Happy New Year!
As I’m with family in the midst of a majestic snow flurry in Minnesota, I’m sending you warm hugs for the holidays and best wishes for a loving, fulfilling, and prosperous 2009.
Many of you know about the history of my traditionally long holiday letters. Though I’d gotten too busy over the last few years to get the annual tales written, when several people recently told me they missed their holiday bedtime reading and another shared that I’d changed his daughter’s life with my tales of adventure, I decided to figure out some ways to keep up with the stories and communicating more often. Even if one young (or old) person feels touched or inspired by another and goes on to help make the world a better place, it’s worth the effort!
I’m playing with both Facebook and a blog (bgalyen.blogspot.com) to see if one or both of them might be the answer to staying in better touch. If you’re like my brothers, you may prefer to opt for the “short” versions. If you’re like other friends who enjoy the detailed stories and pictures, I’ll work on setting that up too and you can make requests for areas of interest. In the future, I'll just keep up with my blogging and pictures as the experiences take place. If you sign up as a "subscriber" to the blog, you will be alerted on any updates.
As I’m with family in the midst of a majestic snow flurry in Minnesota, I’m sending you warm hugs for the holidays and best wishes for a loving, fulfilling, and prosperous 2009.
Many of you know about the history of my traditionally long holiday letters. Though I’d gotten too busy over the last few years to get the annual tales written, when several people recently told me they missed their holiday bedtime reading and another shared that I’d changed his daughter’s life with my tales of adventure, I decided to figure out some ways to keep up with the stories and communicating more often. Even if one young (or old) person feels touched or inspired by another and goes on to help make the world a better place, it’s worth the effort!
I’m playing with both Facebook and a blog (bgalyen.blogspot.com) to see if one or both of them might be the answer to staying in better touch. If you’re like my brothers, you may prefer to opt for the “short” versions. If you’re like other friends who enjoy the detailed stories and pictures, I’ll work on setting that up too and you can make requests for areas of interest. In the future, I'll just keep up with my blogging and pictures as the experiences take place. If you sign up as a "subscriber" to the blog, you will be alerted on any updates.
As I learn these new technologies, please bear with me...
Reflections on 2008
Every year appears to fly by faster, but 2008 truly did quickly disappeared! At the same time as I take this opportunity to reflect on the major moments, I realize that it was quite an eventful year filled with remarkable gifts AND “interesting” challenges. There seldom seems to be dull moments in my life and this year was no exception.
Here are the “highlights.” If you’d like more info, just send me an email and I’ll rustle up the more detailed stories.
January
The first month of the year provided an opportunity to count my blessings while spending time with loved ones dealing with health challenges. You never know when a serious illness might hit which emphasizes the importance of living each day to the fullest - carpe diem. Both a close business partner and a dearly loved uncle faced major health hurdles so the beginning of 2008 was a time to spend special time with each one.
Much of my last Christmas holiday was spent supporting my close associate Carol in the hospital. Reading to her, rubbing her back, playing holiday Angel, and just spending such rare interrupted time together brought a new meaning to the holidays and connecting at a deeper level. She’s now doing great which says something about tenacity and being surrounded in love! Her friends really rallied to the cause and we enjoyed a big celebration together to applaud her recovery.
I decided I’d prefer visiting folks while we can still communicate well, so I next hopped a plane to my birthplace of North Dakota to visit my uncle and cousins. In addition to enjoying a nice visit with relatives, I got to experience the 20 below zero weather which catapulted my family to California when I was young. Being raised on a farm out in the country, my dad just could not handle the below freezing winters! Even though I could now understand my dad's desire for warmer terrain, I had an absolute ball with my cousin Mike flying through cornfields, careening down forest paths, and skidding across a frozen lake on the back of a snowmobile. Wow – what fun! It was a joy spending time in the midst of my mother's side of the family and early roots. My uncle has had an up and down year but is still hanging in there. See the film "Fargo" to understand more about having a North Dakota experience : )
February
Most of February was spent on the work front. My company Bridge the Gap Consulting, Inc continues to grow and is doing well. At the beginning of the year, I enjoyed several new clients plus retreats and coaching with one of my favorite companies – Genentech. They are a bio-tech firm in the Bay Area that conducts important research in the medical field. Spending time in Colorado ended up being a big part of this month where I met with a new client, visited several groups of fun friends in Denver, then attended a great workshop in charming Boulder. The workshop with a new partner called Coversant hosted interesting participants and communication content which I find helpful for my trainings.
March
A highlight at the beginning of the month was a visit from Kenya close friend Carla Viezee. Several professional assistants were a big help in pulling my business to a higher level which is where I put a lot of focus at the beginning of the year. In addition to my Bridge the Gap contracts, I continue to be a master coach for Liveoutloud which keeps me busy every month. Coaching clients are all over the world so Skype (ID Barbananda) has become a great tool for communicating regardless of where I am!
