Chasing the Sun

I arrived to Tokyo early this afternoon. Didn’t sleep a wink, watched about 4 movies, mostly featuring Tom Hanks. Japan must love him like Germany loves Hasselhoff.

I went to the Opera last night in Chicago. Came home with an Uber ride around 9 pm and crashed to Ane Brun (it's been a theme). My internal clock woke me up at 630, and I smiled at the ceiling. As I went to wake my friend up (whom was to be traveling to Asia with me) she told me she was too sick..so much that she cancelled her ticket. 

I was not mentally prepped for a solo trip- but once again- "life happens when you're busy making plans" (also been a theme with me).

Got dropped off and checked in with JAL (Japanese Airlines).

The day flight was what tripped me up. I spent my entire day in a cylinder..chasing the sun. (But hey- free Kirin beer)

Through customs and onto a coach bus for an hour to another airport…but through Tokyo city first.

Its @1600 here, I believe I skipped a day, not quite sure…but am confident that I am in the future.

The the air is chilly but refreshing, the trees are lush, the birds the color of pandas and origami cranes have come alive parallel to my bus window. Here goes another adventure. Onward towards happiness and smiles. Who knows where I will go, where I will end up, what I will encounter, who I will meet, what lies ahead.  For now, it’s a day here in the city, and for tomorrow, it's Vietnam. 

Bring it on life, I’m stoked to smile and shine!

(updates to come:))

The Blank Spaces

It smells like pancakes and all I can hear are the waves.

I’ve been thinking of those spaces between the words- when we read/write them.

We need them. They are blank, they seem like nothing, rather than the something that they are. Without those spaces we wouldn’t be reminded to pause-and breathe.

The blank spaces force you to stop. Force you to pause.

When we are writing it forces us to pick up that pencil or pen and move over a little. Sometimes it grants us an ever longer pause and a re-think. We may question midway through what we are doing, what direction we are going, is the road ahead the correct one?

When we are reading we have already let ourselves go to the task. Some part of us is open to take in the words that are simply ink to paper in front of our eyes. In the spaces between the words, we pause, our eyes skip over. Sometimes it gives us a breather. It clearly separates thoughts, and different situations.

Life gives us those blank spaces.

Without knowing what to do with them is what many of us equate to boredom. To ‘a lul,’in a ‘bit of a slump.’ What awful adjectives to describe life and living...

I think that if we place sluggish and unattractive adjectives between the exciting, adventurous words of our lives we quite simply- misuse the pause.

Life is saying BREATHE. This space is necessary, you will see.

With the most respect, love, and kindness,

Brooke

Being Alone on an Explorer Ship

Every morning I wake up and it takes me about 3 full and complete seconds to realize that no little dog is jumping at my feet or there for kisses.

Eating my meals is different, looking at time is different. Coming home is different. My priorities are different.

I have not been alone in over 10 years. It has always been me and my little magical dog. And now its me and my gemstones and crystals and the earth.

It's different. I'm not a fan. I feel lonely. I feel lost. I feel bored. I feel sad. I feel sleepy.

Tucked up in a mysterious yellow tiki hut above the crashing surf makes me feel even further from the real world than ever.

Beautiful sadness. Breathtaking scenic loneliness.

"Only he who gives up is defeated. Everyone else is victorious.
And the day will come when those difficult moments are merely stories to be told proudly to those who will listen. And they will listen respectfully and learn three important things:
Wait patiently for the right moment to act.
Do not let the next opportunity slip by you.
Take pride in your scars."
-Paulo Coelho

We have to keep on walking forwards...walking backwards will take us nowhere. Nowhere new, nowhere we haven't seen already before.

Therefore lets explore! Take life on as it is meant to be taken on, as an adventure.

I listen to the roaring waves as if I am living on the deck of a explorer ship destine only for something great and exciting, something dangerous but worth it.

Cheers to the journey.

-Brooke

Forever Boston

It has been a bit since I have felt normal. Life is a maze. A whirlwind. As good as it can be at times, it can equally and with the same amount of force- be bad.

I was beyond stoked to have the opportunity to travel and visit Thailand last month. It was a last minute call but something I have dreamed of for as long as i can remember. The culture, the history,
the FOOD...

After almost 30 hours of travel (I will admit Emirates Airlines was absolutely amazing) I got to Bangkok, exhausted.

That night I got the phone call that Boston passed away.

<pause for a cry...again>

It was 3 am for me over in Asia. I cried through all the toilet paper provided, the towel, my pillow case and my t shirts. To date I believe that was the worst thing that has happened in my life. I understand that death is part of life, it is an unenviable fact that I have had to face many times already, but even so, I was not in the least prepared for this.

10 and a half years, we were <pause for another cry> supposed to live until we were 100 together. You know in the movies where you sell part of your soul for a loved one to come back. I was seriously wondering how to make that happen.

