Twinkle Twinkle in the Sky(e)

Yup.  The moment has arrived.  It's time for my cheesy goodbye (for now) and time to put this beautiful blog to bed.

I shared a bit of what I've realized and gained through this adventurous journey in my last blog entry but I also wanted to take some time to say... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU (with love) ... to each and every person who read, made comments and sent support along the way. 

Whether they are words of wisdom, recommended readings or straight up tips for travel, I hope that in some small (or big) way you walk away with an array golden nuggets too!! 

When all of this began back in March... I had no idea where this time would take me, when it would end or what would come next... and this is ok.  I still have no idea exactly what I'm going to be "doing" next in my life, but somehow I have faith that it will sort itself out... and in the interim, naturally, I have a few ideas...........  including raising funds to build a new house for my little Gustavo's family (you may recall from my trip to Ecuador), moving into a new crib in Brooktown, reinstating my real estate license (just for fun, not necessarily profession), running my booty off, picking up regular pilates again, learning to ride a motorcycle and gearing up for guitar lessons - just to name a few of the ones that can be revealed at this time (wink wink).

You see - I have this funny feeling (channeling SARK) that if I begin by doing the things I love, the money will follow.........  :)

Please feel free to either comment here or email me a personal note (skyenyc@aol.com) if you have any feedback (at all) or if you are interested in learning more about any writing/blogging I may muster up down the road.

Until we meet again...... may magical music, miracles and unexpected abundance be your constant companions...... and may you always do the things that scare you the most ---- they will surely be the things you regret doing the least.  Promise.

Love, Partnership, Courage and Fun...

Lisa

Time Away With Me

The following are some reflections on my five month journey away.

Fasten your seatbelt.  Things are about to get deep...

"The difficult road is the road of conversion, the conversion from loneliness into solitude.  Instead of running away from our loneliness and trying to forget or deny it, we have to protect it and turn it into a fruitful solitude.  To live a spiritual life, we must first find the courage to enter into the desert of our loneliness and to change it by gentle and persistent efforts into a garden of solitude.  This requires not only courage, but also a strong faith.  As hard as it is to believe that the dry, desolate desert can yield endless varieties of flowers, it is equally hard to imagine that our loneliness is hiding unknown beauty.  The movement from loneliness to solitude, however, is the beginning of any spiritual life because it is the movement from the restless senses to the restful spirit, from the outward-reaching cravings to the inward-reaching search, from the fearful clinging to the fearless play."   -- Henry Nouwen


As I read this, I realize I am FINALLY feeling comfortable in my solitude... and I am finally feeling confident in my ability to LIVE the Ultimate Lisa Life.  Rather than spending my time “preparing” for a partner, I'm simply continuing to improve the already wonderful me that is here NOW... and is perfect just the way I am!  Hooray!!

At the same time, I am remembering the journal entry I found in my 55-year-old father’s journal just after he died in 2004.  It said, “I’m finally feeling comfortable in my own skin... comfortable in groups...” -- something like this.

I recall thinking, “What?! My father didn’t feel comfortable in his own skin?! He was seemingly so confident and driven...” -- and yet, in retrospect – and through all the work I’ve done on myself in the past 4yrs+ -- I can see that the way he stuffed feelings was to work.  He wasn’t a drinker, drug user, over-eater, gambler, etc.  He worked – all the time.   He hardly relaxed EVER — until the last 6-12mos of his life... when he realized that some of the things he thought were “so important” throughout his entire life just didn’t seem to be all that important anymore (like a perfectly organized home, record/CD collection and garage).  He found it was more fulfilling to spend time with loved ones, SHOW UP for them (as in travel to NYC to see me or Austin to see my brother) and take moments to truly RELAX... enjoy the abundant life he had created.  It was a beautiful transformation to watch.

I feel on many levels it is similar to what I have been going through for the past four years... in my own way, naturally.

I’m taking a peek at the things I “do” to stuff my own feelings.... and, ultimately, to avoid feeling lonely.

There were many moment in the beginning of these travels that I felt lonely.  I had a yearning inside to share my experiences with someone other than me, myself and I.  Yet I knew that if I didn’t take this time to learn to enjoy spending “Time Away With Me”, I would never be able to authentically relish in the moments I was sharing with someone again one day too.

Maybe I’m sounding overly dramatic. I mean obviously I’m going to enjoy sharing my life with someone again one day too... and obviously I enjoy sharing my life NOW with friends, family and most anyone else that crosses my path.  But what I’m getting at is the notion that by truly ENJOYING spending time with me, I believe I create the space to truly ENJOY spending time as we.

The bottom line... 

I’m not feeling the tweaks of loneliness I felt on March 1st, I’m feeling comfortable in solitude... and as I prepare to make my way back to the big apple, I'm oh so glad I took this time to be with me.

This is what one of my dearest friends said to me when I shared the above thoughts...

Who knew: the journey IS the destination!  For perhaps the hallway of life is a large, never-ending circle that in the end brings us back to the beginning so we can see it with new eyes in next life... "for from (star)dust you were made, and to (star)dust you shall return..."  I think you'd agree that the secret is to love, learn and enjoy as much as possible along the way.

She's right.  I do agree.

As of today... my eyes are anew, my slate is clean... and anything and everything is POSSIBLE.

Amen.

Sweet Sunshine State

After traveling for five (that's right - FIVE!) months, I can't believe the moment has almost arrived... I'm heading back to my beloved New York City for good in less than 48 hours.

Whoa.

I'm not sure any particular feeling has set in yet... I'm think I'm still just going with the flow.

I've been in my hometown - West Palm Beach, FL - for about 3 weeks now... not doing much other than relaxing. 

You may recall, if you've been reading from the start, one of my primary goals on this trip was to be "busy busy busy relaxing" (something I've never been very much good at).  I can now safely say that these past three weeks have been all about that. 

Relaxing.

I spent some good time with my buddy Ian...

Went to go see my friend Chris's band, Fire Zuave...

Spent some good time with my Uncle Mike and his girlfriend Isabel...

Met my friend Shawney's new baby Mattine...

Toured the new and improved Loggerhead Marine Center here in Juno Beach with Shawney, Mattine and my friend Amy...

Saw the cutest baby turtles ever...

Listened in during storytime...

Watched Mattine make friends...

Snuggled up close to watch the turtles...

Made faces...

At the turtles...

Enjoyed the company of Hot Heidi Stone (who arrived on July 25th and decided to stay)...

At my favorite Florida restaurant, Captain Charlie's Reef Grill...

Got to listen to my brilliant brother play my guitar...

Ate lots of pepperoncinis to keep the Mexican vibe alive...

Watched Heidi do handstands in the drive way on beautiful days...

And took tons of photos............. :)

Indeed. This journey has been a ride. I've got another good blog or two in me so stay tuned... and please know that your love, and support has been tremendous (you know who you are) and I wouldn't (and still don't) want to do this thing called LIFE without you.

Sending lots of love from the Sweet Sunshine State...

Home Address

I saw this quote on a Vision Board I found in my closet yesterday...

"Don't mistake a street address for where you actually LIVE"

Love it!

It reminds me of something a friend of mine said to me when I began my travels back in March.  He said, "So what's your address these days?  111 I'msocooltravelingtheworld Street, Penthouse #1?"

I laughed.  I guess that HAS been my address for the past five months... I mean... if I say so.  Because isn't everything exactly how you SAY it is...... like all the time?!  ;)

Happy Monday Marvelous Ones!!

Imagine It

God, I love it when I feel IN THE FLOW.

Two blogs ago I included a photo of a quote I saw and then paraphrased it to say... "Think. Act. Open Arms. Receive."  The basic message was that our thoughts become things...  yes, it's very Secretesque.

So this morning I woke up to the following "Note from the Universe" (and felt in the flow) ...

If you can imagine it, you can have it, Lisa. This is the name of the game. This is the lesson to learn. It couldn't be any easier. Reality is not what your eyes show your mind, but what your mind creates for your eyes to see. You are not limited by logic, the past, or the world around you. You are not even of the world around you. You are supernatural, pure spirit. You came first. Magic, miracles, and luck are the consequences of understanding this, the inevitable result of dreaming and acting in spite of appearances.

You are ever so close. Simply stay the course. It won't be very much longer.

-- The Universe

If you've never heard of these Notes from the Universe, click on the link above to learn more.  They come to me Monday-Friday mornings and they're free!

Also... if you do start to get the notes yourself, don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the email - where you'll find an additional little note (just after the reminder "Thoughts Become Things... Choose the Good Ones!")

Today's bonus was...

If you can imagine it, you can have it, Lisa.

What a GREAT way to start the day!  

Enjoy...

Stellar Sunrises are for Sharing

On my last morning in Baja Sur, Rubina and I woke up before the sunrise and went out to the beach.  It was her idea... and so I'm just glad I followed suit.

I hope you enjoy these pics as much as I do...

May all your mornings be full of sunshine... even on the cloudy days...

Love.

Quick Note from the Skye

Hmmm...



I guess the question then becomes... "What can I DO today to get a little closer to receiving what I want?"

In short I think the message is...

Think.  Act.  Open Arms.  Receive. 

...and don't forget to say Thank You!!!

Happy Thursday  :)

Time To Cleanse

I've decided I'm not drinking for 60 days.

When my friend Heidi asked, "Why?" -- I said...

