Travel Essentials

My essentials for cold weather travel. 

Below is what I carried around in my purse every day in Korea back in November/early December. 

(clockwise)

1. Xylitol, the most popular gum in Korea. Tastes yummy.

2. Colgate wisps, the best thing to happen for our teeth since dental floss. Really useful for invisalign wearers, garlic eaters, campers and burners. :)

3. Leather wallet from Korea with a matching lanyard. Fantastic for purse haters and/or concert lovers.

4. Metro card that works on the subway, buses and even most taxis.

5. Hand lotion. Saves me during the cold, harsh weather. 

6. Scheduler/notebook + pencil for writing down plans, dreams, memories and silly thoughts.

7. Hand sanitizer. 

8. Hair velcro thing to keep hair out of your face (used when washing face or applying lotion).

 9. I love tea. I especially love having in airplanes/airports. All you need is hot water. 

10. Passport case + peach lip balm. Best smelling lip balm ever, although not very moisturizing.
11. Suede gloves I got during my first NY winter trip years ago. I hope they last me several more cold weather trips.

**not pictured: scarf. I ALWAYS carry a scarf, even in hot weather (just lighter ones) because you never know when you need a: makeshift bag, makeshift shawl, makeshift skirt, something to sit on, something to keep you warm, something to cover you from the sun, magic**


What I carry in my pockets if I don't feel like carrying a purse.

Reality Check

From my 2010 journal...

Realty is. That life is wonderful. That it is full of possibilities and it is full of Yeses. That there is enough love for everyone. That if you can’t find love around you, you can always create love from scratch, from inside of you. Same goes from compassion and faith. Reality is that fresh-baked cookies taste damn good. And being embraced while eating a fresh-baked cookie is even better. Yeah, that’s reality. And it’s undeniable.

YFT in Korea

Dear Santa,

I would like Adobe Photoshop, please.

Much love,
Yulree

-----

In other news....

I'm in Korea!

In Yong-In, to be exact. My aunt and uncle moved here from Seoul a little over a year ago. 3 days into my trip here, I prefer their old Seoul apartment much much more. I can see why they moved here though. It's like their version of Orange County (blech). There are more people in cars than on the streets, and the keeping-up-with-the-Joneses phenomenon is alive and well. My aunt wants to get a Harley (yes, a Korean ahjumah in her late 40s/early 50s wants a Harley) because all the neighbors are getting one.

Look at them gorgeous colors on those trees.

The plus side to surburbia, though, is that my aunt and uncle have a backyard. A beautiful one at that. Backyards are a rare treat in Korea as land is insanely scarce. It's quite swanky. With a koi pond and everything. It's great for my yoga practice. Woo!

How do you like my purdy ahjumah backyard slippers? I'm also sporting my yoga pants.  So cool.

This is the view from my room...does not feel like Korea. I'm learning I don't like surburbia even in other countries.

I must say, I was not expecting so much serenity here in Korea. I'm sorta itching for some of that Seoul shoulder-to-shoulder bustle. Soon!

Even more cookies

This blog has lately been all about cookies. Deal with it. ;)
Now how adorable is this bathroom set from My Paper Crane??

It's Cookie Time!

Hm, I figured instead of having my never published Millions of Morsels posts go to waste, I'll integrate it into this blog. Genius. Why didn't I think of that earlier? Aren't you guys excited to hear about cookies??? I AM I AM!

Written 4 million years ago....

Cookie Monster of the Month // Angry Asian Man

The real reason I went to Angry Asian Man’s 10th Anniversary Party. Just kidding....or am I?

I’ve always been a big fan of angry asian man -- the blog and the man behind the blog. Why? He’s a college sunbae (loosely translated to predecessor), he provides fantastic content and he’s just an overall great, down-to-earth guy.

I became a mega-fan though when he celebrated his blog’s 10th Anniversary with COOKIES (made by TST). Dude, how much better can he get, right? We should all celebrate with cookies. Every day.

Finding out that he was a cookie fan, I had to ask him about his life as a cookie monster.

