Well, I'm not in California anymore!

So, as I'm walking around my new hometown last night (first official night in Brattleboro) I recognize the name of a yoga studio I had previously looked up. It's literally like down the hill from my house ie: 100 feet. I checked up on prices as soon as I got back to my computer and this is what I found:

"All drop-in classes are offered by donation. We accept cash, personal checks and money orders. You are welcome to pay more or less, but you must pay something. We accept any sincere offering in exchange for our best efforts as teachers. We have been known to accept home-made or home-grown food, babysitting, artwork, etc. Work-exchange (flyer-distribution, graphic-design, painting) of various sorts is also available. Please talk to us if you cannot afford classes, or would simply like to barter goods or services."

Any suggestions?

I wrote this on April Fool's Day, oddly enough... welp, no foolin' here!

I know life’s a journey and that I have a new destination

April 1, 2010 by Bailey Mannisto-Iches

SO, about 9 months ago I started an entry here that I never published… and just deleted. The decision to go to grad school in the Netherlands seemed to be an easy one but as it is so, it was NOT. Exhausting details aside I ended up denying the opportunity and convinced myself that brighter days and another, better,opportunity would find me. It’s inexplicable how it feels to go from feeling uneasy in the world w/ plenty of thoughts but nowhere to place them, to having a comfortable plan you think is set in stone, to going back to feeling uneasy and even less aligned with your world and all of the people in it. In two words: IT SUCKS. Much has occurred in the last 9 months that I am very grateful for mostly, my travel opportunities have kept me physically and emotionally afloat although the financial damage is another story. I was prepared for that though and I only have myself to “blame” for the credit card debt that galavanting around Europe will continue to cost me… experiences are priceless. I gained new perspectives, met wonderful people, and spent some R&R time with myself.

Now I am back stateside and I must admit the older and more experienced I get the easier these transitions are. The smaller the world has become in my mind the easier it is for me to sit still… if that makes sense. Dreaming and planning future adventures with the intention and conviction that I will make them happen is comfort in and of itself. I do know something, and I said it last year and had no intention to go against it, but I am definitely over solo-travel. I do love it but being alone with my thoughts is only healthy for so long! I think “home” more so describes people rather than places and I truly await the day (and hope it awaits me!) when I am able to experience some of my adventures with a loved-one by my side… the opportunity to take “home” with me wherever I go and happen to be.

Speaking of doing things solo, here I go again! In the latter part of this summer I will be making a big move to the east coast, Vermont to be specific; Brattleboro, VT to be even more specific. What do I know about Vermont? It’s claim to fame is maple syrup and beyond that I know zilch, nada, nothiiiiiing. There are few things that terrify me: sharks, self-mutilation annnnd that’s pretty much it, until now. As of yesterday, I am TERRIFIED to make this move. Why? Well I guess it’s a mixture of things: the unknown regarding Vermont (small town? scary woods?), the winter and all that comes with it, and being so far from my family at this particular time in my life in a place I’d never imagined myself before. All of these things in small increments seem great and novel but I will be LIVING this life, E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y. On the other hand I am ridiculously excited; this is what I wanted. Grad school with a perfectly-fit program? AWESOME. I think the proper adjective for my state would be anxious, haha… go figure… me? anxious? nahhhhh… ;p

TBC…

If my car could speak...

It would ask me why it was rained on in the middle of August today with an air of perplexity to its tone, tell me it is exhausted and apologize for not being able to reach a speed faster than 65 mph across all of Maryland, ask me why in its 8 years of life had I never prepared it for a nearly 4000 mile, 6-day jaunt-"SD to EG and back again is nothing after that," it'd say and then finally it'd ask me when the heck I am going to empty it of my possessions and where, when and for how long. I just tucked it into a parallel parking spot on Columbia Rd. in our nation's fine capitol and before I said goodnight I thanked it for getting us here safely and comfortably, "We'll be in our new home on Thursday night, you may rust a tad bit more but I assure you it will be from snow and not saltwater, sorry; it may be our last home together as I don't know where the next 9 months will lead me, I know I've treated you badly sometimes but hopefully that stage of life is over. Most of all thanks for the last 90,000 miles little coche!"

:)

Bucket list item: Drive across the country

status: Mission Accomplished!

How'd I get to Missouri?!

I woke up in New Mexico and left the crappy Travelodge in Albuquerque at 8 am MST; I arrived at the (much, MUCH nicer) La Quinta Inn in Joplin, MO around 7 pm EST. I transcended an entire time zone and passed through 4 states in what, approximately 10 hours? WOAH DUDE! New Mexico to Texas, Texas to Oklahoma, Oklahoma to Missouri. My route has changed twice in the last 24 hours due to unforeseeable circumstances involving a familial crisis that warranted the attention and presence of my designated PIC/co-pilot, Alicia, back to Sacramento. We woke up to the sunrise in Arizona in a heavenly place commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon and by 2 pm yesterday we were bidding each other adieu at the Albuquerque airport :(, hence my detour and stay in Albuquerque last night. Yesterday was hectic, sad, and basically bad from every angle but at least we were able to enjoy the majesty of the Grand Canyon together! I woke up this morning with the intent of staying optimistic and energetic when in reality I felt lonely and disoriented. Our original route was to take us to Austin and then New Orleans and back on up toward DC (the road waaaay less traveled). I decided that because a) I am now alone and b) I left my camera in Vegas (it is now on its way back to me, YAY!) that I would just drive to DC as quickly as possible. If I had embarked on this trip alone originally I would not have opted for the southerly route but I would have gone through CO, Utah and up through Illinois etc, presuming it is safer and also because I would know more people along the way not to mention it is more direct. The most direct route to DC from New Mexico was to take me through the aforementioned states (Texas, et al.) and then Arkansas, Tennessee, etc. Sometime between phone call numbers 3 and 10 Dad#2 called me voicing his concerns about me driving this distance alone and shared a new route with me. After 20 minutes of talking logistics I was sold on the new plan. Thanks RandMcNally.com ! Thanks Dad! So THAT is how I arrived in Missouri. Tomorrow I'm headed to Indiana-Indianapolis to be exact and then on Monday I shall be DC bound.

Say What?!

California girl moving to a Vermont world in just two night's sleep, negating the one I am skipping out on now. My travels will take me through many states but my final destination looks a little something like that ^, at least before it SNOWS anyway. Stay tuned.