Reflections on 2008
Every year appears to fly by faster, but 2008 truly did quickly disappeared! At the same time as I take this opportunity to reflect on the major moments, I realize that it was quite an eventful year filled with remarkable gifts AND “interesting” challenges. There seldom seems to be dull moments in my life and this year was no exception.
Here are the “highlights.” If you’d like more info, just send me an email and I’ll rustle up the more detailed stories.
January
The first month of the year provided an opportunity to count my blessings while spending time with loved ones dealing with health challenges. You never know when a serious illness might hit which emphasizes the importance of living each day to the fullest - carpe diem. Both a close business partner and a dearly loved uncle faced major health hurdles so the beginning of 2008 was a time to spend special time with each one.
Much of my last Christmas holiday was spent supporting my close associate Carol in the hospital. Reading to her, rubbing her back, playing holiday Angel, and just spending such rare interrupted time together brought a new meaning to the holidays and connecting at a deeper level. She’s now doing great which says something about tenacity and being surrounded in love! Her friends really rallied to the cause and we enjoyed a big celebration together to applaud her recovery.
I decided I’d prefer visiting folks while we can still communicate well, so I next hopped a plane to my birthplace of North Dakota to visit my uncle and cousins. In addition to enjoying a nice visit with relatives, I got to experience the 20 below zero weather which catapulted my family to California when I was young. Being raised on a farm out in the country, my dad just could not handle the below freezing winters! Even though I could now understand my dad's desire for warmer terrain, I had an absolute ball with my cousin Mike flying through cornfields, careening down forest paths, and skidding across a frozen lake on the back of a snowmobile. Wow – what fun! It was a joy spending time in the midst of my mother's side of the family and early roots. My uncle has had an up and down year but is still hanging in there. See the film "Fargo" to understand more about having a North Dakota experience : )
February
Most of February was spent on the work front. My company Bridge the Gap Consulting, Inc continues to grow and is doing well. At the beginning of the year, I enjoyed several new clients plus retreats and coaching with one of my favorite companies – Genentech. They are a bio-tech firm in the Bay Area that conducts important research in the medical field. Spending time in Colorado ended up being a big part of this month where I met with a new client, visited several groups of fun friends in Denver, then attended a great workshop in charming Boulder. The workshop with a new partner called Coversant hosted interesting participants and communication content which I find helpful for my trainings.
March
A highlight at the beginning of the month was a visit from Kenya close friend Carla Viezee. Several professional assistants were a big help in pulling my business to a higher level which is where I put a lot of focus at the beginning of the year. In addition to my Bridge the Gap contracts, I continue to be a master coach for Liveoutloud which keeps me busy every month. Coaching clients are all over the world so Skype (ID Barbananda) has become a great tool for communicating regardless of where I am!
I attended a helpful Marketoutloud workshop which will set the tone for a larger focus on marketing and sales in 2009. With the economy changing, strategies for moving forward need to change too! With the type of positive (transformative) focus that my work takes, there are actually more opportunities these days, not fewer. What is that old saying about “cream” rising to the top? More important is Gandhi's quote about BEING the change you want to see in the world. I working on "living the values" I embrace.
April
I spent several weeks working in Colorado during April and ended up having quite a crazy experience. In the midst of conducting a number of workshops, I completely lost my voice which was a first. I was able to get through the first round then I did the next group by having previous participants join me on stage and they were brilliant! However, with the strains on the "no voice" I had to take a break before the next round - the over-extending definitely took me down. This put me in CO for an extra week and I ended up being nursed back to good health by my wonderful aunt and uncle – Kathleen and Hank Fisher.
While it was a bummer being so sick, it was a complete gift spending the time with them! A lot can be said for warm chicken soup and being surrounded with loving, supportive energy. My aunt’s only upset was that she wanted to hear my latest tales but I had absolutely NO voice. As a result, along with a steamer to help me breathe, she bought me a writing board to help me communicate. We learned a whole new mode of communication. My aunt was even the voice for a major client whose contract I ended up winning - yahoo! An added bonus was also hanging out with their daughter Amy and Amy's son Patrick. An experience I will definitely not forget any time soon.
May
At the end of April and all of May, I spent five weeks in Costa Rica where I got to experience a great deal of fun and gratitude along with a supreme test of patience and fortitude. While there I discovered both the delights and challenges of some Costa Rica medical programs (check that new white smile), I linked up with several work connections, I met some great friends of friends, I explored interesting ex-pat enclaves, and I enjoyed an Alumni meeting with Liveoutloud. It was quite an all-encompassing trip!
While I thought this might be my answer for a place to retire, after investigating quite a bit of property and locations, I decided this was not my first choice. I find Costa Rica a nice place to visit but not a country where I want to live full time. While the country is beautiful, prices are already high and I didn’t find a community of people where I felt a great deal of resonance overall. I will definitely go back to visit again, but the search is still on for the perfect retirement location – Thailand or ??? Perhaps multiple locations at this point.