What's your earliest cookie memory?

Nabisco Nilla Wafers. With milk.  I remember munching on those things like crazy.  I'd stack them up and eat 'em one by one.  Haven't had any in while though.  But the sight of the box, and the mere smell of the vanilla always evoke a rush of childhood memories.

The best cookie you've ever eaten?

Ever? Crap, that's hard.  Okay, this doesn't even count, because it's not technically a cookie, but it's friggin' amazing.  In Korea, there's a street vendor in Insadong that sells hodduk -- a fried batter thing filled with a sugar, honey, nuts and other sweetness from Jesus.  Again, totally not a cookie, but easily one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Period.  I have dreams about that damn hodduk.

What's your main ingredient(s) to leading a successful life?

Simply put, do what you love. Figure out what you want to give a damn about, and then give a damn.  Everything else will fall into place.

----

Okay, back to present time. Big belated thanks to Phil for the interview! Don't worry, I did thank him via email and in person 3.75 million years ago.
He interviewed me, too, last year. ;)

Vulnerability, Failures & Liberation

Kinda in relation to my previous post...

This past year, I've been experimenting with vulnerability. I've always had an arms wide open mentality towards trying new things, and I continually push myself into new situations where I'm uncomfortable (like that time I spontaneously went to Santa Barbara and learned how to swage and put up festival structures with randos for a festival I didn't attend).

I swaged the heck out of this mother effer

It's weird, uncomfortable situations comfort me. It makes me feel alive [arms waving in the air]!!! However, coincidingly (is that a word?), I've always had a phobia towards showing or expressing my vulnerability. I used to feel ashamed, embarrassed and less of a person whenever people caught me at my times of weakness.

In other words, I am rad at being vulnerable to experiences but bad at being vulnerable to people.
And what I'll confess next will show you just how inexperienced I am in with the latter -- I learned, this year, that being vulnerable to others: 1) deepens relationships, 2) for some reason, allows them to trust you more, 3) is really liberating. Mind blown. Did you guys know this?? How come you never told me? Thanks, guys. Thanks. It's good to finally join this secret vulnerability club. I could've been forever alone, y'know, if I never found out about this club.

Joining the meme club late, too, as usual.

It's been amazing, I tell ya. I am really enjoying, loving and appreciating the solid friendships more than ever this year. And I feel more free than I ever have in my life!

Anyway, since we're on the theme of vulnerability today -- just gonna keep exposing myself for the heck of it. Maybe you'll feel better about yourself standing next to me and my failures. :D Maybe you'll feel inspired to open up. Maybe you won't. *whisper* freeeeeeee yourself.


Here's one FAIL that I used to be ashamed of. But you know what? It's gotten me closer to understanding what I'm good at and what I want to be doing:

My attempt at designing and developing my own blog.

Did you guys know I had a cookie blog at one point in my life? I even interviewed my friend Andrew, Phil (his never got posted) and my blog crush, Lynn Chen (hers never got posted either), and had goals to eventually interview Anthony Bourdain. I had huge dreams to open up a cookie bakery once my cookie blog took off. Neither happened. Because I didn't keep it up. Because I realized, the hard way, that although I LOVE cookies, this just wasn't my path. Let's not call this a failure, but a learning experience. :P

Next time, I'll tell you guys about the time I tried to start a catering company with my friend.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Sometimes,
You
just
can't
do
everything.

I often forget how liberating it is to admit and accept my limitations.

----

P.S. the plus side of having unusually hot days is having really lovely nights. 

Duh

It's 3:30 p.m. and all I've eaten today is peanut butter. I bought the jar a week ago...and I've already hit the bottom of it. Told you I like peanut butter.

I am a mess. Despite what my friends and loved ones think, I am a mess. With 7 seasons of Grey's Anatomy under my belt, I think I'm quite qualified to diagnose myself, thank you.