"Sister, the first 16 days of July were all about Corona, Modelo, Sol (mexican beer), tequila, white wine, pink wine, red wine, White Russians and Bloody Marys... oh and tacos, chorizo, beans, cornflakes, bananas, full fat yogurt, ice cream and S'mores.  Rubina and I have declared we are tan (oh yeah), fat (not really) and so happy (affirmative)!"

And so now I say... "Time to cleanse!"  :)

In truth, it was Rubina's idea... 

For me, the thought of no alcohol is always a little bit of a weird one intially.  But mostly because I know I just don't like discipline in my life. Period.  Whether it's about spending, saving, eating, exercising, drinking, working... Anything.  I've always enjoyed doing what I want, when I want, how I want.  And that's the way I like it.

Alas, I know it's not the best trait to have when setting goals... especially one like no alcohol for 60 days.  Hence, it's also the reason it's WAY more fun/better for me to do these things with support and/or someone else.

Heidi agreed to go the distance too.  

So now we are three... and today is Day Eleven.

Looking good.  Feeling good.

Cheers!

San Jose Surf Summer 2008

As many of you know, sooo much of this time away has been about getting still, being with myself and listening to what my inner inner voice is saying.  And plus learning how to just BE - and be ok with all that is happening (or not happening) in my life.

I've done tons of journaling, meditating, reading, reflecting, etc -- it has been all good.

As I described it recently to my soul sister best friend Elijah... it has been like a roller coaster ride - and I really like roller coasters!  There have been ups and downs.  The ride has gone fast, whizzing around corners, whooshing down and creeping back up. I've been screaming in some moments and laughing in so many others... and at long last, as I pull back into the station (or the five month "journey" comes to an end), I am so so glad I went on this ride.

I'm planning on winding down and wrapping up this blogging business next week but I plan to make a few juicy good entries between now and then... so stay tuned :)

In the interim... I hope you enjoy this barrage of photos from the 16 days I spent in Baja Sur with my dear friend Rubina, my buddy JoshB* and his brother Austin James Oliver...

Day One --- Rubina and I get off the plane at 3pm, get picked up by the boys, head back to our condo, down a smoothie (a nearly daily activity) and take off to the beach with Austin (aka our "Surf Instructor Extraordinaire") to catch some waves.

When we get back to the condo, Josh has prepared a KILLER dinner...

Which came to be often followed by a game of backgammon...

This was a beach down the road from our condo in San Jose... if you squint you can see our white condo just the the right of the rocks in the middle...

This is the JoshB* signature ring... and margarita...

On Day One I tore it up... the surfboard, that is...

And my thigh and arm...

After an hour in the water catching waves, I totally forgot I had been told there were rocks all along the shore.  I needed to bail before I rode up onto the sand.  Um, yeah, that didn't happen.  Obviously.  The surfboard and I both suffered for a few days.

I just love this random shot I caught out the window of our car...

This was our "home" for the month, called Mar y Sol ("Sea and Sun")...

We drove this road more than once to get to a far away surf spot...

Welcome to Mexico!

Here are the Surfari Brothers For Life...

This is Ghost Face, I mean Austin, keeping watch of the boards strapped to the roof...

Approaching Nueve Palmas ("Nine Palms")...

It is sooo Mexico - to be surrounded by sticks en route to the beach...

This is JoshB*'s Ford Explorer we called "Blanca"...

Whose battery died at 2pm in the middle of the HOT Mexican afternoon on the side of the road, far far from home...

Thank god we eventually found a jump... oh, and some beers down the road to refresh ourselves...

Here's our Rubi fruit enjoying some shrimp...

And the tacos galore...

A common sight on the road...

Hello cow :)

Did I mention I tore it up on my first day?!  Yeah.  I hurt my shoulder pretty badly.  I had to go see a chiropractor (Dr. Allen) and stay off it for 5 days to recover.  Fortunately, corn cures everything...

Eventually I got back out to the "beginner's beach" (Acapulquito)... um, can you SEE all the rocks in the water and on the shore of the BEGINNER'S beach?!  WTF?!

This is Rubina catching a wave...

And here's the crew... with JoshB* looking NYC fabulous - even in Mexico...

Did I mention JoshB* is not only my friend but also my hairstylist?  That's how we met in New York City.  

Here he is giving his bro a trim...

This was our pool...

And view...

My toes thoroughly enjoyed their stay, as per usual...

Here we are heading to Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach in Cabo (per my mom's recommendation) to have Chicken Tortilla Soup...

I love it when I can get all five passengers in the picture...

The soup, view and company at Pueblo Bonito were all awesome...

Here we are on one of our Surfaris...

To a beach far far away...

Where you can watch cows wandering in the distance...

And then loaf under palapas all day...

This surf spot was called Shipwrecks...

It was beautiful...

And so were... :)

And Josh was, well, called snaggletooth for the day (we found TEETH in the sand!!)...

Can you GUESS how tall this cactus is before you scroll down any further?!

Here's some perspective for you...

This was Austin's board we loved...

And the stunning sunset...

Seen just after we finally snapped a shot of me catching a wave...

And falling off...

This is Josh's friend Ian - who joined us for a few days from NYC...

And here's a series of pics of Austin catching the sunset surf...

Our longboard (thanks Rafa!) for the month...

Very good for beginners like Rubina and me...

And last but not least -- on our final night we decided to make S'mores... in our living room...

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmarshmallows  :)

LOVE THIS QUOTE

"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."  

-- Wayne Gretzky (The Great One)

*Ongoing Personal Development

The book Rich Dad, Poor Dad rocks!!  If you haven't read it, at very least hit your local Barnes & Noble, grab a copy, sit down on the ground right then and there and start to skim through it.  The lessons on creating abundance/wealth - literally and beginning with mentally/psychologically - are fantastic.  You're bound to learn something even with a quick thumb through.  Promise.

This morning I woke up to a Gaia Community quote that I loved!  It came from Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki...

"One method of staying ahead of rising asset prices and the declining dollar is to think bigger and come up with better plans. As important as financial and business planning is a plan for personal development and self-improvement. I'm often asked to invest in people's business plans, and one of the reasons I turn many of them down is because a big plan requires a big person who's spent time on personal development. In a lot of cases, a business plan is far bigger than the person with the plan -- that is, the dream is bigger than the dreamer."  

Robert Kiyosaki
Source: Why the Rich Get Richer: Thinking Big is the Best Plan

I thought to myself...

You down with OPD*?!  Yeah, you know me  :)

Quality Peoples

Alright people.  I have to admit that FOREVER AGO (ok, only 4 weeks ago) I meant to write a post about a super dope blog I love called Quality Peoples.  Granted I did add it to "Love These Blogs..." on the right hand panel of my blog, but I intended to actually write something more substantial/meaningful at that time too.

Alas, I got caught up in having fun in Mexico  :)

Sooo, speaking of Mexico... There a GREAT blog out there called Quality Peoples - written by a cool dude named Ed Fladung - recommended to me by my friend Rubina. 

As mentioned in a blurb on his blog... Ed moved to Mexico (love it!), learned to surf (sounds familiar), got married (not so familiar) and just stayed (maybe in my next life).

His entries are mostly light, sometimes political and overall colorful and totally fun!

I read an entry about a month ago that featured this old familiar favorite shot...

The Great Wave of Kanagawa

It reminded me of my high school surfer boyfriend who I'm sure had it pinned up somewhere between his boards  :)

I highly recommend adding Ed's Quality Peeps to your favs - in particular if you're of the sun, surf and sunshine sort.

Hang Ten and Have Fun...

xo

Lisa

Who Am I Being?

For those of you who are closest to me, you know that much of the personal development/growth I've experienced in the past 4+yrs has revolved around the idea that Who I'm Being creates my world (and my experience of the world) around me.

Whether it has been through my Landmark Education, Books like A New Earth, The Four Agreements or Mastery of Love... or simply conversations with friends who have similar "life tools", I always seem to come to the conclusion that having the courage to Be Who I Am, Take Risks and Honor Myself leaves me a place of great peace these days.  

I end up feeling fulfilled in all that I am and all that I am not, must, should, think I outta be... in most every moment of every day... and it's pretty cool.

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes...

"Leap and the Net will Appear"  --- Zen saying

Which also stems from the daily meditation I read this morning... and you know how I love to share this stuff... 

Enjoy!

***

Have the courage to act instead of react.  -- Darlene Larson Jenks

Taking the time to be thoughtful about our responses to the situations we encounter offers us the freedom to make choices that are right for us.  Impulsive behavior can be a thing of the past, if we so choose.  It seldom was the best response for our well-being.

Decision-making is morale boosting.  It offers us a chance to exercise our personal powers, an exercise that is mandatory for the healthy development of our egos.  We need to make careful, thoughtful choices because they will further define our character.  Each action we take clearly indicates the persons we are becoming.  When we have consciously and deliberately chosen that action because of its rightness for us, we are in full command of becoming the persons we choose to be.

Our actions reveal who we are, to ourselves and others.  We need never convey an inacurate picture of ourselves.  We need only take the time and risk the courage necessary to behave exactly as we choose.  We will know a new freedom when we are in control.

Affirmation:

I will exercise my power to act and feel the fullness of my being.

***

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Hello beautiful people!!

