Make Like a Kangaroo and Hop Forward

While clearing out my inbox on my computer today, I came across so many emails that were sent to me prior to my leaving Los Angeles back in March. So many kind words of encouragement were sent my way. It was nice to be reminded of the love and support that so many people showed me. I remember the inner fear that I was experiencing before taking off that I tried so hard to mask. Now, as I sit and write from Paekakariki, a small village located on the South West tip of New Zealand's North Island, I am amazed at all that I have seen and experienced in such a short time. My days have been so busy that time seems to escape me. My stories are endless and could fill a large book but I will share some highlights.

My last three weeks in Australia were nothing short of astounding and absolutely life altering. Each day was better than the last. The adventures continued throughout the Northern Territory with hikes through Kings Canyon and into the sacred Uluru area. Ayer's Rock is one of the most magnificent natural wonders that I have ever experienced. Sleeping under the stars and then guiding people through yoga at it's base will stay embedded in my soul forever. The rock glows and it's body seems to move like waves. If you ever get the chance to come to Australia please fore go the warnings that Uluru is simply a tourist attraction. It is an absolute phenomenon and not to be missed. I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced it.

Years ago I learned about the Law of Attraction and the power that each of us has to manifest anything that we truly want into our lives. What I really wanted was to finish my final week in the Outback with a smaller group and that is exactly what I got. The last seven days was spent with three other girls and a tour guide, all of whom I now consider to be friends for life. When I learned about our final "numbers", I laughed out load while the others looked on in astonishment because I knew that this was how we were all meant to experience the last leg of our tour and I am so happy to say that my intuition was absolutely dead on. Due to the size of our group, we were able to explore places and areas that would not have been possible with more people.

One of the highlights of our trip together was a stop in a surreal town called Coober Pedy, an opal mining town located in the Central Territory. The entire community lives underground to escape the heat which can reach up to around 115 degrees or more. Our tour guide Sean rescued a baby kangaroo after it's mom was hit by a car months ago and brought it to a couple who take care of orphaned roos in an art gallery there. Holding and loving on the baby roo was absolute magic. Kangaroos are such fascinating creatures and besides their cute factor, I love that they can only hop forward. It is impossible for them to hop backwards. Whenever I begin to dwell on stories from my past, I now think about them and focus on hopping forward. Brings a smile to my face and lightness to my heart.

Our trip carried us into the majestic terrain of Flinders Ranges National Park which is rich in wildlife including Kangaroos, Emus and Yellow Tailed Wallabees. We spent an afternoon rock climbing up steep terrain in search of the latter and we were fortunate to find dozens who were as curious about us as we were about them. Aborigines have lived in the area for tens of thousands of years and their energy is felt throughout with rock art sites and fossil remains.

On our final day together, we woke up at 4 am and hiked up to the top of one of the mountains in time for sunrise. I took our group through a beautiful sun meditation and then guided them into some sun salutations. As an eagle soared above our heads, we all sat in silent gratitude for the magic that unfolded over the week.

I was so sad to leave my new traveling family but have grown accustomed to moving on over the past months and settled into a new hostel in Adelaide. Pulling into this small city reconfirmed thoughts that I have been having about life back home. I am no longer a city girl. This feeling has been brewing for quite some time but being in the Outback solidified any doubt I had. My spirit is more at ease in nature, away from the noise and chaos of the urban world.

While I was in Bali, several of my new friends suggested that I visit the Byron Bay area located on the East Coast in New South Wales. I booked a flight and made a reservation at a hostel there called The Arts Factory. When I arrived, I immediately felt at home thanks to the multiple yoga studios and New Age bookstores. Artists, hippies and backpackers grace the streets barefoot and smiling. Although the main draw to the hostel was their advertising daily yoga and meditation classes, I was disappointed to find out that their teacher had flown overseas and the classes were canceled. After spending a few days in the area, I knew it was time to make a move which is when I met my new travel companion.

Francesca and I met while waiting for a bus into town and immediately felt a kinship. She had been traveling for almost a month in Australia from London. We had separately been told that we would love a town called Mullimbimby and decided on the spot to pack our bags and figure out a way to get there the following day.

