OnTour

As if I'm not already excited to be headed home in a couple of weeks, it seems that late Oct / early Nov is a great time to be in the Salt Lake area if you are a music fan.

Several weeks ago I bought tickets to The Hotel Cafe Tour a concert full of some of my very favorite female singer-songwriters which is coming to SLC in Nov.

Today I discovered Ray LaMontagne, the guy I love to listen to as I fall asleep, when I'm waking up and pretty much any other part of the day, is coming to Murray (?) on Oct 28. Count me in!

This just makes me even more excited about coming home! UPDATE: I just discovered the Ray LaMontagne concert is SOLD OUT already! So sad!

Picking a song to go on this post is nearly impossible but since I just found out about the Ray LaMontagne show tonight and Nic said she didn't know he was when I asked her to help me buy tickets, here is a song for her so she can hear his AMAZING voice!

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Downpour

I spent a little more time at the venues today, some progress had been made but there was a lot of work left to do - and now it will be even more challenging.

Around noon it started to rain - well, perhaps downpour is a more accurate description

Within 30 minutes the road in front of the building I was in had turned into a river and the water was about to reach the level of the sidewalks. The dirt field that is to be the VVIP parking area in 5 days was a lake.

The main stadium, where just minutes before the performers were rehearsing for Opening Ceremonies, was completely flooded. It is going to take a lot of work and luck to get everything ready on time now.

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Unfinished

I arrived in Pune yesterday and headed out to the venues to see how they looked. They are beautiful - but not quite finished. Everyone says they will be done in time (as will the new road they are building to the venue.) My American eyes think there is a lot of work to be done in the next 5 days, but I'm hoping it is just one of those cultural differences I keep running into.

In case you can't tell from the picture, that is a ladder made out of bamboo and rope - glad I don't have to climb it!

I loved spending Monday away from the routine of the office. It feels great to have some variety in the day along with the adrenaline that comes from an event.

I'll try and take a few more photos of the venue tomorrow, hopefully by then we'll be singing "It's All Been Done!"

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N's Birthday

Today is my beautiful and talented sister's birthday!

I wish I was there to help you celebrate, Nic! Enjoy the Grove and take a picture or two for me.

For you, my best friend, a little Ryan Shupe, "Dream Big" because I can't hear it without thinking of you and all that you've done to make your dreams come true.

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Better

At the first of each month I sit down and review the posts from the previous month and make a playlist to go the left of the page. Today, as I sat down a looked at September I saw I only posted 7 times! I plan to do much better in October

I tried to figure out why, I wasn't any busier than usual, so that can't be an excuse. It's not as if I had a boring month - I turned 35 and traveled to Nepal - pretty good for one month. All I can figure is that I wasn't feeling particularly inspired. This four month trip to India has been the hardest trip I've taken since I started doing this nearly 3 years ago. For one thing it is longer than I am usually away (3 months is the norm.) Work has been more challenging and stressful. And a bit of the newness has work off on Delhi, even my commute which I used to find fascinating has now become boring.

The good news is things are changing. As I left the office last night I realized it was the last time I would be in the building for several months. I'm not on my way home yet, but tomorrow morning I'm off for Pune, India for a week long event that starts on the 12th. I've spent today packing, not just to go to Pune, but also to go home as I'll only have about 12 hours from the time I return to Pune until the time I get on the plane to come home. It feels good to have some change in the air, I know the next couple of weeks will be busy, but it will be different and fun so I'm hoping the time will fly by. In the meantime, I'll keep spending my night dreaming about the home improvement projects I'm hoping to attempt while I'm home - anyone interested in a painting party?

Thanks to a certain someone, I haven't been able to get things song out of my head, so I'm going to pay it forward and hope you'll be singing along with me.

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Gandhi

Today was a national holiday in India, a day to celebrate the birth and life of Gandhi. In his honor, here are a few of my favorite of his words:

• Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
• In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.
• Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
• When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.
• You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
• You must be the change you want to see in the world.

I discovered Mindy Smith when I found her first CD in the free music bin at the SSC (Starbucks.) I've loved her ever since. Her "Peace at Mind" is a beautiful song, a perfect choice for Gandhi's birthday and a time in life when we could all use a little peace of mind.

I need peace of mind
and gentle hand
as I try to change
the way I am
and God forgives me
when I can't
I need peace of mind
and a gentle hand

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Kathmandu

Mom has been after me all week to post some pictures from my trip to Kathmandu last weekend, and thanks to my decision to stay in the house today after the latest bombing in Delhi (we're all okay) today is a great time to catch up.


The trip was amazing! I fell in love with Kathmandu and cannot wait to go back, a weekend just wasn't enough time. Like Delhi, the city is full of color, sound and smells, but it has a much more relaxed vibe.


I found a great hotel, The Courtyard, and within a half a day I felt like I was staying with friends or family. The hotel is in the center of the tourist area, but thanks to a long driveway and a beautiful courtyard, you feel miles away from the hustle. The owners are a couple from Seattle, so we had some great conversations about the city we love. They gave great advice on where to find the best shopping and have a way of bringing their guest all together each evening for great conversation.