I cannot believe I have been in San Jose del Cabo (Mexico) for two weeks and  I haven't blogged ONCE!  I feel neglectful on one hand... and, yet, on the other hand I know it is simply a byproduct of the fact we haven't had highspeed internet in our condo and, well, why would I want to coop myself up in an internet cafe when I've got this right outside our little Mexican villa...




Not to mention the incredible beaches we've got all up and down the coast...




Which we carefully find while we're out on our "Surfaris" in Josh's Ford Explorer we've named "Blanca"...



That's Josh's brother Austin (aka Rubina and my Surf Instructor Extraordinaire) grabbing his board in a very Mexico-like setting. Note dessert and donkey in the background.

Too funny.

So... I swear more details on the Cabotivities are "coming soon"... thought likely not until Thursday when I'm back in Florida.  Yup, I've had to cut my trip short due to personal business I have to tend to... indeed, responsibility and life calls... and I respond.

In the interim, I'm soaking it up in every moment I can... catching waves (thanks to Austin), smashing into rocks (war wound photos coming soon too) and basically just tearing it up while I can...



Sending love from San Jose...

Obstacles

Yesterday I spent 15 hours driving down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway 1) from San Francisco to Los Angeles...



in Black Betty...



which is the name for the Audi I sold my good friend Matt back in January when he moved to L.A. 

This drive has always been a dream of mine - and I'm thrilled to now say, "I've done it!"

The views of the Pacific Ocean from the PCH are absolutely stunning...



I mean really.  Does this backdrop even look REAL??!



We also got to stop at a View Point where we could watch HUGE Elephant Seals hanging out on the beach...



And splashing around in the water...



It was very cute.

As a sidebar of info about our drive... we wanted to drive straight through on the PCH but couldn't.  We had to turn around in Big Sur because of all the fires California has going on the coast.  We ended up having to turn around, drive north, drive east a ways, then south to another road that finally took us to the coast again.  Once we got to the coast, we drove north another 30 miles+ so that I could see as much of the PCH as possible.

It made for a longer drive overall but at the same time it reminded me of a quote I read when I woke up that morning...

When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there. -- Zig Ziglar

Bucket List Item #33: Drive the PCH 

Done.

Thoughts on Being Lost

All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter is a poem written by J.R.R Tolkien for his fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.

The poem reads...

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

Indeed.  Not all those who wander are lost.

Love it and totally identify.

Today the cup runneth over...

I'm in San Francisco, surrounded by unusually smoky skies (there are major fires burning all around this city right now, in case you haven't seen the news).  Reminds me of Buenos Aires back in April.  Crazy.

I just got word that my friend Rubina (who I was with in South Africa) is officially flying to Cabo with me next week!  We're on the same flight and she's staying for my first 9 days back in Mexico!  Now this is friendship. Flying across the country to be together and spend time... being "lost" together.  Lol.

What's that quote I just heard... 

"I'm not lost, just undiscovered"  - James Morrison

Too funny.  I can identify... yet, I'm listening to a song called As If You've Never Been Away by Ulrich Schnauss and feeling on top of the world.

Putting on my running shoes, getting ready to have brunch with a friend, meeting my best friend Elijah this afternoon, prepping for her big party this weekend, seeing my great friend Matt tomorrow, driving down the PCH on Sunday, flying to Cabo in less than a week... 

It's these moments we're supposed to savor, right?

Happy Friday Fabulous Ones...

A New Earth

Please read my friend Heidi Stone's latest blog entry entitled "the unbearable lightness of being".

And if you haven't already picked up a copy of Eckhart Tolle's newest book A New Earth, I highly recommend you do.  It is yet another masterpiece (much like The Power of Now).  I'm reading it now.

Enjoy and Happy Friday...

The Love Guru

I have to share because this flick was just what the doctor ordered for me this week.

I just took this quote out of one of the reviews I found...

"I probably shouldn't mention this, because you won't take me seriously, but I did smile a couple of times, when this self-help persona Myers was in would make jokes about the self-help industry and the kind of guy who would build a VIP room into his ashram. I mean the people around "the Guru Pitka" kept calling him an "ass" and an "idiot," and he wore a shit-eating grin through it all, just eating it up. And he was full of one-liners about "intimacy" really meaning "Into-Me-I-See" and going "from 'nowhere' to 'now here,'" and self-help book titles like "I Know You Are, But What Am I?" and "Does It Hurt When You Do That? Don't Do That." Plus non-stop acronym humor, including a plan to cure Roanoke with "DRAMA": Distraction, Regression, Adjustment, Maturity, and Action. I'm pretty sure Aristotle would have his head over the whole thing, but never mind."


Omg.  I was laughing so hard in the middle of the airport just remembering these scenes where he shows his books and acronyms!  This movie was so stupid and so wonderfully goofy in the most perfectly balanced way.  If you go in with a very open mind, I don't know how you could be disappointed - and at very least well-humored.

Oh, and it is especially good to go with girlfriends (or mom).

Love and lots of laughter...
Lisa


Ps - I think there was another Love Guru book titled something like, "Are You Hurting Yourself? Why Are You Still Hurting Yourself? Stop Hurting Yourself."

HILARIOUS.

Indeed, his karma is huge.

Willing To Jump

I've been in Portland visiting my mom since Saturday.  The weather has been glorious virtually every day.  Contrary to what most people believe about how dreary and overcast it is out here, it has almost never been this way when I've come.  I'm starting to think the rumors simply aren't true.

Winter, spring, summer or fall - I've always enjoyed sunshiny skies and a spectacular view of Mt. Hood in the distance...



Stunning.

On Sunday, we went to an Arts & Crafts Festival nearby. I found this rug that totally reminded me of Rubina and our ridiculously courageous feat from last month...



I still get a killer rush telling the story of how I became "willing to jump". Off a bridge. 

Crazy.

Crazy cool.

Life is good.

It's after midnight in New York City so...

Happy Wednesday  :)

Live From Abbey Road

I'm sure I'm the last one on the planet to be "in the know" about where to find fantastic music on television (because I virtually NEVER watch it) but, just in case I'm not, I want to mention a delicious new discovery I made today ... the show Live From Abbey Road on Sundance Channel (Thursdays @ 10pm EST).

Yum.

Calling all MUSIC LOVERS (like me).

Yum.

Though I do recall watching part of an episode sometime in the past year, I just watched a full episode with my mom (yes, my totally hip mom) who taped it back in April to share with me tonight.  It featured James Morrison, Craig David and Dave Matthews ... and it was great!  

Featuring intimate footage of various artists recording songs in the world renowned Abbey Road Studios in London, the show gives you an up close and personal feel for the musician's personality, mind and music.  I highly recommend it.

James Morrison's song One Last Chance ... yummmmmmmmm.

Craig David's English accent ... yummmmmmm.

Dave Matthews ... can one ever get enough of this talented guy???!  I mean for real.  I was just reminded how damn good he is on that acoustic guitar ... wow!  Or should I say, "yummmmmmmmm"?!

***

Frosting on the cake...

At the very end of the show, they flashed a quote that resonated in me 110%:

"I'm not lost, I'm undiscovered" -- James Morrison

Love it.  This is SO me right now.  Not lost.  Undiscovered.

Rock on.

And Bon Appetit!

Love

I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow.  I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep      

& there are no words for that.

She learned to love him before he even thought it was possible, so he didn't have a chance to hide & mess it up & while it was a little scary at times, mainly he could not even imagine the world without her there

I'll bet you wouldn't even miss me if I died, she said. Depends on if you'd been grumpy in those final days, I said & she tried to look sad but I saw the smile anyway.

I'm feeling overdressed she said & he held her close & said as far as he was concerned she was always that way & her eyes glowed softly in the light of his desire

When I first met her I knew in a moment I would have to spend the next few days re-arranging my mind so there'd be room for her to stay.

 --- from Heidi's book called "Trusting Soul" by Brian Andreas (written for his sons and with/about his wife) ... FYI, the "Introduction" in the book is brilliant ... I highly recommend reading it with a good friend ... thanks for reading it with me tonight, Heidi  :)

Flying CORN???

When I was stranded in Atlanta Airport last Saturday night, I found this...



I was speechless.

I immediately took a photo with my blackberry and emailed it to a bunch of my girlfriends -- including my mother who replied, "I just don't know how to comment......."

I'm with you, mom!!

What the...?!?!

Can you imagine a committee of people actually sat around a table (perhaps they were on the Airport Art Approval Committee) and listened to one member say, "I propose we ERECT this fantastically colorful and ingeniously original piece of Artwork in Terminal 4"??

And then everyone else around the table agreed??!!

Amazing.

I would LOVE to know your thoughts... please feel free to comment any time  :)

Goddess of Adventure

Have I mentioned how wonderful my girlfriends are lately???!!!

I have been in New York since last Saturday -- actually Sunday (because my flight was delayed NINE HOURS in Atlanta on Saturday night) at 5:30am -- and my girl Heidi Stone has hooked me up with a fabulous place to lay my head at night. The bed is squishy soft (just like I like it), the pillows are firm and silky smooth at the same time ANNNNDDDD there was this deliciously appropriate posting above my bed when I arrived...

"Goddess of Adventure"???! Who ME???! ;)

Heidi knows me so well... and plus, if we're lucky (and I'm coordinated enough), this WILL be me by the end of July.

Stay tuned...

