bonjour dc, au revoir india

india highlights

• seeing the effect tea cookies had on shunned street dogs and hungry sacred cows. giving them cookies and touching them lovingly filled me with joy.
• knowing my boys were in good care with le beau. he had to wrangle two cats to one vet visit, return with bonnard for a chest cavity fluid removal procedure, and count said kitty's breaths for a period of time afterwards. oh, and take him to his kitty-free zoned cabin for thanksgiving due to his breath counting needs. yep, this is the kitten free to a good home after a meditation class 14 years ago.
• aarti and private talks with swami chidanand saraswatiji - especially his right hand, sadhvi bhagawati, who j'adore. here are a few videos (and a few more) of her for you to explore further. truth be told, i have a big girl crush on her.
• having ample time to write, edit, and rest. to bed by 6pm some nights.
• picking up heaps of holiday treats from local artisans and small business owners.
• meeting my new 8-year-old beau arjun, along with his parents and sweet sisters.
• indulging in yummy organic food and good work at ramana's garden.
• taking and teaching yoga with new friends.
• donning my hot pink sari and having it rewrapped by a few indian women along the way. apparently i need lessons.
• seeing monkeys. i still squeal like a little girl every time. love, love, love them!
• singing kirtan and feeling the vibrations of the chants throughout my being.
• taking a boat ride across the ganges.
• hiking to a beautiful waterfall with a friend who lives in san diego. we met in costa rica last year and reunited during rishikesh travels at aarti. small world.
• being dropped off and picked up by le beau and le pug.
• sipping heaps of lemon ginger honey and masala tea. yum!
• oh, and did i mention feeding the dogs and cows? i know, i know, but such joy they bring moi!

after two days of traveling, i'm delighted to be home to my boys and creature comforts. going through the TranquiliT sale orders, unpacking, and wrapping up gifts sans quickly firing neurons. plan to slip into a hot bath with a cuppa jasmine tea within minutes. watch for a giveway later this week featuring some fave finds from my journey. thank you for following along.

may your week be filled with love, belly laughs, and deep breaths. bisous. x