I get my work done. I hang out with friends. I watch sunsets, do yoga, go on long drives and am inspired by beautiful things. I am a fully functioning adult. But on the inside, just right in between my central core and my outer layers, I am in a FUNK. And I have been for quite some time now.

The hardest part is, I'm not sure what more I can do. Sure, I can stop devouring peanut butter like it's my dream job. But does that solve anything? Nuh-uh. I may not know much, but one thing I do know how to do is  solve problems. I know that in order to solve a problem, one must first identify the ROOT of the problem.

I have definitely mastered that step. I've identified AND defined the root (in my personal journals) almost to the point of oblivion. I've defined it through diagrams and images, through obscure poems and short stories. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is.

The thing is, the root of the problem - the nature of it is something that cannot be solved by me. It cannot be solved by me or my actions. In this case, it really just takes time and patience.

Annnnnd, there it is. Patience. Something that I lack, something I have low quantities of. Patience. Lack of patience is making me a mess.

I get it now. Life (God, the Universe, the Force or what have you) is funny. And clever! Life really gives you whatever you truly need. Impatience is one of, if not the biggest, vices I have. I lack so much patience....that life gave me a problem that can only be solved by an abundance of it.

Haha, I get it. Thank you, life.


----

In other news: I blushed when I read this. The funny thing is, I admire this woman like mad. And here she is, saying positive things about me? I don't know what to say except thank you. I'm so glad you enjoy my food. You are an inspiration to meeeee. 

Likes

Someone recently asked me what I like and don't like. Don't think I've been asked that question since elementary school. Well, here's what I wrote in my journal so far. I'll post some dislikes later.


I like making eye contact, smiling through my eyes and seeing the other person smile back through theirs.

I like peanut butter. Too much.

I like riding my bike short distances, to the grocery store, library and get-togethers nearby.

I like dancing with my eyes closed. It helps me listen to the music better.

I like the smell of honey and gardenias. Separately. Though I think they'd smell quite lovely together, too.

I like how my heart feels after I write, do yoga, pray, speak with a dear friend or make a new connection.

I like falling asleep. 

I like writing lists. And writing, in general, to sort things out and figure out the world/myself.

I like knowing that I'll be thankful for life, no matter what.

I like bringing people together.

Somebody & Sunset

It's funny...or tragic (I can't decide) how a person who you come to know so well and vice versa, a person who is your person and you are theirs, can become just another somebody.

It's probably best that I do not dwell on that.

---

In other news, I saw a magnificent sunset on my drive to SF two weeks ago.
It was a beautiful gift that lasted a breathtaking thirty minutes. What made it even better was the perfect and random song selection from my iTunes that accompanied the view. A magically curated sunset mini mixtape, is what I'd call it.

A MAGICALLY CURATED SUNSET MINI MIXTAPE

It's been a while, hasn't it?

What's changed in YFT world since the last time I posted?

1) I started eating meat again. Only when I'm out with friends, really. I have mixed feeling about it. Kogi's Roy Choi put it best, "Animals be talking to me."

2) I can tie my hair. Whaaaat? It's long enough to tie. Partially. :D And it's starting to look like a mullet. Sexy time. Oh, and when I posted this, it was as though I sent out a Call to Action and Asian pro pros throughout LA read it and said, "Challenge accepted," b/c I immediately received PMs and comments with replies like, "I'm not like the other Asian guys. I love your short hair," "I noticed you in the crowd b/c you're more unique," and "Enjoyed your post. Just to let you know, I love girls who can pull off short hair. And I'm Korean." I'm not going to date you just to help you prove a point.

3) I experienced the world of Burning Man. Let's just say, it was pretty radical, extremely mind-opening and insanely beautiful. It's become a place I could call home and I can't wait to go back next year. I'm very lucky I got to go!

4) Travel-wise, I'll be heading up to SF again later this month, will be in Korea (and perhaps a few days in Thailand) all of November and finally experiencing Colorado in December. Can't wait to see my relatives in Korea! And I'm thinking about trying out snowboarding for the first time while I'm out in CO...I should, right? Not looking forward to the cold part. ><

5) I'll be starting up Yulree Fundraising Time again soon! Hee. I have something brewing...and I can't wait to share it with you! Like last time, it has something to do with yoga. ;)

XOXO
Yulree

Diary of a Shaved-Headed Woman Part II

It's been 5 months since I shaved my head.

