From Across the Ocean

It has been 4 days since I returned from the Philippines, and luckily I budgeted in a few days to recover before I returned to work.  Last year, I also arrived in the evening after over 24 hours of transit, and the very next morning at 8am I was back to the daily grind, convinced that I would somehow be able to will myself through the fatigue of the previous days' journey and the jet lag of a 13 hour time difference.  

"Oops" would sum that up.

Even now as I type at 11pm in Austin, the equivalent of 12 noon the following day in the Philippines, my body feels generously confused, not sure if it should be getting ready to sleep or continue to forge ahead for the remainder of the day.  But soon it will remember the ebb and flow of this time zone, and that the darkness of these hours is prime time for creativity.

While I could press on into the wee hours to squeeze out a new post inspired by my experiences in the Philippines, believing once again in that elusive "will" and forcing the issue with my internal clock, I will refrain.  While self-sabotage is not something I'm unfamiliar with, I am making a choice to not venture down that path.  There is so much on my mind, so much that I want to write about and articulate, but a few more days of quality sleep and reflection are needed before I can sort it all out to my satisfaction.  

For a trip that brought me not only to another country, but to another level of consciousness and connection to my roots, the very least that I can do is be patient.  It deserves at least that.

So stay tuned for posts about the successes and challenges of eating gluten-free and vegan on my vacation, finding perspective on how my differences belong in the light, and not the shadows, and, of course, recipes based on Filipino classic cuisine.  

I am beyond excited to share.