I’ve spent much of the last few months in Mendocino County in Northern California. Despite all the traveling I did around Central America, this is my first time traveling to California. Northern California, especially, has always been a place I’d like to explore. I’ve always heard of the beauty of the redwoods and the magic of places where the redwoods meet the ocean. I’ve been blessed to have spent the last few months in this magical place. Here are a few impressions I’ve accumulated.
People
My trip has been a mixture of reconnecting with old friends and discovering new ones. I wrote earlier about reconnecting with a dear friend from college on my arrival to California. I was also blessed to spend some time with a yoga teaching friend of mine I initially met in Granada, Nicaragua.
Kathleen and I were able to spend more time together than we had in Nicaragua! We shared some meals, camping, and work together before it was time for her to return to the country.
I also had the pleasure of connecting with a whole new group of like-minded spirits! Though we shared some friends in common, we’d not met in person before and spent about a month sharing work, meals, and beautiful views.
The Place
The mountains of California surely hold their own, even next to the memory of the beautiful landscape of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. They are especially magical as the sun sets and rises, when the heavy fog settles into the valleys and softens all the edges.
I’ve also spent a bit of time exploring the beaches. From the southern beaches in Orange County, with cool breezes but a hot sun to the northern beaches with a stiff breeze and hardly any swimmers and surfers, I’ve been overwhelmed with the beauty and breadth of the Pacific Coast.
And the Redwoods indeed are some magical trees. I stood before them and felt humbled by their height, width, and age. They do seem to infuse the place with a sense of reverence and consciousness. I feel that many of the people I’ve encountered on this trip bring a level of awareness and sacredness to the lives that they’re living. I can’t help but feel that this is, in part, due to the beauty of the location.
The Plan
I will soon be leaving the beautiful northwest to travel and visit more friends and my family. After the holidays are safely past, I will embark on my next three months’ journey to Guinea in Africa.
I’ve begun a small book to learn Susu, one of the two language spoken in Guinea. (French is the other language of the country, once named French Guinea. I don’t doubt that I’ll pick up some of this language as well!)
I’ll also immerse myself in the movement and energy of West African dance while I’m there, something that I am sure will lend an extra element to my yoga practice and classes, when I am ready to return to teaching.
Meanwhile, I continue on this crazy journey – meeting people and celebrating culture, wisdom, and spirit in all.