My version of Eat Pray Love is Playa Comida Amor

Day Two in Sedona brought more beauty and more peace. Although I'm not what you might refer to as an avid hiker, I did bring my hiking boots to Sedona. I was pleasantly surprised with how well-marked the trails were and how beautiful the surroundings were. In the morning I headed out to Airport Vortex and walked part of the Airport Loop. This is what I found. Above is the view from the aptly named Sedona View Trail, which links the parking lot at the airport scenic outlook and the Airport Vortex site. It was a bit chilly, especially on the shady side of the mountain. But then you get here, and... ta-da! Wind in my hair, rock at my feet, vortex within range... can't you just feel the energy!? So later that day, before heading to dinner, I went on one more hike, then caught the sunset back at Airport Vortex. It was a busy day full of lots of time for reflection, and during which a love of hiking and mountains started to brew. Here is a video from the hike at Boynton's Canyon ...

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Did you miss me!? I missed me! I missed you! And now we're back together, yay!! I swear, when I'm not traveling I feel like my soul is dying, like I can't get enough oxygen. And when I am traveling I'm in the moment, breathing, living, loving. So that's where I've been, and now I'm back home, and ready to share my adventures with you! Let's jump right in. Some of you know that I was supposed to participate in an energy retreat in Sedona in January. It got postponed, but of course my adventurous self decided that I was going to head out west anyway because the excitement had been working up over the previous 4-5 months and I just had to go. Instead of spending two whole weeks in Sedona like originally planned, I did re-work the itinerary somewhat. Are you familar with the Peter Lik photo that was taken at Upper Antelope Canyon? **Frantically googling Peter Lik** Well, photos of people (acquaintances) visiting that location kept mak...

I’ll take travel any way I can get it. I was supposed to go back to PV 😍 this month, but my gut said no, so here I am. And here we are. And here YOU are! I learned a very long time ago - and more than once, I might add, because I’m stubborn like that - that going against my gut is always a bad idea. 😂  So… since I can’t have sun and sand right now, I’m headed to the cold and snow! Ha! Yesterday Buffalo got hit with 6 feet of snow, but Rochester was spared so I should be able to make it in safely. The last time I went up to Rochester, I drove. It’s 5 hours but I usually stop for coffee and gas and to stretch my legs along the way. Today’s journey was different- once I got on the train on NYC, I settled in for a 7 hour ride across the Empire State. On the Empire line, fittingly enough. I made sure I got a window seat because I didn’t want to miss what the world has to offer. Maybe this ride is an allegory for my approach to life- experiencing it up close and personal, unafraid of t...

I love thunder and lightning storms. I love them most when I have a safe vantage point, and I've seen several tempestuous rain, thunder, and lightning storms throughout my life. I especially like them in tropical places because it's warm!! Puerto Vallarta has a rainy season that typically spans from July to October. One night in July, I was having dinner at La Palapa. (Big surprise there!) Partway through the meal, it started to pour really really hard, so I moved from an outside table on the sand, to one inside, under the "palapa."  I was amazed at the view from my table. By the time I finished dinner, the rain had all but stopped. I had my usual decaf cappuccino and was still reading The Untethered Soul.  And I was so grateful, not for one thing in particular, but for every.single.thing. I was grateful for this view from my balcony: And then one night, this happened. Knowing I was safe indoors really allowed me to enjoy this storm. But this post isn't about stor...

It’s been a little over 24 hours but I feel like my soul has been resting for at least a month. How can you not feel totally relaxed waking up to this view!? I have found myself quoting "Come for a visit, stay for a lifetime" to two unrelated people so far. One woman came here about two years ago and planned to stay for only five months. Then she bought a bar and the rest is history, or rather, herstory. Headed there soon - it's called Pour Favor (get it?? 😂) - for some live music. Here’s a pic from dinner last night, and if this doesn’t completely embody Playa Comida Amor, then I don’t know what does. Why might the sign look familiar? (hint: did you read blog entitled Friends, Fireworks, and Flying Men? The sign made a cameo there.) This also happened, back in August.  We met. Thunder crashed. (See the lightning above and behind us? That's not photoshop!! It was a storm over the Bahia de Banderas.) Sparks flew. I learned the Spanish word for spark –  chispa . So las...

Early on in my stay, I learned about a Facebook Group called "Foodies in Puerto Vallarta." If you are a foodie and plan to spend ANY time in PV, you need to join this group. Some of the best food recommendations came from the people posting on this page. You can find the QR code to join the group at the end of this post. Los Muertos Brewing One place I discovered was Los Muertos Brewing. It was PV's first craft brewery. I'm not much of a craft beer person, but this place reminded me a little bit of home, and believe it or not, I too am prone to the occasional pang of homesickness. So I made my way here, not that it was necessarily my destination, but as I walked by, it had the right vibe. And as soon as I sat down, it began pouring rain. Good timing! I ordered some major comfort food: a burrata salad and a goat cheese bread bowl. Do I really need to say more!? 😋 And, eventually, while I people watched and ate happily and had my usual cosmo, it stopped raining, and I ...

One of my favorite photos of the several thousand I took while down in Mexico includes a few iconic PV images: the Pier at Playa de los Muertos, the sunset colors, and the beach with all the tourists in the water. Ah yes, that's it.  I can feel the warm summer air on my face and hear the sound of the waves lapping against the pier. So nice. Can't wait to go back soon. One of the spots not too far from here was a restaurant called Cuates y Cuetes. I remember asking a waiter what the name meant and he told me that it means "friends and fireworks" but is also a play on words. I like that- friends and fireworks. I have many friends who are movers and shakers, and who dazzle me left and right with their brains and brilliance, so I felt a connection with the name. There was ALWAYS live music playing, and man, did they make a good cosmo, for only 100 pesos. Here's a little peek into the ambiance: As I tried to get in my 10,000 steps a day, I would often make my way past ...

Let's pick up where the entry Sights on the Boardwalk left off (because apparently Molcajete made some of you very hungry! 😂) This is one of the art installations. What do you see? How does it make you feel? Because each weekday in Mexico (Monday through Friday, for eight weeks) consisted of work (7:30-4) and then a combination of Playa Comida Amor from 4pm to 11pm, I was able to do a lot of introspection, self-reflection, and meditation outside of work hours. Whether I was chilling at the beach, or moseying on the malecon (boardwalk), or having dinner with my fabulous self, I was thinking, analyzing, contemplating. Resting too, and sometimes trying to think about nothing at all, but you all know how hard that is.  I want to take you back a little bit. A lot of the "meditation" piece that I make reference to, truly got ignited at an energy retreat that I attended back in May in the Dominican Republic. Not really knowing what I was getting into because when my really goo...