What's changed? I have a new job, new place and am newly single. All because of my hair.
Just kidding.

Shaving my head was an awesome decision that I haven't regretted, even during my awkward phases and bad hair days. There are days, yes, when I miss feeling uber feminine and miss the extra male attention I used to get. But those days are so few compared to the ones where I feel fantastic, liberated and just feel normal, like myself.

Going back to the male attention part...that's the part that's changed the most, really. I feel like I'm the subject of my own social experiment. I'll break it down for you.

Pre-shaved head
90% of guys who approached me were Asian professionals.

Post-shaved head
90% of guys who approach me are white hipsters/burners/creatives. Since I shaved my head, ZERO Asian professionals have approached me. Yeah, you Asian pro pros, I'm too edgy for you now. Hahaha (yeah, I'm totally having fun with it).

Anyway, here are some photos of my hair transformation all within in the past 5 months:

The day I shaved it. 

Major awkward phase. Couldn't do anything with it. I felt like an awkward hedgehog going through puberty.

Current length

P.S. My mom didn't freak. She says I have a great head shape. I guess that's a good thing.

P.P.S. Folks have been asking me if I'm going to keep it short. Nah, my intention was to experience and have fun with every phase as it grows back to long, luscious hair that I oh-so love.

P.P.P.S. I'm really looking forward to this length! LOVE this style. I think I'll be there in about another month or two:

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!!!

via A View From a Palm Tree

I was walking through the produce section earlier today and what does my little nose smell??? PEACHESSSSSS!!! GAH! IT'S SO FURRYYYY!!!! SO JUICY!!!!

It's almost peach season!!! And you know what that means! It means it's time to get out them tents, grills and swimsuits. :D

I go nuts around this time of year b/c of  the extra sunlight + summer fruits + camping + BBQs + lazy beach time.

----

Song of the day:  
Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald (I love this woman)

Errday

A year ago, I started asking myself this question. Every day.

This particular question held a large significance in my day to day life this past year. It's what got me to India;  it's what drove me to become a certified yoga teacher; it's what allowed me to open up to my friends and deepen my relationships; it's what pushed me to go from an insanely stressful advertising career to a freelance one where I make time to work on the projects I've always wanted to work on. 

1) It reminded me that "hey, I have a heart." And that no matter what my brain had been conditioned to think, my heart really is what drives my actions. 

2) It made me question, "If my heart isn't in what I'm doing, what can I do to change the situation?" I realized that although external factors do have an impact on your heart, love, happiness and trust have the most solid foundation (and aren't fickle) if they do come from within. 

3) It allowed me to focus. Cut the fat, the excess, the B.S. And really find what I truly love to do, not just what I'm good at, and go for it w/o hesitation.

4) Heart begets heart. You put your heart in your conversations, your gestures both big and small, your prayers and your goals - and your heart will only get bigger and stronger. And the people, projects, answers that are filled with love will come to you.

Life is short, folks. Act, speak, give from your heart. 

Roadtripping Alone. Lonely? I think not!

Things you can do to keep you entertained (and awake) for long road trips when driving alone:

1) Listen. The most obvious thing you can do - listen to podcasts and audio books. Some recommended podcasts are This American Life, Radiolab and NPR's Intelligence Squared.

2) Sing. The more ridiculous the song, the better. And the louder the better. I brushed up on my singing skills with the Pocahontas soundtrack as well as some old school Kpop/Jpop.

3) Pray. Meditate. Or if you're not into praying or meditating, spend time thinking about your purpose. Your passions. Your goals. Turn off the radio, sit in silence, let your mind wander and observe where it goes. Be an alert witness to your thoughts. You have the time to do so without any distractions. Maximize this opportunity!

