For me, the hardest part of travel was letting go of the life I used to know and adjusting to the life I was currently facing at the time. Right now, experiencing social distancing and house arrest feels a lot like that first week in Barcelona. Life as I knew it two weeks ago doesn’t exist. Everything has come to a halt. Business isn’t as usual, and I’m once again having to adjust to the life I’m currently facing. 

I love snail mail. Hand written cards are my jam - along with yoga, sunsets and a good patio with friends - but that’s beside the point. So imagine my surprise when a postcard connected me to a family from the small town of Unkel, Germany some 4,939 miles away.

It’s good to be home. Home. Oklahoma. Man, it’s great to be here. To say that. However, for the longest time, I wanted to escape Oklahoma. Run away as far and fast as possible. Has anyone else ever felt this way?

You may have noticed I’ve been MIA lately. There’s a reason. I didn’t mean to fall in love. Honestly, I didn’t. While many thought it would happen, I knew that wasn’t what this journey was about for me. But you know what they say about making plans…

7 a.m., my driver suggested. 7 a.m. Doesn’t he know I’m still asleep! 8 a.m., I wrote back. After much back and forth, we agreed I can be second in line and leave at 8 a.m. He brought me an offering. Why hadn’t I thought of that? You put the money in the offering and hand it to the healer Ngurah, my driver, told me.

I’d just leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes when it happened. The sheer terror of it all lasted a mere 30 seconds or so (maybe longer…?). However, time passed so slowly it felt like minutes.

Last Saturday, I sat at the breakfast table telling Nat, the owner of my guest house, that I planned to go ice sating. The look on his face as I said this confused me. Without saying a word he got up from the table, ran to a closet, pulled out some old hockey skates and brought them into the dining room. Little did I know he used to skate and loved it! When the skating rink in Chiang Mai closed down, he’d often travel to Bangkok to visit his aunt and skate. Then she moved. Eventually, he stopped skating altogether.

The other day, I went with some friends for an hour-and-a-half Thai massage. It was one of many I’ve received since arriving in Thailand. And to be completely honest, I was a little upset because I got an older woman who didn’t put much pressure into her motions. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought my niece was giving the massage. The gentler she was with me the more frustrated I became.

Can you believe I’ve already been gone 60 days? Some days it feels as though I just left and other days it feels like I’ve been gone a lifetime. I know I haven’t updated as much as I’d planned. I’m out exploring rather than writing. So below is the quick and dirty version of my travels and plus a fun list of 60 lessons/thoughts/rants/observations from my first 60 days. Enjoy!

“If you close your eyes and ears, sit quietly, allow the mind to be completely silent and then listen within, you will hear God humming. God talks to us always, but we talk so loud we fail to hear.” Sri Swami Satchindananda, The Yoga Sutras of Ptanjali

On Tuesday, I marked another item off my bucket list – Greece. For years I’ve longed to travel to this country full of history and culture – the first modern Olympic games, Greek gods and goddesses, mythology, ancient ruins, beautiful white houses with pretty blue-domed roofs and blue doors…  wait, where are those white houses?

Last Sunday evening, I went to mass at this beautiful cathedral in the heart of Barcelona. While I couldn’t understand a word of what was being said, it felt comfortable and familiar. As I kneeled to pray before the mass began, I cried. The previous week and all its changes had been overwhelming. While I’d been settling into my routine at the AirBNB, I was leaving the safety of what I’d found for a hostel the next morning. To say I was nervous is putting it mildly. So I did what I always do when my nerves get to me.

To say I was a bit overwhelmed last week is the understatement of the year. Only those closest to me (you know who you are) knew the turmoil that took up residence in my heart.

I’m 3 days in and finally made my way to my mat. This evening found me on a rooftop in the heart of Barcelona staring at a brilliant blue sky as the sun began to fade. And wait for it…I cried happy tears.

As you may have heard, I did this little thing last week. It was called quitting my job. Remember that? Well, everyone wants to know what’s next. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I’m happy to share my upcoming plans with you.

Did I mention I took this crazy, little adventure to the magical island of Bali in January? Because I did. And it was life-changing. How, you ask? The Universe gave me 3 distinct gifts that transformed the way I live – perseverance, an awakening, and clarity.

2016, where did you go? It's hard to believe 2017 will soon be knocking on my door. As I reflect on the days flown by, I pause to remember just how far I've come on my journey.