June
After being gone for so long, the first couple of weeks in June were spent simply regrouping on the home-front and catching up with work. Then in mid June, I started another marathon trip itinerary when I met my parents in Cape Cod for an interesting trip on the east coast. After spending a week exploring the Cape, we enjoyed ambling through the eastern seaboard where we visited the mansions in Rhode Island, the whaler museums in various seaports, and then the casinos in Atlantic City. What a contrast! As always, I most enjoyed just hanging with my folks. We travel well together and been travel companions in many parts of the globe.
We then spent a heartening week with my dad's side of the family - the Poole Clan - at a big family reunion in an old time resort in the Poconos. (For those of you who don't know, Galyen was a married name that I've simply kept all of these years) What a treat it is to spend time with relatives that we don’t see very often! Watching the young ones grow up so quickly is always amazing. My cousin Pam had a young daughter named Sophie who became an extra appendage to me – adorable and smart! She looks like a daughter that I never had so I hope to be a positive infuence in her life as she grows up.
April
I spent several weeks working in Colorado during April and ended up having quite a crazy experience. In the midst of conducting a number of workshops, I completely lost my voice which was a first. I was able to get through the first round then I did the next group by having previous participants join me on stage and they were brilliant! However, with the strains on the "no voice" I had to take a break before the next round - the over-extending definitely took me down. This put me in CO for an extra week and I ended up being nursed back to good health by my wonderful aunt and uncle – Kathleen and Hank Fisher.
While it was a bummer being so sick, it was a complete gift spending the time with them! A lot can be said for warm chicken soup and being surrounded with loving, supportive energy. My aunt’s only upset was that she wanted to hear my latest tales but I had absolutely NO voice. As a result, along with a steamer to help me breathe, she bought me a writing board to help me communicate. We learned a whole new mode of communication. My aunt was even the voice for a major client whose contract I ended up winning - yahoo! An added bonus was also hanging out with their daughter Amy and Amy's son Patrick. An experience I will definitely not forget any time soon.
May
At the end of April and all of May, I spent five weeks in Costa Rica where I got to experience a great deal of fun and gratitude along with a supreme test of patience and fortitude. While there I discovered both the delights and challenges of some Costa Rica medical programs (check that new white smile), I linked up with several work connections, I met some great friends of friends, I explored interesting ex-pat enclaves, and I enjoyed an Alumni meeting with Liveoutloud. It was quite an all-encompassing trip!
While I thought this might be my answer for a place to retire, after investigating quite a bit of property and locations, I decided this was not my first choice. I find Costa Rica a nice place to visit but not a country where I want to live full time. While the country is beautiful, prices are already high and I didn’t find a community of people where I felt a great deal of resonance overall. I will definitely go back to visit again, but the search is still on for the perfect retirement location – Thailand or ??? Perhaps multiple locations at this point.
June
After being gone for so long, the first couple of weeks in June were spent simply regrouping on the home-front and catching up with work. Then in mid June, I started another marathon trip itinerary when I met my parents in Cape Cod for an interesting trip on the east coast. After spending a week exploring the Cape, we enjoyed ambling through the eastern seaboard where we visited the mansions in Rhode Island, the whaler museums in various seaports, and then the casinos in Atlantic City. What a contrast! As always, I most enjoyed just hanging with my folks. We travel well together and been travel companions in many parts of the globe.
We then spent a heartening week with my dad's side of the family - the Poole Clan - at a big family reunion in an old time resort in the Poconos. (For those of you who don't know, Galyen was a married name that I've simply kept all of these years) What a treat it is to spend time with relatives that we don’t see very often! Watching the young ones grow up so quickly is always amazing. My cousin Pam had a young daughter named Sophie who became an extra appendage to me – adorable and smart! She looks like a daughter that I never had so I hope to be a positive infuence in her life as she grows up.
In addition to enjoying the kids, we never get tired of hearing the stories from my dad and his siblings. Since some of them have already passed away, it makes the time with the remaining group all the more cherished. Their tales of growing up on the farm and dealing with things like sleigh rides to school and no running water always intrigue us. The story of the long walk to the one room school house was real for them! We still can’t quite imagine that outhouse in the midst of winter. On this current trip, it's cold enough to dread venturing from the bedroom to the inside bathroom.
July
Once the reunion ended, I took advantage of being on the east coast and headed for New York City. I spent an absolutely delightful week with my good friend Sally (from Kenya days) and her significant other Brian. In addition to enjoying many of the fun activities in NYC with them, I got to spend special time with old friend Chris (Germany days), see Heidi from IRC (Africa era), connect with several work contacts then followed by exploring all kinds of new places with great buddy Wendy from Kenya. We actually took a walking tour of the old part of town and the Wall Street area which was absolutely fascinating. Spending July 4th with other folks from Kenya made the whole week quite the international experience! Lots of reminiscing. I always have lots of fun in New York and this trip was no exception.
