2011 & Colorado

Catching the sight of prairies and mountains

Now that we have entered 2011, i feel that we are actually living the 21st Century. We are a whole decade into it. YAY! This year feels like a great refreshing beginning that is filled with many opportunities to explore and follow thru on. 2010 was challenging and heavy at times but i’d like to believe that was all in preparation for the great potential we now have as we attain to reach our goals and priorities.

I started this year by traveling to Colorado. I always want to leave the country but traveling within is also a great blessing with many surprises. Colorado was very beautiful, super chill, and nice. It was beautiful because of the snow, the mountains, the air, the prairies, the sky, the rock formations, the trees, and the birds. Everything in nature was beautiful and gorgeous. It was chill and chilly, i’ve never been in such cold temperature. But i realized that being cold is a state of mind … and it also depends on proper clothing attire. I didn’t realize that there’s a whole industry around making clothes and sportswear to keep bodies warm. It should have been common sense, but in my defense, Im a Cali city girl. Its warm year round. Sure it rains and it feels cold, but it’s winter now and its almost 80 degrees outside.

Colorado was also nice. People were nice. Coming from L.A. i was on heightened awareness mode. In other words, i was looking around, waiting for someone to trip on me, or give me a weird look, be disrespectful, or not want to take my order at a restaurant. It might be an L.A. thing or a person of color thing. Traveling to the west side places me on that mode, so when traveling out of my comfort zone, i was just waiting and wondering for something to occur. It’s happened before. But in Colorado, no one was tripping and neither was i. People were friendly and they’re acknowledging of your being. Wow. I went to the grocery store and people were aware of one another, couples were shopping, people would say excuse me in a gentle way, and make eye contact with one another. Im sorry to say that in Los Angeles, that is not the culture amongst strangers….

My friend Karinna whom we stayed with while in Co. said it best, “People here make time for each other”. In L.A., people dont have time for one another. I dont know how many times ive scheduled hanging out with my friends 3 weeks in advance. As a spiritual being trying to have a human experience, living in a city can be problematic. Our interactions can be mechanical, rushed, or stressful. It is challenging, but eventually you find love and make friends and community in this city.

All in all, i want to keep getting to know other parts of the States. I’d like to visit my friend in New York. I’d like to see more of California, its a beautiful coastal state and im very lucky to live here. (despite my rantings, more on living and loving in L.A. in the next blog). Im excited for 2011, and after only a couple of weeks into it, im having to remind myself the purpose for this year: Finding my balance and harmonizing with life. Its time i get back in sync with my path, my creativity, my health, my spirit, and the cosmos.