It's all Greek to me!

This week we've been traveling light around the beautiful Greek islands. A couple of days ago we traveled from Crete to Santorini, one of the most dramatic and magical island with great natural wonders in the Aegean Sea. Once there, we decided to visit New Kameni one of two small volcanic islands just off the coast, especially after hearing about its natural thermal springs which are known to have therapeutic and healing properties.

We left the port a couple of hours before sunset in an old wooden boat which sliced beautifully through the deep blue water towards the barren island. As we approached the island we could see fascinating lava formations rising out of the sea like statues, and along the shore the rocks were painted an orange yellow color from the sulphur breathing out of the still active volcano. As we got closer the blue water turned a murky dark yellow color and there was a distinct smell of sulphur emitting from the volcano. Our boat couldn't go any further as the rocks closed in around us, so our guide showed us a path we could swim to reach the natural hot springs.

The warm water caused by underwater venting from the live volcano felt like a hot tub, and as we swam further in it continued to heat up around us. The water is full of minerals and salts which is great for the skin, so much so that many people rub the soft volcanic reddish brown mud on their arms and face as a treatment. Our guide also shared how it's very healing for joints and has been knows to help ease and rid arthritis.

It felt like something out of 'Lord of the Rings' as the heat and huge dark rocks rose up around us with no sign of sea life to be found. I could feel the land breathing and evolving around us and found myself to be suddenly humbled by it's power which left me feeling so small in it's presence. Being there made me realize how strangely beautiful this dramatic atmosphere was and how beauty comes in many forms... sometimes in places we least expect.



It was such a wonderful experience, topped off by arriving home just in time to see the sun set, painting the blue sky hues of pink and orange as it departed.

So beautiful, so thankful!

With love and light always.x

Calm in the eye of the storm

I've always loved this quote and couldn't have found it to be more true while on my recent trip to New York.

I lived and worked in Manhattan when I was twenty one, and ever since I have always had a love/hate relationship with New York. I loved the excitement of the night life, being surrounded by a melting pot of different cultures and the opportunities that seemed to be around every corner. The flip side to that was how overwhelmed I felt by the constant rush of it all. I never felt truly happy nor at peace living there - dwarfed by the buildings, the constant noise and the over-crowded streets. It left me feeling anxious and searching for a place that would bring me a sense of peace.

The city that never sleeps didn't disappoint as I arrived to what felt like a heightened case of insomnia! There was the familiar noise of surround sound traffic, private conversations spilling out from every corner and endless streams of people frantically trying to get to where they were going. 

This was the Manhattan I remembered and the perfect ingredients for an overwhelming assault on the senses; a far cry from the peace, calm and tranquility I had discovered on the beautiful deserted island, just off the coast of Thailand, only a few months earlier.

The next morning I awoke to the hectic, extroverted, insomniac who was clearly enticing me to join in. With its bright lights and rush of energy pulling me into the eye of the storm, I walked around expecting the familiar negative feelings to surface. After a while however, I started to notice I was feeling the same sense of peace and calm that I had felt in Thailand. 

It seemed strange being that theses two islands are at polar opposites with one another! The bright neon lights of Times Square compared to the golden morning sun that shimmered like glitter across the ocean. The sound of car horns and crowds that surrounded and occupied every bit of breathing space available, versus the sound of the waves lapping quietly at the shore with only the distant hum of a fishing boat on its way home. The cold winter wind that became increasingly more so as the day turned to night was the opposite to the balmy blanket of tropical warmth that allowed little clothing and a great does of vitamin D! Yes the two islands couldn't have been more different if they tried, but I discovered that somehow I felt the same on both. 

As I thought about it, I realized that this had less to do with where I was geographically and more to do with the place I have come to within myself. 

Unshaken by my hectic surroundings as I once was, I felt the same amount of wonder, gratitude and peace as I did when I was on the deserted island.  Finally I understood the true meaning of the quote that I have loved for all these years! Yes there will be times when our surroundings will dictate how we feel inside, but if we really take the time to know who we are internally, then regardless of our external, ever changing, unpredictable adventure that is life - we'll always have a consistent, quiet and safe place to go that's ever present, all knowing and at peace know matter where we are in life.

Knowing who you are is so important. It helps to create balance, calm and a deeper sense of happiness through out life. In my opinion, taking the time to nurture the relationship with yourself through meditation, time alone or just doing what you love is priceless and will allow you to get to a place where you will always be at peace, no matter where you are.

I know that over the last few years, my deeper understanding and sense of who I am, has allowed me to get to this place where I can finally trust myself and that all will be okay... whether on a deserted island or in a crowded city, I discovered on this trip that the peace and calm I was searching for all those years ago was within me all along. As long as I stay truly connected to who I am, there it will always remain... and for that I am truly grateful!