Each evening I found myself out to dinner with a different group of people staying at the hotel - one night we were out for a Nepali food and I looked around the table and realized we had a Canadian, 2 Australians, a Swede, an Irishman, a Nepali, 2 Americans and a Frenchman, our own mini-UN. The food was amazing and the company was perfect.


I went on the trip expecting to spend tons of time on my own, meditating and setting goals for the next five years. Instead I spent it surrounded by people and had a great time. It was a real lesson for me - sometimes I need to let go of control and just let things happen.


We didn't get to see any of the cultural sites on this trip - the local's were rioting around the cultural sites over some decisions made by the new government, so we decided to play it safe and stick to other areas of town - the shopping district which means I brought home some great finds and got to see these adorable little boys who found their own fun on the walk home from school.


With the city less than 90 minutes away from Delhi by air, I'm planning to return frequently. It was the perfect place for me to let go of the stress and worry of work and just relax and be. Donavon Frankenreiter's "Let It Go" was my theme song for the weekend:

Do you ever wake up and wonder how your world could change
'Cause feels so strange
Yeah you feel so strange
Do you ever feel like everything you're doing never gets done
Like you're on the run

Don't it feel so good to let it go
Forget about everything you know

Do you ever feel like all you do is try and try
But you never get by
I said you never get by
Do ever feel like what you're doing ain't what you want
It's just what you've been taught

It's gonna feel so good to let it go
Forget about everything you know
Grab a friend let's come togheter
Times like these should last forever

Laugh at me
And I'll laugh too
Cry At Me
And I'll cry with you
Just to help you through

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Milestones

This is my 100th post! When I started this blog back in February I didn’t tell anyone about if for a while because I didn’t know if I would stick with it, so I’m feeling a sense of accomplishment to have made it this far. I had no idea how much I would enjoy having a creative outlet and a place to share my daily journey.

Today is also my 35th birthday, an event I’ve been dreading. Now that it is here, it isn’t as bad as I’d thought, but that’s probably because of where I am - Kathmandu, Nepal.

A little over a month ago I was filling in a questionnaire and one of the questions asked me to think back to a peak time in my life. I really had to stretch to come up with an answers, many of the simple answers – getting married, having kids, are things I haven’t experienced yet, so I had to dig deep to realize one of the greatest weeks of my life was the week I turned 30 – another birthday I had been dreading.

I spent the a few days in Las Vegas with some girlfriends, and since what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas I won’t share any of the details here, it is sufficient to know that we had a great time and it was the perfect way to say goodbye to my twenties.

Once I got back to Seattle I got in the car and drove down the Washington/Oregon coasts to Cannon Beach - where part of “The Goonies” was filmed for those of you who are old enough to remember the classic film. It was my very first solo vacation and it was perfect. I spent time sitting on the beach with a book, strolling through the shops, going for long rides through the national forests and meditating about my life and where I wanted it to go in the future, a perfect way to say hello to my thirties.

After revisiting this experience I decided I wanted to do something similar to commemorate my birthday this year. I got out a map and decided that Kathmandu sounded exotic, relaxing and audacious enough to take the place of both Vegas and Cannon Beach. I booked my flight, tracked down a hotel and for the first time started looking forward to my birthday.

I plan to spend the weekend exploring the city, seeing mountains for the first time in months and meditating on my life today and what I want to do with the next five years.

Looking back on my 30th birthday there was no way I could imagine then I’d be spending my 35th birthday in Nepal, I can only hope the next 5 years will be as full of surprises as the last 5.

Instead of ending this post with a song, I’m going ask you to give me a song. Put your song in the comments – it could be your favorite song, a new one you just can’t get out of your head, one that reminds you of me or a memory we share, a song or artist I’ve posted about you love or one that defines the kind of day you’ve had. All you lurkers who’ve been reading but never commenting, now is the time to do so, how can you refuse – it’s my birthday. I can’t wait to see the birthday playlist you’ll create for me. Pin It

Fear

After Saturday's bombing, I spent Sunday in the house - I think I just wanted to be in a place where I felt safe. But as I read the news from around the world I realized just what a crazy, tragic weekend it was.

The devestation caused by Hurricane Ike in Texas and Louisiana, the train crash in LA, the plane crash in Russia, the mudslide in China, the anniversary of Sept 11 and the bombing in Delhi. Not to mention the sad news from wall street. What a terrible weekend.

I got up today determined to treat it just like any other Monday (which means I wasn't particularly excited to go to work, but I did it anyway.) When lunch time came, I decided I wouldn't order in, but would go out, in my small way I was letting the terrorist know they weren't going to control my life. I'm sure it will take a while before I feel like visiting some of the markets here in Delhi, but I'm going to carefully resume my life, because really, what else can we do.

At times like this, I can't help but be thankful for the role faith plays in my life. I'm so grateful that I could kneel down and ask for comfort for myself and for those around the world who were impacted. I'm grateful to know that I am a child of God who hears and answers my prayers.

I've had this moody and appropriate song in my head since Saturday night:

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Ok in Delhi

If you read my blog you know I'm in Delhi. If you watch the news you know there were a series of bomb blasts here today.

I was home when it happened and am safe as are all of my team mates.

We are okay, but would welcome prayers for those impacted by the blasts. Pin It