Various thoughts on life and travelling, from the girl in the header.
(The Yoga Mat is a silent accomplice, and the camera speaks for itself at www.wendyj.com).
Since I now have different names depending on where I am, Wendy or Veena, and even Veena-Maria for my portuguese persona…. which luckily hasn’t stuck, and at last count 6 e-mail accounts, at least that many homes on 3 different continents, I guess I finally qualify as a ‘scatterling’ – 
by my own definition, (reference to a Johnny Clegg Song from long ago for those of you who know it), I am a displaced African, my deepest memories and my Heart are always connected to Africa’s Sun, and the Drums of Life that beat there all the time, even while my European feet are traversing many lands. And through all my wanderings my Eastern Soul is searching. For all the reasons.
Travelling is about discovery and growth for me, not escape, so after many years of hotel breaks and expensive beach resorts , I graduated to the other side – with some excitement – bus journeys lasting 15 hours (1 toilet break?!), sleeping on benches with the local stray dogs in dusty market towns, waiting in a train station all day for a train going close to where I think I might want to be next, staying in rural villages in private homes and learning the language ( which i’m really rubbish at) and practising patience.
The yoga part of the travelling is more about accepting every situation – just watching what unfolds – than about doing asanas or practising meditation, since that isn’t always possible. Oftentimes travelling has meant going to take a quick look, then staying much longer than planned, but Life with all its unexpected wonderful Rich experiences has taught me to stop planning or having expectations. Situations arise, and I need to learn those lessons. Now. There is no other time….!
My spiritual guidance comes from all over. In my current situation, floating but anchored somewhere between Portugal and the Angel, London in Europe; Costa Rica and at times between Goa and Madurai in India; and occasionally swimming out to my family home in South Africa, “wherever you go, there you are.”
I am always a traveller, to be sure I’ve learned the current lesson, I sometimes stick to a place or a person for a while. Actually, I’m travelling, you just can’t see it externally!
I invite you to share my memories – sometimes ridiculously difficult but remembering them here is hilarious – as these things often are with hindsight and a comfortable chair to sit in! All of it has been enlightening, and I wouldn’t have missed the opportunities for all the chai in the world (which is Really saying something!)
Wendyj 