The rest of the month saw more local activities back in CA highlighted by a trip to Harbin Hot Springs. My close friend Deb (from India) and her sister Suzanne were there updating Watsu skills which is a flotation practice that simply warms the heart and body. You feel like you're being cradled and rocked like a baby. I took my Austrian friend Karin to enjoy an American version of hot springs complete with the non-conservative activities of Harbin. We enjoyed the healthy food, contact dancing, reading time, and simple relaxation. As always, I ran into old friends and connected with some new work contacts in Harbin. It's a place that's helpful for reviving the mind, body, and soul!
August
August was my trip to China which became one of the most remarkable experiences I’ve enjoyed in my lifetime! The previous year I had met some wonderful friends temporarily living in Tiburon who were visiting from Beijing (John, Isabella, Catherine, and baby Benjamin was born in CA). We felt an immediate bond with each other and spent some fun times while they were in CA. A cultural highlight for them was when I dressed them all up (including Grandma) for Halloween and we went trick-or-treating. Little Catherine just squealed with delight as she collected a whole bag of candy. It was very sad to say "good by" when it was time for them to leave.
July
Once the reunion ended, I took advantage of being on the east coast and headed for New York City. I spent an absolutely delightful week with my good friend Sally (from Kenya days) and her significant other Brian. In addition to enjoying many of the fun activities in NYC with them, I got to spend special time with old friend Chris (Germany days), see Heidi from IRC (Africa era), connect with several work contacts then followed by exploring all kinds of new places with great buddy Wendy from Kenya. We actually took a walking tour of the old part of town and the Wall Street area which was absolutely fascinating. Spending July 4th with other folks from Kenya made the whole week quite the international experience! Lots of reminiscing. I always have lots of fun in New York and this trip was no exception.
The rest of the month saw more local activities back in CA highlighted by a trip to Harbin Hot Springs. My close friend Deb (from India) and her sister Suzanne were there updating Watsu skills which is a flotation practice that simply warms the heart and body. You feel like you're being cradled and rocked like a baby. I took my Austrian friend Karin to enjoy an American version of hot springs complete with the non-conservative activities of Harbin. We enjoyed the healthy food, contact dancing, reading time, and simple relaxation. As always, I ran into old friends and connected with some new work contacts in Harbin. It's a place that's helpful for reviving the mind, body, and soul!
August
August was my trip to China which became one of the most remarkable experiences I’ve enjoyed in my lifetime! The previous year I had met some wonderful friends temporarily living in Tiburon who were visiting from Beijing (John, Isabella, Catherine, and baby Benjamin was born in CA). We felt an immediate bond with each other and spent some fun times while they were in CA. A cultural highlight for them was when I dressed them all up (including Grandma) for Halloween and we went trick-or-treating. Little Catherine just squealed with delight as she collected a whole bag of candy. It was very sad to say "good by" when it was time for them to leave.
After returning to China, they invited me to come visit them in Beijing and suggested that I come during the Olympics! This sounded like a great plan to me. The Olympics was definitely on my list of "1,000 Things To Do Before I Die" - a book I highly recommend if you haven't seen it. Their English tutor Sharon wanted to visit at the same time so we became the perfect "travel team." Being in a country where many people don't speak English, we knew it would be helpful to have each other. We already knew enough about John and Isabella to understand that they'd often be busy while we were there!
Our five weeks in China turned out to be an absolute dream come true. The family lives in one of the wealthiest areas of Beijing (Dragon Villas) and we were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived. Not only did we enjoy first class accommodations including our own master bedrooms with personal large widescreen TV’s, John was able to get tickets for some of the best Olympic events. He didn't worry about the odd and even driving days during the Olympics to avoid the pollution - he simply bought more cars! He made his money at a young age being an entreprenuer and is a great example of the new possibilities for an emerging China.
Our five weeks in China turned out to be an absolute dream come true. The family lives in one of the wealthiest areas of Beijing (Dragon Villas) and we were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived. Not only did we enjoy first class accommodations including our own master bedrooms with personal large widescreen TV’s, John was able to get tickets for some of the best Olympic events. He didn't worry about the odd and even driving days during the Olympics to avoid the pollution - he simply bought more cars! He made his money at a young age being an entreprenuer and is a great example of the new possibilities for an emerging China.
John also thoroughly enjoyed sharing the history and cultural traditions of China with us so ended up being our number ONE guide. He made sure we didn't miss a thing - historical landmarks, "interesting" food, or beautiful hotels. The young ones were absolutely adorable, the food was a story in itself, the history remarkable, the shopping a treat, and the fabulous friends of their family quite interesting. Most importantly, the efforts that the country went through to make this Olympics special and put themselves on the global map were unbelieveable!
