Tenderly

“Before I went to work we were under the olive tree and

you were doing what you called psych patient smoking

and you said, I don’t want to be Satan but will you join

me and we pulled up our shirts to rub bellies and yours

was so much flatter but filled with garden bread anyway

anyway up went our shirts, solar to solar plexus, and it

was a comforting ritual we daily did and I said, Let’s do

this for the rest of our lives. You said, You look lovely.

It’s hard to remember tender things tenderly.”

– Bough Down, Karen Green

On loving and losing

This past week has been a week that I will never forget.

I have not known what to do with myself but write. The only thing I can do now is to stop and reflect and remember.

On Thursday, I received a call that shook my life and left me heartbroken.

The world lost Tom a week ago today.

We lost someone who was full of laughter, who was ready and willing to accept any challenge, and who was kind beyond every expectation. He gave freely and loved others well.

He has long been a bright star in my sky and I am forever grateful to have known him. We first met in New Zealand, traveled parts of Nepal together, and in May, he traveled to NC to see and experience the world I live in here.

The only thing I have been able to take heart in in these hard times is knowing this–

I knowing me today, you know Tom. You know the person who helped shape me into the person I am today.

I have memories and stories that will continue to live and be shared forever. And, they are more precious now than ever.

“You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”- Anne Lamott

Black and white and all that’s right

Certain days from this summer stand out more than others.

My first full day at Inle Lake is certainly one of those memorable days. I hopped on a boat and explored until my eyes were tired and overwhelmed by beauty.

I’m glad places like this exist.

Feeding the birds

Pigeons are everywhere in the world.

After I hung out with these kiddos near the water, they took me with them to go feed birds.

Yangon is a special place and a place I plan to go back to again someday.

The past few days

Back in Thailand, in Krabi Town, and in recovery mode!

Up to this point, my days back in Thailand have been a hilarious blend of extreme highs and lows. In Phuket, I got to spent time with Eva, Peter, and Donna (for a few hours). Once they left, I realized Phuket and I didn’t like each other much and I made my way to Krabi.

From Krabi, I somehow ended up on a boat, then on a trek through the jungle barefoot (with my pack and all my gear), and then to a tiny beach surrounded by beautiful cliffs made for the real rock climbers of the world. I had made it to Tonsai beach.

Tonsai is certainly one of those places that will be hard to ever forget. The three nights I spent there all seemed like a dream. The views are glorious, the people cool and friendly, and the activities are endless (Tonsai is where some of the best rock climbers in the world hang out and now I know why).

I would still be there now in my little jungle hut without electricity if it wasn’t for getting sick. On night three, all my years of bragging about not getting any stomach sickness from Indo, India, Nepal, etc came back to me and hit me hard. Getting sick is fun nowhere, but getting sick in the jungle without electricity or running water (*and with only roaches, frogs, geckos and mice as company) is really fun. The next morning, I found another boat and a truck and made my way back to Krabi Town (apparently the place to get sick, electricity everywhere, real showers, and a pharmacy on every corner).

Although I still feel weak and only like a fraction of my true self, I’m trying to learn the importance of rest. My sick days have reminded me of the importance of yoga breathing and of giving myself and my body permission to recover.

Hoping for health and the strength to explore in the coming days.

Island visit | Elephanta Island, Maharashtra, India

I found these images this weekend tucked away in a folder. Early August in India was pretty great.

On this day, so many months ago now, TT, Jess, and I made the short boat ride out to Elephanta Island from Mumbai. What I remember most from this place is the color. Everything seemed to glow.

Today in Chapel Hill, I’m wearing fur and its winter, but its just as bright and sparkly as it was in India on this day.

Ruins | Tulum, Mexico

More proof of why 2013 rocked.

Mayan ruins in Tulum.

The other afternoon I attempted to make sense of more photos and get organized. These came up and I wanted to share a little more of Mexico and remember the absolute beauty of this place. I visited the ruins on a day it was incredibly sun-soaked (*entirely different than it is today in NC).

I’m beyond happy and grateful I had opportunities to see and experience places (*like this) in 2013 and I’m excited to see what the new year brings.

I hope and plan to travel (*often) and continue to take far too many photos for my own good.