Keep Austin Weird

So I just spent the first two weeks of June (1st-14th) in Austin, TX... where the town motto is "Keep Austin Weird".

Things I did included...

Chillin. Readin. Runnin. Bloggin. Relaxin.

With my brother Brian and his girlfriend Tessa...

And their dogs, Matilda...

And Otis...

We spent Brian's 28th birthday (June 2nd) at a KILLER sushi restaurant we love (and visit virtually every time I'm in town) called Uchi...

We spent at least three nights sitting around the dining room table working on this masterpiece...

A 1500 piece, ridiculously colorful, moderately difficult puzzle...

It was totally addicting and SO fun.  It took Brian and I back to our childhood, when we did a ton of puzzles :)

This is the cutest photo of Matilda, who is 16 months and now 120lbs!!  She is a Mastiff, in case you can't tell (or don't know dogs)...

She is now towering over her 2.5-year-old brother Otis (who is basically a pitbull mix)...

Otis is the swimmer in the family.  He will literally stay in the pool and just swim laps if you let him.  My brother got him when he was staying in Florida a few years ago and let him swim in the intracoastal waterway all the time.  I think that has to be why he loves the water so much...

We also got the chance to meet up with my friend Shana and her boyfriend Sean to watch the sunset one night...

I had the chance to go see Bob Schneider, whose music I love, TWICE while I was in town.  The second time I saw him, he played at a tiny little pub called Saxon Pub - where there were maybe 100-125 people in the room.  It was awesome!

Afterwards, like a good groupie should, I went up and asked if I could get a photo for my blog. First we took this one...

Which he then previewed and said, "Oh no, we have to take another one". So we took this one...

Which he then previewed and said, "Oh yeah. That's the one".

He's a goofy guy... as in funny and super entertaining at live shows... hence I went to two! If you haven't checked out his music, go to his myspace page and check it out... www.myspace.com/bobschneider

I especially like his songs Mudhouse, Big Blue Sea and Round and Round.

And Flavors Too Strong is a lot of fun too :)

Speaking of fun... my brother is a kickass guitar player (both electric and acoustic)...

Especially when he wears that wrestling mask Tessa bought him in Oregon!

And last but not least, how could I resist these adorable doggy pics?!

Austin Rules.

Happy Daddy's Day

Sunday was Father's Day.

For me, it's a day of gratitude for my father - Henry "Hank" Skokowski -who raised my brother Brian and I in the best way he knew how with everything he had worked so hard to create.

This is the photo we posted in the local newspaper in 2004, the day after he died...

I never wonder where my love for the ocean comes from, that's for sure!

Losing my father suddenly on February 14, 2004 has been the biggest bittersweet of my life.

I have learned and grown leaps and bounds in the last four years since he died.  I have continued to heal, nurture and honor the relationship we had, despite the fact he isn't here to (physically) experience it all with me.  It has been an awesome and ongoing process.  

On Sunday, a number of my friends reached out to let me know my father and I were in their thoughts.  Another friend of mine included me on an email she sent to her father, detailing all of the wonderful things she has learned from him along the way.

I asked if I could share her email here... and she said yes.  Thanks lady  ;)

Here it is...

some things dad has taught me with the way he has lived life:

-fearlessness & courage
-don't muffle your opinions too much, they keep life interesting and sometimes need to be heard
-small talk is boring, avoid it whenever possible
-yummy meals go well with meaningful conversation and don't fret if they last a long time, some things should never be time-limited
-movies are a wonderful way to be entertained and learn new things at the same time, take advantage of them often
-books are one of the great gifts in life and should be consumed voraciously
-make sure people have a good time at your parties and there's nothing wrong with getting them a bit tipsy!
-learn all you can and then share it
-even if you don't like hospitals, always be willing to go to them when loved ones need your presence there
-enjoy food, and large quantities at that, but cut back on the bad stuff when appropriate
-vanity is usually a waste of time but look sharp on special occasions
-high standards are a must in any business and don't be afraid to push for them
-look for people who appreciate you, and then appreciate them right back
-live each day to it's fullest, even if it's a bad one (which is when you should bury yourself in a great book)
-never let small injuries slow you down
-enjoy having a healthy life-style, exercise doesn't have to be a bore in anyway
-if something's funny, don't hold back on a good belly laugh
-there is no great honor in public service
-love your children as if no one else does
-research your doctors and their advice, some things are too important not to get right
-love your wife tremendously even when she's a pain in the butt
-loyalty is a given when it comes to old friends and family
-if you're smart and you have things to teach, make sure you do just that (even when a shmancy institution doesn't summon you to)
-with privilege comes responsibility
-be modest even when you are truly impressive
-be willing to pay for quality but know that cheap things are often the best
-prejudice is dumb
-be your children's biggest fan
-if people treat you badly, stand up for yourself without hesitation
-holding grudges is a waste of time so forgive people who do you wrong (although avoiding them in the future is probably wise)
-be loyal but don't hate those who aren't loyal to you
-money is good to give away often
-experimenting with food is fun even though the results might not always taste so good
-doing good and doing well aren't mutually exclusive
-work hard, play hard
-bounce back quickly from your stumbles, life is too short not too
-toughen up as needed, life is hard sometimes but you can always win if you never quit
-never, never, ever give up on something you want
-friendships are golden, honor them with your time and care
-generosity is a small tribute you pay to those you love
-remain endlessly curious, there's always more to learn even if you're brilliant

with love, respect and endless gratitude, 
your daughter xxxxx

Hilariously Humorous Heidi

So... I'm back in New York City this week, staying in Clinton Hill (Brooklyn) with my friend Heidi Stone... who is HOT and funny.  Really funny.  Especially lately.  I'm not sure what has gotten in to her but I like it... a lot!

Last week when I emailed her to ask a few questions about coming to stay with her this week, she responded with an email so funny and entertaining I just HAD to ask if I could post it on my blog.

FYI, my best friend Elijah is in town on business this week - coincidentally - and so she is staying with us too!

Here is the Email of the Week...

Subject:  Casa la donna Stone

I am SO excited to have you luscious ladies at my house next week! I'm imagining coffee on the terrace every morning, great wine and conversation at night, fluffy pillows and cool sheets for sweet dreams ... Mmmmmmmmm.

Is there anything I can get for you lovelies in anticipation of your arrival? (besides hazelnut creamer and Equal, of course)

House rules:
1. Promise you won't forget your WELCOME! I want you in my space an' all up in my grill.
2. Use all the fun lotions and potions and shampoos and conditioners you like, but bring your own toothbrush and underpants.
3. No giggling after lights out.
4. You may use my mac anytime, just clear the history if you watch any porn. I don't want to know if you like feet or donkeys.
5. DO check out Photo Booth on the mac - it's a HOOT, especially the fun house mirror special effects. It's even more fun with a friend! (isn't everything?)
6. Whatever you do, do NOT look in my bedroom closet.

I have WiFi in the house and laundry in the building for $1.25 wash and fitty cent dryers. I have cute dresses and size 8 shoes to wear if you need a little break from your i-have-nothing-to-wear wardrobe. I guarantee you're going to hit your head at least once on the concrete beams upstairs or the spiral staircase and it's gonna hurt like a muthafucka! I'm sorry in advance!!!

Love and Kisses!!!!

Heidi

p.s. I don't actually HAVE a grill. Not even the charcoal kind.


In case you'd like a visual... Hot Heidi is on the right - with me and our other goddess friend Stacy Wilson...



And for the record... I SLAMMED my head into the concrete beam on the first day I was here.  Bump, throbbing pain and all... I got the full experience on Day One.  Glad that's out of the way!!

It's Official

For those of you who don't already know, I have officially decided to continue traveling!!  

When I began this journey/adventure on March 1st, I thought I would be traveling for about 3-4 months... and, well, now I am 3.5mos in and I'm just not ready to stop.

I can't really explain it in any other way than... now it just not the time to stop.

As you may know from reading previous blogs, I came home from Argentina on the week of May 6th.  I knew heading to London and South Africa was on the horizon but I didn't know what exactly would happen after that.  

As I was pondering the future in those days, a funny thing did happen... my good friend JoshB* called me and said "I'm moving to L.A. mid-June but I'm going to drive down the Baja Peninsula with my brother and some friends first.  We're going to spend July surfing somewhere around Cabo... we've got a few extra surfboards and you're invited."

Suddenly, when only a moment before I was feeling so uncertain about what would come "next" in my life, I heard the words EVERYONE loves to hear, "You're invited"!!

For real.  Just say it out loud right now... "You're invited".

I mean, I don't know about you... and I get that we're all completely unique - cut from different clothes and all - but there's just something about being INCLUDED that fills me up.

Needless to say, I accepted his invitation and then finally got up the courage to send this letter to my bosses last week...

Hello gentlemen,

I wanted to let you know that I have officially decided to continue traveling... indefinitely. Yes, I caught the travel bug.

I've never traveled like this before and I am really easing into it... and actually beginning to truly enjoy the personal experiences, opportunities and things I'm taking away from this time. I am in Austin, Texas visiting my brother right now. I fly back to NYC on Saturday night for one week - before continuing on my journey to Portland (mom), San Francisco, Los Angeles and then back to Mexico (Cabo with some friends to surf) indefinitely.

The oceans have been calling to me all throughout my travels - and for now I know I need to tend to that calling by getting back to one.