John has a teenage son (Hunter) by a previous marriage who we also thoroughly enjoyed during our stay. We spent time teaching him English most days and he became our constant companion when maneuvering subways, exploring shopping centers, and finding interesting places to visit. While he could barely speak English when we arrived, by the time we left, he could bargain down any price to 1/10 and interpret the most difficult passages of a play! We now hope he will continue improving his English and visit the States to study. He gave us a unique look at China through the eyes of a teenager and the Chinese style "My Space." We knew he had mastered his studies when he convinced the old-fashioned shuttle bus driver that using the newly built highway would save him lots of time and mileage - something the driver had refused to do for the rest of us. "Yes!"
Not only was John’s family and friends a treat to hang out with, I had the joy of connecting with some very special old friends. From Kenya days, there were Tammy Fillinger and Steve Payne plus their kids and newly adopted son. Steve can be credited with starting my whole field of work when he hired me to conduct a workshop with IRC at a refugee camp in Kenya back in 1996! Another special friend Hafsat lives there too. Her husband is the head of the European Union in China and she is the adopted daughter of my mentor Lynne Twist of the Pachamama Alliance. Her newborn was just tiny and still in the hospital - a special day hanging out with them.
John has a teenage son (Hunter) by a previous marriage who we also thoroughly enjoyed during our stay. We spent time teaching him English most days and he became our constant companion when maneuvering subways, exploring shopping centers, and finding interesting places to visit. While he could barely speak English when we arrived, by the time we left, he could bargain down any price to 1/10 and interpret the most difficult passages of a play! We now hope he will continue improving his English and visit the States to study. He gave us a unique look at China through the eyes of a teenager and the Chinese style "My Space." We knew he had mastered his studies when he convinced the old-fashioned shuttle bus driver that using the newly built highway would save him lots of time and mileage - something the driver had refused to do for the rest of us. "Yes!"
Not only was John’s family and friends a treat to hang out with, I had the joy of connecting with some very special old friends. From Kenya days, there were Tammy Fillinger and Steve Payne plus their kids and newly adopted son. Steve can be credited with starting my whole field of work when he hired me to conduct a workshop with IRC at a refugee camp in Kenya back in 1996! Another special friend Hafsat lives there too. Her husband is the head of the European Union in China and she is the adopted daughter of my mentor Lynne Twist of the Pachamama Alliance. Her newborn was just tiny and still in the hospital - a special day hanging out with them.
An old friend of Sharon’s in Xian runs an English school, so we spent a week with her visiting a more traditional part of China. In addition to seeing the Terracotta Soldiers, we spent a day teaching at her school. her teenage son played tour guide for us so we had more fun experiences! After returning to modern Beijing, work colleagues of my great buddy Evelyn (Peru trip) were great hosts and shared fascinating stories about their lives and work in China. As you can imagine, anyone choosing to live full time in a place like China has to be interesting already!
Between the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the people, I felt completely in awe during the entire five weeks! Write for more details about this trip if you’re interested. I wrote some long stories and each experience was more remarkable than the previous! The Olympic Games, the global personalities, the Chinese history, and the observations of a quickly changing modern China were more than fascinating. I feel more gratitude to John and his wonderful family than words could ever begin to express. Plus of all the international travel I’ve done since I was young, doing high-fives and hugs with people from SO many different countries at the Olympics was by far the most bonding experience I've felt in such a short time. Tears were as common as laughter.
This truly was the trip of a lifetime!
September
I only had a few days at home before leaving on a crazy schedule of more travel. I wasn’t looking forward to flying to Nashville where I had to do a deposition for an investment gone bad, but this trip was part of the yin and yang that this year presented. While it was grueling to go thru a nine hour deposition, I ended up staying with one of my closest friends from Germany days – Linda Malone (and her family). While the court case wasn’t fun, Nashville turned out to be absolutely beautiful and I had a great time hanging out with Linda and her family! Not only did I get to see them, but another friend Ronnie drove all the way from Atlanta just to visit. The frosting on the cake was seeing Victoria George (Judith's daughter) play at a night club - Google her music if you want to hear something special!
September
I only had a few days at home before leaving on a crazy schedule of more travel. I wasn’t looking forward to flying to Nashville where I had to do a deposition for an investment gone bad, but this trip was part of the yin and yang that this year presented. While it was grueling to go thru a nine hour deposition, I ended up staying with one of my closest friends from Germany days – Linda Malone (and her family). While the court case wasn’t fun, Nashville turned out to be absolutely beautiful and I had a great time hanging out with Linda and her family! Not only did I get to see them, but another friend Ronnie drove all the way from Atlanta just to visit. The frosting on the cake was seeing Victoria George (Judith's daughter) play at a night club - Google her music if you want to hear something special!
Talk about an emotional roller coaster! Thank goodness for the sweet embrace of special friendship.
