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It kind of goes without saying that being on the other side of the world from people you love can leave you a little homesick. Luckily, Ryan and I have been able to see some of our dearest friends from home despite the distance. Earlier this year, Nic and Kyle met us in Thailand and we had a blast. A few weeks after they left us, I joked with Christine that she should come meet us after her graduation when we make it to Mexico. She totally made it happen!

We had similar arrival times in Cancun and I can't really describe how much it made my heart happy to see that little slice of home waiting for us by immigration. We had her only for a few days, and it may have been a little rainy, but we spent our time wisely.

On Isla Mujeres, just outside of Cancun, we enjoyed at least a little time on the beach every day. We also adventured around the island on golf carts and rusty bicycles, one day discovering a hidden gem of a restaurant where Ryan and I had the first cheddar cheese in 9 months on mouth-watering tacos (and it will forever hold a place in my heart). We went again the next day.

During one of our evening walks, we experienced a breathtaking sunset. It was one of those moments where you know everything is as it should be. The rest of the time we spent laughing a ton, drinking too much tequila (as is required), surviving the hangovers like champs, and having a blast. Thank you, friend. You mean the world to me and I cannot wait for our next reunion!

We're also anxiously looking forward to seeing the rest of our beautiful people when we return home!

#mexico #islamujeres #islandlife #travel #friendship #bestfriend #wanderlust #getaway #sunset

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(We went through a phase of time where we were not able to upload anything to Tumblr due to weak WiFi - we will now attempt to catch back up!)

One of our favorite ways to see a country is to drive through it, and road tripping through Spain is one of the highlights of this trip. We rented a car for a 10 days and headed North for wine. We started it off with two nights in the quaint Fompedraza village. There are no restaurants there - for that, you drive 10 minutes to the nearest town, called Peñafiel. We stayed there for quick access to wine region. There's nothing but grapes for miles! We visited the Cepa 21 winery, where we were fortunate to experience picking grapes and smooshing them under our feet in the traditional, but outdated, style (it was super gross, both the action of smooshing and the thought of drinking it after). Peñafiel is also home to a regal castle overlooking the medieval town, which we visited on our way out.

From Peñafiel, we headed to the coast for a few nights near Cudillero. There we enjoyed the sidra (cider) the region is known for, and also the wonderful views.

Our last stay during the road trip was near Basque country in Sonabia, Cantabria. The nearest major town was Bilbao, which we were happy to visit (Guggenheim Museo included). We loved the idea of seeing Basque culture in it's original country, since we are so fond of the Basque population and culture in Boise. Our home (for the six nights we stayed) was ideally situated close to two absolutely stunning beaches. We hiked for hours to see el Ojo del Diabo (so worth it for the breathtaking views), we visited a gorgeous and architecturally astounding winery called Ysios, we skinny dipped after a bottle (or two . . .) of wine on the beach – all in all, we had an absolutely amazing time.

After returning the rental car to Madrid, where we stayed for a few more nights at a swanky hotel, we went to shows three nights in a row: Los Opera Locos, Flamenco Emociones, and Cirque le Roux. All three performances were wonderful! However, most theaters don't encourage picture taking, which explains why we have none from the lively city.

Spain was one of the most relaxed and comfortable places we visited in Europe. It was exciting, but had an element that helped us feel at home. There's so much more for us to explore there, which we will look forward to in the future.

#travel #wanderlust #europe #spain #Europe vacation #wine #winery #bodega #cepa21 #ysioswinery #penafiel #nature #beauty #hiking #basquecountry #basque

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Our next two stops were short but pleasant spending three nights in each location. The first, Guadix, was not necessarily for the town itself but for the sort of accommodation that can be found there. You see, the place is known for house caves (casa cuevas) and the thought of staying in such an usual home tickled our fancy. As it would turn out AirBnB has many casa cuevas to choose from. The one we picked was incredible with numerous rooms dug deep into the hillside. It was like staying in a hobbit home but instead of being located in the shire it was in a galaxy far far away on Tatooine. I could dissect why I am making this fantasifull comparison but I will let your imaginations do the work. Our second stay was a ways outside of Granada in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This made for a nice retreat away from city life and was especially comforting because the terrain reminded us of home. We took the opportunity to refill our energy tanks by simply enjoying the views, hiking, yoga, and making homemade meals each night. After dinner we would find ourselves in a bit of friendly competition using dominoes, cards, and dice to determine the victor.