As my life is crazy and beautiful, its constantly moving..and Boston was my lifeline. The tether that was connected to a guarantee. My little rock. That little guy was everything to me. In all the haze, mess, craziness that is my life, he was the one thing the one thing that brought me to peace.

Whew...trying to write this through the tears is tough.

After about 6 hours of crying, and crying myself into a migraine, i stood up from my little ball on the floor and took a shower.

Went outside, grabbed a coffee and met a friend.

What I do know is that he is not gone. He is not in the beautiful little vessel he was in that we all know, but he is still here. His spirit is everywhere. In the moth that wouldn't leave my tent in Pai, Thailand, in the eyes of the dogs at the shelter I helped at in Koh Lanta, in the birds that sing in the trees as I walk by the temples in Chaing Mai.  For that I am blessed. I am grateful for being given the absolute privilege to have shared 10 of the best years of my life traveling, living, laughing, and dancing with that precious little dog.

I lived that month in Thailand for HIM. Happy because that is exactly what he did- make everyone HAPPY.

Love, Brooke

Cabin by the sea; the beginning of a journey

Day one of living in my bamboo cabin-Casa Estrella:

(I named our little home, Casa Estrella, because of the blanket of stars above..)
Sunday night should actually be included in the week because it was the beginning of this whole story...

I made coconut and cilantro rice alongside skillet garlic green beans, all fro the vegetable truck I ran to catch earlier in the afternoon.  Made a pitcher of jamaica iced tea just because. Ate dinner listening to music and the sounds of nature...the crickets, dogs, and waves. Fell asleep and awoke to the house being illuminated with lightening. There was a wicket storm and I felt like I was in a tiny wooden boat adrift on a sea during a storm of godly proportion.


(Mainly because this happened mid-dreaming). Boston snuggled closer, and together we watched and listened to mother nature from under the mosquito net. It lasted over an hour and though it seemed like we would be carried away, all was well and I fell back asleep more sound than I have been in a while.

Awoke to the sounds of the forest and the ocean singing together. Stretched, greeted the glowing inside of the bamboo cabin with a sun salutation and kissed Boston. Opened my front door to gleaming Birds of Paradise plants, a yard of shiny green plants, and a beautiful grazing cow.
(Note: cows are generally NOT allowed on our property but it was so beautiful I let it be for the moment)

Left to walk down the mountain on the Neverland stone streets to yoga. Had a café negro before and enjoyed an amazing Monday session with Alex overlooking the waves and the morning sky (as Boston observed like always).

Went after yoga into town for some supplies and came back to the cabin. Baked fresh bread with dried oregano and listened to Slightly Stoopid.

Took a nap with the dogs with the cool late afternoon breeze and remembered for a moment how beautifully simple life can be. I am grateful to be here, to wake up to nature, to grow, to evolve, to adapt, to smile. 3 children came by looking for a large white cow, it was cute and funny.

Made veggie and rice soup to accompany my oregano bread and plan to enjoy my dinner, be thankful for everything, and fall asleep reading the current novel that has been passed on to my by fellow travelers. (ok right here is where I danced to Michael Franti like a gypsy, with the dogs and crickets as my audience)

Buenos noches dia uno. Onward to magical dreams and magical days.

I can't rember what it was..

I had something awesome to write about last night. I completely forgot. I remember it being amazing and magical. Go figure.  I don't think it was about food. it might have been about the stars, though it was not a night of shooting stars, and the full moon is tonight, not last night. I am hoping to remember by writing right now. hmmm..we drank Flor de Cana, I do not think I would want to go home and write about rum. no, it wasn't about the 'reason for my current headache.' what else happened?? It wasn't about the new dream catchers I have been creating, or the rice noodles I scored on finding in the city that we had for dinner? Why am I always thinking about food? We listened to Reggae and had shots of jalapeno vodka- they were wicked strong...

Maybe it all was just-lovely- and I use that word because I see through obvious rose-colored-glasses- how the town looked in the evening. Lovely not as in pastels and flowers, but how simply happy and alive the little junction of 2 roads which we call "El Tunco" was. The little stands of food, the different kinds of music, the smells, the conversations, the people- families and groups of surfers, groups out for girls night-and the older men watching with smiles., and the fireflies- little fairies glimmering throughout this magical little town.  I can not remember the wild hair I was supposed to write about, but the view sitting on the sidewalk at a  pop up white plastic picnic table was perfect. Being where you are, being simply happy in your existence, that's beautiful.

Friday in another world

Woke up at 6:45 this morning after magical dreams of being a mermaid (not a joke). Boston and I sat at the bus stop for about 15 minutes before the bus came and took us to Zonte. Had some amazing coffee before yoga en Essencia Nativa with Alex.

Boston watched. After- had a mandarin juice and made my first dream catcher ever. Amazing.

Caught the bus home and a friend brought me bean soup and tortillas for lunch. Practiced Spanish with a friend online and took a lovey nap alongside Boston to French music.  About to make some coconut rice and am contemplating walking to sunset.... oh the woes of Neverland :)