Where You May Find Me

Take Lost Highway.
Exit Confusion.
Turn Right onto the Main Street of Confusion.
Head towards History. If you pass the towns of Shame and Guilt, you are going the WRONG WAY.
     History is a lovely town, but you will pass through it quickly.

After History, you'll come to an intersection.
Turn Right to Adventure or Left to Safety.

 Safety is a long, straight, and narrow pathway. Be careful if you do turn left, as there are some sharp detours. You may pass Stagnation. Traffic in Stagnation is terrible. You can backed up for miles! One common road is Change. You may reach this several times on road to Safety. Many cars breakdown on this road. This is the hardest route towards Adventure. While it does end up as a large circle, if you choose this pathway, you may never find me.

I turn towards the town of Adventure. I pass many streets: Fun Street, Trouble Road, Avenue of Love, and Diversity.
One of my favorite towns to stop in is Toni Province. This town is known for amazing bread pudding and great Southern hospitality. This Province is reserved only for people with special permits, which I have.
Town I try to avoid: Pity. It's not my favorite, but sometimes I have to drive through here on my way to the Village of Acceptance. It is a quiet town, known for its parties.

There are some areas I could satisfactorily settle down in. I enjoy the City of Hope. There tend to be obstacles en route to Hope. Tragedy and Trauma is the name of one building in Hope. The motto of this town is: Challenge through Adversity. Acceptance through Change. Growth to Love. 

The route to Adventure is filled with twists, turns, and roller coasters. It is well WORTH the drive!

Keep driving straight to Adventure, and you will find me in the Tree of Contentment, the Rainbow of Independence, or the Swing of Integrity. :)

A Gentleman and Cornbread

              In desperate need of a short walk after driving 230 miles towards Asheville, North Carolina from a town outside of Murfreesboro Tennessee, I stop in a quaint, historic town: Dandridge, Tennessee. The second oldest town in the state founded in 1793!
              I sought facilities at the nearby town hall, which doubles as a historic museum. While looking at the various items encased in class (including original handcuffs and uniform for old jail), I see the reflection of a handsome gentleman of advanced years.
             "Yer here early, I reckon!" he says. "I'm in this museum, actually. Would you like to see?" He asks in a lovely Tennessee drawl. How could I resist those blue eyes? He walks me over to the section on war. There he is! A photo of a handsome man in his uniform from 1952 smiles back at me through the glass.
              He tells me about his Ike jacket. "Only wore it once or twice...It was too hot, there in Korea. There's some place there in D.C. that wanted my jacket. They said millions would see it every day. But I wouldn't see it! So I donated it here instead. This way, I can walk here every day and see it." We look at the log book for Dandridge museum: 4 people. Total. In 4 days. One of those visitors is me. And one signature belongs to him, from his earlier visit.
              "May I take a photo of you with your photo?" I ask him.
             He has a large piece of chocolate cake. "I reckon I should be puttin this cake down then?" A man after my own heart. Chocolate cake! At 8 am! "I could get you a piece, if you want? It was my birthday last week."
             It must have been exhaustion from driving for four hours that has me responding: "Thank you so much, but I can't have chocolate cake yet. It's a bit early for me." What a silly response!
             "That's okay! I also made fresh corn bread! You must get a piece. It is upstairs! Promise me you'll have some!"
             I promise. It is amazing.
             A veteran, a gentleman, a cook, and a man who appreciates chocolate cake??!!! Shame he is 50 years older. :)

I Brake For Jazz, Barbecue, and Baseball

So I started off my adventure this morning in Lawrence, Kansas, where I spent the evening with my dear Sarah. She kindly drove me to the nearest Bikram Yoga studio (which currently only has a facebook page) in Lawrence, Kansas, while I didn't get to practice I was pleased that it does exist. I continued on my adventure, with the expectation of driving 10 1/2 hours to get to Murfreesboro,Tennessee.  I am scheduled to teach tomorrow morning at Bikram Yoga Cool Springs. As I was driving, I accidentally took a minor detour where I accidentally ended up downtown in Kansas City, Missouri.  I got back on the freeway, but noticed a large sign that said "American Jazz Museum" (neighboring the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum). How could I resist? I had to stop. So, after only forty miles, of the remaining 800, I visited both museums, which are conveniently located in one building. I highly recommend these museums.

