In the last two years I’ve been fortunate enough to visit twenty countries across this globe, from Mexico to Thailand, United Arab Emirates, to the Netherlands, and a bunch of other beautiful places in between. I’ve enjoyed white sandy beaches in Spain, majestic mountain peaks in Austria, and long hikes through the Himalaya Mountains, but…
Walking along the silvery colored sandy beach of Leadbetter Point, while watching my dog run through the shallow waters without a care in the world, I felt captivated by the tranquility of the place. The beauty took my breath away, but it was the silence that struck me most. I couldn’t hear a single car, boat, or airplane. There wasn’t another person in site. The only thing I could hear was a couple of seagulls off in the distance.
Leadbetter Point State Park is located on the northern tip of the Long Beach Peninsula, just northwest of Oysterville. The park is nestled between Willapa Bay on the north and east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. If you’re a nature lover, you’re going to love Leadbetter Point. There are a number of great things to do at the park, including hiking, fishing, bird watching, boating, clamming, and oyster collecting.
Noel Kary stands at the end of the pier of Willapa Bay, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his grandson. He’s part of a 4th generation crab fishing family, and he didn’t stop commercial fishing until he was in his eighties. Now his grandson is fishing the very same waters of Willapa Bay. It’s a way…
Every day when I scroll through my social media feed I see more and more posts involving fear, hatred, and negativity. It’s easy to get caught up in all the politics and hype, but it’s not healthy. We need to surround ourselves with positive things too. In fact, we should focus much more of our…
The Washington State Peninsula area may only be 28 miles long, but it’s jam packed with fun things to do, white sandy beaches, and outdoor recreation. Sure, it’s world renown for its fresh seafood, including amazing shellfish, but it also has a rich history and scenic beauty that beckons visitors from around the globe. If…
So, you want to see the world, but your checking account barely has enough in it for a trip across town. That doesn’t mean you have to put off your trip to Bali or Mexico. It just means you need to be smart and do some pre-planning. Many people are under the misconception that I…
This is a guest post by Jeron King The time has come to take a well-deserved holiday with the person you love, and there’s a lot to think about. The most important decision is where to go — why not consider India? When it comes to romantic destinations, you have plenty of choices, so we’ve…
I had the pleasure of spending Halloween night celebrating in style with the beautiful children of Ramana’s Children’s Home. As we danced to blaring Hindi hip hop under the vivid flashing lights, I felt someone tenderly tap my leg. I looked down to see the cutest little girl reach up to me. She wanted to…
All my life, I’ve had a terrible pattern of falling in love with the wrong people who weren’t a good match for me. At the beginning of the relationship, I’m overcome by a sudden burst of intense chemistry, and then I spend years, or even decades, trying to make it work. Now I realize that I did the same thing with Rishikesh, India. At first, I was attracted to her picturesque beauty, exotic charm, clean air, and the mighty Mother Ganga. But like any new relationship, the once rose-colored glasses have turned dark. Now that the new relationship energy is over, I’ve begun seeing obvious red flags that I missed.
I returned to Rishikesh for one main reason: deciding if I wanted to move here. The yoga, spiritual classes, Ayurveda, and recreation are alluring. Plus, it’s cheap here, really affordable! I could probably live in Rishikesh comfortably on $1,000 a month. Unfortunately, I’ve decided that inexpensive living is not enough for me. After a month in Rishikesh, the clear answer was no. I can’t live here. These are the reasons why my love affair with Rishikesh, India, is over.
The first time I came to Rishikesh, in early 2016, I cried tears of joy when I saw the brilliant blue sky. Remember that I had just left New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities on the planet. I hadn’t seen a shade of blue in the sky for months. The pollution in Delhi was so harmful that I could stare directly at the sun on most days because it appeared blurry and orange through the dense grey smog. Rishikesh is in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, and she looked shiny and new to me compared to Delhi, a mere seven-hour drive away.
The first few time I visited Rishikesh I was astounded by all the usual tourist activities, such as white water rafting on the Ganga River, trekking through the Himalaya mountains, and shopping for exotic handicrafts. Then, last year around this time I took a 200 hour yoga teaching training course and learned that Rishikesh has…