From Nashville, I flew to Tampa on business. This was truly a year of connecting with the past since in Lakeland I ended up talking with my boyfriend from college who I hadn’t connected with since he left for Viet Nam in 1969. Since I almost married him the last time I was in Lakeland in 1968 (yes, I was YOUNG and foolish), talking to him after so many years brought back a flood of youthful memories. What a joy to connect again after so long and find out that he was happy and well. His sweet southern accent took me right back to those long lost days!
My next visit was in Tampa with Nancy Longenecker and her mom. Nancy is the sister of another old beau (Allen Snyder) from my Germany days (1979-80), so it was great to catch up with both of them and hear all of their family stories plus see pictures of how the whole family has grown. Allen had been another serious boyfriend so it was interesting to hear about the path he had led. No regrets on either of these former relationships – just (mostly) fond memories and nice to hear what had developed over the years! This trip truly was a “blast from my past.”
At the end of September, it was fun to spend four days up at Lake Tahoe for the majestic wedding of Loral Langemeier and Carl Logrecco. Loral is the head of Liveoutloud where I’m a coach and her wedding was a story book setting complete with lots of friends, family, laughter, dance, and enchantment. It helped to complete the ideal picture that my buddies and I were upgraded to a cottage right on the lakefront at the Hyatt Regency Resort! In alignment with my other connections from the past that month, I spent one night on this Tahoe trip with my old college roommate Connee’s brother John which was fun too. Connee and I went to the same high school and were in Rainbow Girls - close friends ever since for more than 40 years!
October
Again, I was only home a short while before heading for San Diego for ten days where I was in for a whirlwind of activity. On the Friday night, my brother Larry took us out on his boat to watch an “America” concert off-shore. Fun grooving to some of my old favorite music! Then, the first weekend was one of my best friends’ (Bethney and Gary) wedding reception. It was held at one of the most elegant locations you can imagine and included a lot of our old buddies! A treat to see them married after all these years and fun to catch up with the old gang. I spent many fond years plus college in San Diego so these friends have always been special to me.
It just happened that the Monday was a reunion for the teachers from Black Mountain Middle School which was my first teaching job in the States (75-79). What a kick to meet up with old friends and my former principal especially since we’d help build and open this new school. The rest of the week was seeing more friends, debating about politics (many Republicans in SD) and doing more local type activities. Since I used to live in San Diego and miss it a lot, it always feels like a time for coming “home” when I’m there. I always pick up with friends where we left off...
The last weekend was spent at my brother’s house in Poway for my dad’s 85th birthday. Russ and Christie flew in from MN, so it was a fun family affair. My dad and Elaine are both doing great especially since his bad cancer scare five years ago. They’re both quite healthy and continue to be as active as ever! I continue to spend as much time as I can with them. Family means a lot to me!
After San Diego, I was only home one day before heading back to TN again. While this trip turned out to be a settlement conference “wild goose chase,” like before, it was just a pure joy to be with Linda and family once more. One of the interesting experiences was watching the last of the presidential debates with a Republican household. It always makes for some lively discussions and getting to know each other as “older adults” even better.
The challenge after this trip was arriving home on Saturday at 2 am then needing to be back at the airport at 6 am to leave for my next trip – Europe! By then I had about four different suitcases still sitting in my bedroom : ) This time, I was heading to Spain for a conference in Granada for a global organization called Sietar. The conference was fabulous, the town fascinating, but the experience mixed.
On the very first day after only a few hours of sleep, I had my purse stolen which was pretty remarkable since I’m more than careful during all of my travels! A new colleague who is living in India (Melanie) and I were jabbering and smiling about this cute guy walking toward us in a tiny alley way, when all of a sudden he pulled my arm back and took off running. Dang! We later found out that Granada is well known for this problem. The guy definitely ruined my day (spent a long time making international phone calls) but there was no way he was going to ruin my trip. I still had a good time despite the huge loss (don’t even ask what was in that purse – I KNOW better). Seeing the Alhambra at night was an exhilarating experience and I enjoyed much of the culture plus spending time with some great folks at the conference. I stayed with Melanie and another business colleagues from India at an apartment in the heart of the old city which made the trip even more interesting.
From Spain, I flew to Amsterdam where I loved spending several days with old friends Piet and Nicole plus their now very extended family. I did some work, but more importantly, spent very special time with these dear friends and their kids with their kids! We met back in 1974 when my ex -husband Rick and I traveled with them in Bali. What’s special is that this wonderful friendship has simply grown ever since! I simply love and appreciate them more every time I see them – a definite “soul connection” with all of the Klavers.
November
From Europe, I came screeching into the Midwest for my brother Russ’ Halloween bday in Minneapolis. After a few nights night with Russ, Christie, and the kids ending with an evening at Valley Scare (got to meet my nephews’ girlfriends too), I took an all night train to Fargo to help with my cousin’s election campaign. My cousin Earl Pomeroy is the Representative for North Dakota in Washington DC. With him being a Democrat in a Republican state, you just never know what will happen during an election. I love coming back to help with his campaign which is now becoming a traditional event. Plus we helped out at the Democratic headquarters on the Obama campaign – yahoo!!! They both won with flying colors so there was a BIG celebration to say the least. A big banner date for the year in my calendar!
