So fellow travelers, Japanese books are printed in the reverse format of western books meaning the front cover and first page are what we consider the back end of our books. Not so great shot of my favorite origami book, just to illustrate this reverse printing. I have never found a clear explanation of how […]
All posts in category The quest for Inner Peace
Japan: Last Things First
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on September 2, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/japan-last-things-first/
Tokyo : Hell Hath No Fury
So fellow travelers, they say it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that gets you. So far both, viciously aided by jet lag, have made the first few days here in Tokyo pure hell. Three days of nausea, blinding headache and crushing fatigue have been sheer torture while trying to navigate the city’s complex transit […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 22, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/tokyo-hell-hath-no-fury/
Left Coast Dreams: Epilogue
So fellow travelers, endings bring beginnings. Self portrait in Lone Fir Cemetery, Portland OR Having had the chance to return to Portland, I now understand why I bogged down last year trying to write about our first trip. The two trips really were book ends of one larger experience. I could not put words […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 16, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-epilogue/
Drifting
So fellow travelers, so much to do as departure day edges closer. Found myself unable to focus on anything for long today, wandering from laundry room to garden to my desk. A little packing, lots of weeding, attempts at writing ( I will get the PDX series done before Tokyo!) Even a good long walk […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 13, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/drifting/
Left Coast Dreams: Castles in the Sand
So fellow travelers, the tides turn imperceptibly. One moment two kids are playing in the sand somehow moments become years and those two little girls have become young women setting out on their own. Camping at the beach has become the kids’ (aka favorite oldest daughter and son-in-law) best weekend getaway and they were eager […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 12, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-castles-in-the-sand-2/
Left Coast Dreams: Coast to Coast
So fellow travelers, grab some sunscreen and flip flops, we are headed for the beach. At the beginning of this series, I referenced a quote from one of my favorite writers Jacob Glass. Stop chasing joy, live it. Is there a better place to find, live and breathe in joy than being by the ocean? […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 10, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-coast-to-coast/
Left Coast Dreams: a Brief Hiatus
So fellow travelers, a line of intense thunderstorms rolled through yesterday. Temps and humidity dropped significantly overnight. When I walked out to my pond for my morning meditation I was startled by the feeling of Autumn in the air. It felt like September and I am not ready for it to be September, not yet. […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 5, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-a-brief-hiatus/
Left Coast Dreams: Lost in Thought
So fellow travelers, moment by moment, I am discovering even more than magic in PDX. As tired as we were, we had to laugh when we realized we had walked right past what we were looking for. I am blessed to have a family with a pretty decent sense of humor. Still, I was not […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 4, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-lost-in-thought/
Left Coast Dreams: Trailing Thoughts
So fellow travelers, “When the Rational part of our mind becomes too dominant our entire focus stays trained on our needs and accomplishments. Everything becomes stressful, competitive and ultimately unfulfilling because we believe we have to skew everything to fit those needs.” Angelic Messenger Cards by Meredith Young-Sowers. “I went to the woods because I […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on August 2, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-trailing-thoughts/
Left Coast Dreams: Lost in Wildwood
So fellow travelers, come with me to a land of pure imagination (cue Willy Wonka Theme.) One of the finds I came across last year while treasure hunting in Portland was the children’s novel Wildwood. Written by local musician Colin Meloy (lead singer of the Decemberists) I first discovered the book in Powell’s, but did not […]
Posted by Deborah H Rahalski on July 31, 2015
https://dhrahalski86.com/left-coast-dreams-lost-in-wildwood/