June 30th. Wow.

This is going to be a really imperfect post (working on that perfectionism streak, join me if you wish). I only have 30 minutes to write it, and then I’ll post. I think.

Notable events in June

• I went to Portland, OR, and loved every minute of it. I’ve been teaching Shiva Nata for three months, so it was awesome to (finally!) hug Havi and other fellow shivanauts in person, and get lots of smartnesses (underestimation) from the Shiva Nata teacher training.
• Went to Santa Cruz, CA – celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary. Sea lions are awesome. I totally loved the light, the air, the nature in Nothern California. If only it was a bit closer to Europe and the rest of the world!
• Wrapping up a couple of large projects at work. Doing it well! Filed under “useful experience”.

Best conversations in June

Don’t underestimate two guys in a bar

Setting: in a bar in Portland, talking to two guys in their forties. (I realize this makes me come across as a gal who hangs out at bars in unfamiliar cities talking to strangers. Believe me, totally not my style. Whatever, don’t believe me, I don’t care.)

Me: So, where do you guys work?

Guys: Oh, we work for Delta.

[Chatting about where everyone’s been and where people I going]

Me:  Wow, you are here for such a short time – just a very quick meeting, I guess?

Guys: Oh, we fly the planes.

Turns out, not everyone flies there to be there. Some people just fly to fly. Anyway, next time I will look more closely at their watches (pilots usually don’t adjust them to the local time) and haircuts (supposedly sharper than regular Americans).

Only going to take decades

Setting: sharing insights during the Shiva Nata class.

Me: So I really want to process everything I’ve learned and experienced at the Shiva Nata teacher training. And I just can’t! It does not come out! Ohmygod I think I’m suffering from the Apex effect!

L: Oh, I can definitely see it in you, that you are still processing it. It might take time. Some stuff takes years to process, even decades. It may even take a lifetime, you know?

Me: Goodness gracious, years?! Oh wait, is it a pattern again?

This is what I get when my student also happens to be a full-time spiritual teacher.

My 30 minutes are up! I am wrapping up, folks.

Other memorable stuff: TEDxHouston, some fascinating work-related events that I can’t blog about, and the decision to write more about non-localization stuff on this blog. Still thinking how to do it graciously and wondering what people who find this place by searching for “zanzibar jokes” and “questions to ask before you localize” will think. How is that for the start?

That’s it for June! What are you people up to?