After catching a ride and arriving into the small town, we both fell in love with the area and knew we had made the right decision. We checked into a motel and inquired about renting a car which led us to a local car repair shop. Although I have never driven on the right side, I knew that this would be the most ideal way to see the country and I was ready for the challenge.

We ended up renting a small red, very old, very beat up car which we named "Sally". She had a lot of trouble making it up hills, which was more of an inconvenience for people driving behind us and her lights were painfully low even on high beam but she took us to places that I am so happy I go the chance to experience.

We began our road trip just outside of Mullimbimby to the enchanting Crystal Castle which is nestled in the mountains. There we walked the beautiful grounds which are graced by the largest crystals that I have ever seen. After walking through the rainforest and getting photographs taken of our auras, we hopped in our little car and set off to the Minyan Falls. While making our way up the road to the waterfall, it began to dawn on us just how much of a lemon our little car was. As she slowly made it up the mountain, with a major lump in my throat, and the sun setting, we both looked it at each other and knew it would be wise to head on to the next location, a little (soon to discover, teeny tiny is more accurate) town named Uki.

While driving into town, we realized very quickly that Uki consists of about 3 main locations: a pub, a gas station and a grocery store. The latter were both closed. The drive there was nothing short of adventurous: imagine winding unpaved roads, no road signs, no street lights and a car with painfully dim headlights. Needless to say, we were both exhausted. We hadn't booked a bed for the night and made a pact that if we were not able to find something, that little Sally would become our home for the night. We had both spent enough time sleeping outside over the past weeks, that sleeping in car didn't seem like a bad option.

As I parked next to a large amount of motorcycles outside the pub, we both looked at each other with a grin full knowing that we were in for an experience. The minute we opened the door to the pub, it seemed as though every eye was on us and the music came to a hault. Apparently very few strangers visit Uki. We rushed up to the bartender to inquire about accommodation and she tossed a book of brochures our way. We quickly decided on a Bed and Breakfast called Shambala which is run by a local hippie couple and nestled high in the hills.

The rest of our week unfolded like a nomadic fairy tale with visits to a Hare Krishna Ashram, in Murwimballah, a few days in Nimbin which is a town straight out of the drug hazed 60s, a day trip to the lovely Bangalow area where we took part in a glorious drum circle, sunbathing on the beach in Brunswick Heads and finally a strenuous hike up Mt Warning which reminded me that I am capable of doing absolutely anything if I put my mind to it.

We rounded out our week by returning our little car back in Mullimbimby and catching a bus back to Byron Bay. I was sad to hug Francesca goodbye, but, again, goodbyes have become commonplace even though they are never easy.

I checked into a new hostel in Byron Bay, submersed myself in hours of daily yoga classes and planned for my final chapter in Oz: a journey to the Blue Mountains and a couple of days in Sydney.

Arriving in the majestic Blue Mountains, which is located just 2 1/2 hours outside of Sydney was amazing. The views are swept up by miles and miles of gorgeous blue hued Eucalyptus trees and raw rocks. I made friends quickly at the Flying Fox Hostel which felt more like a private mountain home with a cozy fireplace and warm hosts. Over the next few days, my new friends and I took road trips to visit an area called the "Lost City", a Glow Worm cave nestled deep in the mountains, a trek up to the Three Sisters, Echo Point and numerous other treks up to water falls in the area.

While in the mountains, I received an email from Ben Lee, whose wedding in India last December is the reason I am traveling now. He was doing a tour in Australia with the very talented Aimee Mann and invited me to come to a show in Sydney. So I hopped on yet another train to Sydney, settled into one of my Outback friend Denise's home in Bondi Beach and met Ben for dinner. It was so nice to spend time with a friend from back home, it felt like being home and reminded me that I am loved and supported and have wonderful people to return back to when I am ready.