From Nashville, I flew to Tampa on business. This was truly a year of connecting with the past since in Lakeland I ended up talking with my boyfriend from college who I hadn’t connected with since he left for Viet Nam in 1969. Since I almost married him the last time I was in Lakeland in 1968 (yes, I was YOUNG and foolish), talking to him after so many years brought back a flood of youthful memories. What a joy to connect again after so long and find out that he was happy and well. His sweet southern accent took me right back to those long lost days!
My next visit was in Tampa with Nancy Longenecker and her mom. Nancy is the sister of another old beau (Allen Snyder) from my Germany days (1979-80), so it was great to catch up with both of them and hear all of their family stories plus see pictures of how the whole family has grown. Allen had been another serious boyfriend so it was interesting to hear about the path he had led. No regrets on either of these former relationships – just (mostly) fond memories and nice to hear what had developed over the years! This trip truly was a “blast from my past.”
At the end of September, it was fun to spend four days up at Lake Tahoe for the majestic wedding of Loral Langemeier and Carl Logrecco. Loral is the head of Liveoutloud where I’m a coach and her wedding was a story book setting complete with lots of friends, family, laughter, dance, and enchantment. It helped to complete the ideal picture that my buddies and I were upgraded to a cottage right on the lakefront at the Hyatt Regency Resort! In alignment with my other connections from the past that month, I spent one night on this Tahoe trip with my old college roommate Connee’s brother John which was fun too. Connee and I went to the same high school and were in Rainbow Girls - close friends ever since for more than 40 years!
October
Again, I was only home a short while before heading for San Diego for ten days where I was in for a whirlwind of activity. On the Friday night, my brother Larry took us out on his boat to watch an “America” concert off-shore. Fun grooving to some of my old favorite music! Then, the first weekend was one of my best friends’ (Bethney and Gary) wedding reception. It was held at one of the most elegant locations you can imagine and included a lot of our old buddies! A treat to see them married after all these years and fun to catch up with the old gang. I spent many fond years plus college in San Diego so these friends have always been special to me.
It just happened that the Monday was a reunion for the teachers from Black Mountain Middle School which was my first teaching job in the States (75-79). What a kick to meet up with old friends and my former principal especially since we’d help build and open this new school. The rest of the week was seeing more friends, debating about politics (many Republicans in SD) and doing more local type activities. Since I used to live in San Diego and miss it a lot, it always feels like a time for coming “home” when I’m there. I always pick up with friends where we left off...
The last weekend was spent at my brother’s house in Poway for my dad’s 85th birthday. Russ and Christie flew in from MN, so it was a fun family affair. My dad and Elaine are both doing great especially since his bad cancer scare five years ago. They’re both quite healthy and continue to be as active as ever! I continue to spend as much time as I can with them. Family means a lot to me!
After San Diego, I was only home one day before heading back to TN again. While this trip turned out to be a settlement conference “wild goose chase,” like before, it was just a pure joy to be with Linda and family once more. One of the interesting experiences was watching the last of the presidential debates with a Republican household. It always makes for some lively discussions and getting to know each other as “older adults” even better.
The challenge after this trip was arriving home on Saturday at 2 am then needing to be back at the airport at 6 am to leave for my next trip – Europe! By then I had about four different suitcases still sitting in my bedroom : ) This time, I was heading to Spain for a conference in Granada for a global organization called Sietar. The conference was fabulous, the town fascinating, but the experience mixed.
On the very first day after only a few hours of sleep, I had my purse stolen which was pretty remarkable since I’m more than careful during all of my travels! A new colleague who is living in India (Melanie) and I were jabbering and smiling about this cute guy walking toward us in a tiny alley way, when all of a sudden he pulled my arm back and took off running. Dang! We later found out that Granada is well known for this problem. The guy definitely ruined my day (spent a long time making international phone calls) but there was no way he was going to ruin my trip. I still had a good time despite the huge loss (don’t even ask what was in that purse – I KNOW better). Seeing the Alhambra at night was an exhilarating experience and I enjoyed much of the culture plus spending time with some great folks at the conference. I stayed with Melanie and another business colleagues from India at an apartment in the heart of the old city which made the trip even more interesting.
From Spain, I flew to Amsterdam where I loved spending several days with old friends Piet and Nicole plus their now very extended family. I did some work, but more importantly, spent very special time with these dear friends and their kids with their kids! We met back in 1974 when my ex -husband Rick and I traveled with them in Bali. What’s special is that this wonderful friendship has simply grown ever since! I simply love and appreciate them more every time I see them – a definite “soul connection” with all of the Klavers.