This is the best update I can give you as I truly do not know what the future holds for me months from now.

I think it would be best if I come clean off my desk and purge through my files while I am in the city next week. Good plan?

I hope this email finds you both well and riding the real estate wave as comfortably as one can... though, given your histories, I can't imagine two stronger surfers (just my type) :)

All good things,
Lisa

Here's to accepting invitations and just saying YES when life invites you to come along...

FAITH : Finally Allowing It To Happen

If there's one thing I know for sure... it's that I don't know anything for sure!

Ah yes, this thing called LIFE... it is SO subject to change at a moment's notice.  All the time.  Every day.

As I cleaned out my beloved apartment on the weekend of May 30th, I experienced a myriad of emotions.  Much like I have been all through my travels.

Consciously I realized when I left on March 1st that there was a chance I would not be moving back into this space for a while.  Consciously I knew that I had not bought the apartment with the intention of living there for more than a year.  Consciously I get that I will always be "ok" in this life and I will find somewhere else to lay my head at night.

Emotionally, however, I found that even the act of packing the less personal items like furniture, paintings and my marvelous mattress - as opposed to the more personal things like photos, clothes and papers (which I had packed back in February, thinking I would rent the apartment fully furnished) - left me with a feeling of sadness.  It was a realization on a deeper level that I truly AM moving on in my life.  I truly have left my job.  I truly have been creating (literally) a clearing for whatever is coming to me next...

As I said to a girlfriend of mine on the day I moved out, "I'm sad, but fabulous!" 

Seriously.  I'm sad to be moved out and moving on -- but I'm also in a time where I am fabulously OPEN and finding moments of great FAITH that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.  

Even when I don't understand it, I am Finally Allowing It To Happen...

Back in Brooklyn

On May 29th at 11am, I landed back in Brooklyn at JFK.  The weather was stunning and I was thrilled to be headed to my beloved apartment in DUMBO for one last "hello and goodbye" before my new tenants moved in (for two years!) on June 1st.

I've always loved this view from cab when you're heading towards the city on the BQE...

I spent that Thursday loafing on the grass in the park at the end of my street. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge was perfect...

And the Manhattan Bridge was pretty magnificent too...

I was a happy camper...

In my favorite position (relaxing, with toes in sight) as the sun went down over the city that captured my heart when I moved here almost ten years ago (July 24, 1998)...

Deep sigh.

I gotta tell ya... I sure do LOVE New York City... but I also get, on a deeper level, that now is the time for me to keep exploring what's out there in the world.

The ocean is calling my name...

Back in Cape Town

Our last day (really morning) back in Cape Town on May 28th was quite uneventful.

It involved laughing over the fact that Rubina and I had gone from sharing a 2bdrm, 2bath apartment last summer to living out of 6 bags between us right now...

We went out for a yummy breakfast and took more goofy pictures of ourselves and our food...

And our waiter with the World's Largest Peppermill...

My oh my, he was happy holding that mill!

I'm just sayin'.

Alas, we scooted to the airport around noon and off we went back to the good 'ol US of A.

As Rubina may agree... we did the best we could given a 10-day time "budget"... choosing Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route as our destination/exploration points.

Realistically, South Africa is a HUGE country and we could have spent another 10, if not 20, days exploring and taking our time to take in the lay of the land.

I was mildly disappointed when I discovered we weren't going to be able to budget in time for a Safari (of which Rubina had already done 3 in the previous 3 months she had been traveling in Africa) ... but I know this won't be my last time on this continent ... and so I'm simply looking forward to the next chance I get to explore.

As they say, "It's all good".

Indeed.  Life is good.

Jeffrey's Bay

Admittedly, it's pretty hard to top the World's Highest Bungy Jump in terms of excitement level... and, truthfully, the journey gets pretty mellow going forward.

Sometimes mellow is good though, no?

Rubina and I left Bloukrans Bungy positively BUZZING.  Yes.

In the matter of a little over an hour, we made our way to our next and final destination along South Africa's Garden Route... Jeffrey's Bay (aka "J Bay").

This spot is well-known for being the home of Billabong and the Billabong Pro ... coming up on July 10th.

We crashed early on our first night... and woke up to catch a gorgeous sunrise on the beautiful sandy beach the next morning...

Here's the cute little Backpackers place we stayed in - called Island Vibe...

Can you say... Goooooooooodd mmmooorrrnniiiinngggg sunshine??!  :)

Ha.  There's Rubina snapping photos of peeps on the beach again below...

And here's a sign we saw for the most popular surf spot in the area...

"Super Tubes" dude  :)

And last but not least... this is a shot of the "Eggs with avocado and corn tortilla chips" breakfast we ordered on our last morning in J Bay...

I don't know about you but those are some cheese Doritos if I ever saw 'em.

Too funny.

Hey, whatever works - right?!

Bloukrans Big Bungy Baby

The funny thing about the fact that I even DID this bungy jump is that when we arrived I was completely dead set against it.

Seriously.

Rubina and I drove in the entrance and saw this sign...

We parked,  got out of our car, walked to the "look out point" and gazed out at the bridge...

I took one look and said, "Yeah, no.  I really don't need to do this."

I stood there watching a 73-year-old man jump (you can see the area where they stage everything just under the bridge in the middle in this photo) and chatted with two people who had just gone.  They couldn't convince me.  

I told them, "I think I'm brave in enough facets of my life that I don't need to bungy jump to prove my courage.  I've jumped out of a plane and that was incredible.  I don't know... there's just something about bungy jumping that has never appealed to me."

Rubina, on the other hand, had run off to a better lookout point to watch the old man jump... and when I went to find her, she was chatting with a Swedish girl who was contemplating making the jump (like Rubina was).

In a matter of moments, Rubina said to the girl (who was chain smoking cigarettes to calm her nerves), "I'll go with you but we have to do it now. Put that cigarette out now and let's go!"

The next thing I know Lina (the Swedish girl) put out her butt, Rubina handed me her bag and off they went to sign up for the jump...

I stood by shaking my head as they suited her up...

Then I decided I would pay to go walk out to the center of the bridge with them... so at least I could take photos.

I walked back to the office and the woman tells me I can't get my money back ($7) if I decide I want to jump once I get out to the middle.  I would just have to pay for the jump then ($70).

I contemplated for a moment.  I thought, "I'm not going to walk all the way out to the middle of THAT bridge, look down 700+ feet and THEN decide I want to jump". 

I knew I had to decide then and there.

And so... what's the old question, "If your friends were jumping off a bridge, would you jump too??"

Well, my friends, I guess my answer is YES!!!

The next thing I knew I was getting suited up and ready to do the World's Highest Bungy Jump myself...

Here's the the Crazy Bunch just before we took "the walk" out to the middle of the bridge...

FYI.  The walk out to the middle of the bridge is probably the next SCARIEST part of the entire experience.  You are literally walking on a metal mesh platform for a few hundred feet.  The walkway is simply bolted to the underside of the bridge... oh, you know, 700 feet above the ground!

I won't go into details but let's just say that I thought it was SCARY as f&%k -- and Rubina, well, I'll let her tell you how terrified she was if/when you get the chance to sit her down yourself :)

So here are a few of the pics that Lina's friend (who decided NOT to do the jump) took for us from the look out point below...

This is ME...

This is the "Spiderman" (the guy hanging about 20-30 feet under the bridge) who would come down to you after the jump was finished and you were left hangin upside down below.  He would latch onto you, release the bungy cord and then take you back up to the bridge...

This is Rubina...

And this is us afterwards...

Now, THESE are the photos that I paid for...

Man, it was NUTS... AND I'm soooooo glad I chose to do it.  It was the ABSOLUTE SCARIEST thing I have ever done in my entire life... possibly scarier than being 115ft under water with Reef Sharks at The Blue Hole in Belize!

Would I do it again?

Ummm... I thought "NO!" right after I did it... but I have to say, now that a bit of time has passed and the buzz has worn off... I honestly would likely do it again.  

In particular if one of my friends was jumping off the bridge with me  ;)

Buffalo, Plett & Nature's Valley

So we get to Buffalo Bay and check in to an adorable Backpackers Shack - where else - right on the ocean!

There are essentially NO lights in the common areas outside our room so we have to wear our headlights (thanks Wayne!)...

But because they look so funny, we decide to keep them on while we enjoy a bottle of our newfound South African favorite beverage -- J.C. LeRoux sparkling red wine...

Ghetto?  Maybe.

Delicious?  Yes!

The next morning we get up around 8 or so and definitely make the 10am checkout in anticipation of making it to our final stop on the Garden Route, Jeffrey's Bay, later that day.

This place was adorable...

Totally in the middle of nowhere...

But adorable.

Here's Rubina packing up our sweet little Cherry...

It started out slightly overcast...

But the clouds gave way to let the sunshine through by the end of breakfast...

This shot reminds me of my friend Matt (who loves to go fishing every Sunday in Malibu)...

We made our way first to Plettenberg Bay (commonly referred to as "Plett" by the locals), where there wasn't a whole lot more than a few fun photo opps like this one...

And this one (duh!)...

And this one (!!!)...

We LOVED this little boat we found For Sale on the side of the road...

Obviously...

Oh!  Finally!  Here's a great shot of the actual Garden Route map...

Not sure how big you can get it on your computer but it's a great one for anyone who's interested!