4) Call. Make a phone call to that someone you've been meaning to call.

5) Beatbox. Similar to singing, turn on the radio, listen to the beat, and try to follow along. You will be a beatbox master in no time. ;)


-----

Personally, I spend most of my driving time on #3, though I want to do more of #4 and #5. Can't expect to become a beatbox master without practice. ;)

Some Like it Hot

I like it even hotter.

Plump and ready for some chopping

I have to say, it took a trip to Seattle for me to try pepper jelly for the first time. It's a big ass question mark why I never tried it before. Sweet and spicy. Togeza??? Match made in heaven, my friend. And by heaven, I mean my mouth. It was like the first time I tried bacon candy. My taste buds and mind grapes exploded like Cai Guo Qiang's fireworks - chaotic and wild but full of beauty and intent.

This lady was awesome - she let me try 7 different kinds!

I left Seattle without a jar of enchanted pepper jelly though because I was inspired to make my own (one of the many reasons why I love traveling - food inspo overload!). It's been almost two weeks since I've been back on Angeleno soil, and today, I finally dedicated some time to make my own batch. As my dear friend Goethe likes to say, "Willing is not enough; we must do."

Yulree 1 : Jalapenos 0

So I did do. I did it spicy. Extra extra spicy. So spicy, DJ Bedhead and I were coughing up a storm as the apartment filled up with spice molecules while I sauteed the jalapenos. So spicy, you could eat a piece of plain tuna roll and the smell of the peppers will trick you into thinking you were eating spicy tuna roll. BAM.

Here's my end product:

Orange, Lemon Jalapeno Jelly a la YFT

Not pretty but oh so yummy - I am no food photographer.

Think of all the yummy things you can do with this! Slap it on some fresh-baked cornbread. Or drizzle over some soft cheeses like brie or camembert for a cheese party (in my mouth). Or even just have it with some crackers. Drool. I'm gonna go eat some now.

Chocolate & Travel...

...Go hand-in-hand. At least for me! I went on a food tour while I was in Seattle last week and acquired 3 amazing (believe me) organic chocolate bars fresh from a chocolate factory. If you ever find yourself in Seattle, go to the Theo Chocolate Factory b/c: 1) it's chocolate, 2) it's the first organic chocolate factory in the U.S., 3) quality is superb, 4) they have unique flavors and 5) you can sample like mad. They have open trays of chocolate pieces that you can just keep eating from -- for as long as you need to make a decision on if you'd like to purchase some or not (no glaring eyes or bad attitudes from their staff).

So, with that intro, I wanted to let you guys know that I'll be giving away three organic chocolate bars (s+h included to U.S. residents) to one lucky reader.

Ta da! Here are the three unique flavors:

Coffee - I HAD to get the coffee flavor from the coffee capitol of North America! The coffee they used is from Caffe Vita.

Bread & Chocolate - this is the only one I didn't get to sample but the factory guy told me that it features buttered and toasted artisan bread plus a little hint of salt.

Coconut Curry - I've never had chocolate that tasted like this one before. It's so savory that you can eat it with crackers. It was definitely my favorite.

To enter, all you have to do is follow me on Gogobot.com HERE and twitter HERE! Will announce the winner on Tuesday May 15! 


Note: the chocolates were not donated or sponsored, but purchased by me! 

Hampi, India

I've been slow in posting my photos and thoughts (< click to see) about my trip to India. And I think, somewhere deep in my subconscious, I love having to revisit my photo album, notebook and memories whenever I write a new post. Okay, maybe it's not so deep in my subconscious. I'm fully aware of it. I relish thinking about India and my time there.

During my trip, one of the places that took my breath away was Hampi. If you ever find yourself in South India, I highly recommend you visit. The pictures speak for themselves.

Hanuman!

At the Hampi Market

Had to cross the river to get to our lodging

India has the coolest kids. For reals.