#travel #wanderlust #passportlife #vacation #exploringtheglobe #ilovetravel #spain #cavehouse

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Barcelona somehow embodied excitement while always feeling laid back. The excitement began during our day at PortAdventura, a theme park with numerous roller coasters offering a nice adrenaline rush. When we stepped off our train returning from the theme park we encountered a city entrenched in the chaos of celebration. We knew that it was the National Day of Catalan but didn't realize until then how seriously this holiday is taken. Under the Arco de Triunfo, an iconic Barcelona structure near the palacette we stayed in, a large stage was set up and from it thumped EDM. Thousands were crowded about dancing, partying, or walking aimlessly with bottle in hand. The party unfolding in front of us was wild and spilt over into the alleys and streets for multiple blocks. Had fatigue not enveloped us from our long day we would have considered joining the festivities. This time we simply watched and appreciated the passion of the Catalan people. Another evening we went to a gorgeous opera house (theater stage pictured above) and watched a master flamenco guitarist play. Some numbers were solo while others were accompanied by other musicians and/or flamenco dancers. The same passion we saw in the parting masses was present in the music and in the dance, however expressed quite differently. I can't really describe how it made me feel but the experience was a delight. The rest of the time we did as anyone should while in Barcelona: have lots of tapas, eat paella, check out the beach, and sample some tempranillos. The whole time we encountered chill attitudes and large smiles, something we would later come to realize is found all over Spain.

#travel #wanderlust #exploringtheglobe #passportlife #vacation #europetrip #ilovetravel #spain #catalan #themepark

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Have you ever seen Chocolat? What about Beauty and the Beast? If so, picture one of those tiny, medieval villages with cobblestone streets (most aren't wide enough for cars to pass through, certainly not two at a time). Cute shops and patisseries proudly display antique signs above their storefronts, with people who live above them people-watching from their balconies. Well, we were lucky to stay in a very cute, similar “commune” called Aniane. It is located in the south of France, along with other picturesque towns like the famous Saint Guilhem le Désert.

During our visit to this region, we did three of our favorite things:

1) Picnic/swimming at a lake: There is a lake below the Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge), which was built by Benedictine monks to connect the abbeys of Aniane and Saint Guilhem le Désert. The water below the bridge forms a beautiful and freezing lake where we enjoyed a picnic of a bottle of wine (we made it happen!), cheese, meats, crackers, and macaroons as we watched people jump into the water from things they probably shouldn't have.

2) Cave exploration: La Grotte de Clamouse is an enormous cave that is millions of years old. The tour we went on was only available in French. Luckily, they gave us audio guides, but due to the laughter of the other tourists, it sounded like the real guide was way funnier than the British bloke we listened to. We have taken a few cave tours on this trip, but I think we both agree that this was the coolest, and not just because it was the biggest. A composer has even dedicated a piece of music to the cave, which is paired with neat lighting for a very interesting experience – you can see it here: https://youtu.be/b0c1PgttAm4.  

3) Wine tasting: There are vineyards/wineries in the excess in this part of France, so Ryan and I picked one close by that was also at a gorgeous chateau (I prefer to call it a castle – which, while it technically is not, still looks like one to me and sounds way cooler). We were a little sad we didn't get a tour of the whole place, but the wine was lovely and the setting spectacular.

