My Journey Through Life - One Heartbeat at a Time!

My Journey to Health has become my journey through life - a new story I am scripting daily - or so it seems.  The ending exists in my heart of hearts but I only get glimpses of the details.   Along the way, I know I will engage with my world and revel in the smells, tastes, sounds and sensations - in countries around the world or from my own back deck.

This became so evident during our recent trip to SE Asia.  So much filled so few days, that the memories overloaded my communication zone - what to share without drowning my friends in post-trip euphoria?!  I have attempted to distill the experience into a few sensory phrases: smell, taste, sound and sensation!

Bangkok: inhaled acrid tuk tuk exhaust; savoured spicy hot coconut soup; nodded my head to jazz at the Saxophone Pub; and loved the bubbles of joy popping in my throat as a bucket of water was dumped in my lap! 

Phuket: breathed in the sea of warm salty air; overwhelmed my taste buds with sticky coconut rice with sweet mango; reassured myself that the annoying cicada buzz would fly away each evening; spirit restored by warm sea water enveloping my body and seeping deep into my parched soul.

Kuala Lumpur: wandered through the mist of hot cooking oil wafting from the street vendor's cooking pot; sampled sweet baklava and smooth cappuccino at the Islamic Art Museum; captivated by the haunting call of the eman to prayer at sunrise and sunset; cocooned within my inner me while the warm tropical downpour splashed off the cool blue tile of the dome.

Jakarta: choked on hot diesel fumes in search of working Indonesians; salivated over the hot, melting goodness of satay; tuned in and out of the common call of the hawkers -"just looking" - at the antique market; shocked myself with a growing sense of oppression from the heat swirling around my scarfed head as I followed the men through the national mosque with rebellion rising in my heart.

Bali: immersed myself in exotic incense mingled with heat, sweat and spices; indulged in hot nasi gorang and cool Italian gelato served in restaurants with sand floors and waves crashing at the threshold; bounced to the repetitious notes of the gamelan ensemble ping ponging through the air and my mind; mesmirized in spirit and heart by a temple silouhetted against orange and pink and blue waves crashing on the rocks.

Urban path: warm earth mingles with the sweet perfume of the wild roses; hot coffee lingers on my tongue and breath; bird songs amplified by the silence on the edge of a sleeping city; soaked in contentment as the cool misty valley rose to meet the hot orange ball of the sun - my home.

Be authentic; be alive; be you - and follow your heartbeat!