Mixing it up

Surya Belly

Vegging Out

Rewind back to 3 months ago, I was a full-fledged, proper carnivore. It's impossible to count how many times the words, "with bacon," came out of my mouth through my meat-craving lips. Despite the whole bacon craze, I was generally a very healthy eater as I'm obsessed with veggies like kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and eggplant. My affinity for fennel is steadily growing as we speak. But I did love my meats. Lamb kebabs, roasted duck, lechon, pancetta - the whole shebang.

While I was in India though, eating only vegetarian food for almost two months, having lengthy discussions with my teachers and fellow students during satsang and meditating a lot about it, I've become a non-meat eater (I do still eat the occasional seafood). It was neither an overnight decision nor a forced one. It just happened organically and is still evolving day by day. I'm still exploring it and defining it and trying to verbalize why I'm not eating meat anymore. One solid reason is because my body doesn't crave it anymore. Second reason, I feel healthier than ever. Third...that's the one I'm working on; the mental/psychological reason. I still appreciate that meat tastes good. Oh yeah, I remember. And I completely understand the need to take life to survive. 

I guess that's just it. In the current state I am in, eating meat is a luxury, not a necessity. There are alternate ways to nourish myself without having to take a life, so I guess I choose what I'm comfortable with. Geez, I'm realizing what we eat is such a personal thing. And I feel like it's constantly changing; at least for most people. 

Sorry about my rambling. By no means am I trying to impose my beliefs on anyone through this post. Simply sorting out my thoughts and understanding myself better. I, too, am a witness to where my eating habits take my beliefs/thoughts and vice versa. Like I said, I am still eating the occasional seafood. I think it's because I still see it as a necessity.

Interesting, how humans work. 

FULL FORCE

2012 has been thrillingly eventful, and I am so very thankful for every minute of it. After coming back from India, I thought I'd return back to the usual. In fact, exactly because of this reason, I was actually slightly dreading coming back.

woohoo

But oh boy, was I wrong. The world continues to surprise me. Los Angeles continues to surprise me. The city, just like people, is such an organic living, breathing thing, that constantly evolves and changes. And once in a while, I get caught off guard by not only how beautiful the city can be but also by how often I catch myself simplifying the city as either good or bad. This city of angels is so complex!

I digress. Back to the topic at hand. Lots of new things going on. And I'd like to share them via photos (btw, apologies in advance as my photos are all from different phones/apps so the quality & size of each really varies)!

<3

2012 is the year of reunions! Got to reunite with one of my bfs from HS. We got to reunite over some legit teppanyaki in Roppongi at a restaurant called Ten (meaning Heaven in English). Love this girl!

You can see downtown from here 

Also, my childhood friend, whom I've known since I was 5, moved to L.A.! Our families used to go to the same church in Stockton (near Sacramento, CA). To welcome her to the city, we caught up over brunch and an afternoon hike at Runyon Canyon.

I also met up with two guys, who I knew from my senior year of HS in Shanghai, over Cambodian food in Snoop Dogg's hood. Didn't get a picture with them though.

They were so awesome!

This past weekend, I taught my first yoga class (the ones during my yoga program don't count!) at the Silverlake Meadows. The weather was on my side - so gorgeous and bright! I was nervous the night before so I arrived early to meditate. Glad I did because meditation and my own quick asana practice before everyone arrived really quelled my nerves. All in all, I think I did well, but I know that I still have much to improve on. One thing's for sure, I LOVED it. :)

Farewell dinner the best way possible - over beer and Korean bar food

I am no longer working at the advertising agency I was with for the past 3 years. I loved my boss and most of my coworkers and I learned more at this agency than I could've ever imagined, but I was given an opportunity that aligned better with my overall life vision.

Coming at LA, FULL FORCE.

Which brings me to my biggest piece of news. I am now the first and newly appointed East LA Community Manager for Gogobot! I am SO excited as I will get to be the ultimate host! I'll be taking care of the entire Gogobot community that resides in Koreatown, Silverlake, Echo Park, Pasadena, Downtown, Alhambra and Glendale! You can follow my adventures on my new handle.

Such a beautiful wedding!

