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!

The "Too Short List"

That is "the things that life it too short to do list." This was an article that I wrote in 1998 for our then paper newsletter.  Yes paper! Now seems pretty archaic not to mention environmentally unfriendly.  This month marks 23 years since the Walking Connection was founded by my husband Gene and I.  But as much as things seem to change the words written still ring true...

"It has been about ten years (now 25 years!) since walking has become such an important part of my life.  Since the beginning, I have been walking and talking, listening and learning.  Over the many miles I've tread, I have had the opportunity to get to meet and know many wonderful people from "all walks of life."  I feel fortunate that many have told me that something I have said or that the Walking Connection has inspired them.  Motivation and inspiration were both words we used when we set out on this journey. I am proud and it makes me feel good to know that in many cases we have been successful in accomplishing that.  For me personally, it has also been a two-way street. The many special people I have walked with have inspired me. Through their endeavors, courage and successes, they have left an indelible mark on my spirit which is truly a deep source of motivation to me."

 

"One of the most important lessons I have learned is that no matter how well you think you have things planned, you can never really know what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes, in just a matter of seconds, something happens and our lives can be completely changed forever. My personal goal is to live each day to the fullest. Often, in our hurried lifestyles, we take the gift of life, our health and the people around us for granted. We neglect our real priorities such as the things that give us personal meaning and fulfillment."

 

"Actress Linda Carter, (aka Wonder Woman) spoke at the recent Arizona’s Family Women’s Expo.  She talked about her “list”.  This list is her ”the things that life is too short to do list," and it is comprised of all the meaningless things that drain energy away from our spirit rather than nurturing it. Many of these things seem very important at the time, but if you take a few moments and let some time pass, you get a better perspective of their relative importance in your life. I know that since hearing her speak, my "life is to too short" list has grown considerably."

 

"As the pace of living continues to ever quicken, I hope you will take some time and make your own "too short" list.  Take care of yourself by putting things on that list that negatively effect your mind, body and spirit.  Take time to laugh out loud.  Connect with the beauty of nature.  Share a smile.   Be curious. Learn something new. Take deep breaths -- often.  Meet someone new. Listen to a different perspective. Be a kid. Hop, skip and jump. Take time for quiet moments. Make time for great walks and hopefully, find time to

 

"Come Walk With Me"

  

There's An Elephant In The Room

I went for a walk one day and there it was.  Standing in a neighbor's driveway. FOR SALE.  I never really wanted one, but Gene has been talking about having one for years.  My question was always, "Where would we put it?  It's too big, it would mess up my house and besides, I don't need one."  He would try to convince me that he would take good care of it and that it would fit nicely in the garage....

The next thing I know he is walking it down the middle of our street.  "I got a really good deal," he says with a big smile on his face. He carefully moves it into the garage and before you know it even gets on it.. "Whatever," I shrug and go back inside.

As the mild spring days warm up into summer heat, he decides a better place to keep it is on the back covered patio.  Fresh air and great views, but still protected from the burning rays of our Arizona sun.  I try not to notice all of the space it takes up as he daily sets it in motion.

We are getting ready to leave for almost 3 months of travel. It's not a good idea to keep it on the patio while we're gone.  So I begrudgingly help to wedge it through the back door to bring it inside.  We return home for brief stints between trips.  I ignore it...

Our travels bring us to cool places even winter temps in some.  From Southern Africa, to Peru to Iceland we walked and hiked in amazing places.  A road trip takes us to higher elevations in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and finally our summer favorite  - the cool pines of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Road weary and 22 different hotels and lodges later, it was good to finally be home.  Though the end of August was here, there is still another month and a half of heat to contend with.  But I have to walk...I am well over 1030 days.  I pass by my living room and there it is.  The "thing" that I ignored, didn't want or need.  "I'll walk with it just this once and only for 10 minutes," I decide.  I get up on it with a magazine to help me pass the time and before I know it 30 minutes have gone by. The next day I do the same.  A week goes by and I've read a book. As the heat lingers, another book is read. I'm addicted.  One day as I step down after finishing my walk, I fondly think it certainly is an elephant in the middle of my living room.

But I swear as soon as the heat is over it is going back in the garage next to Gene's newest yard sale purchase - a weight bench...

1000 Days Of Walking

Most days I walk in the desert behind my house. And for most of those days, Gene goes with me, always encouraging me to keep on going. Many days I don't feel like it, especially in the summer heat of Arizona. He reminds me that I don't really want to start all over with DAY 1, especially after walking every day consecutively for almost 3 years!

To me my walks have become common place, I don't usually feel like I am doing anything special...until I get another e-mail saying something like, "Thank you, thank you for helping me to ‘keep on keeping on’." (from Bill Fleming)

"How far do you walk?" is a question I am most often asked. My reply is always 10 minutes to 10 miles. My walks aren't about how far I go, but about taking time for me each day, even if it is only for 10 minutes. I know 10 minutes doesn't seem like much, but I have covered a lot of ground...(take a look below)

In the past 1000 days I have walked in Australia, Galapagos Islands (twice), highlands of Ecuador, Machu Picchu (three times), Grand Canyon (4 times), Costa Rica, Mexico (3 times and safely I might add), South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Boston, New York, California, Colorado and many airports around the world.

Where shall I go in my next 1000 days? I don't know yet. Those paths have yet to be discovered. But I will always have a standing invitation to you...

Come Walk With Me!

Kaleidoscope of Color

The first time I went to Bali I was struck by the beauty of the green terraced rice paddies. I had the surreal sense that I was flowing through the slow turning pages of a National Geographic magazine...

The kaleidoscope of color, the crafts, the cultural connection ---- all inspired the title of my next book, "Life In A Sarong", stories and simple lessons from traveling the world.

In Bali everyone wears a sarong, both men and women, young and old. And everyone looks beautiful. For me it is a symbol of simplifying the chaos in our life. One piece of cloth, so many uses...and it always fits!

I am going back to Bali, this November and am looking for a few traveling friends to join me. It will be very laid back and casual, a pick and choose, go at your own pace kind of trip. And if you want to Come Walk With Me we will have opportunities to make the connection to Bali's nature, to the people and even to ourselves...Won't you join me? Click Here

A Walk To The Spa