My life these days could not be better! I’m several pounds lighter, active  every day, eat healthy (most days), avoid alcohol, and take no medications. Turns out being happy with myself and content with my own life really is the best medicine!

If we are happy with ourselves, we are better for our family, friends, and everyone we come in touch with in our lives. Good vibrations really can make a difference. So step out of your comfort zone and into the unknown, spread your wings and let your SoulBird fly!

Trying new foods is one of the great pleasures of travel. Sometimes it’s easy to make healthy choices. The street food in northern Thailand was amazing – cooked fresh right in front of you at incredibly cheap prices.

However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating well on the road can also be a challenge. It’s easy to make excuses for “little indulgences”.  Case in point – an extra 5-10 pounds I gained enjoying great baked goods in Ireland.

Walking and staying active definitely helps, but what we put into our bodies makes a huge difference in how we look and feel, and more importantly our energy levels. Traveling has opened my eyes to many new possibilities and ideas for eating well and living a healthy lifestyle.

Step one is to think, daydream, about what you really want to do. What is your vision for travel or your future dreams? Maybe start a wish list. It’s sort of like a bucket list, but somehow wish list sounds better. iWish is a fun app to get you started. Think about what makes your heart sing, brings you happiness, brings joy and excitement to your day. Maybe your dream isn’t even travel related – whatever it is – if you dream, and believe it, you can make it happen. 

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”  ~ Vincent van Gogh

Have you ever had great anticipation for something only to find it is not what you expected, or in this case much harder to accomplish than you expected? I have wanted to learn to sail for years, and always enjoy a chance to photograph sailboats. The picture in my mind of just gliding across the water didn’t follow through to the actual skills involved.

I have always heard that travel changes a person, but had no idea at the start of this journey how profound these changes would be.

It all started with the planning process and the letting go of “things” almost an entire year before setting out for Ecuador. I had no idea what freedom would come with the simplicity of having only a few material possessions. It’s hard to believe I was recently able to fit all my worldly possessions into one vehicle, but more about that later.

Vilcabamba – what can I say about Vilcabamba – paradise, oasis, sanctuary? It was a place like no other that I visited in Ecuador or anyplace else for that matter. Nestled in the Southern Andes it is referred to as the Longevity Valley. It is unclear why, but there are stories of an uncommon number of residents over the age of 100. Some theories behind this phenomenon are the minerals in the water, the healthy diet, exercise, and laid back lifestyle.

Our next stop was Ingapirca, an Inca-Canari archaeological site. My guide David shared interesting facts about the history of the area along with details of the exceptional stonecutting done by the Incas.

On day 18 of my 25 day road trip in Ecuador, we drove from Banos to Alausi. Like so many other days on the road, it was full of amazing landscapes, beautiful Andean indigenous people, and interesting sites along the way.

Baños de Agua Santa, commonly referred to as Baños, was the perfect place to rejuvenate and “clean myself up” after four days in the jungle. While staying at the Sangay Spa Hotel right next to a beautiful waterfall, I was able to send my clothes out to actually be laundered in something other than dirty sink water; took a long, hot shower with clean water; and got a much needed mani/pedi to dig out the remainder of the jungle mud. All that followed by an awesome Ayurvedic massage (the prices are very cheap here for massages) and I felt like a new person! It was so relaxing to take leisurely walks around the peaceful, tranquil city.

In Ecuador the jungle area is called the Oriente. It is on the eastern side of the country and even though it encompasses almost half of Ecuador’s territory it has less than five percent of the total population.

My trip to the Cuyabeno reserve in the Amazon began with a 30-minute flight from Quito to Lago Agrio (I swear when I got off the plane it smelled green).

While I’ve enjoyed all the people of Ecuador,  the beautiful countryside and the people who live in the indigenous communities  have really intrigued me.  They are obviously strong, hard working people.

The women, even the very elderly, always have a baby, an animal, or something on their back as they walk up and down these mountains and hills. Quite often there would be large groups working the fields.  Even more amazing to me is how most continue to dress in their traditional clothing. Each group has their own individual style, colors, or hats which makes it easy to distinguish what region they are from. There is a peacefulness about the smooth skinned women with the shy smiles and men with long braids down their backs that is so interesting

On day 10 of my 25 day road trip we drove to National Park Cotopaxi. Unfortunately as we began the hike to the refuge from 14000 ft. to 15000 ft and then on to the glacier, I had my first problem with altitude since arriving in Ecuador. My head began to pound and I started having tunnel vision, so we came back down. I’ll have to try and tackle that one again the next time I’m in Ecuador!

After a three day snow delay in St. Louis, I arrived in Quito, Ecuador to be greeted at the airport by my warm and friendly Spanish teacher, Mariana. I was welcomed into her home along with a young man from England and a retired couple from Colorado. Living with Mariana, her husband Frank, and children Jon Pierre and Marie Jose was a wonderful experience.

Their home is in the Los Chillos Valley with a beautiful view of Quito and the mountains. I felt a little like a kid at camp as I settled into my bed and slept soundly to the sounds of clicking frogs, barking dogs, and roosters (who seem to think 4 am is a good time to rise).

“The presence of dignity doesn’t mean poverty is absent.”

This sentence truly hits me in the heart of what I witnessed last week on my trip with the Compassion International Sponsorship Tour to Nicaragua. My first impressions were more distant – seeing the homes and destitute situations from our air-conditioned bus; attending worship services at Be Tania Baptist Church in Ciudad Sandino; even the visit to the project in Hilario Sanchez where the children greeted us with smiles, laughter, and a beautiful program of music and dance. None of this prepared me for the heartbreak I felt after walking down a dirt road to visit a rural family home.

After a brief conversation with Carlos at the counter I learn there is not another flight to Richmond today, but he could get me to Norfolk. If I am willing to do this he can give me a round trip ticket anywhere AirTran or Southwest flies in the next year. Norfolk is not that much further from Fort Lee – sounds like a good deal for me! Plus, I feel so good when the father who had forgotten to check in for the flight  thanks me as he stands holding his little girls hand wandering if they are going to make this flight. I can hang out at the airport much easier than they would be able to.