Third Times the Charm - Kathmandu

Way back in September I went to Kathmandu to celebrate my birthday.  I'm finally getting around to posting a few photos of one of my favorite places on earth.

This first set of photos were taken at the Monkey Temple.  Such a fun colorful place.

The second set of photos came from the Boudhanath Stupa - so peaceful and yet in the middle of a crazy city.

The last set were taken as I wandered through the local Saturday market away from the tourist areas, one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Here's a little Frou Frou in honor of one of my favorite places to visit when I need to let go of the stress of life.

A Makeover

My blog got a makeover thanks to the lovely Erin at Designer Blogs.  If you are like me and read your blogs through Google Reader, take a minute to click over to my regular site and so you can enjoy her lovely work.

I thought I'd use this post as an excuse to post one of my all time favorite songs, Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes."

Vintage Friends

This weekend I was putting away some CD's that Miss M had pulled out of my shelf (one of these days I'll get around to childproofing.) As I worked I got a bit nostalgic about some of my favorite old CDs. I decided I would add some songs to my iPod so I could enjoy some retro music. Little did I know this would turn into a big project that would take up part of my weekend and several evenings.

Along the way, I rediscovered some old friends, the songs that got me through some hard days, songs that made me dance and some that made me cry.

It's fitting that I've spent a few days looking backwards, as that's how I'm going to spend this next weekend doing. On Friday I'm headed back to my college for a reunion with some of my favorite people. On Saturday I'm flying to Seattle to catch up with my friends there that I haven't seen since I moved four years ago.

Here's one of my old friends, Dido's "Life for Rent." I played this song over and over during a period of my life where I was trying to make a decision about the direction I was headed. It reminded me that taking chances and being willing to fail are an important part of living a full life.

Beautiful World

One of the things I love most about living out of the country is that while I'm gone it is much easier to ignore  the negative stories that seem to saturate the media in the US.  While I'm in Delhi I almost never turn on the local TV - I get my news by picking and choosing from online sources - making it much easier to skip or skim through the really negative stuff.

I believe that living this way for the past four years has changed my view of the world.  I feel that without the media telling me what I should think and feel I'm better able to make up my own mind - and since I choose to see the world in a more positive light I think I'm in a happier place.

Don't get me wrong, I know there are problems in the world, I see examples of the ravages of poverty on a daily basis.  I just try to keep my focus on the slow improvements that are happening, the similarities we all share and the beauty in our differences.

This post is brought to you by a gorgeous song I heard this morning that got me thinking, "Beautiful World" by Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin.

Dierks Bentley   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

What I'm Loving Today

Today I'm loving:

Sitting in front of the fire while I work

Tazo Refresh tea

My cinnamon & clove bud candle

Brandi Carlile's new music

Over

My holiday is over.

I'm home and slowly getting back to work

Until I have a chance to post some highlights from Copenhagen and London, enjoy my newest love, The Avett Brothers with their latest, "I and Love and You"

Reason

It's Friday.

I'm not planning to work tomorrow.

I'm getting on a plane headed homeward in 27 hours (but whose counting.)

One suitcase is packed.


Ain't no reason for this song, other than the fact that I love it.

Glee

Have you seen it yet?  I laughed so hard at this scene I cried.  And I'm still singing along 12 hours later.

If you aren't watching yet, make it a priority next week, you'll be glad you did.

Did you know it is National Singles Week?  Here's what I learned about single life in the US:

• 92 million Americans over 18 are not married (42% of the US adult population)
  
• For every 100 unmarried women in American there are 86 unmarried men
• 60% of unmarried Americans have never been married

Suddenly I don't feel quite so alone in my singleness.

Love

I'm in love.

I'm in love with the Genius button on my iPod.  It made the most amazing playlist for me today.

On Monday I hit shuffle and then a few songs in got stuck on "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles.  I must have listened to the song 5 times.

Today during my commute I pulled the iPod back out and "Gravity" was still playing, but this time I hit the genius button, and look at the amazing messages I found in the music I listened to on the way to work.

Here I am and I stand so tall

I'm just the way I'm supposed to be

I don't know what I've done
Or if I like what I've begun
But something told me to run
And honey you know me it's all or none

 Everything's falling, and I am included in that
Oh, how I try to be just okay

I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, 

God answered in silent reverie. 

I said a prayer and fell asleep.

Afraid to see that she's lost her direction
She never stays the same for long
Assuming that she'll get it wrong
Perfect only in her imperfection

An entire commute full of beautiful music with lovely lyrics that kept me going all day long.