#france #aniane #saintguilhemledesert #pont du diable #europe #summerineurope #europe vacation #travel #wanderlust #passportlife #ilovetravel #southoffrance #adventureseeker

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Ryan and I arrived in Paris a few days before our 1st wedding anniversary. What better place, am I right? Obviously, there's a lot to love and a lot OF love in Paris. We started our week here off right by visiting the Eiffel Tower on day 1. While it's not as pretty in person as the romanticized version of the tower we see on TV, it is rather neat. It was designed to be an entryway for the 1889 World's Fair. It was meant to be torn down 20 years later as a lot of the Parisians at the time did not like the structure, but as we all know, it has now become the very symbol of the city.

In true Parisian style, we stayed in a tiny, tiny 2nd floor apartment. It was styled how I'd imagine a French grandmother's place would be: antique furniture, quirky paintings, and for some reason an excessive amount of chairs. It was in the neighborhood of Montmartre, just down the street from the Moulin Rouge and the Cimitière du Nord, which is home to beautiful, intricate mausoleums for famous residents such as Jacques Offenbach (composer) and Alexandre Dumas (novelist, playwright).

For our anniversary, we embarked on a mission to find a park nearby where we could have a romantic picnic, for which we were well-equipped. Unfortunately, while there are a plethora of parks in the area, we didn't end up finding one that would allow us to enjoy our bottle of wine with the bread, meats and cheeses we'd packed. After a few attempts, we decided to return to our cute apartment and escape the wicked summer heat. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to go to elegant, beautiful dinners all the time; this whole year, every night feels like date night. We decided to have this night in, just two best friends celebrating their union. In true Ryan and Jessa fashion, we also held a competition that involved our favorite card games – a few we brought from home and some others we have learned along the way. I'm not going to gloat, but I did win by a landslide - like a true champion. It was more romantic in that teeny apartment, sipping on fancy champagne with raspberries and visiting/laughing with my love than anything else I could have hoped for.

One of my other favorite parts of our week in Paris was, of course, the Louvre Museum. For a reasonable price, you can enter one of the most incredible art museums in the world. AND if you pick the right time, there's no line! How crazy is that? For some reason,we were truly not expecting it to be as epic as it was. We decided to go late to avoid the crowd, leaving ourselves 2-3 hours to explore before it closed for the day (we have NEVER spent more than that at a museum). However, before we knew it, they were announcing the museum was closing in 15 minutes and we had barely scratched the surface. There was still so much to explore, so Ryan agreed to take me again. We left ourselves a bit more time on our next visit, but still ended up closing it down. Some of the art was a bit graphic for my taste, but seeing the Mona Lisa in person was pretty cool (I guess?). My favorite part of the museum was the collection of larger-than-life Greek statues – walking among the hundreds of them at 9:30 pm when no one else was around is a memory I'll treasure forever.

While ordering could be daunting due to the language difference, the food was amazing! Course meals are seriously the way to do it. You eat the same (or more) than American portions, but you feel healthier and much fancier while doing it – they also regularly include wine in the deal, which for me really seals it. When we weren't hungry enough for one of those meals, we would seek out some fresh, warm croissants or mouth-watering macaroons unlike any I've tried before.

We very rarely stay anywhere for more than 3 or 4 nights in a row, so staying anywhere for an entire week is a relief. Paris was one of those places that obviously would have been easier and more comfortable if we'd been more familiar with the language, but our time there was well-spent.

#france #paris #europe #europe vacation #travel #wanderlust #passportlife #adventure #adventureseeker #romantic vacation #ilovetravel

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What is there to say about Amsterdam that hasn't already been said? It's definitely crowded and touristy but well worth zig-zagging between the oblivious walkers to see the beauty the streets/canals offer. We visited the Heineken brewery, which we thought fell short of the similar experience in Ho Chi Minh. Nonetheless, worth the time. We also walked across town to a micro brewery in the base of a windmill. Wouldn't say it was my favorite brews but the location certainly compensated. We did this fancy cheese tasting hosted by Reypenaer. The difficult part of the experience was filling out a grading sheet for the cheeses. We were supposed to describe its color, smell, and taste. Color, is of course, the easy one. A+ for that section. Then there is taste and this is where we show our true unrefined nature. So what does it taste like? Well, cheese. Really good cheese. When encouraged to describe with more depth the only thing that came to mind was “a tasty creamy-zingy block of milk”. Let's not leave out smell. I think Jessa came up with something like "the scent of a new body piercing". None of these are even close to an appropriate way of describing any aspect of cheese. In reality the process is akin to fancy people describing wine. Comments like “nutty”, “grassy”, or "pleasantly acidic" may be more appropriate. I say leave the fancy descriptors at the door and let me eat some cheese.

