Thoughts

I keep wanting to post more thoughts but not having the time to do so! One of these days I will get to it.....Well, actually there IS time, but we're learning to not pack it so full that one is stressed all the time. So, it is just as important to fit "rest" into one's life as it is to "get things done". So, we are practicing fitting rest in (rest does not include time spent sleeping or watching TV...this isn't really "rest"). I learned this from a book called The Anxiety Cure....if anyone is interested in learning ways to deal with anxiety or an imbalanced lifestyle, some of the thoughts in this book are very interesting. We're also implementing the recommended practice of "transitioning".....if you're curious, check it out. This is an especially helpful practice when you are in a new place and taking in lots of new things all the time. It helps manage all the new experiences internally without being overwhelmed. Resting and transitioning help someone process experiences, thoughts, and most importantly feelings so you can handle things. If we don't take time for these life can be more overwhelming and one won't grow as much because one isn't taking time to reflect and process life, instead they skip over some of it. Anyhow....I guess I have shared a few thoughts that I thought I would save for later.....

Semana Santa - Trip to La Serena

 So this is what it looks like riding in the upper deck of a double decker bus.

 Looking out the window was much more interesting.

 It was one of the driest desert areas we've ever seen.

 And miles and miles of beautiful coastline with little or no development.

 So this is one of the cabanas that we rented behind the posh high rise condos.

 Cherith on our front porch.

 Half a block down our street.

 There was nobody on the beach on Thursday.

 We had a great experience at a really nice restaurant up the beach from our cabana.

 And surprise, our cabana didn't have heat. While drinking tea we noticed we could see our breath.

 Sea lions in the Coquimbo harbor. They look like big dogs with flippers.

 On the harbor before our boat ride to Sea Lion Island.

 Cherith was too cool to wear a life vest.

 Boats in the harbor.

 Check out the one in the top left. He was quite comfortable.

 The money shot at La Serena beach.

And yes, we rented "choppers" or that's what the guy said that rented them to us.

Glasses and the Elephant Cage

Ok. So, today I had most of the day off so I decided to explore the city some. I found the zoo and decided that would be fun. And, oh, I had a classic experience. I was wearing my sunglasses and had my regular prescription glasses on top of my head. I was enthusiastically enjoying the elephants and monkeys. They were so awesome! Until, my glasses fell off the top of my head INTO the Elephant Cage!! Oh, my gosh. So, I thought about jumping the fence myself because they were just out of reach and the fence was waise high at this point. But, I thought that might be dumb. So, I went to one of the employees and explained in my broken Spanish and a small game of charades that my glasses fell into the elephant pen. Ha! (at the time it wasn't funny). Anyhow, the fence was only waist high at this point along the cage, then there were 3 feet of grass, and then a massive pit that was intended so the elephants couldn't cross. It really wasn't that dangerous. The guy tried to scoop them up with a broom, but I finally said please can I just jump over? He kept saying it was too dangerous. But, then he jumped over and got them in a matter of 15 seconds. It was awesome! Well, not in a good way, really. Just hilarious. I can't believe this happened! I'm sooooooooo glad they didn't fall into the pit and it really wasn't dangerous to get them. If we had to call the elephant keeper I don't know what I would have done! thought you might enjoy this story. Rich missed it all. He was teaching this afternoon.