November
From Europe, I came screeching into the Midwest for my brother Russ’ Halloween bday in Minneapolis. After a few nights night with Russ, Christie, and the kids ending with an evening at Valley Scare (got to meet my nephews’ girlfriends too), I took an all night train to Fargo to help with my cousin’s election campaign. My cousin Earl Pomeroy is the Representative for North Dakota in Washington DC. With him being a Democrat in a Republican state, you just never know what will happen during an election. I love coming back to help with his campaign which is now becoming a traditional event. Plus we helped out at the Democratic headquarters on the Obama campaign – yahoo!!! They both won with flying colors so there was a BIG celebration to say the least. A big banner date for the year in my calendar!
One of the highlights of this trip was staying with relatives (Jim & May Pomeroy) and meeting cousins plus friends that I hadn’t met and/ or didn’t know very well. Earl’s family has always been close to me so it’s always a joy to spend more with them. When Earl announced his engagement to wonderful Mary, it was even more special! His brother Glenn just moved to head up a large division in Sacramento so I’m excited about seeing more of him and his family now.
I also did another Grand Forks run while there so enjoyed seeing my cousin Mike and family plus Uncle Bob and Aud who are still hanging in there. This year has turned out to have a lot of time spent in the midwest which has been sweet! It's hard to explain, but the experiences have made me feel closer to my roots and appreciate my family foundations more than ever.
I didn’t want my body to miss the flying too much (just kidding), so I was only home a few more days before heading to Boston for the Liveoutloud Alumni meeting which is always interesting. I completed the stay with an extra visit with close friends who took me on a local history tour. Plus saw old friend Anne Cayer. Boston is another enjoyable city to visit and the friends are quite close, so this trip was one more treat for the year!
I conducted a workshop in between trips, then headed for Santa Barbara for the Thanksgiving holiday with Dad and Elaine plus extended family. While there I was wondering how I was going to have time to wash my clothes before leaving for my two month trip to India, when the news about the Mumbai terrorist attacks hit the news 24/7. I couldn’t believe it! I was supposed to fly that weekend. Needless to say, the more I watched CNN, the more I realized that my flight was not going to happen as originally planned.
December
Having plans to stay right across the street from the Taj Hotel plus hearing that the terrorists were singling out Americans, I decided not to fly on November 30. I postponed my trip for a week promising my dad and family that I would watch the news reports. In constant touch with Steve Mandel (work/friend colleague with Mandel Communications) and Bethney who was going with me, we were all trying to decide what to do. In addition to being a communication expert, Steve is a professional photographer and had set up a special lion safari in India which we were all looking forward to doing.
They both decided not to go but I was still hoping…. Then on the Friday night before I was supposed to fly on December 6, I heard that every major airport in India was on red alert. This didn’t help after receiving scores of emails and calls all week encouraging me to stay home. In the final hour, with a very heavy heart, I cancelled my trip which was the last chance to do so without penalty on Singapore Airlines.
I haven’t been back to India in two years, so was especially excited about this trip! I was REALLY looking forward to the safari, seeing close friends, catching up with my India based work, spending time at the Osho Meditation Center, closing final logistics like bank accounts from the time I lived there, plus experiencing the pure joy of being back in a country I truly love. Unfortunately, the timing just didn’t seem right and though nothing of major importance has happened in India, I think it was the right decision. India will be India for a long time and I can go next year.
“While one door closes, another one opens” describes what I’ve felt since staying home. Since I’d only been in the Bay Area a few days since April, it’s turned out to be a complete gift to enjoy the comforts of "home" and celebrations for the holidays. The holiday season has turned out to be a whirlwind of wonderful events, opportunities to give back to the less fortunate, and a VERY special time with family and friends.
As I shared at the beginning, it’s been quite the year of contrasts. I’ve encountered some major challenges AND have enjoyed gifts that defy any kind of mortal descriptions! The many opportunities for connecting on a very deep level with both friends and family have been remarkable this year. Work has been good, travel quite interesting, and my spiritual connection with Religious Science and other inspiring opportunities more touching than ever. Rob and Betty Reidel continue to support me as my "adopted" parents in the Bay Area, my "adopted" daughter Allie Lomax makes it home every once in awhile from college, and my many wonderful friends continue to fill my calendar with lots of interesting and meaningful activities! I feel quite blessed to lead the life I do.
As I look forward to 2009, it is with an even higher sense of purpose and passion! Friends have always meant a great deal to me so I hope you will take the opportunity to stay in touch and let me hear how you’re doing. It's always a treat to fine a heart and a home whether it's in Germany, Singapore, Russia, Portland, or the like! Let me know what you think of the Facebook and blog ideas if you check them out.
Know that you’ll always find an open door and heart if you come to visit or connect. If you’re reading this letter, you can be assured that you’ve touched me in some manner over the years and I'd love to stay in touch.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Barb