#travel #wanderlust #passportlife #vacation #summerineurope #exploringtheglobe #amsterdam

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The section of Alps we traipsed through isn't what you may envision when "Alps" is flung your way. Googling the word reveals high, glacial covered peaks and provokes thoughts of skiing, or at least in my mind. Instead, we encountered abundant greenery not obscured by winter snow pack in the Bavarian Alps. There were quaint towns and monasteries settled in the valleys and craggy spires all around to ascend. With our friend Kerstin, whom we met during our time earlier this year in Kuala Lumpur, we hiked up to our cabin and summited Brunnenkopf on the first day. The cabin was nearly empty due to the rainy weather and provided all the luxuries we are not accustomed to as routine campers. It even had a mountain swing, something we couldn't help but enjoy. They offered a dinner of bacon/cheese stuffed raviolis and apple cake. They  sold beer, wine, and monastery distilled schnapps, if you are someone to amp up a meal. We sure are having sampled the blueberry, floral, and plain schnapps! Also, note that in German you say "kuchen" for cake and "kekse" for cookie. I found this amusing because when said aloud, of course in a German accent, they sound sort of like the names were switched. On the second day we awoke and fueled up with yogurt and muesli before setting out. Again, this was provided by the cabin and was both delicious and surprisingly affordable for the efforts it takes to get ingredients up the mountain. We hiked outwards in a loop summiting Purschling on the way before descending down to the car park. I will admit there was a little trail confusion and we took a longer route than we probably needed. At no point were we lost, per say, we just couldn't locate our turn for a while. Honestly, I am glad we did the extra hiking cause it meant we got to spend more time up in fresh air with stunning scenery and a lovely friend.

#travel #wanderlust #passportlife #exploringtheglobe #adventuretime #hiking #trekking #summer #europe #germany #alps

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Berlin and Munich are very different places. Berlin let's its hair down, puts on its dance shoes, and wanders out into the night. It feels edgy, dynamic, and every bit international. You can be yourself and not feel a single ounce of shame about it. Munich, on the other hand, has an elegance and sophistication built into every brick and seems eager to maintain that. It has a strong beer culture (home to Octoberfest) but provides a vibe closer to a cocktail party held in a castle than a local pub. We found locals held strong opinions on which city is better. In my opinion both are fantastic and choosing one would be like ignoring half of ones self. I believe everyone contains within a bit of rebellion and a bit of tradition, the beauty is finding the balance.

#travel #wanderlust #exploringtheglobe #passportlife #vacation #europe #germany #beer

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Often when I sit at the edge of a lake I find myself pondering the hidden mysteries below its surface. It's not unlike getting lost in the sight of the celestial infinite above, if only to a lesser degree. But I wonder if the unknown we seek to unravel around us is simply to compensate for the uncertainties contained within. A desire exists, whether perceived or disguised, to overturn the stones that define who we are. An inherent drive for identity, not only as an individual but as a collective mankind. I found myself lost in introspection at the edges of Worthersee, a large turquoise lake nestled in the hills of Austria. But a more obvious question came to mind while we were there. Why does no one talk about Austria as a travel destination? Is it simply overshadowed by more popular European destinations? Well, it shouldn't be. Our lakeside stay was amazing and a lovely escape from typical tourist activities. We enjoyed a long hike in the surrounding foothills and our time on the water paddle boarding and swimming. If we weren't limited in time we would have definitely liked seeing more of what Austria has to offer.

