the monk, or directly hand him anything, as women are prohibited from having physical contact with a monk. It was pretty interesting to be kneeling up close as the monk performed the ceremony, chanting and splashing blessed water on our gift and on us. Later on we went up to the Big Buddha, a gigantic Buddha statue that is currently under construction on top of a large hill overlooking Phuket Town. It’s a pretty impressive size, and it’s pretty amazing what kind of artistic feats can be accomplished in concrete!
Before we knew it, it was time to go home. We said our goodbyes to the people who had been so good to us during our six weeks in Thailand. Cory, the manager at Tiger Muay Thai gym was just the most helpful person you could find; Jonas, our fabulous ashtanga yoga instructor at the Suko Spa; and Gai, our wonderful hostess at our bungalow at Floraville Phuket and many friends who made it such a great
experience.
Our flight back to the U.S. was the longest and most uncomfortable flight we have had to endure. It was 12 hours in cramped little seats that wouldn’t stay in the reclined position, and a seriously air sick seat mate. The saving grace was the endless number of movies and TV shows we could watch. We got back to California March 22nd, just in time to surprise Jason’s family for Easter, kicking off our 3 week whirlwind visit of friends and family. We lied to them by saying there were hardly any seats left, and the few remaining seats were too expensive, so we literally walked in the door as they were eating Easter dinner. It was a lot of fun surprising Jason’s Grandparents and Mom! We were only in town a few days (sorry to those of you we couldn’t see), but we had severe jet lag and had to buy a car and run a whole bunch of errands. Then we were off to Arizona, to visit Jason’s Dad and sister and pick up our pooches! Tracey was REALLY happy to see her doggies again…although they blew right past her and had to do a double
The Big Buddha...
He's currently under construction, but you get the idea take before they realized who she was!
We’ve been back and forth across the country a number of times visiting family, but rarely do we actually see the sites in our own country. This time we thought we should make it a point to see some sites along the way. After visiting Chandler and Gilbert, we went to the Grand Canyon for a day (pretty spectacular view! And Malcolm and Bailey were the world’s most well behaved dogs and received a number of compliments for their outstanding manners as they walked with us on the rim of the Canyon.), and then went to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest and saw some beautiful bluffs, petro glyphs and petrified wood. We stopped near Albuquerque and had a way-to-short visit with Tracey’s childhood friend Sierra and her husband James, and then made the long stretch of the most boring stretch of road on the planet…West Texas! It is nothing but flat, barren, nothingness for hours!
In Austin, we had to board Malcolm and Bailey at the place we’ve nicknamed doggy Disneyland. Then we went to Philadelphia to visit Tracey’s parents and Grandma, and while we were there got to see
Jason and his Speed Demon
...okay, its a Honda moped, but it was a lot of fun to drive around on, and saved a ton of cash in cab fares! Hershey, PA (that’s lots and lots of chocolate people!), see the Liberty Bell, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, where the DuPont family fortune began and got to run up the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia. And to cap it all off, we stopped in Indianapolis on the way back from Philly to see Jason’s childhood friend Mark, his wife Rayie and our goddaughter Maia (she is soooo cute and SMART!). They were kind enough to drive us out to Tracey’s alma mater DePauw, and took us to the Children’s Museum in Indy.
After our very fast paced, but very nice “family visit tour” of the USA, we headed back to Austin to start our latest venture. Some time back we visited a fabulous retreat center called Rainbow Hearth about an hour North of Austin near Burnet, TX that focuses on nutrition, bodywork and relaxation. The place really resonated with us, especially given Jason’s interest in martial arts, Tracey’s growing interest in holistic healing, and our shared interest in health and nutrition. We thought that perhaps one day we’d like to have our own retreat/B&B that blends those interests. However, before making a huge commitment to a new business
idea, we decided we’d like to get some hands on experience first, and see if it really is a path that suites us. We had been in touch with Mariah, the owner of Rainbow Hearth (and an absolutely gifted bodywork therapist, a true healer), and discussed interning with her. Our return to the U.S. coincided with her busy season and need for additional help, so we are now living and working onsite at Rainbow Hearth through the summer. We’ve been here about two weeks now, and while admittedly very hard work, it is also very rewarding. It doesn’t hurt that we are right on Lake Buchanan and have stunning views of the lake and the famed Texas Hill Country. :0) We plan on using this time to learn the ropes of operating a retreat center, and really spending some time planning our next, more “permanent” move and lifestyle choices.
This journey has taught us the importance of living your dreams, not just once in a while, but as much as possible everyday. We hope that everyone who has read this blog has enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed sharing it, and perhaps inspired some of you to make
The various stages of Yoga
As you can see, Jonas, our yoga instructor is super advanced, Tracey is getting there, and Jason...well, he's just flabergasted by Jonas' flexibility. :0) your own “impossible” dreams and goals an actuality.
"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien
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brenda
non-member comment
VENTURA :)
I LOVED LIVING AT VENTURA I MISS BEING THERE??? :( BUT I AM GOING TO GO VIST PRITTY SOON THANK GOOD