My last night in Oz was spent at Ben's show at the Enmore Theatre. A perfect ending to a perfect experience in a beautiful country. The memories will stay with me forever and I will be endlessly grateful for the strength of spirit that I have found there. The layers have stripped and I vow to continue to hop forward from now on just like a kangaroo with deep gratitude in my heart.

Om Namo Narayani
xox

Following The Intuition Road to Oz

There was no question where I needed to go after Bali. Despite having been invited to join friends in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, too many signs kept pointing me in the direction of the Australian Outback. I was told by more than a few healers and psychics in Ubud that I now needed to go to the Oz’s Northern Territory, to be in wide open space, away from cities, away from large groups of people, a place to tap into and trust my intuition on a deeper level. But I was also warned that my trip would not be easy and several challenges would cross my path but that it was essential that I stick with it and not let the negative deter me from the beautiful experiences that would eventually unfold. This could not have been truer.

I flew to Darwin, located at the Northern tip of Australia, from Bali because the flight was cheap and the Outback trek that I wanted to do began there. Australia is a lot more expensive than India and Indonesia so my only accommodation option was to check into a hostel which ironically is more expensive than any hotel, guest house or ashram that I have lived in, in the past 4 months and it is also the most run down and the most challenging.

My flight landed at 3:30 am and I boarded a shuttle bus to the hostel. When I arrived, I was greeted by a group of very young, very drunk rowdy 20 year olds who were hanging out by the reception area. They set the tone for the next four days. My room was a shared room with two bunk beds. The carpets were dirty, the room smelled like feet, the mold in the shower was enough to make me almost not want to bathe and each new roommate was drunker than the last.

I sadly had to leave Bali early because my visa was running out and I could not extend it. I needed a couple of days of preparation in order to get ready for my 14 day trek into the Outback where, as I have been told, I will be living outside on campsites under the stars, with little to no access to the “real world”. I am now an official backpacker; my large suitcase is gone as are most of my belongings and I could not be more grateful for the lightness that that has brought to my travels.

I booked the trek with a tour company called “Adventure Tours” upon recommendation from a few friends that I met in Bali who had travelled extensively in Australia. Ideally I would have loved to have been able to explore the Outback on my own, and at my own pace, but given the size, depth and potential danger that exists there the idea was simply out of the question.

The tour bus picked me up at the hostel at 5:30 am on a Thursday morning. The other backpackers came from all over the world; Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Spain, Sweden and France. I was the only American on the bus which is something I have become accustomed to. Everyone seemed very sweet except for a frowning couple from France who did not speak a word of English. Because of this, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, introduced myself and let them know that I am fluent in French. They seemed thrilled that I would be able to translate for them if they were having trouble understanding our guide.

Our first stop was at waterfalls in Litchfield National Park. As the rest of the group swam in the first body of water, I found a remote rock, settled in, and began to meditate. The land feels alive with energy here and I felt so grateful to be connected with it.

We made our way to Florence Falls which features a gorgeous cascading waterfall with a very large natural swimming pool. As I swam to the belly of the rushing water, I began to feel overwhelmed with an enormous amount of humility and gratitude for yet another phenomenal experience. I thought about so many of my friends back home who have dreamt of coming to Australia for years but who have not been able to due to financial constraints. I am abundantly aware of how fortunate I am and because of this, have vowed to not take a second of my experience here for granted. As my new friends and I played and laughed in the perfect water, I noticed the French couple sitting on the rocks looking as though they were annoyed by something. As I made my way back to land to dry off, I asked if they were okay. Their response was that they were disappointed that there were so many people on the tour with them (12 of us in total). They then asked me if I knew how many more waterfalls our guide was intending on bringing us to. I knew that we had two more full days of hiking up to and swimming in various waterfalls in Kakadu National Park and that personally I was thrilled at the prospect of diving into more sacred water. The Frenchman snarled back “we would not be caught dead swimming in one of those dirty pools. That would be like bathing in someone’s dirty bath water.” Interesting view, I thought to myself. There is nothing remotely dirty about these pools by the way. They are exquisite, clean, clear bodies of beautiful water.