#travel #wanderlust #passportlife #exploringtheglobe #vacation #lakeside #summer #europe #austria

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It's crazy to think that we are 8 months into our year-long round-the-world tour. We are so lucky to have seen some of the most beautiful places in the world on this journey, one of the most iconic, of course, being the city of Venice.

When one imagines Venice, one tends to picture a romantic city with canals floating gondoliers, picturesque bridges around every corner, and narrow meandering streets between towering, beautifully unique, old buildings. Well, one would not be wrong at all. While bulk tourism certainly has an unfortunately huge impact on certain parts of the city, if you wander a few streets (and bridges) off the beaten path, you find the real Venice and its people just peacefully living their lives in this fairytale place. We didn't need to go to any events, or do anything other than eat and get lost in the old lanes, occasionally encountering dead ends or secret gems.

We were fortunate to score an awesome two-story apartment a few minutes away from the craziness of the tourist area, making our stay really feel like home. The food was wonderful, our accommodations were perfect, and it fulfilled every one of my romanticized dreams. Every place we have been in Europe so far has been one I've told myself we will come back to. It's just too hard to imagine not seeing this beauty in person again.

#europe #italy #venice #fairytale #travel #wanderlust #ilovetravel #passportlife #vacation #tourism #traveltheworld #getaway #travelpics #adventure

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Balance is something we have found is necessary to keep motivated in our travels. It's surprisingly exhausting traveling for long periods, a statement which I realize may seem ridiculous but is absolutely true. Surely this is one of those statements that can be thrown in the first world problems bucket. We obtain balance by offsetting locations that we do a lot of sightseeing at with ones geared toward personal revitalization. Arezzo, our Tuscany destination, was the latter of the two. For the soul we self proscribed wine from Fattoria Casabianca during a special organized tasting at the farm. We spent hours there trying all their wines and snacking on provided cheeses, meats, and bread while avoiding torrential rainfall outside. For our health we consumed home cooked meals heavy with veggies. For our bodies we sluggishly forced ourselves into something resembling exercise. Yes, we actually motivated to go on a run and do yoga. The region was beautiful and allowed us to recharge our body batteries. For that we were thankful.

#travel #wanderlust #passportlife #exploringtheglobe #travelpics #vacation #italy #wine

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There are some days where our enthusiasm for tourism can be a little lacking, and neither of us have ever been big organized tour people. With only 2 full days in Rome, we knew we had to kick into higher gear. While we didn't participate in any group tours, we put on our good tourist hats and self-guided our way to some of the most beautiful remnants of history in the world. We walked a whopping 16 miles on day one. A few hours were spent in the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which houses the ruins of important government buildings and temples of the Roman Empire that stood for several centuries. We walked past the Colosseum and saw the lines wrapping almost all the way around the outside . . . And we decided we'd come back later. Next, we headed to Piazza Navona for a lovely pasta lunch. Still feeling like good tourists (as normally at this point of the day it'd be siesta time), we stood in line and entered the absolutely stunning Pantheon. Unfortunately, neither of us snagged any good pictures of that magnificent place. 

A bit tired, but still energized by the excitement that comes from stumbling across evidence of ancient history around every corner, we meandered back to the Colosseum. It was much later in the afternoon by this time, and somehow we managed to catch the line while it was relatively short. It was awe inspiring and terrifying. As beautiful as the architecture proves to be, to stand in that place and remind yourself of the countless human and animal lives lost there is gut-wrenching. Still recovering from the adventures of day one, we walked to Vatican City on day two and visited the extremely impressive St. Peter's Square. We did not enter St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel or any of the Vatican museums, because the lines were quite long. Instead, we decided we will come back during off-season and save that experience for future Jessa and Ryan to enjoy. Also, future Jessa will want more authentic Roman Cacio e Pepe (a noodle dish I had several times, which is spaghetti with a magical cheese sauce and copious amounts of freshly ground black pepper), so we will definitely come back.