This year has been so exciting and we're not even mid-way! Friends are getting engaged and married left and right, new careers for many, some of them are pregnant or already gave birth...it's all quite exhilarating, isn't it?

Black Mamba

Channeling none other than Mr. Bryant, the self-declared Black Mamba. 

This was taken my first night in Delhi. I was getting more stares in Delhi than any other Indian city so I decided to cover up as much as I could. Scarves are one of my essentials when travelling - no matter what kind of weather or terrain.

Developing Healthy Habits Through Travel

Travel can help create healthy habits and break the bad. I say "can," and not "will," because it really depends on what kind of travel you're doing. I'm not sure if going on a party cruise with an open bar and free buffet will really create healthy habits. Unless you're going with the intention to strengthen your discipline and will under the most tempting situations (if you are, you deserve an applause).

Travel presents an opportunity to get into the mindset of starting anew. New start in a new place with a new schedule is an optimal situation to start new habits. 

Here are some of the healthy habits I picked up in India: 

1) Becoming a smile initiator toward strangers. While in India, I became aware that I was a reactionary smiler. I only smiled when the other person smiled first as we crossed paths. I don't know why I became this way or if I had always been that way. I thought about this a lot and I think it has to do with vulnerability. The fear that your smile won't be returned, that it'd be rejected. But why waste time being fearful of stupid sh*t like that? Now, I smile. And I smile big. At anyone who walks by. And EVERY TIME it's worth it. 

2) Not buying anything unless it is to replace something. When traveling, you carry what you own - the more you have, the heavier and burdensome your load. And once you start living out of a suitcase, you realize you're still happy (if not more happy) living on very little. Simple as that.

3) Only getting online when necessary. During travels, you're so busy being bug-eyed curious and child-like  excited about experiencing everything around you that the internet becomes just plain grey. In fact, it simply doesn't cross your mind. And when you do use the internet, you really use it as a tool, not a way to pass the time or for entertainment. Bringing this way of thinking about the internet back home with me has made me a much more happy person. 

Life in India, according to my camera

When everything gets calm, when you remove all your distractions, and when the buzz in your ears and the haze over your eyes dissipate...

You end up seeing more and hearing more than you ever have. 

During my yoga course, we practiced a vow of silence until mid-day, every day. We also designated one day out of the week where we would remain silent the entire day. 

As soon as you close your mouth, everything else gets more vivid. What you hear, what you see, what you taste, what you think. And once you do get to speak, you end up speaking more truth as you had that time to filter out the rubbish things you would've said and save the awesome thoughts you did want to share.

If you ever get the chance to do this, do it. And go outdoors and be a witness. It's amazing, the depth of life that you will see and enjoy. 

----

I didn't get to capture all the creatures that I saw (trust me, there are A LOT), but here's a few I'd like to share with you.

I could watch these guys dig themselves into sand for hours; there were a few times when I actually did.

Contrary to popular belief, roosters start crowing at THREE AM IN THE MORNING. Trust me, I know.

What these are, I do not know. But they are beautiful, aren't they?

A teeny calf. Awwww

I got to witness star fish season. The sand was studded with a load of these! I wish I would've taken more pictures. I went back to the beach the next day to do so but was too late. 

Peas, growing on the dirt path that leads to the yoga hall; There were also plants that would close it's leaves whenever you touched them. The resident bugs of these plants were dragonflies and lady bugs. 

There were also several monkeys here and there. I had a yellow frog who lived in my bathroom for a couple days. Had 4-5 gecko sightings a day. Oh! We saw a  mongoose! I saw a king cobra, too. 

AH!!!!

Do you ever just have those moments where you're just so excited about life?? Not about what's happened in the past or what will happen in the future. Just excited for what life is to you in the now.Yeah, I'm experiencing one of those times, right now. LIFE IS AWESOME and I LOVE IT. 

No, I am not on drugs. Unless tea counts. 

Favorite

Favorite photo on this mountain,

in my favorite city in India, 

with my favorite person.