A Season to Let Go...with guest Tesha Buss

Being that our days in Arizona are still reaching well into the 90's, I am just starting to think of fall.  Some of you from other parts of the world probably have already moved on to thinking of brrrrrr...winter.  My friend Tesha Buss, owner of Good Commons, a boutique retreat and vacation home in Vermont, definitely put me in the mood for fall with her beautiful analogy of falling leaves and letting go.  I think you will enjoy her words:

"Fall is my favorite season in Vermont because of the colorful beauty of every gaze out the window, and every winding drive and refreshing hike to a stunning mountain vista. The leaves are dying which turns them into stunning color crisps that fall off the trees to become beds of reds, golds and burning oranges. Mother Nature is such an amazing lady. What a beautiful death she brings to us! And what a teacher!"

"In a society where we are consistently thinking about what we can obtain or maintain, Mama of the Earth gives us a gorgeous reminder to let go. Let the internal roadblocks you carry burn up and fall to the ground beneath your feet. Give the earth what you no longer need, for it is bigger than we are. It holds all of us tight to its spinning landscape and it can absorb our burdens too. Have a blessed season of color wherever you are. Of course, if you can share it from a vista with us here at Good Commons, we welcome you with a Tesha hug!"

Tesha Buss, owner of Good Commons

Hugs back Tesha, I hope to Come Walk With You in Vermont sometime soon!

Treasure Hunt

On all Walking Connection trips we try to balance the amount of shopping time included in an itinerary.  Some people like to shop...A LOT, and others not at all.  We usually have our guides give us a taste of what treasures a location holds and free time is when you have the option to hunt for that perfect souvenir.

Gene and I are not big shoppers when we travel. I really try to limit the amount of "stuff" I acquire, (even though I really love nice "stuff").  I might buy something small to help conjure up a memory of a place I have been. I rather accumulate travel experiences than things. Over the years friends and even strangers have admired my small "stuff," scarves, pottery, textiles, bracelets, belts, pillows and prints from far away places like India, China, Costa Rica, Africa, Peru... 

Bali is truly a shopper's paradise. Hundreds of boutiques and roadside stalls have been set up all over the island. Thousands of artisans, craftspeople, seamstresses, woodcarvers and painters create beautiful works of art in their village compounds. Bargaining in markets and art shops is a normal practice and getting a good price depends largely on one's bargaining prowess.  

We are going back to Bali next March.  During a small portion of the free time I am going on a treasure hunt.  Actually I won't have to go very far.  Just walking along the beach there is always something beautiful for sale to catch your eye.  I am going to be looking for a few things for a future Global Connection enterprise we are working on.  Anybody want to help me search?  It will be very laid back and casual, a pick and choose what you want to do, go at your own pace kind of trip. You are invited...

 

Come Walk Bali With Me! 

 

 

1095 Days = Three Years of Walking

On November 1st, 2012 I will celebrate having walked

every day in a row for 3 years!

Whoo Hoo!

It started out as a 30-day goal just to get myself back on track! Well it turns out that one day leads to another and another....A few times along the way I told Gene (my husband and co-founder of the Walking Connection) that I didn't feel like walking anymore. He would just respond by saying, "So tomorrow morning you are going to say Day 1, Whoo Hoo!?" Yep he always knows how to get me going, in a good way of course :)
  

So here I am with almost three full years of days - of walks - of hikes - of miles, sometimes only ten minutes, but an accomplishment none-the-less. WOW! I really did this and now I want to share this milestone with everyone! To celebrate I am inviting all of my friends from around the world to go for at least a 10-minute walk (run, bike, swim - just be active) on November 1. It can be anywhere, any place YOU are. It doesn't have to be far or fast, just walk with a purpose. Just Walk for YOU 
 

So far, friends that are joining this 10 minute walk are located in 47 states: AR, AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NM, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI and VT  They'll be joined by my international friends in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. As well as the far off lands of Korea, Belgium, Mexico, China, Honduras, New Zealand, India, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Argentina, Italy, Australia, Peru, South Africa, Egypt, England, Botswana, Israel, Singapore, Ireland, Nepal, Wales and Iceland. Our four legged friends count too: Piper, Stella, Bentley, Dexter, Sadie, Griffon, Mei-Mei, Mr. Boudreaux, Alex, Rex, Roxie, Romeo, Hobbs, Sam, Kaya, Lakota and Chloe will be walking!
 

If you are "IN" send me an e-mail and let me know where you are walking. For those of you on Facebook, I ask for you to go to the event page and join in or even better post a picture or video of your walk.
 

Invite your friends to come walk with YOU. We are going to make this a real walking connection and who knows, maybe it will be your "Day 1 - Whoo Hoo!"

Come Walk With Me!