#travel #wanderlust #rome #italy #colosseum #vaticancity #stpeterssquare #passportlife #adventure #tourism #travelpics #traveltheworld

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Such a simple combination of flower and eggs makes for a masterful combination when complimented with the flavors and traditions of Italy. Napoli was our first introduction to this but we took no time in eating as much of this scrumptious pasta as possible. I also discovered something called a Caprese salad. Don't let the word 'salad' disguise it's true intent. It's largely just an excuse to eat copious amounts of fresh mozzarella. Imagine my disappointment when I learned Jessa had already eaten this dish many times before but had never told me about it. I do find it to be a food betrayal. Add to this that Napoli is the birth place of pizza and that gelato is never more than a two minute walk away means the whole ordeal was a calorie-fest, an unshamefully gluttonous affair. But don't worry, we did do other things besides eating. We saw our first European castle, spent a day on Procida island, and visited Herculaneum. The later was an ancient Roman town destroyed in the 79AD Mt. Vesuvius eruption that Pompeii is tragically known for. The upside to visiting this site is it considered to be the better preserved of the two and hosts far less tourist crowds.

#travel #wanderlust #exploringtheglobe #passportlife #travelpics #vacationlife #islandlife #food #ancientruins #beach #italy

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We arrived on Crete via ferry from Santorini with the intent to hike the Samaria Gorge and integrate into the old port area of Chania for a few days. The journey had me thinking about these isolated bits of land and what they represent. At some point an island stops feeling like an island if it's large enough, a notion I feared may come to realization in Crete. Geographical size aside it occurs when a relaxed lifestyle and pacing that seems to ignore the outside world is lost. Crete certainly has physical vastness but maintains a pleasantness and charm distinctly its own which, in my opinion, preserves its laid back island feel. It was a complete relief. The city of Chania was beautiful and one we both agreed felt very live-able. The open squares would fill with people throughout the day and night meeting for drinks or a meal. The liveliness of chatter and sound from wandering accordion players that emanated from these spaces oozed of community. If the quaint squares weren’t enough it was always a short walk to the sea offering splendid scenery, beaches, and swimming spots. The fact that we also got to witness a lunar eclipse while there helps to cement the destination in our memory. Even though taking a photo of the blood moon with my phone camera did not go well I have included the best of the many bad shots I took. It wasn't far from here, only a modest bus ride, where the entrance of Samaria Gorge can be found. It's a long path down through canyons where cool spring water flows even through the months desperate for rain. There are signs gently reminding people to not dirty the water in any way including, and explicitly pictured on it's own sign, the bathing of feet. I suppose the town at the river's mouth was sick of all the daily hiker’s feet tainting their drinking water. Even boiled and drank warm it couldn't pass as anyone's favorite tea flavor. And yes, I absolutely had that sequence of thoughts when I saw the sign. We were able to refrain from cooling off in the water since a coastline awaited us at the end with inviting emerald waters and the devilishness of black sands. Seriously, the enjoyment of watching people's confidence with the first couple of steps in the black sand instantly be replaced with a frantic cartoonish run for shady sand is hilarious. It still has me smiling when I think about it.

#travel #travelpics #wanderlust #passportlife #exploringtheglobe #greece #crete #islandlife #hiking #summer #lunareclipse #bloodmoon

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Previously only inhabited by fisherman and donkeys, and before that an ancient Minoan civilization, Santorini of the Greek Isles is now one of the most beautiful and sought-after tourist destinations. A giant caldera, this island experienced one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the history of Earth. The  eruption happened mid-second millennium BCE and was 100 times more powerful than the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980. It was so large that it was noticed and recorded in both Chinese and Egyptian ancient history books.

The eruption very much in the past, Santorini is now a dream. With white walls where the pink flowers pop, and more blue-domed churches than houses, it is quite a picturesque place to behold. The color of the surrounding sea is powerful shades of blue, and you can feel all around you that people are just simply happy to be there. The beauty almost works as a sedative, begging you to sit peacefully and feel grateful you are seeing it with your own eyes.

