alilou's Adventures in Wonderland - all over the map.

[Buzz]

Thanks again Alilou!

 

[skatesindreams]

Your photos are great!

 

[Alilou]

Thank you. That was a fun day. My granddaughter is 12 so getting to an age where we can really have fun together and she loved having a "real" camera (my old one) to take pictures with. And I loved having my new camera though it's still a big learning curve.

 

[Alilou]

Yay! I finally got a new blog post done. It's been quite a while, but then we're not travelling at the moment so not so much exciting stuff to write about. However........... there's been some changes in our situation making us even more nomadic (when we leave Vancouver in Sept we won't be back, except briefly, for 2 years!) so some details about that.

And more "travelling" in our home town for all you non-Vancouverites - we went to the Folk Festival one of Vancouver's major summer attractions - lots of pics of that, that I hope tell something of the story of what a fabulous event it is.

 

[Buzz]

Thanks again Alliou and good luck in our travels!

 

[skatesindreams]

Whatever happens, alliou, you have the skill and resources to deal with the challenges ahead.
"Home" will always be with you, wherever you are - and that's a wonderful thing!

 

[Alilou]

You're so right skatesindreams - "home" is where we are, and we're more excited than anything else. It was just a shock when we first found out about the 30 day thing.
We're currently house sitting for friends for 3 weeks in a lovely big house with a beautiful garden. Home is pretty sweet right now.

And we've booked all our hotels for our 5 week stay in India coming up in November so lots of "homes" in the future awaiting us. And friends have offered us their casita in Mexico for next April/May. Homes all over the place!

Thanks Buzz

 

[Alilou]

A new blog post is ready

It's been such a long time since the last one that this thread had fallen off into the black hole of dead threads - page 10 or 11 I think. Took me a while to find it

Spent the summer in Vancouver getting all our ducks in a row. Trouble is they kept waddling off in all directions. Finally got them all rounded up. Good thing too - we start travelling again in 6 days

Hope all you northern hemisphere peeps had a fabulous summer (it was slow to get here in Vancouver but July/Aug/Sept have been beautiful).

Hope the winter for all you southern hemisphere peeps was not too bad (Aussie Willy did it rain much in Melbourne )

New post is mostly about the black hole of photoshop. Fun.

 

[skatesindreams]

A new blog post from you is always a treat!
I love your newly found "Photo Art".

 

[Buzz]

Good journey Alliou!!!! And as always please be careful.

 

[Simone411]

alilou, thank you so much for sharing all the beautiful photos from your travels. I love what you've accomplished with photoshop. Truly amazing!

 

[Alilou]

A new blog post from you is always a treat!
I love your newly found "Photo Art".

Good journey Alliou!!!! And as always please be careful.

alilou, thank you so much for sharing all the beautiful photos from your travels. I love what you've accomplished with photoshop. Truly amazing!

Thank you all. Photoshop has truly been a discovery for me. So much fun. And it's just the beginning. I did 3 yesterday that I think are better than most of those I put on the blog. I think my favorite on the blog is the one of the flower bud.
Today is cleaning day as our friend, whose house we are staying in, arrives back tomorrow. So busy busy all day.
Then only 4 days til we leave

(Simone I've been following your story. Bowled over by your courage! )

 

[Alilou]

I have a new blog post ready - the last one from Vancouver. More musings on our nomadic life, "housekeeping", visiting with family, and more (better!) digital art.

We left Vancouver at 3pm on Wednesday Sept 12. Thirteen and a half hours to Hong Kong, 2 hour layover, 9 hours to Sydney, 4 1/2 hour layover, one hour to Canberra. We arrived at about 3pm on Sept 14th. It didn't actually take 48 hours, but it felt like it.

It's good to be on the road again. I will watch the FS season online, and will be back in Vancouver for exactly the dates of Worlds!

 

[Buzz]

I have a new blog post ready - the last one from Vancouver. More musings on our nomadic life, "housekeeping", visiting with family, and more (better!) digital art.

We left Vancouver at 3pm on Wednesday Sept 12. Thirteen and a half hours to Hong Kong, 2 hour layover, 9 hours to Sydney, 4 1/2 hour layover, one hour to Canberra. We arrived at about 3pm on Sept 14th. It didn't actually take 48 hours, but it felt like it.

It's good to be on the road again. I will watch the FS season online, and will be back in Vancouver for exactly the dates of Worlds!

WOW!!! Thanks for the update Alilou!

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks for sharing your continuing adventure - and the photos/art that bring it vividly to life.
The serendipity in your daily life seems an example of "All Things Work Together For Good"...
You are blessed to be aware of that.
Enjoy!

 

[Alilou]

Thanks for sharing your continuing adventure - and the photos/art that bring it vividly to life.
The serendipity in your daily life seems an example of "All Things Work Together For Good"...
You are blessed to be aware of that.
Enjoy!

Thanks Buzz and skatesindreams. BTW do you really? Skate in your dreams? I never have though I did dream about Andrew Poje once

Ah yes, the serendipity. It's amazing. There seems to be a kind of domino effect. The more we feel blessed, the more we feel blessed, the more we are blessed. Practicing gratitude is a powerful thing. It took me years, most of my life in fact, to really get it. When I was younger I didn't feel blessed, even though I was. I couldn't get it. I was a bit of a victim in life, and would complain a lot. The biggest blessing for me is that somehow I learned to feel gratitude for all I have, and to give thanks for it. And so it goes. The more you feel blessed, the more you feel blessed, the more you are blessed - because you see life that way, and serendipity seems to arise as a by-product of that. And yes I agree with you - here in my Mary Poppins/Pollyanna world - that "All Things Work For Good".

