Ode to Olympia, WA

Blissful Buddy,I I hope you are enjoying the fall!  I've moved to Colorado for the fall, winter, and spring.  I did a DNA test with Ancestory and found out that the majority of my ancestors were nomadic: 33% Viking, 49% Celt, 11% Italian.  Since I was a child I've dreamed of traveling and living all over the world.  It didn't help that my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents told magical stories such as; adventures of biking through Europe, staying in castles, traveling by canoe down the amazon..  I love seeing new places, meeting new people, and learning new ways of being and doing things.  I also love returning to my homes to share what I've learned and nourish my relationships.

I wanted to live in another place for a while, but spirit kept me in Olympia.  My life coach encouraged me to see Olympia as a spirit and what I saw was this old woman who loves everyone; she has a big fire and enough food and music for everyone.  The original name for Olympia is Cheetwoot, where the black bears gather.  Grandmother Cheetwoot is like a black bear; furry, loving, she takes care of all her cubs, and she also hibernates in the winter. 

I love Olympia!  I moved to Olympia as this free spirited 19 year old who had no idea what I believed in or who I was.  At Evergreen I studied spirituality, yoga, history, psychology, dance, music, history, theater, and so much more.  I fell in-love with myself through studying yoga, spirituality, and wellness.  I followed my heart after college and did my yoga teacher training with Joanna Cashman.  I was blessed to have taught at over ten different state and county offices, Saint Martin's University, many yoga studios, gyms, churches, parks, and senior centers.  I was given such a rich education I wanted to share what I had learned. 
Grandmother Cheetwoot
Giant evergreens filled with moss
Feminine energy nourishing and holding
Drips and drops turning the earth into an eden of green
Harbors full of sailboats and house boats
Seagulls dropping clam shells
Rain-boots and wet clothes because who needs an umbrella
Rich salty air that fills you with tree spirit
Dirty and grimy, clean and cute, fancy and unique
Incredible coffee with endless laughter
Tender hearts who care too much
Visionaries, feminists, anarchists, activists, artists
Hope for everyone
Mud, water overflowing, creeks, rivers, bays, more mud
Grey skies for weeks and months
Incredible summers with perfect weather
Loving community trying to care for everyone
Logging trucks towing logs to be shipped to China
Seals, eagles, otters, blue herons, salmon
Food co-ops, yoga studios, organic restaurants
Grandmother Cheetwoot
Love filled with knowledge, friendships, abundance,
healing, growth, and strength
I bow to you, jewel of the Salish Sea,
thank you for helping raise me
Olympia, I love you!  I will be back in May or June but until then If you want a massage I encourage you to contact Ingrid Abbate.  She is my favorite massage therapist and she will do the 4 massages for $260.  www.roserootmassageandbotanicals.com
 I have so much to say about my journey and being in Colorado, but I will leave that for the next e-mail.  All I will say is I have to drink three times as much water, use lotion (what is that?), pace myself (I'm 10,000 feet above sea level), layer (it was -5 the other morning and then 50 degrees in the afternoon), and adjust to the fact that it is sunny almost everyday!  What!?  It is often cloudy for part of the day and then the sun comes out for the rest of the day..I really enjoy it, thus far.  I do miss the lushness of Olympia, my people, the coffee, and the sound.
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." -Rumi