Next stop was all about Nature.  Literally.  It was called Nature's Valley...

A beautiful place people stop to take a kayak or canoe out in the lake...

Or to take a stroll...

Up to the beach...

Where the sand was like butter...

Ok, not butter but like silk... SUPER SOFT!!

I could have run my fingers through it all day...

Alas, we were about to make our way to Storms River -- home to Bloukrans Bungy Jump, the World's Highest  :)

Fun Fun Fun...

On the way to Buffalo Bay (Knysna)...

We stopped at this Arts & Crafts Market where there were some adorable young men playing music...

And an adorable doggie named Caesar...

Who apparently has a Fan Club (see sign in photo below).

But wait.  Let's stop.

I have to ask a question...

Have you ever taken a series of photos thinking "oh these are so cute" ... and then gone back to review and said "wow, there's just something that doesn't quite look right about these pictures"?

Welcome to my world...

Are you watching Caesar's expression?!!!?!!

Priceless.  OMG.

My friends, I hope you enjoyed those as much as Rubina and I did.  I think we just about fell over laughing when we realized the shots we had unintentionally taken!

Hilarious.

And last but not least...

HOLY BACON!!!

Rubina and I drove up on this thing from behind and turned to each other and said, "Is that a grizzly bear up ahead?!"

All I'm sayin' is this pig, hog, whatever was MAD LARGE,

Welcome to South Africa :)

Mossel Bay & Wilderness

Are y'all sick of seeing beaches by now???

I hope not... cuz there are a lot more comin'!!!

After the Shark Dive, Rubina and I hopped on the road to Mossel Bay - our next stop on the Garden Route.  We arrived late in the evening (11pm) and slept in late the next morning... or at least I did.  It seemed Rubina could survive on 6 while I needed my 8 hours of beauty rest pretty much all throughout the trip.  

FYI -- sleep, specifically eight hours of it, has become one of my coveted treats whilst out here traveling the world... I think I'm catching up on lost time!

So, at first glance the next day, it didn't seem there was much to Mossel Bay other than a lovely coastline...

And a yummy place to have breakfast... or lunch in Rubina's case...

She had been up a few hours earlier than me.  I needed a nutritious start...

Versus a little roughage...

Regardless of the food selection, we were both satiated and happy when we left...

To drive to Wilderness...

Where we stayed in a charming backpacker's place overlooking - what else - the ocean like so...

We decided to venture into town (about a 1min drive from the hostel) to check out a little crafts festival they had going on, but stopped to walk on the beach first...

 

Talk about a couple of hot surfer chicks, right??!!

Ok, ok.  Yes, we probably need a few more lessons first but still...  ;)

Another stunning sunset...

And gorgeous coast...

And just a bunch of pics Rubina took that we loved...

And this is Rubina running after some people down the beach to grab that perfect "Kodak moment" shot, which she did on the entire trip... and it was quite entertaining...

Sigh altogether now for the smashing sunset...

The pictures really do not give it justice so you will 1) have to visit yourself or 2) take my word for it.  They were incredible.

Laughing Lisa

Can't all my days just feel like this???

Good Business Quote

A month or so ago I shared one of the weekly quotes I receive from the Gaia Community -- and the one I woke up to this morning seemed particularly poignant, given my late night "contemplating life" thought I had in my last post.

Although right now I am clearly in a time where I am playing the role of "World Traveler", many of my friends know I've played the role of "Savvy Business Woman" for the last few years.

I suppose the point of sharing this quote below is to share my feeling/revelation that, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter which role we're playing in the current moment ... what matters is the way we think about and consider the things we find to be important to "get done" IN GENERAL ... because the answers to these questions can be applied in both business and LIFE all the same.

Enjoy...

The first question when you are doing anything in life is, “What’s the point?” That is a very spiritual question. What are you doing with your one and precious life? You’ve been given a gift of consciousness and wisdom and now you have this resource for a fairly limited time. What are you going to do with it?

In business you start from the same place. We ask, “What are you doing? What is the point of what you are doing? What are you trying to accomplish? Why is that important to you?” At the same time, to accomplish something in business, unless you want to be a criminal, you have to also value what would further the purpose of other people’s lives. That’s how you are going to get them to buy your product or service: by giving them something that they find valuable. The source of value is that it is congruent with their life’s purpose.

Becoming aware of what is meaningful to you and what is meaningful to those around you is the beginning of every successful enterprise. The moment you lose touch with that you are going to go down in flames. Maybe the words are too spiritual, but this is like basic Business 101. What’s your value proposition? Why would anybody want to buy your product or service?

-- Fred Kofman, from "A Conversation with Fred Kofman"

Come Undone

I think "Come Undone" was one of my favorite Duran Duran songs in high school... does that sound right??

Anyway.  You KNOW how I love to share the things that move me...

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone.  The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." -- Lin Yutang

I think this just about sums up what I've been up to out here in my travels... figuring how a hard-wired overachiever like me can get to a place (mentally, emotionally and spiritually) in which I truly feel OK simply letting things come undone... and, like the quote says, eliminating the nonessentials.

What is truly important to me?  How important are the things I'm doing now in terms of how important they will be 10, 20 or 30 years from now? How do I really want to spend my time?

These are the things I find myself thinking about in moments of silence.

Food for thought...

Sharks!!!

Ah yes...

The day had finally come... to get in the [freezing cold] water with HUGE Great White Sharks.

FUN!

Plus -- it would have been my father's 60th birthday if he were alive... and I cannot think of many other ways he would have liked to spend his special day other than doing something exciting, in a beautiful place, on a gorgeous day!

So, what can I say... Rubina and I made our way from Hermanus to Gansbaii around noon... and we went straight to the well-known White Shark Diving Company...

FYI, Brad Pitt and the King of Jordan had just been here earlier this year... and, actually, the King came twice. Badass.

We walked down to the water...

Got on board this boat...

Read the back of our Dive Master's jacket...

And knew we were in for a treat!

The skies were clear, the seas were calm and the temperature was in the 70s...

Rubina and I were ready for some adventure...

Or at least I was...

I can never resist sharing the stunning photos of the coastline...

Or the seas...

This was our group...

We were super lucky because there can be up to 12 divers on the boat at a time.  In our case, there were five of us - but one girl wasn't getting in the water.  She was just viewing from the lookout tower above.

This meant there were just four of us to get in the cage, which conveniently accommodates four...

Can you SEE how large this Tuna head is that the skipper threw out on a line into the water in front of the cage in an effort to attract the Great Whites??!

Our first shark spotting of the day happened before we got into the water...

They like for you to have a sense for how big the sharks actually are BEFORE you're face to face with them in the water.  Nice.

They were HUGE.  Approximately 3-4 meters (or 10-14 feet).

And they thrashed around like crazy when they got ahold of that Tuna head...

We braved the cage and cold water...

And after about 30-45min in the water, Rubina felt ill...

And she wasn't thrilled I was snapping her photo...  :)

Regardless, the sharks continued to come by...

And grab the bait...

And we got back in to brave the best of it...

We were troopers...

And we made it out alive!!

Next stop on the boat before heading back in was an island covered in seals...

Which made for TERRIBLY SMELLY AIR all around...

I don't think it helped our sick friend Rubina...

But she ultimately ended up a-ok and ready for another gorgeous drive into the sunset...

En route to our next destination on the famous South African Garden Route...

Change of Plans...

On May 21st, we woke up thinking we were off to swim with Great White Sharks!

After getting up early (hence the tired looks @ 8am) and trudging through the rain to get some breakfast, we called up the Dive Company only to discover the sea conditions were too rough/dangerous to head out.  

So we enjoyed a leisurely bite to eat...

And relaxed into the ocean-side drive to our next stop - Hermanus, en route to Gansbaai [pronounced Hans-bye] where we would soon swim with the sharks, later that morning...

Breathtaking views...

A family of baboons hanging out to say hello along the way...

More clouds and dark skies rolled in...

We were glad we weren't out on the open ocean!

And plus I got to see more rainbows...

And slowly the clouds parted, making way for more STUNNING views of the coastline...

Things to look forward to... the Great White Shark Dive... tomorrow!!

All you do is wine, wine, wine

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am feeling SUPER BEHIND in getting y'all up to speed with photos and the travel experiences... and as time slips away, I feel the details of the memories do in some small way too.

Alas, maybe all good things are meant to eventually slip away... to make way for new good things we can't yet see on the horizon?

Whoa.  Deep.  Though totally Skye.

Ok, ok... back to vino...

The day of our Wine Tasting Tour started at 10:30am with a kooky looking driver named Trutor (tree-turr) and the loud dance music he blasted to get us all IN THE MOOD...

Amongst our new friends in this cute little van...

With Rubina looking all cute in the back...

First stop... gosh, I can't remember the name of this place and I didn't take the notes from the tasting with me (oops!), a pretty winery that looked like this...

And had Cork trees like this one...

Did you know that the reason we are seeing more and more screw off caps on wines is because cork trees are becoming more and more scarce and thus cork is becoming more expensive?

At least that's what they told us - and I believed them.  I've been known to be quite gullible so correct me if I'm wrong.

Here is where they make the wine...

And these were the pretty green things we saw as we entered Fairview...

Where they produce the popular Rhone blend Goats do Roam...

Cute...

Funny...

Yummy Wine Tasting...