Despite the desire to sit at a cafe and just look around all day while sipping coffee, we were actually fairly active on the island. We walked quite a distance from Fira to Oia on a lovely footpath down to the sea, where we scrambled over some rocks to jump into the water. The following day was spent drinking beer on the incredibly hot black sand beaches. On our last day, on our way to the red sand beach (which, apparently, is top-optional – I mean, we were a little surprised, but you do you, booboo) we explored the ruins of Akrotiri, the Minoan settlement destroyed in the eruption. The site is housed in a giant warehouse where it is protected from the elements and it was really quite cool to see. Every moment on the island was wonderful, but we agree that one of the biggest highlights was a little restaurant with a name we can't remember and a beautiful view. We loved it so much, we went there twice and had the same thing – crispy pork pancetta like you've never known before. We look forward to returning to this beautiful island in the future.

#travel #greece #santorini #islandlife #vacation #oceanview #adventure #akrotiri #greek isles #wanderlust

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The weeks leading up to what I named “Yoga Camp,” or rather the 30-day/200-hour Yoga Teacher Training I signed up for at the beginning of this year, if I'm being honest, were filled with dread. Having been home-schooled until college, any time I am put into a classroom setting, I get nervous (but only until I'm there and then I'm the biggest, happiest nerd in the room). New people scare me a little. There's always a part of me that feels like I may not belong or be liked. However, I kept telling myself that I was doing this course for ME, for my education, for my soul; no matter what the process was like, good or bad, I was going to be leaving Rishikesh with a certificate to teach yoga and, of course, the knowledge that comes with it.

What I wasn't prepared for was how quickly I would fall in love with every one of my fellow students. I had a bit of a barrier up on day one. I was already preparing myself to settle into a difficult and uncomfortable 30 days. However, by the end of day two I had laughed so hard my abs and my face hurt. I became bonded to these people. I found in them friendship that felt as though it had always been there, like I'd known them my whole life. I think part of the beauty in enrolling and participating in a school where your goal is to learn yoga is that people, for the most part, are there to open up, to be vulnerable.

Vulnerability ended up being a big part of this course. We were together from 6:30 am until 8 pm every day for 30 days. 3-5 hours of those incredibly long days were spent pushing our physical limits in yoga asanas, trying new things, and trying to do old things the right way/better. The other hours were spent discussing the philosophy or anatomy of yoga, learning and trying to understand mind-boggling things. We used neti pots together in a giant circle, a couple of times (it's called a Shatkarma, or cleansing ritual). Some of us even threw up into those buckets in the same room together ON PURPOSE (another Shatkarma – I “accidentally” slept in that morning). When we weren't in class, we were out on the streets of Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh. While I would say there are certainly more difficult places to experience in India, there is still so much over-stimulation in that little town – so many people, so many cows, so many requests for selfies. When you are testing your boundaries every minute of the day, and in such close proximity to others, you become a little raw, or vulnerable. You have to be, in order to expand yourself to accept all that is coming at you. You have to be able to turn to the person next to you and say, “Wow, I'm not sure how much more I can handle today” in order for them to tell you “You are an amazing beam of light and you can and need to shine on.”

This course was so much more than down-dogs and savasanas. It was more than the course itself. It was all of the material and frustration combined with an environment and community that encourages personal growth and love for other beings: your teachers, the other students, all the cows and monkeys outside, people asking for selfies with you, even the annoying beetles in your room. Most importantly, it all combined to encourage you to have love for yourself – body, mind, soul.

I have always loved yoga - the physical portion of it anyway. My mother awakened this in me when I was a young girl by bringing home some books and a DVD on yoga from the library, but my knowledge stayed pretty limited until this summer. I am happy to know so much more about yoga than I did before starting the course, but there are years and years worth of studying ahead for me before I can really wrap my mind around what yoga actually is, and what it means for me. In the meantime, I look forward to trying to spread the knowledge I currently have and maybe help some folks find happiness in it along the way.

#travel #wanderlust #yogalife #yoga #vulnerability #rishikesh #india #love #neti pot #adventure #yogateacher