Off...

I'm off to ancient Lycia, just me and some maps and a couple of spare pairs of socks and underwear. On the slopes of Olympos, in the pine forests that slope to the sea, among the scattered tombs of vanished civilizations, I hope to discover peace and clarity. More anon.

These photos respectfully borrowed from http://www.lycianturkey.com/

Morning Commute

Despite the fact that I live in a sprawling city of nearly 3 million people, I am privileged enough to wake up every morning to a sweeping view of tall trees, silvery sea and mysterious mountains. I commute to work by boat. Every morning is a meditation, a prayer, a privileged moment alone with myself. On the ferry I sip piping-hot tea in tulip-shaped glasses, while seagulls dive and soar alongside in the pink rays of morning. They seem to take pleasure in their wingedness, and watching them, I feel joyful, too.

I suspect that these are the reasons that most days I arrive at work feeling peaceful and happy (except of course for those days when I miss the boat and am running like a madwoman in high heels with my backpack and my travel mug leaking coffee onto my shirt and nearly get run over by some idiot cabbie...but don't we all have those days?). The other day after a particularly cold night, the mountains that ring the bay were sprinkled white with confectioner's sugar...then there are days when the clouds spiral mysteriously about the highest peaks, and the sun comes peeking through cat-like...I see all this, and my colleagues, trapped in staff housing across the street from the school and shut off from views further then two blocks in a neighborhood of claustrophobically narrow streets, have no idea that any of this is going on...and again, I realize: I am fortunate indeed.

Here are some of the views that greet me each morning. Coffee on the balcony starts the day...

Then a ferry ride to the other side of the bay, during which I am treated to spectacular displays of light on water...

I wish I could capture those seagulls in a photograph, but they are elusive to my amateur's fingers. Who knew that going to work could be such a pleasure?

These early days of 2009 are days of hope and wishes, reflection on the care and feeding of the soul. Perhaps my brushes with the natural world seem an insignificant thing, but they provoke a recurring rush of gratitude. In this simple way, my soul unfailingly feels at peace. And in an increasingly chaotic world, what a rarity this is. What beauty in its simplicity. And then on these wintery January days, I think, this is the kind of happiness -- in whatever form they find it -- that I sincerely wish for all of my loved ones in this year and beyond. Happy New Year, everybody. Peace, happiness and abundance be with you.