Last month, I had the opportunity to go on a spiritual pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Details soon…

For Spring Break year, we went on a cruise to Freeport and Nassau Bahamas. We had the best excursion we have ever had – swimming with the dolphins on Blue Lagoon Island. I think I enjoyed my experience of swimming with the manatee a little more because they are so intriguing, but the dolphins were so much fun. We had the chance to do lots of tricks with them and then finished by each flying through the water as two dolphins propelled us!

Tommy’s dolphin ride through the water!

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Brian’s ride through the water!

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My video cannot be uploaded because the file is too big. I won the best screamer of the day! Last, but not least, Sinclaire…

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Wow, if someone would have told me that I would have ended by meeting our First Lady, I would have thought they were crazy! But, thanks to a kind, thoughtful friend who did something for me with any benefit to herself, I received two tickets to see Michelle Obama last Saturday morning on her last morning of a three-day tour promoting Let’s Move. This non-profit was founded to create a new generation of healthy families and had make significant strides in the past two years since it’s initiation.

The early bird gets the worm, so we arrived several hours before the doors opened so we could be up front for the lecture. The entire program was wonderful and hearing the eloquent Michelle Obama speak closing the program was perfection. I stuck around the front row after the program and was able to meet Mrs. Obama who made so much time for those who attended. It was a morning I will never forget.

This is how close I was to Our First Lady!

Inspiring orator! Look at those strong arms!

My husband and I visited the Mount Dora Arts Festival on a beautiful afternoon two weeks ago. We strolled the streets enjoying the art display, music and tasty food. We came upon a sign that said “Sea Plane Rides” which is something we have never done. We decided to walk right up to the pilot and ask if we could go for a ride and he just happened to have space for two right at that moment because another couple had just cancelled.

We had a spectacular view and it’s such a smooth landing. Well worth the trip!

The whole family stepped out on the edge during our Chicago Thanksgiving trip. More to come soon…

Seeing the benefits of yoga and meditation in my life over the last several years, I thought a perfect complement would be visiting an ashram. As much as I like traveling the world, I would have loved for my first experience to be in India, but that involves a lot more time and money than visiting one that is relatively close to home. Sivananda Yoga Retreat Bahamas, is located down the beach from Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. Several hundred feet in distance and a world away in lifestyle. It was so close, you could touch it – or run out and get Starbucks like several of the women I met did during a weak moment!) Sivananda Yoga Retreat Bahamas was founded in the 1970s by by Swami Vishnu Devananda and is visited by people around the world. Atlantis Resort is the mecca of luxury lifestyle in the Caribbean (And in Dubai! I visited the carbon copy on my way to Africa in 2009).

What is an ashram? It’s is a spiritual haven where one goes for peace. Doesn’t the definition alone sound like a refuge in our fast-paced world? They are also centers for yoga, music and seminars on many spiritual/self-help topics. I didn’t go for a great spiritual transformation. Not really possible in just three days. I just had a plane ticket to use and thought it would be a great place to write for the weekend.

There’s a reason why Buddha and many of the great thinkers emphasize a path to enlightenment without attachments. One thing that is usually not associated with the word spiritual journey or ashram is luxury. Traveling to remote countries on mission trips was the perfect preparation for going to this ashram. There were no televisions (not a problem), shared bathrooms (back to college days), only two vegetarian meals daily (at 10A and 6P – going from 6P until 10A was tough especially with the extra hour for day light savings!) and required meditation, singing and yoga twice daily (well, not really required). On my way to take the boat over to the ashram, I was told by one of the karma yogis working there for three months, that all of the classes were not really mandatory. Since I did go to write, that was my permission to skip out on several of the classes. But, the beautiful scenery of waking up directly on the beach in a little cottage with the door and windows wide open made up for any other “inconvenience.” (Okay, I wasn’t completely without attachments. I had my iPhone and iPad, but the enlightened, Steve Jobs, would have approved.)

I did enjoy my little retreat, met some wonderful people and think it’s great for everyone to take a break from the accustomed amenities of life and concentrate on what matters most – loving and healing ourselves. My mini-ashram retreat was a success and I would consider it again. but bring some snacks next time.

As much fun as skydiving was, it only last for five minutes. The great thing about hang gliding is that you are up in the air for a lot longer.

We decided to go hang gliding after a great Groupon deal (gotta love the Groupon! Thomas and I are actually in the October issue of Orlando Magazine on page 20 because we are suckers for great Groupon adventures. Although our ideal hang gliding location would be in the mountains, our first experience was in Miami. Since there are no mountains to jump off of, an ultralight plane tows you and your tandem, who is strapped under you, to 3500 feet. Then, the tow anchor snaps and you are flying! You can open to soar gently like an eagle or go on the ride of your life. Being a fan of roller coasters, I opted for the wild ride. It alternated between peaceful and exhilarating and we will definitely find a mountain to glide again. In contrast to sky diving, hang gliding is safer than driving a car and the kids can do it. So next time it will be a family adventure!

After experiencing canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding and dragon boating, I think we found a new water sport that we love the best. Not only can all four of us fit in the boat, but it is an exciting ride! We white water rafted in North Carolina over a long weekend to take a fall break. The kids were as excited as me and Thomas to get on the water. We covered Class 1-3 rapids and braced ourselves well enough to stay in the boat during all the bumps, twists and turns. After doing a round of ten 360 spins, we did have one woman overboard! I couldn’t believe it was happening. It was in slow motion. But, fortunately our crew was listening at orientation and within a minute or two (it’s hard to tell when time slows), she was back in the boat and we were on our way. I can’t wait to try Class 4 and 5 rapids next!

I was the camp doctor for the third annual Myron Rolle Wellness and Leadership Academy for foster children. It was an honor to be involved. Guests included Myron Rolle, Terrell Buckley, Greg Louganis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Lucas Boyce, executive, Orlando Magic. Activities included overhang rappel and rock climbing.

After a year of serendipitous events, I had no expectations for our reunion trip on Culebra Island. I traveled to the island in July to spend a long weekend with several friends I met at the beginning of my magical year in that Tuscan farmhouse. It was great to see the group. Anytime with them is a guaranteed wonderful time and I seem to leave changed. But, you never know what will happen when you just show up for life. And, if you show up before the crack of dawn, you may just get to experience the hatching of sea turtles. Yet another amazing day in this crazy thing called life.