Requiring a visit to the post office, I sought directions and a staff member who helped me told me I had to stop at a barbecue place, located right next to the post office. This barbecue place is famous that even the president visited it, when he came to town. While waiting in line at the post office, a number of patrons, a number of patrons advised me toward another barbecue location called Gates. I went to Gates and I had the lean roast beef on a bun with double dropped fries, which means frying the french fries twice.  While my arteries my arteries may not be pleased, my palate certainly was.  I may not have stopped to smell the roses, but I stopped to smell the barbecue.

Driving through Kansas

I started to type up my blog last night, after taking a yoga class at Bikram Yoga Oklahoma City, when suddenly lightening struck, thunder roared, and an immediate downpour of water hit the roof, and the power went out. This morning, I was awoken by an earthquake! Good Morning Oklahoma!

I taught this afternoon and I shared a story about my hyponaetremia.  My cautionary tale of the importance of electrolytes. So, after many years of practicing and surviving teacher training, which involved 9 strenuous weeks of 11 time a week Bikram Yoga extended and hotter classes, I emerged feeling invincible. I began teaching as often as possible. One day I taught two classes and attended a third class (that time as a student).  Prior to the 3rd class, I realized I must be mildly dehydrated, because I was thirsty. I quickly drank a coconut water and proceeded to take the 3rd class. I felt mildly nauseated in the class, but just assumed that it would pass.

I drove home, watched a movie, but was still feeling uneasy. I ended up in the bathroom, throwing up for 5 hours. I was trying to assess my condition and figure out at which point I should go to the hospital. I knew that my electrolytes were low, but was unable to hold any liquids down. I assessed my symptoms and realized that I needed salt. So my mom brought me salt on a bowl and I licked it up. After which, I started to feel better. However, it took me exactly one week to regain my energy. The moral of the story is: ELECTROLYTES ARE IMPORTANT!! One week later, with plenty of Gatorade and saltine crackers at my side, I felt better.

*Bikram Yoga Oklahoma is a great facility and I highly recommend it. It's big, beautiful, clean, and it is in a great location.

Flagstaff Bikram Yoga, give me a sign!

How do I write a blog when exhaustion hinders my ability to construct sentences....
Friday August 15th:
After driving for eight hours, I attempt to take the 4:30 pm class in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The class starts at 4:30 pm. at the Bikram Yoga Flagstaff studio.  The time is 4:21 pm. I find the exit, but I am not convinced I will make it to class. I get stuck in traffic, storm clouds start brewing, and as I reach another red light, I start to wonder why I am attempting this mission.

I've been driving for eight hours. My right leg is aching. Somehow I magically find the studio... magically as the directions I have transcribed by hand are wrong. The door is closed. This is not a good sign. Might as well try, as I find a parking spot right out front. I turn the handle and...... it opens! The studio owner is teaching the class. "Did I make it?" "Yes! Two minutes!" As I enter the studio, those delightful storm clouds open and pour down ceaselessly. 90 minutes of blissful torture and a lovely shower later, I emerge from the studio into sunshine.

Now I am in Oklahoma. I am teaching a couple classes at the Oklahoma studio.  After an 8 hour drive from Albuquerque, I arrive in Oklahoma exhausted. After teaching this morning, I practice this afternoon. As soon as a fantastic class finishes, we emerge to the sounds of rain pelting the nearby farmer's market. I have come full circle, but I am only half way there.

My Addiction

I have a minor addiction...  I suppose it depends on how you would define minor. If by minor, I mean that I've been practicing Bikram Yoga for 12 years, at various locations, all around the world and recently indoctrinated myself into the teaching community by completing an intensive 9 week Bikram Teacher training program in Los Angeles, California at the Radisson Hotel. I am currently driving across the United States, from Los Angeles, California to Baltimore, Maryland to start a nursing program.  No road trip would be complete, if I didn't have my yoga.

Dara doing yoga, atop her Suburu

So, I've mapped out my entire route and alternative to these routes, all of which include stops at various Bikram Yoga Studios. Either I am teaching, or I am practicing, or both. I wish I could say that this is minor, but currently, I am passing by the most beautiful national monuments, native american ruins, and other historical sites. I am bypassing all of these picturesque sites in an effort to make it to the next Bikram Yoga studio. I think I have an addiction.