Colorado and San Francisco- February

Yeah so I'm going to try to encapsulate an entire month of traveling in this post.
Supposedly!

In January we successfully moved my mom into a new house in Gainesville! YAY! Mom has a real home and it is beautiful and the dogs love it, too. I made it down to Lake Worth for a couple yummy days before heading back to Gainesville to prepare for the last, long leg of my trip: a west coast swing, with a stop in New England and then HOME in April/May!!!

In early February I headed out to Colorado... I had a list of schools to visit, and awesome friends to stay with. I also planned an admissions interview at Naropa, for the Masters of Contemplative Education program I applied to in January. Elizabeth (my first host) and Anne (another host) had a few activities planned for my trip as well!

I'd always wanted to visit Colorado, particularly the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory in Boulder... in fact, I had requested such a trip for my graduation gift in high school, to no avail. I knew this trip held the promise of a factory tour and trip to the tea tasting room, and I WAS ECSTATIC. Seriously, the place is next to heaven, as far as I'm concerned... if I lived in Boulder, I'd visit nearly every day. During this trip, I went three days in a row!



For most of the trip I stayed with Elizabeth Baker, a friend I met during IDEC in Vancouver (August), who runs the Patchwork School in Lousiville ("Lewis-ville" NOT LOUIE-Ville!) CO.

Fun times at the Patchwork School:





Elizabeth has become one of my closest friends, and I am SO SO SO SO GRATEFUL for her, and for all the hard work she and Michelle have put into the Patchwork School community. The space is beautiful, the students are supported and free. It's a great gift to the area, and I am growing to consider it like a second home! Seriously.

Colorado is breath-takingly, painfully BEAUTIFUL. I drove through Rocky Mountain National Park on my way to visit Eagle Rock School in Estes Park:





The Eagle Rock School is a whole blog post in and of itself, as was my visit to the Living School (Boulder), so I'll save those stories for next time... last February I applied for a Public Allies fellowship at Eagle Rock, and was denied, and I'm SO GLAD for this: after a year at Eagle Rock, I'd have been spoiled of teaching! The digs are SO LUSH... anyway...

SO THEN I went to Naropa University: to check out the campus myself, and let the faculty and admissions staff check ME out as an applicant for the Masters of Contemplative Education program. I took a tour, did two interviews, met some students/alums... and FELL IN LOVE.

The oldest sycamore tree west of the Mississippi? It sure is beautiful...



Students raiding the 'free box' (its more like a FREE CLOSET!)


Meditation space


When I left the campus, I felt an overwhelming sense of faith in the program and trust in the integrity of everyone involved. A few days later, I received a call that I had been accepted, so (YAY!) I will begin the program in June.... YIPPEE!!!! I am so excited, and so grateful, and so blissed out over this. Not only will I be studying contemplative education from the leading edge practitioners and scholars in this field, but I will be returning to a community that I quickly grew to love...Elizabeth's friends in Boulder welcomed me in a way I've rarely experienced outside my own community in Lake Worth, and I LOVE THEM ALL!!!

One element of our interaction was a series of February Fun activities, including play in the park (see the facebook photo set from Elizabeth!), film night at CU, and an open mic that Eric (love you) invited me to at someone's house!

WHICH WAS MAGICAL, by the way... I met someone there who shares an old friend (TERISA SHOUMATE!) with me, and we cried together in happiness at the synchronicity of our encounter.

I spent one night in Denver, and went to a big show downtown... then I spent a night in Golden at Anne's... I met Anne during the Level 2 HoopGirl Teacher Training... we went SHOPPING for awesome dance pants at Paprika, toured the Coors brewery (yep, free beer. on a Monday afternoon.) and then got ready for some hooping! For fun, Anne planned a little photo shoot, before her beginner hoopdance class at Mercury Cafe, with help from her AWESOME assistant (whose name I forgot, but she's awesome):






By the time I left Colorado, I knew: I wanted to return, and I had a reason to return. It was a hard exit, though- I truly did not want to leave... remembering the excitement that lay ahead for me in San Francisco was the only way I was able to leave with a smile on my face.

I landed at SFO and made my way to the Tenderloin. Yep, THE Tenderloin, about which Dave Chappelle famously noted: "There is NOTHING tender about that place!" The SF City Center Hostel was my again destination for a week and a half long stay...at least I know how to get around from there!

My first order of business was to stop by the Youth Speaks office and clear a karma loop: I volunteered for a day, and that was that. Glad I could be of service for them, I have a tremendous respect for the work they do.

THE NEXT DAY was the 826 National 101 Workshop, hosted by 826 Valenica in the Mission, aka The Pirate Store!

The workshop was INCREDIBLE- the organizers packed a three day training into one day: we worked THROUGH lunch, and took maybe two 10 minute breaks during the whole day! We covered: the mission and vision of the organization, different elements of their programming (including an immerssive field trip experience), the FUNction of the store (and someone was summarily mopped!), interviews with a panel of volunteers, what the 826 model CAN mean for public education, funding and fundraising, non-profit startup stories and advice... it was HUGE. Pages and PAGES of notes! AND two other attendees are starting a similar organization in Lake Worth!!!! Keep your eyes out for Blue Planet Adventures!

Some pics of the National 101:









Yummy breakfast. Yum.







And after the workshop... we drink! Or, at least, staff and interns drink!





Yeah. Word!

I had a bit of time in between the National 101 and the HoopGirl Level 3 Teacher Training, and spent it either running to dance and yoga classes in the city (THERE ARE SO MANY! Yippee!), volunteering at 826 Valencia, or spending time with some new friends...



check out my San Fran friend Steve's blog: FLUXLIFE... I'm adding to the roll on the right. He's a pretty great writer, and there is interesting commentary awaiting you there!

Finally, there was HoopGirl Level 3 Teacher Training... but it will have to wait for a later post... with love from the fog!