(I bet there's a few FSUers who want to get our the gag smilie at this point. Oh well. :shrug: )

 

[Alilou]

A new blog post is ready

If you've ever wondered what we carry in our luggage this is the post for you

Also some pictures of Canberra, Australia
and some more digital art (can't seem to stop )

 

[pingu]

Wow, nature is SO different in Australia!!! I am always amazed at how landscapes change as you change country

 

[Angelskates]

You make me miss Canberra!

 

[overedge]

Love the picture of the bearded dragon! We had one come in at the animal shelter about six months ago....it was wandering around in someone's back yard - I guess it escaped from its home or was left behind from a move. The people who caught it brought it to the shelter in their toddler's toy stroller It was nice to see a picture of one in its natural habitat.

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks for the introduction to wattle blossoms!

 

[Alilou]

Wow, nature is SO different in Australia!!! I am always amazed at how landscapes change as you change country

I love love love the Australian landscape. I suppose because I grew up here. It's in my bones. But certainly there is beauty its equal wherever you go in the world. One of my favourite memories of absolutely breathtaking landscape is the Swiss Alps (Grindelwald) and Tuscany of course

You make me miss Canberra!

(((Angelskates))) I know. It's such a unique, and beautiful city. Did you ever get to Floriade? Next blog post will be about that.

Love the picture of the bearded dragon! We had one come in at the animal shelter about six months ago....it was wandering around in someone's back yard - I guess it escaped from its home or was left behind from a move. The people who caught it brought it to the shelter in their toddler's toy stroller It was nice to see a picture of one in its natural habitat.

You had a bearded dragon in a shelter in BC?! A long way from home.

Thanks for the introduction to wattle blossoms!

Oh aren't they spectacular! I haven't been in Canberra for wattle blossom season for 14 years! I'd forgotten about them. I was thrilled to rediscover them.

 

[Alilou]

There's a new blog post ready.

Kangaroos and kookaburras

Floriade

An a bit about what a strange and wonderful city Canberra is.

 

[Buzz]

Thanks again. The photos are as always gorgeous!

 

[Alilou]

Thanks Buzz

 

[Alilou]

Hello again all your lurkers

A new blog post is ready. A little about Don's whining and some more photos of beautiful Canberra in the spring time.

We are in Delhi and have no words (yet) for the wonder that it is. We are absolutely loving it and have not enough hours in the day for all there is to do and see. So exciting - so several posts on India to come.

In the mean time - the final post on beautiful Canberra is available.

So much skating, so little time I've hardly had time to keep up with the board and feel I'm missing lots of good discussion, but manage to read a little each day. Love V&M's FD and thrilled with the generally good reception. That's all I have time to say about skating

 

[Buzz]

Thanks again and look forward to your new India posts! Oh BTW I keep forgetting to mention that I love the new look of your blog.

 

[Japanfan]

Interesting thoughts from Don about the mind complaining and tendencies to unhappiness. In my experience, travel has its own kind of pressure because we believe that we should be up, and positive, and excited all the time because we are in this beautiful place or having this exciting adventure. However, people can have down days and bad moments and feel generally whiny nonetheless. We're not programmed to behave certain ways in certain situations. And the nomadic traveling life has its own lacks and challenges, just as the routine settled life has.

One of my favourite maxims, spoken to me during the time when I was wandering the world and found myself feeling like a prisoner in Tokyo, was: Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.

I found loads of wisdom in reflecting on that - still do.

 

[Alilou]

Thanks again and look forward to your new India posts! Oh BTW I keep forgetting to mention that I love the new look of your blog.

Thanks again Buzz. India is AAAAAAmazing! We have fallen in love with Delhi - every day something new and interesting and soul nourishing.

Interesting thoughts from Don about the mind complaining and tendencies to unhappiness. In my experience, travel has its own kind of pressure because we believe that we should be up, and positive, and excited all the time because we are in this beautiful place or having this exciting adventure. However, people can have down days and bad moments and feel generally whiny nonetheless. We're not programmed to behave certain ways in certain situations. And the nomadic traveling life has its own lacks and challenges, just as the routine settled life has.

One of my favourite maxims, spoken to me during the time when I was wandering the world and found myself feeling like a prisoner in Tokyo, was: Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.

I found loads of wisdom in reflecting on that - still do.

Yes yes Japanfan I know exactly what you mean about taking your baggage with you. Wherever you go, there you are - all of you. We thought a lot about this when we were selling our apartment and all our stuff and getting ready to set out on this journey. We were so aware that however we are that's how we will experience wherever we go, and we did a lot of letting go - of old ways of being, of expectations, of desires, and certainly dramatically redefined our "needs" before we set out. Still, it doesn't mean we never have down days, though they have all certainly disappeared since we've arrived in Delhi. Each day we set out with open-hearted excitement and are rewarded with a feast for the senses and the heart.

 

[Alilou]

And the first post about the madness that is Delhi is ready. This city is almost beyond description - it's huge and dirty and dusty and industrious and crowded and pushy and noisy and friendly. People are approachable and helpful and gracious, and pushy and persistent and will tell you whatever they think you want to hear, and love to have their photo taken and laugh and smile and ask where we're from.

And crowded. Did I say crowded? We got the metro at rush hour and I experienced a whole new level of intimacy with strangers than I ever have before - literally squished in like sardines.