"Pasta is Lite"

Ciao Tutti (Hello All)
It has been nearly three weeks since my last post...holy mackeral! The internet situation is a bit challanging for me and unfortunately, today, the day I get to a high speed connection, I forget my camera. I planned to upload all my pics to show my first month in Italy (per several requests), and I apologize, but you will have to wait a bit longer. Excuse.

I have had so many different experiences over the last few weeks, externally and internally. I spent about a week and a half with a very relentless cold. I was able to examine how much the state of my physical Being affects my emotional wellness and vice versa. I was so fortunate to be with Marilina, who was very understanding and helpful. She is an amazing woman, and I am so blessed to have been brought to her farm. I left Puglia a week ago today to go to another farm in Briatica, Calabria. I could say many things, but the only thing necessary is to say that I was not comfortable there. When I decided I needed to leave, Marilina allowed me to come back to her farm to regroup and create a new plan. This experience brought a wonderful lesson, as well as a memorable demonstration of Natures support in my life. The lesson was, I don't have to CHOOSE to suffer. In spite of my discomfort I tried to convince myself that this was good for me...I should be able to transcend the situation. And what I realized is that growing in Consciousness is not about transcending misery (although I feel that this is a piece of the puzzle as well), it is about making life supporting decisions. It is about CHOOSING to go in a direction of greater happiness and fulfillment.

Once I made the choice to leave it was like everything fell into place. I was able to hitch a ride back to Puglia with my host. I arrived at the train station with only nine euros, and not knowing that I literaly had NO access to any cash because of a deposit misunderstanding. I broke down in tears in front of the station men, giving my dads hankie another workout, lololol!!! And this kind man talked to Marilina on the phone, took me onto his train, looked at me with the deepest compassion each time he passed through to check tickets, then drove me from where his train stopped to Martina Franca where Marilina picked me up. He didn't charge me a single euro, and it is because of his kindness that I made it back to Puglia safe and with a lighter heart. I will always be so touched and grateful for this.

So, I got to spend an extra five days with Marilina and will also be forever grateful to her for all the love she has given me. I am looking forward to the day she comes to the states and I can take her to Yogaville!

Tomorrow I leave again. I will be taking a bus to Catania. I must forgo Catanzaro for now, and trust that the opportunity to go will present itself if the time is right. I will be working the olive harvest for two weeks, and then possibly going to another farm for about two more. I discovered that Amma-ji will be in Milan the 15th of November so I will return to the north for that. Perhaps I will continue the tour until I leave for India on the first of December :)

I better get going. For anyone who wants to call me I have a number here 3886992783. And if you have the time update me on whats going on in your worlds, I feel a bit out of touch here :)

Love, peace, and Blessings