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 …
Tag Archives: beauty
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 …
“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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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. …
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 …
Butterfly Town, USA
I loved Pacific Grove, known as Butterfly Town, USA. The monarch sanctuary was a great place to clear my head, literally, as it was a forest of pine and eucalyptus. Photography was challenging because the park is set up with some distance between the trail and host plants. While photography was fun, I intentionally put …
Maui Monarch
I am a Tree
I am a tree. I am strong. I am grounded. I am flexible with branches waving. I extend from all directions accepting what I need from the universe. I am a shelter. I am a protector. I am beauty. I am dormant and resting. A shadowy figure on a backdrop of grays. Learning to appreciate …
Rocky Mountain High
Our final national park destination of the trip was Rocky Mountain National Park. We spent a day and a half there. We arrived in the afternoon and scaled the narrow, winding and sometimes shoulder-less Trail Ridge Road which ascended to the Alpine Visitor Center and the highest point in the park. On the trek, we …
Bearly made it through the Grand Tetons
The Grand Tetons National Park is small when compared to the other parks we visited, but it was tall on beauty. The mountain range towered over the grasslands, meadows, river, and forested areas below. The mountains guarded the horses grazing in the fields and provided a gorgeous backdrop to the colorful wildflowers. This view was …
Yowser! Yellowstone!
Yellowstone may not have won the beauty pageant of national parks I visited, but it certainly won the “oh, wow!” award! It is a thermal wonderland that covers three states. The most famous geyser, Old Faithful, is a must see event. She erupts every hour to hour and half or so give or take ten …
Marvelous Montana
Montana is a beautiful state of mountains and rivers. Big Sky Country did not disappoint. We visited the Missoula/Lolo area. The Bitterroot River ran right behind the house of the friends we stayed with and made a beautiful scene for morning yoga. We took several day trips. We visited the small town of Anaconda, which …
The hills are alive…
If the national parks I visited were a beauty pageant, Glacier would get the crown. Glacier National Park was breathtaking with alpine mountains, grassy meadows, glassy lakes, singing streams, cascading waterfalls and beaches covered with colorful rocks. The air was refreshing. If it was possible to capture a photo of it the way it looks …
No Rush to get to Mount Rushmore…
There’s no rush to get to Mount Rushmore, not because it isn’t worth the visit, it is. It’s pretty amazing to come face to face with four presidents carved in stone. It is hard to imagine how sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, could have envisioned such a masterpiece as he first faced the mountain. The memorial rises …
Not so “Bad”…
The air was fresh and the sun beat down on an early September day at the Badlands National Park. They were named for the rugged conditions, extreme temperatures and lack of water. They were called “les mauvais terres pour traverse” by French trappers in the 1900’s literally meaning “bad lands to travel through.” Despite the …
Waterfall
Trickling tumbling, rolling, splashing. Each drop of water falls on the wings of gravity through the path of least resistance flowing into a collective stream to parts unknown. #waterfall
We’d rather be roadtrippin’
My dad and I had been planning a road trip out west for several months after I chose retirement at the end of the previous school year. I had never visited any of the national parks this direction, nor several of the states we would traverse. He had, but was looking forward to seeing them …
Retired Girl in a Beautiful World 