Our hilarious (and happy) friend Les (from Australia) with Rubina...

Fabulous fromages...

Funny faces...

Something to soak up the alcohol along the way...

A crazy fog that blew in after a torrential down pouring of rain...

And at the end of the day... we got back to our hostel and tried to blend in with the other 20-something-year-olds loitering all around...

Though mostly we just made friends with the lovely barmaids...

A good good day.  What else can I say???

The Winelands... (not to be confused with "Wine Country" we find in the USA)

On "Day Three" of our South African Adventure, Rubina and I hopped in our little "cherry" (as we liked to fondly refer to our rental pinto-like vehicle) and drove a whopping 30 minutes outside of Cape Town ... where we arrived in Stellenbosch -- home to the University of Stellenbosch and also well-known for its yummy wineries... like this one...

Spier

Where they had a Cheetah Outreach facility on premises...

Pet Cheetahs?  Rubina and I were game...

And the Cheetahs were sooo cute...

And soft...

And cuddly...

And look!  This Cheetah had a spot in the shape of a HEART ... perfect for my next batch of Valentine's Day cards  :)

After petting the friendly Cheetahs, we made our way over to the lake and had ourselves a little picnic with our new little friends...

Also blog-worthy, in my opinion, was this woman carrying her son in a towel tied tightly across her body...

I can't tell you how many women we saw carrying their children like this along the way.  Who needs a Baby Bjorn when you've got Ralph Lauren I guess?!

Another something we saw countless of were the sunsets like this one...

Beautiful colors and rays of sunlight bursting through the clouds were an almost nightly occurrence... wow!

Later that night and after checking into our hostel, we ventured back to Spier to have dinner in their restaurant - Moyo.  Ironically, Moyo had been recommended by my friend Kailah the week prior when I was back in New York.

Moyo features face painting while you dine...

And an unusually semi-authentic variety of African Dance performance...

All I'm sayin' is... Hmmmmmmmmmm -- and dang those afros were BIG!

Tomorrow... our Stellenbosch Wine Tasting Tour Extranaganzzzzzzzzza....

Cape Town - Day One

I know that sometimes pictures say a 1000 words so my next big effort is going to be uploading a TON of the photos Rubina and I took in South Africa during the 10 days we were there.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Day One... May 17th @ 8am I fly into Cape Town on a big jet plane like so...

I see a mountain range in the distance from the runway and I sense I've got some beautiful sights in store...

My longtime friend Bill (who lives in North Carolina but happens to be in town looking for a possible place to buy and settle into for the next few years) picks Rubina up at her hotel and then they come grab me from the airport together...

Rubina is beautiful as ever, even when she makes goofy faces (she had arrived in Cape Town the night before... at the end of three months of travel in Africa and weeks of extremely limited internet access, she decided to pull an all-nighter writing emails to friends and family filling them all in on her amazing adventures) on zero sleep...

They tell me this mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town is called the "Lion's Rump" and I think they are pulling my leg...

I later find out they weren't joking.  

Weird.

We decide to find a hotel later in the day and immediately start a drive down the coast to what is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "the southern-most point of Africa", Cape Point.  It's a windy day and there's a good bit of mist off the coast...  

As we make our way south, the mist clears and the views are stunning...

We arrive at Table Mountain National Park and start getting excited for what we are about to see...

More breathtaking views of the Atlantic...

This is one of my absolute favorite shots from the entire trip...

I think I even purchased a postcard or two with these commonly spotted red flowers on them.  Gorgeous!

We made our way up these steps...

To the lighthouse at the top...

And then slowly took in some of the most spectacular scenery I think I have ever been witness to...

Wow.

Then we took a little train back down and got in our car to head for a bite to eat...

We ended up finding a cute little B&B that I highly recommend if ever you venture into Cape Town yourself.  Our room looked out to the city's well-known fixture in the sky, Table Mountain, and breakfast was served in this cute little room where you see Rubina below...

This was the common living room...

The pool that overlooked the city...

A cute little courtyard...

And the entrance down below...

It was called De Waterkant House and you can click here for more research delights :)

Next stop... the Wine Lands... Stellenbosch...

Cheers!!!

I am the architect of my destiny.

This one's for my Architect friend Ian... in more ways than one  ;)

In the event you didn't grab the May 2008 Vanity Fair issue with Madonna on the cover...



I wanted to take some time to tell you how much I loved the spread they featured last month...

Rich Cohen conducted the interview and shared some poignant notes that really resonated with me.  Naturally, I am inclined to share...

Madonna:  Do you have a daughter?

Me:  No, I have three sons.

[Madonna looks at me accusingly.]

Me:  I didn't choose it.  It just happened.

Madonna:  Mm-hmm.

Me:  So who's making the decision?

Madonna:  You are, you and the missus.

Me:  About what kind of kids we want?

Madonna:  You chose it.  Your soul chose it.

Me:  No.  Do you believe that?  That my insides wanted boys?

Madonna:  Unconsciously.  Yes.

Me:  I kind of like the idea, three sons -- it's like having a little army out in the woods.

Madonna:  And all the work they can do, and you can teach them carpentry and then build houses for you in Old Greenwich, or wherever you live.

I asked Madonna about Kabbalah.  She looked at me as if to gauge the nature of my interest, then spoke.

"A lot of people join the group, but don't know why," Madonna said.  "I was raised a Catholic and was never encouraged to ask questions, or understand the deeper meanings or mystical implications of the New Testament or the history of Jesus, or the fact that he was Jewish, or anything, you know?  So I rejected that, because who wants to go through life being told you do things because you do things?  When I started going to classes and studying [Kabbalah], I did it out of curiosity.  I was told it was the mystical interpretation of the Old Testament."

She said Kabbalah is a philosophy, a way of understanding, lessons.

"Like what?" I asked.

She said, "One is that we are all responsible for our actions, our behavior, and our words, and we must take responsibility for everything we say and do.  When you get your head wrapped around that, you can no longer think of life as a series of random events -- you participate in life in a way you didn't previously.  I am the architect of my destiny.  I am in charge.  I bring that to me, or I push that away.  You can no longer blame other people for things that happened to you."

"The other is that there is order in the universe, even though it looks like chaos.  We separate the world into categories: this is good and this is bad. But life is set up to trick us.  It's a series of illusions we invest in.  And ultimately those investments don't serve our understanding, because physicality is always going to let you down, because physicality doesn't last."

Then she said, "If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you're always going to be disappointed."

I love Madonna.

June 2008

If you would have asked me in June 2007 what I'd be doing in June 2008, the last thing I probably would have said is that I'll be putting my things in storage, buying some one-way tickets and setting off to travel the world... indefinitely.

Man it is CRAZY how all of life truly IS subject to change.  My daily affirmation for today, June 8th, reminded me of this.

Naturally, I would love to share it with you...


"The process of living, for each of us, is pretty similar.  For every gain there is a setback.  For every success, a failure.  For every moment of joy, a time of sadness.  For every hope realized, one is dashed."   - Sue Atchley Ebaugh

The balance of events in our lives is much like the balance of nature.   The pendulum swings; every extreme condition is offset by its opposite, and we learn to appreciate its gifts of the bad times as well as the periods of rest.

On occasion we’ll discover that our course in life has changed direction. We need not be alarmed.  We are in caring hands.  Our every concern, every detail of our lives, will be taken care of, in the right way, at the right time.

We can develop gratitude for all conditions, good or bad.  Each has its necessary place in our development as healthy, happy individuals.  We need the sorrows along with the joys if we are to gain new insights.   Our failures keep us humble; they remind us of our need for the care and guidance of others.  And for every hope dashed, we can remember, one will be realized.

Affirmation:  Life is a process.  I will accept the variations with gratitude. Each, in its own way, blesses me.

Happy Sunday...

Austin City Limits 2008

For those of you who aren't already "in the know"... Austin, Texas is the place to be in September because of a well-known little (ok BIG) festival called Austin City Limits.

3 days.

8 stages.

130 bands.

Need I say more?

Some of this year's featured bands include Slighty Stoopid, Beck, David Byrne, Gnarls Barkley, Gogol Bordello*, G. Love & the Special Sauce, Blues Traveler and more more more!!

Check out this link to learn more about where I'll be September 24-26, 2008...

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS 2008

And in the interim, check out this kick ass photo I took at ACL 2007...

Make love not war people.  Make love not war.

Feel the love...  :)

*For my NYC peeps... Gogol Bordello is playing on June 20th in Brooklyn - grab tickets on Ticketmaster and join me there too!

My new life motto...

London Calling

On May 6th, I flew into New York City knowing there was a possibility my ex-boyfriend and I would rekindle our relationship that had ended six months prior.

On May 13th, I left New York City remembering that, indeed, "Timing Is Everything" and it seems the time for us to rekindle what we started just isn't right now.

There is no question I was sad and even slightly caught off guard... yet, this Time Away With Me has given me the courage and strength to know that the best I can do when things don't go exactly as I had hoped is keep moving on...

First stop... London, England.

A familiar sight (if you've been following since the beginning of my adventure)...



Me in the car service en route to JFK... where I boarded a British Airways flight... and was promptly upgraded to Business Class thanks to my dear friend Tim Ring who works for BA.

Thanks Timmie!  I slept like a baby... abundance!

