Time Out in Sri Lanka

Recharging your batteries is a necessity with today's lifestyles. Recently I went for a battery recharge, in Sri Lanka at the Barberyn Ayurveda Resort. Not having taken a such a break in over 20 years just to relax alone, rejuvenate my mind, body and spirit, I can say it was well worth the time. This is the perfect beach to learn to just 'BE' again.

Barberyn Resort is on the beach where the Tsunami devastated the beach and all surrounding life. But they survived, and rebuilt, making it a perfect place to think of impossible things and contemplate life.

Relaxing on this beach contemplating, just where I am heading, what I am doing and why, lead me to learn many things about myself that might have just slipped past my rattled brain and been lost in everyday minutia.


At night I slept snug in a mosquito-netted bed, fit for a princess, dreaming of impossible things only to wake up and hear Alice laughing, "There's no use in trying ...One can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age I always did it half an hour a day. Why, sometimes, I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." So back to sleep I went to dream of more impossible things.... I spent most of my week sleeping, finally succumbing to the sleep I really needed after the past stressful years. We all need this, but few of us take it -seriously.

The Barberyn Resort takes you seriously; prescribing Ayurveda treatments such as massages, acupuncture, facials, and cook all your meals according to your health needs and your preferences. Its' all inclusive. Barberyn is the perfect place to go where they take care of you while you're taking care of yourself.

Reflecting on my week of relaxation, I realize "you do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and embrace them with courage, faith and hope. (*Thomas Merton) ...and remember to 'ride things out'...

Goodbye Dubai

Dubai is a fascinating city in many ways. I loved the opportunity to live there. The architecture, the cultural traditions of the Middle East, and the diverse population have a certain allure. Dubai calls to you at night to come out and play while all day you work long hours, but I did reap many rewards as a teacher in the UAE.

Still.... it's bittersweet memories I will take with me as I move up a step on the ladder in my life's journey.

The Burj Al Arabia ~ a Dubai legend

The view from my apartment window in Dubai on a 'not too busy' Friday

I loved this view; I was mesmerized by it night and day!

Dubai Pics

I got behind in posting pictures, but now that I have time, here are some pics of the Burj Khalifa that I wanted to share....

The Burj Khalifa on a Cloudy Day

The Tallest Building in the World- "The Burj Khalifa" - as it is now called instead of the Burj Dubai....


The Burj Khalifa at night...

Doesn't it look like a mechanical pencil?

2009 Summer Travels Have Come and Gone

I have been back in Dubai now 2 months and I have not posted about my adventure back to the US via Italy....

Having always thought of backpacking through Europe as the ultimate adventure of a lifetime I decided Europe is best taken in bits and pieces so this summer I planned my summer holiday to just travel through southern Italy focusing on seeing Rome, Tuscany, and Amalfi. I had only dreamed of seeing these places from pictures in books, so looking back now this was an adventure of a lifetime, only not with a backpack, but with my Rick Steve's 21 inch roll-on which has become my favorite travel companion.

Since Laura and Neil are living in Rome it was only fitting that I base my travel out of Rome and get to see a bit of Laura, Neil, and the dogs/cats. Rome is fantastico! The food, the people, the history....It would take many visits to see and do it all. I did get to see the Vatican and I got a close up of St Peters Chair- remind me to tell you that story sometime and I did something unexpected. Laura was back in the US so Neil and I had dinner with other ex-pats eating Thai and then going to their suburban Roman apartment where they cooked authentic (as you can get in Rome) Mexican food. I never thought I would be eating Thai and Mexican in Rome though I did eat real pizza every chance I could.Pizza is my favorite food :)


I headed out of Rome to the Amalfi, just me and Rick Steves. I stayed in Sorrento; it IS a place I could live. Actually the little hotel I stayed in St Agnello was great - minus the train and the church bells constant ringing every 15 minutes. ha...Taking the bus down the Amalfi Coast stopping in Positano, Amalfi and then water taxing it back to Sorrento was quite an experience for everyone on the bus- but after driving in Sharjah and Dubai last year it wasn't bad at all to me...I went to Pompeii and sweated through the buried ruins and met some really nice people from Vancouver Canada (she was an kindergarten teacher) who shared their lunch with me under a tiny bit of shade we found. Pompeii I now know would be best seen in fall or spring....I purposely didn't go to Capri and Sicily, saving that for another trip....

Then I took the train to Florence and explored the area. Again I would need many trips to see everything in Florence, especially the art, but I managed to see David and David and David..not remembering from my art history classes that there were so many Davids... and spent hours just looking at art from every angle. I sat. Looked. And devoured its' absolute beauty. The food, the wine, the ART, the people. It was everything I expected and more. I have so many more places in Tuscany I have added to my "must see" list for next time.

On the train back to Rome from Florence I spent looking out the window at the mountains in the distance (having lived in Washington State- I would call them hills) and the fields of Sunflowers- Brilliant, just Brilliant.

Flying out of Rome for the next half of my summer holiday all I kept thinking about was what I would do when I returned to Italy. Neil did remind me to throw my coin in the Trevi fountain to insure that I would go back - so I know I will return.

I remember on one trip to San Diego with the kids Trey asked me if I was writing it down - all the things we had done- so we could go back and do it all over again. Well this was that kind of holiday - it was so good I want to go back and do it all over again.

That's the memories we take with us, one reason we travel. I hope to go back again, but not alone next time. Traveling is an adventure and adventures are so much better when you can share the actual experience with others. Then you have someone you can say- "Remember when----"

Ajman Sunset

"Almost Summertime Sunset in Ajman"

I grabbed this picture quickly as the sun was going down. This was really one of the best sunsets I have seen since I arrived last August. The sun was clear as it set, which is unusual for the heat of an 'almost summertime' day. Usually the sun sets behind a haze of dust in the sky. The sunsets in the UAE are different than sunsets I have seen elsewhere in the world, mainly due to the heat and the dust in the atmosphere most of the year. But they are "errily unique"- having their own natural beauty.

Sheik Zayed Road

Picture od Sheik Zayed Road from the 21st floor of a building in Dubai. Doesn't quite resemble Manhatten or Vegas, does it?

But get a look at the Metro being built. It's due to start operation 9/9/09.

BTW- that's dust on the outside of the building window, not the camera or your eyes getting fuzzy.....

Aspen in Richmond

Meet Aspen - Trey and Danna's newest addition to their Labrador collection in Richmond. Isn't she cute? Now they have a black lab, a chocolate lab, and a yellow lab. I hope labs don't come in too many more colors, or they will definitely have a problem.

Junior Mints

I have 42 Junior Mints left. How many can I eat per day if I am not going to home until sometime in July?....I dont know how I will last.

Why don't they sell Junior Mints around the world???

I know I have not been posting. I have no excuse except that work has kept me very busy this year. Though I have finally bought a new cell phone, a Nokia e75. I took this picture with my new phone and bluetooothed it. It was so easy. Now I have no excuse left to not post things I see on a daily basis in Sharjah for you to see what life is like in the UAE..

The only thing is with so much work and the terrible traffic in Sharjah I dont go out much.....hummm so I guess I could take pictures of my apartment to share...dontthinkso....