The second half of our day was spent on a boat ride up the Mary River Wetlands where we were introduced to a variety of crocodiles, wallabies and other natural wildlife. Our day ended at a secluded campsite at Point Stuart Wilderness park where we cooked and then settled in for an early night’s sleep in free standing tents. The French couple continued to complain about the food and the accommodations but being that I was the only one who understood them, I decided to bite my tongue and vowed to try to ignore them for the next 13 days.

The following two days were more magnificent than the first. Kakadu National Park is a magnificent dream. After viewing ancient Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr, we made our way up to the top of the Nardab lookout where I preceded to submerse myself in a series of Sun Salutations. The vast and infinite landscape is so astonishing that it brought tears to my eyes. From there we made our way up Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) for a strenuous hike which was rewarded by gorgeous plunge pools. As everyone else swam and as I meditated at the top of the rocks, I noticed the French couple had not so much as dipped their toes in the water. I began to feel sorry for them. How could they be here, surrounded by such beauty and completely take it for granted. I wanted to scream and tell them how fortunate they are but knew intuitively that my words would fall on deaf ears.

The following day involved a lot of driving, hiking and more swimming in Jim Jim and Twin Falls. The pools at Twin Falls are fantastic and involve climbing up rocks barefoot to make the way to hidden pools in the surrounding area. A small adventurous group of us made our way to the furthest pool, and as we arrived at the highest rock, I taught a very short impromptu yoga class. The landscape here calls for yoga and I feel honored to introduce my beloved practice to my new friends.

As we all made our way back to the bus, an Aboriginal man (who we found out later owned the land we were on) asked our group if anyone had a cigarette. The only smokers in the group were the French couple (smoking like disrespectful chimneys in national parks ). One of the girls from Denmark said "the French couple have one but they don't speak English" to which the Aboriginal man replied "well can someone translate" so I did. I turned to the couple and said, in French, "can you spare a cigarette for him because otherwise he has to drive 3 hours (!) into town to get one". The Frenchman looked in my eyes and said, in French, " No. Mind your business. I understood what he wanted and I was not about to give a black Aboriginal man one of my cigarettes." I was horrified. Climbed in the bus and said "what an asshole", utterly disgusted.

We were heading back into Darwin for the night and made a pit stop for drinks. As I descended from the bus, the Frenchman was standing outside smoking and called me over to him and said "you know that stunt you pulled with me earlier. That is never to happen again. Do we understand each other?" I said "I am not sure I know what you mean." He said " I understood what the man wanted and I was not about to give him one of my cigarettes. You need to know when to open your mouth. You pull that shit again and you and I are going to have some major issues on this trip. Do we have an understanding?" I just looked him in the eyes and said "you are a real asshole of a man. Do you know that?" I walked away and could hear him behind me saying "As long as we understand each other. You better watch yourself!"

I walked up to rest of the group shaking. I felt threatened. I told the tour guide, she called the front office. They said unless he was physically threatening that there was nothing they could do, the only option would be for me to join another tour 2 days later. Although I was sad to be leaving the rest of the group, I knew intuitively that I would be better off. I could not fathom being stuck on a bus for 11 more days with such negative energy even if that meant enduring another couple days in a hostel in Darwin.

I am so happy that I listened to my inner guide. It was actually nice to be back in Darwin, to be able to pick up essentials that I had not thought of purchasing prior to my first take off and to better prepare myself for the next leg of my journey. The new group that I joined were kind, grateful and a lot of fun. We bathed in waterfalls in Katherine Gorge, took an art class with an Aboriginal artist, I did yoga in the light of the Full Moon, fed a camel apples right from my mouth, swam in a natural hot spring swamp which was like swimming in Heaven, meditated on top of a humongous rock in the sacred Devils Marbles desert and drank beers at the Daly Waters outback hotel, the Territory's oldest pub.

I have 10 more days left on my tour and I imagine each day will be better than the last. My intuition is in high gear, my heart is full of gratitude, my mind is clear. I am happy. Life is blessed. Australia is a dream. It is, as the locals call it, Oz .

Sending love a many blessings from Oz.
xoxo