California Dreamin'

Last week was wonderful. I flew into sunny Los Angeles for a week-long holiday. My dear friends took care of me- drove me places, let me eat their food, sleep in their beds (or couch!) and basically relax and enjoy my time. It was excellent seeing my friends' faces in person, and I was touched by their generosity. How extremely blessed am I to have such a loving support of friends and family in my life? Extremely.

Traveling always changes your point of view. Suddenly, I wasn't glancing at the clock, balancing work, school, obligations, etc. It was just me and Carrie. Or me and Julie. Or me and Grandma. And there was nothing outside of it for me. I was at the Griffith Park Observatory, or on a hike, or on a train. Drama and issues from my life here in Seattle were distant- as if they were not even parts of my life. There was this solid disconnect from my stresses back home. My ability to live in the present was enhanced for those days and I enjoyed each moment.

This experience leads me to believe even more ardently that 100% of our stress is self-induced. Because if we don't think about our problems, they don't exist. Each moment is perfect as is, and here we go poisoning them with our worries, our regrets and our projections. Seems silly, doesn't it? Seems like a waste of time.

The challenge of my vacation is the return home. Yes, I could live in the "now" off on my beautiful holiday, where I had no worries save for which restaurant I chose to dine on a particular day, but how will that translate back home? Is it possible to be a peaceful student/teacher/sister/partner when placed in my native environment? I sure will try. Knowing how easily that "perfect present" can be tapped into, I am encouraged and motivated to continue my peaceful state. Sometimes it just takes a change of scenery to remind me.