In my YTT journey, there is a lot of reading. A lot more reading than I’ve been used to. Sometimes the words flow through my brain like a river, not really seeming to stay (but I know they are filed away somewhere for a time in the future when they will serve me or serve …
Author Archives: retiredgirlbeautifulworld
Atlas, Ruby Slippers, and the Onion
As I delve into the 5000+ year history and philosophy of yoga, I’m learning more about the spiritual aspects and working to develop my own understanding and way to explain my understanding, if someone asks me. In addition to reading assigned texts, I’ve done a little Googling on the topic to read what others have …
Teaching is a work of heart
“To teach a yoga class well, the teacher must hold back nothing. The teacher’s heart must be entirely open.” – Gates & Kenison. Meditations from the Mat. Page 127. This quote jumped off the pages of my book this morning, the day following my first experience teaching a public yoga class. My yoga school arranged …
I am Santosa (contentment)
I am Santosa. I am that beautiful, wonderful self that resides in my very being. I am not my body. I am not my mind. I am not my abilities. I am not my mistakes. I am not my accomplishments. I am not my roles. I nurture my self with kindness, using words of ahimsa …
Plot Twist
I had many ideas for where my life was going after retirement. Traveling. Mine eyes would see many sparkling seashores, majestic mountains and colorful valleys, desert sunrises and ancient rock formations. I would have the adventures, take the photos, write the blog and basically find freedom riding off into the sunset. Only that’s not what …
Happy Trails
Temps in the 60’s with light cloud cover were the perfect ingredients for a hike in the woods. My dad and I decided to try out the Blair Ridge Trail in the Hercules Glades Wilderness Area near Bradleyville, MO today. The trail is rated moderate, but most of it is very easy with only about …
The Elephant in the Room
About a mile of paved trail in Elephant Rocks State Park leads through a field of giant pink granite boulders that are approximately 1.5 billion years old. Some stand over 20 feet tall and weigh 600 tons. They were formed from molten rock as it bubbled up from the earth and cooled. The row of …
Escape to the Shut-Ins
I had previously heard of Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park, and that it was very popular, but I really didn’t know exactly what a “shut-in” even was or why I would want to visit. But, it was one of the destinations for my dad and I on our 2020 Show-Me September Adventure. The shut-ins are a …
Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Me Away
On the first day of the road trip, I had planned some sightseeing that was on the way to our destination. As we headed east on Highway 60, we drove through several small towns, including Mansfield, MO, the home of my favorite author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the “Little House” series of books about …
Show-Me September Adventure
A year ago at this time, my dad and I were on a major road trip through the western United States. It was not so “bad” as we cruised through the Badlands, took our time through Mount Rushmore, drank the world’s freshest water in Montana, breathed the alpine air of Glacier National Park, explored the …
Happy Yogaversary!
Today is my two-year “yogaversary.” It’s been two years since the day I decided to use the extra 15 minutes I had each morning during summer school to start a yoga practice. I figured I could build a habit during the month of June, continue in July during my vacation and then it would be …
Be My Guest!
Today’s post is short and sweet. I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger for Be My Travel Muse! Here’s my article: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/pfeiffer-beach-big-sur/
“Head”ed out for another great day in Maui
Every time I look at a map of Maui, it looks like a turtle to me. So, if you want to get into a honu’s head, there is a trip around the north shore that won’t disappoint! Our first stop was a lookout over the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Here there are …
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Beyond Hana to the end of the rainbow
After a quite eventful lunch break, we continued our adventure with our first afternoon stop at Wai’anapanapa State Park just outside of Hana. The waves were rough as they crashed into the lava rocks and washed across the black sand beach. There is a small lava tube and an uphill hike to explore. The view …
Dreams of travel in the time of the pandemic…
These are strange times. I’m interrupting my series of stories from my beloved Maui to write about our current reality. I’ll try not to use words like “unprecedented,” “pandemic,” or “COVID-19,” but it’s almost impossible while writing about the today’s state of affairs. As you read this, most states have some form of “stay-at-home” order, …
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Fortunately, Unfortunately… a tale of Road to Hana Survival…
“I survived The Road to Hana” took on a new meaning as we dined on fresh caught seafood at our favorite food truck about four miles outside of Hana. We relaxed under the canopy with our delicious selections while the one-eyed store cat nuzzled our ankles hoping for a tasty morsel. (Friends who have seen …
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Halfway to Hana
The Road to Hana is definitely a not-to-be-missed attraction in Maui and may be its most famous. Many a tourist shirt says, “I survived the Road to Hana!” Survived? Really? Really. This blog post is only going to get us halfway, because there is so much to see on the road. In fact, I would …
A Whale of a Tale
Greetings from a beautiful humpback whale off of the shores of Maui! Our whale watch excursion was amazing as we journeyed into the protected waters of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on a 15-passenger raft, where hundreds of migrating Alaskan humpback whales are making their home and propagating their species in these …
With Aloha, Honu
I spent the afternoon with the most amazing creatures at Hookipa Beach in Paia, Maui. The multitude of sea turtles was incredible as they rode in on the waves and made their way to the sandy shore to bask in the afternoon sun. After taking many photos, (with a long lens and maintaining all legal …
It’s easy being Green(sboro)
I flew to the state that was “First in Flight” for a long weekend. The primary purpose for the visit was cheering on my “Ninja Nephew” at the #nnlworlds2020 held in Greensboro. But, we found some time to take in some of the local flavor starting with Dame’s Chicken and Waffles. Dame’s did not disappoint. …
Swan Lake
I visited a real-life “Swan Lake” today in Heber Springs, Arkansas. The town is the winter home of more than 100 trumpeter swans. From mid-November through February several local lakes are their homes. The story goes that several years ago, three trumpeter swans somehow got off course and ended up in Arkansas. Normally they hadn’t …
Lovely Lavender Farm in Carmel Valley
A few blog posts ago, you learned that the entire reason for the stay in the Monterey Peninsula was about a quest to see the purple sand beach. The beach was not the only great “purple” destination. After I had determined I was headed to the purple sand beach, I had a few details to …
Watching for Whales
This is my “I’m going on a whale watch” face! The sea was rough and the morning was cold and windy as the boat set sail for a three-hour tour, but I was layered and comfortable. I had been advised that it was a cold trip the day prior when I went to the dock …
Land of the Purple Sand (Part 2)
I made it to the purple sand beach, but it wasn’t easy! It was about 38 miles on Scenic Hwy 1 from my lovely Air BnB on the lavender farm in Carmel Valley. You know when they name highways “scenic” they’re narrow, curvy, hilly, etc. This was no exception. The highway wound along the coast …
Land of the Purple Sand (Part 1)
It all started here. As my final year as principal of Kirbyville Elementary was winding down, people began to show their appreciation of my 17 years of service with gifts. One of the most precious gifts I received was a collection of four professionally published books written by my kindergarten through third grade students about …
Retired Girl in a Beautiful World 