May 25 through June 1

Carlsbad, California

I chose to fly instead of taking the bus mainly because of logistics.  One of the transfer spots on the bus was only a twenty minute layover.  Since most of the buses have run thirty minutes to an hour late . . . I didn't want to invite trouble.  So I just flew, and it worked out perfectly.  My roommate, Donna, flew in at almost the same time, we met at baggage, picked up the rental car, and drove up to Carlsbad to our motel.  It was perfect.

It was a whirlwind week of full class days, late study nights, and testing almost every day.  Some of the testing was a bit stressful, but mostly it was an incredibly wonderful experience.  Mostly the testing was stressful because I wasn't properly prepared for the class.  I had intended to study on the road, but that didn't exactly work out.  So there were some late nights!  But they were still fun and filled with laughs with Donna, my roommate, and Debra, our pal from our yoga class.

The Chopra Center was beautiful at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.  There was an awesome display of beautiful flowers in many vibrant colors.  We'd have lunch at a different ethnic restaurant each day.  And classes not only had testing nearly every day, but had excellent speakers, and a meditation intensive of an hour and a half each day.  I was tired and a bit stressed, but very peaceful!

We all graduated on Sunday after having a wonderful ayurvedic lunch.  Then a few of us went to the market place in Encinitas, which was kind of a woo woo flea market.  They had stuff from India, and crystals, and jewelry, and an assortment of other cool things.  After that we went to the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas.  It was a very peaceful place, overlooking the ocean.  They had some beautiful flowers, also, including a very cool black "flower."

Then Debra and I drove up to Los Angeles where she dropped me off at my cousin's, which "coincidentally" (I don't believe in coincidence) was five minutes from where she was staying.  Los Angeles is huge, and the two places could have been an hour or more apart, but they were only five minutes.  How awesome is that!?