I landed around 8am and proceeded to the "World Traveler Arrivals Lounge" (suggested by  the man I sat next to on the plane) where I was able to shower, enjoy a complimentary breakfast and relax in the lounge while I waited for Elijah's and my check-in time of 2pm at the Hilton on Park Lane.

For those of you who aren't Heathrow savvy (like me)... I highly suggest taking the highly efficient Heathrow Express...



Which takes you directly to Paddington Station (in approx 20min)...

Where you can hop into one of those adorable London taxis (how cute, right?!)...

And you can be on your way to your hotel in no time!!

On this particular trip to London (my first since I was 13), I was fortunate enough to be meeting my best friend... the wildly talented, charming and delicious Elijah Selby... who works as a Wine Rep for Cartlidge & Browne Winery in American Canyon, California (close to Sonoma).  

She travels quite frequently for work and only stays in Hilton hotels.  Hence, with points, we were able to secure two nights in the fabulous Hilton on Park Lane... where we had a killer view of the city from the 21st floor like so...

Overlooking Hyde Park...

It was so stunning, we stayed in out room for lunch...

And caught up on girl talk (you know how ladies are!) and then primped for an easy night out on the town...

 

Ahem, how HOT is Elijah Selby?  I'm just askin' ... I'm not yellin' :)

The next day... Elijah's friend Mikael flew in from Denmark to join us...

Naturally, we decided to do the MOST touristy thing we could find in London...

A double decker bus tour of the city!!  Check out our view....

And look!! It's Cheers... 

And hey... Trafalgar Square...

The London Eye...

A sad sad lion...

Tower Bridge (though commonly referred to as the London Bridge, which it is not)...

And a building widely known as The Gherkin...

Which resembles a, well, ok... never mind.

Yes, that was the joke of the day :)

And last but not least, our evening ended (after 1am because we're troopers) with drinks at a local London pub - where we met Elijah's friend Elliott (on the bottom)...

Who was the tour guide extraordinaire.  He took us to have AWESOME fish & chips first.

Thanks Elliott!

Ok... next stop... Cape Town, South Africa.

Fasten your seat belts and get ready... because the fun is about to begin!!!

Have a Great Day

This morning my best friend Elijah Selby sent me this quote...

"I take nothing for granted.  I now have only good days, or great days." --- Lance Armstrong    

After having experienced the unexpected and painful loss of my father on Valentine's Day 2004, there is no question I have come to appreciate each and every day of my life exponentially more than I ever had before his death.

I imagine Lance Armstrong is referring to this greater sense of gratitude he feels after having come so close to dying himself.

My friends, may we LIVE all the days of our lives and give great THANKS for all we have...

Lots of love to you on this day,

Lisa

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Rubina (who says to say "Hello to the World") and I are in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa ... a super cute little surfer town ... about to hit the road and head back to Cape Town. It should take us about 10 hours to drive back, given the fact that we need to stop at Bloukrans Face Adrenalin Bungy Jump, the World's Highest Bungy Jump, in Storms River on our way back.

We have to grab photos and DVDs from our jump...

Yup. That's right. Rubina and I jumped off the middle of this bridge on Saturday afternoon...



It is 216m high and the bungy drops you a whopping 190m down into the gorge (meaning you are only 26m off the ground below you).

I still CANNOT believe I did it and it is WITHOUT A DOUBT the scariest thing I have ever done in my entire life. More frightening than diving the Blue Hole in Belize.

More on this and KILLER photos to come soon -- I PROMISE!

In the interim, this is the message we found (and wanted to share) on our "Huletts" SunSweet Brown Sugar package this morning...

Happiness is perfume, you can't pour it on somebody else without gettting a few drops on yourself.

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Happy Tuesday... :)

May 22, 2008

Yesterday would have been my father Hank's 60th birthday...

He loved boating, diving and spearing fish. He also had a tendancy for close encounters with sharks :)

In his honor and because the weather was terrible on Tuesday, Rubina and I drove to Gansbaii (South Africa) to experience the world famous Great White Shark Cage Dives first hand.

We went out with the appropriately named White Shark Diving Company, which is where I grabbed a few shots for you...





We saw 5-6 Great White Sharks that were, on average, about 10-11 feet long... and it was actually surprisingly peaceful watching these huges creatures thrash back and forth against the cage (two feet from my body) as they tried to snatch the huge tuna fish heads the skippers tossed on lines into the water next to us.

I don't have access to wireless and so I can't upload any pics conveniently YET but you can rest assured they are... COMING SOON!!

In the interim... I can tell you we left the dive in one piece (all fingers and toes in tact - with only a small cut from the cage on my right hand) and took this pic at approx 6pm last night...



The sun was going down over the mountains in the distance. We were driving to Mossel Bay, the first stop along our drive on the famous "Garden Route" of South Africa.



We passed herds of sheep, cows and horses along the way, the temperature was in the mid 60s and the night sky was magnificent!

Life is good... and it is sooooo good to be traveling with a good friend!

Quote of the Day

"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." --- From Rubina's and my South Africa guidebook called Coast to Coast, The Definitive Guide to Backpacking Southern Africa (http://www.coastingafrica.com/)

I loved this one!

Hope you're having a ggrreeeaaattttt day :)

Love...
Lisa

Schedules

Last week my boss Richard emailed me and asked "How's that Safari?".  I wrote back and said "I fly to Africa on Friday".  He replied, "Oh, so you're off schedule".

Indeed.  This is what I am finding about extended travel... and life...

Sometimes things don't go according to schedule.

So what I'm saying is... I know that, in theory, I should be posting photos of London before this entry (and not to worry those will come) but instead... 

This is the link to the little B&B Rubina and I stayed in for the last two nights... De Waterkant House

We stayed in the "Elegant" Signal Hill Room... where the views of Cape Town, the sky and Table Mountain were beautiful!

We are about to get picked up to go get our rental car and then we head to Stellenbosch (wine region) to go to a winery called Spear - where we can pet Cheetahs :) and then we will check into our hotel there for the next two nights.  We plan to do a tour of the wineries tomorrow and then we drive to the coast to go on our afternoon Great White Shark Dive on Wednesday afternoon!

Here's a quick pic of what we saw along the coast just south of Cape Town on Day One (Saturday, May 17th)...



Needless to say... it is stunning here...



And Rubina and I are thrilled to be Vagabonding in South Africa together at last...

Lots of love...............

Back to the Big Apple

Admittedly it was slightly surreal to be back in N-Y-C after being away for almost 10 weeks.

This was the second time in the last 10 years I've been in this city while being (relatively speaking) "unemployed" and I found I was able to really enjoy it, just as a tourist would, for a brief time... or one week to be exact.

I flew in Tuesday morning... and thoroughly enjoyed looking out at the city skyline from my yellow cab...



On the BQE heading to Brooklyn...



I was feeling super excited to be in my magical apartment one last time before my new tenants move in on June 1st.  As you may recall, I've been missing my cushy Kingsdown mattress and the thought of curling up on it for another week made me happy!!  My building is the one that says "DUMBO" on top...



Ah yes, home sweet home :)

On Thursday (May 8th) my friend Amber Berry turned 40 and made the decision to spend the day doing some of the ticky tacky touristy things we all say we've never done after living in the Big Apple for nearly 10 years. Like heading up to 42nd Street to go to Madame Tusseuds Wax Museum, where you can see all the celebrities...



Morgan Freeman and Woody Allen...



Paris Hilton...



Jessica Simpson (with Amber's husband Julian)...



And Don King...



It was hilarious!!  Some of the statues are SO real you have to get up close to them to see that they're actually fake!!

A word to the wise when you're in there... "Don't Stand Too Still"... you're bound to get poked by someone walking by when they think you're fake too!!  This happened to our sweet birthday girl at least once and it made for a good laugh  :)

Here's the Wax Wonder Team...



Me, Amber, Julian, Aleni and Stacey...

And here's the birthday girl (and me) across the street at Chevy's (omg) where we went for chips, wings and a cocktails after the Museum...




Ole!

Afterwards I met up with my friend Stacy Wilson and her man Jared...



At Cassellula Cheese & Wine Bar, which is owned by my friend Brian Keyser (who I used to work with at Union Square Cafe) and becoming increasingly well-known for their fabulously decadent cheese pairings...



Seriously folks.  They were featured in the New York Times as one of the city's hottest new wine & cheese bars last month in a spread on the COVER of the Dining Section!  If you haven't been, you must go.  The cheese selections are sensational... but really it's the pairings (or accompaniments) you get WITH the cheeses that make them shine.  The combinations are to die for.  Trust me... and say hi to Brian for me when you go!

Friday night, my uber-talented Chef friend Dominic Giuliano picked me up at 8 (looking NYC dapper)...




And treated me to my absolute all-time favorite sushi dinner in New York City at Blue Ribbon Sushi...



Look how dope the presentations are...




We were in heaven...



I was in heaven...



And having fun with Sushi :)


On Saturday morning, I met up with BENS (Boaz, Ella, Noa & Sue Gilad) for brunch...



They treated me to a YUMMY vegetarian brunch in the East Village at a place call Caravan of Dreams.  

Sue & Boaz, who wrote a book called The Real Estate Millionaire, are two of the warmest people I know... not to mention they make a delicious couple... so in love after almost 10 years of marriage and two kids later (inspiring)!  It was great to reconnect after a few months away...

or at least Sue & I enjoyed ourselves :)