This was a beautiful lesson to have experienced first hand on my travels, but you can find it right here, right now... And if you already have, how wonderful! :)

With love and light always.x

Turn that frown upside down

Whilst traveling around Thailand over the last few weeks, one thing I've noticed is how everyone here greets each other with a smile - both friends and strangers. It got me thinking about how in cities we conscientiously try to avoid each other. We might be feeling great inside, but we still carry on not stopping to greet or acknowledge one another without so much as a nod, let alone a smile. As a result, I've often found myself feeling so isolated in the busiest of places such as London and New York. I could walk around for hours without interacting with anyone. How strange it is to feel so alone surrounded by so many people.

Here, I have felt continuously surrounded by such friendly, warm and welcoming people.  What makes them so friendly? Yes the sunshine and beautiful surroundings help. Perhaps it's because I'm a tourist (although locals greet each warmly as well)? I can't help but feel though that it's more than that.  When they smile, they smile with their eyes (unlike I did when forced to smile as a teenager!). So much so that you cant help but to feel that it comes from a genuine and authentic place. In turn you can't help but to smile back.  

A lovely woman I met here called 'Mook'

It's as contagious as a yawn and as uplifting as a compliment. From the local markets and busy streets, to the beaches and the jungle, everywhere I go I could not have felt more acknowledged and welcome. It makes you feel so connected to one another. Even with a language barrier, a smile says so much.

Mother and baby at the local market

Thinking about how I feel when someone smiles at me on the streets back home, although uplifted and slightly surprised at first, sadly too often my mind turns to questioning their intentions. What a shame. There are many loving and friendly people in the world who all could benefit from the healing and wonderful feeling that comes from a sharing and receiving a smile. With so much to be grateful for and so much to smile about, why not?

Before embarking on this trip, I got all my vaccinations for everything one could catch while traveling abroad. Turns out, I did end up catching something while i've been away, which I will happily be bringing back home - a new found reason to smile… something I hope people won't mind catching, and hopefully passing on! :)

Love & Light.x

The Elephant in the Room

Over the last couple of years, I have found myself becoming increasingly detached from the world outside of my own. Waking up to a list of to-dos, fueled by caffeine and surrounded by an endless stream of chatter spewing from every media outlet, I have found it increasingly difficult to find the time to think, let alone find time to be compassionate for those in need outside of my own day to day existence. 

There are so many events occurring every day, both good and bad. It’s understandable why many of us are slowly becoming numb to it all and detaching slightly in order to stay sane in our already overwhelming and demanding lives. That said, there's clearly a fine line where detaching can foster a lack of compassion for anything outside of ourselves. Sadly this is becoming more and more common today.

A few months ago I began to feel more aware of my detachment and decided to face it by helping a cause of some sort - anything that would reconnect me with something going on in the world outside of my own. After some online research I decided I would volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I've always loved animals and have been particularly fascinated by elephants. Thailand has also always been on my list of places I’d like to explore!

So I wrote to the sanctuary, reserved a place with their volunteer program and a few months later left my urban jungle to venture into the real jungle!

Unlike many of the elephant sanctuaries set up to attract tourists, this one doesn't force the elephants to do tricks or tasks for our entertainment, but rather just allows them to be themselves, while we help to feed and bath them in their wonderful foster home. It's heartbreaking to hear about the elephants' individual back stories - how they where rescued and why they were taken into the center - this place really helps to make a difference.

The experience could not have been more rewarding, inspiring and insightful in so many ways. It really was an honor to spend time in the presence of thirty or so elephants. Surrounded by the lush green jungle, I stood hearing the sounds of exotic birds in the canopies over head while watching the elephants soak in the river which calmly flowed through the sanctuary on its way downstream. These immense, beautiful animals move with such grace and possess such remarkable intelligence. Hearing the deep breaths, distant calls and almost prehistoric rumbles of these wonderful giants towering above, I found myself completely in the moment and far away from the world I had created back home.

I realized, looking into their expressive eyes, that all of us really need to remain connected, and (without sounding too new age!) I began to remember that we really are all one, sharing this planet together, breathing the same air and ultimately living this experience called life. 

Its easy to feel separated from different cultures by masses of water and land, and that the plight of others don't matter, especially if they are of a different species many miles away...but in truth though we're all affected whether we choose to ignore it or not. Spending time here really opened my eyes to this, and brought me from feeling numb into feeling happily connected with life again. This was a wonderful lesson for me.

Me and Medow the Elephant (I'm on the right)

Of course we don’t need to travel thousands of miles to find compassion or to take us out of the craziness, I feel we just need to acknowledge the presence of others outside of our own immediate lives and have gratitude for this life we all share together.

For those who might like to visit an elephant sanctuary, I would highly recommend the one I visited. Here's the link - http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/


Love & Light.x