peace, at last....

So once again it has been about 3 weeks since I last wrote you all. I sense this is now going to be more of the the natural rhythm for me in the next few months: experiencing a whole lot, being in the moment, observing, sitting with it all for awhile and then trying to be a bit of a storyteller to pass on a few tales…

I must also admit that I have been getting pretty burnt hour spending a few hours a day working on the computer for my winter univ. courses and find myself just needing to get away from this keyboard after connecting with students for several hours…so my apologies for those of you who have wanted to hear and see more….



I must first share that for the past week I have been on an almost deserted island with only electric power for 4 hours of the day,no paved roads, no cars, no 7’11’s or starbucks in sight, no major construction going on (yay !!), and almost no internet service whatsoever..a very good thing for those wanting to complelely detach from things bit ; a bit frustrating for those that need their daily intake of the media and all the bombardment of world news and gossip that goes with it…

I was in heaven…as were most of the few other tourists that I spoke with who were also enjoying their “temporary retreat from the world” on this islandi. It was like we all had this special little secret and vowed not to tell anyone else about this special hideaway that we were all so lucky to have “stumbled” upon. It was like we all belonged to some secret society and we gave each other the knowing glance that yes, indeed, this would be our best kept secret. (Notice, too, that I am not even sharing with you the name of this island – I will accept a good bribe , though, and maybe will share then_.. ☺)


Anways, one of the best daily “adventures” I had every day here was walking an hour every day to the only WiFi café on this island just so I could do my few hours of school work. I absolutely loved the fact that I had a walking commute to look forward to each morning- right on a very quiet flat sandy beach , starting directly in front of my bungalow- such a amazing way to start the day-I always felt so clear-headed and calm when I sat down to work...we should all be so lucky to always have this sort of exercise and calm before starting the work day.


I even received the reputation of being the “walking lady” from the owner of the bungalows where I was staying. Poi, a wonderfully strong and friendly woman in her early 40’s, was both amazed and amused by the amount of time she saw me every day with a backpack on my back walking to and from the other end of the beach, several kilometers each way…from now on , she told me, I will always be known to her as the “walking girl from Hawaii” and told me to say this as my “code word” if I ever called to stay with her again…




Aside from the wonderful daily routine that I had on this island of just 1200 people, the most rewarding thing for me being here was the wonderful connection I made with the local thai people. It seemed everywhere I went there was always someone giving me an amazing smile and hand wave, accompanied with a loud “sawatdee ka !” as I passed them by…

I felt especially blessed to be invited by a group of local thais for dinner one night – I helped with the cooking (which was such a treat after not having been in a kitchen for 7 weeks now) and enjoyed fresh fish and crabs that were literally caught less than an hour before we all sat down to eat. There was also lots of laughter , storytelling, eating, singing, and loads of playing with the local children as we sat around the evening fire- I even managed to teach them a few words of English along the way in exchange for some very useful and valuable thai words….I have already promised to return here next year with some school books in hand to continue working with these children- their absolute acceptance and love for me will be something I wont soon forget.










I also received one of the highest compliments the other night from a lovely thai man named Sin, the father of the 2 kids I became very close to. He shared with me when we said good-bye my last night there that “even though I have known you only a couple of days, I feel like I have known you for a very long time. You will always be welcomed here- we will always take care of you here”….”


No souvenir will be ever worth more to me than these words.

So now I am back on the island of Ko Lanta for a few more days, enjoying some fun dinners with friends and getting some business sorted out before I hop on a plane for Kuala Lumpur this Sunday and then make my way down to Sydney to see my brother Tony for a couple of weeks. I admit I am looking forward to a bit of ‘luxurious living’ for a few days- basically, this means having a hot shower at last and not sleeping under a mosquito net for the first time in almost 2 months ! And, of course, spending time with my brother will be so special after having been “on my own” now for almost two months..I am also looking forward to the sights and sounds of being in a couple of big cities for a bit….the contrast will be seemingly stark at first , I am sure, and probably will be a bit of a shock to my system,but I sense I will make the most of “city life”, knowing I will be returning to quieter grounds again after I leave…And I wil be staying right on Bondi beach in Australia so the surf and sand wont be far.

(the following pics are of freinds that I have met here on the wonderful island of Ko Lanta, including several cats and dogs that have befriended me..;) )

















My plans after Australia will be to fly to Cambodia and spend a few days in Angkor Wat, one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. I cant tell you how excited I am to finally make it here and sense I will have many stories and pictures to share from my experiences there. After taking a river trip down to Phnom Penh, I will make my way down to Saigon and travel up the 1700 km coast of Vietnam , all the way to the capital city of Hanoi. It will be an amazing journey, no doubt , as I explore the rich history of this country and will, of course, look forward to sharing some of my insights in traveling in this country still known to so many of us in the U.S. as “Nam”.

As always, I hope you are well…I may be far in distance but am often near in thought…

and as I end this blog, I cant help but to be reminded of the “4 agreements” (from the book of the same name by Don Miguel Ruiz) that I have been reading and trying to apply daily to my life.. …I share these with you in hope of adding a little “spark” to your day …

be impeccable with your word…

don’t make presumptions..

don’t take anything personally.

And, last, but definitely not least:

…always do your best…

and as I sign off for now (while hearing the live 5:15 morning call to worship in the background), I wish you a day full of peace, respect, tolerance, and compassion…

until next time…

melina ☺