Back home now. Getting out of Mexico had a few quirks–more accurately took a few pesos to get a ’security’ guy in the border town of Neuvo Laredo to let me come home.

On the road stopped in at the Grand Canyon. Gorgeous. Went through a sand storm & met my friend from Bordeaux “Hiyak.” Sorry not sure of the spelling….and if you see this “Hiyak” get in touch! Look forward to hearing where you are now. We went through a good snow storm and into Zion together.

Anyone who has not gone to Zion should go. GO! It is extraordinarily beautiful. I’m heading back as soon as I can. And that was the highlight of the trip home. After that it was simply long days of driving to get back home. Frankie freaked out once we hit the Cacades & Willamette Pass. She could smell the sweet scents of home rain mildew moss green dirt & big tree. I would have had my nose out the window too.

I’ve already gotten a handful of taunts “What happened to your blog??” Yep Jan you were right. It was more than I could get done in a day. Instead I was working on things like the following piece. I wrote this for the PAWMA newsletter that just came out Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists. They’ll be holding their annual camp this Labor Day Weekend in Olympia. Women & young women of all ages are welcome–sorry fellas. The camp is a great way to meet new friends in the martial arts and see the amazing variety that are out there. Visit their website at www.pawma.org.

Here’s the article:

Internal Arts Without Borders
On March 28 I finished a three month Yang Style Taijiquan Intensive in San Miguel de Allende Mexico taught by Sam Masich. I’ve been away a long time — left Seattle on December 22 in the worst snowstorm I’ve personally seen there to drive over 3500 miles just me and my dog. Throughout it all (the stress the planning the risks the driving the naysayers) I’ve had to keep practicing. That doesn’t mean only my Taiji forms it means also the Taiji principles the real life lessons that training in my internal art is all about.

Before the Border

I was (and still am) thrilled with this opportunity and experience. The moment I heard about the Intensive a series of events were set into motion that gave me the opportunity to change my life so that I could attend. So I changed my life sometimes not so willingly. Being able to change accept it and transform with it are aspects of my art.