The Vision Quest Chronicles: Tales of Living One's Vision

Writing Retreat 2010

This is my last night in Negril.  I’ve had quite an adventure.  Things did not go as planned in many ways i.e. dealing with a tropical storm of my same name, but they turned out pretty good. I hit my stride over the past few days and did get a lot of writing done on Book II of The Adventures of Isabelle.  I also enjoyed good sun good food, great service and lovely pampering at The Rock House Spa.

Some of the highlights (extracted from my travel journal) are:

It was a perfect day, gorgeous hot sunny.  I went swimming two or three times, lay

My Favorite Outcropping in front of villa #13

out on my favorite little outcropping in front of villa #13 and just generally soaked up the beauty. I got in the water by the restaurant and swam all the way around to the ladder in front of my old villa.  It was a lot of fun.  Not sure why but felt like I was swimming up on a fortress or something and getting out of the water to walk up the steps.  I had curry chicken, white rice and salad for lunch…I mean c’mon! It was awesome.

Negril Cliffs

After more sunning I had a Mint Tea Scrub and Caribbean Drench in the spa hut on the edge of the cliff.  This experience was dare I say it?…SCRUMTRULESCENT! I felt so alive and clear afterward.  What I think I loved the most was the warm water showering down on me as I looked out into the just beginning to set sun, the way the golden sunlight sparkled off the water and dazzled my eyes. The sound of the sea and the gentle breeze blowing on my wet, just-scrubbed skin. This I will not soon forget.

On Property of the Rock House, Negril

Got a lot of writing done last night. Have moved the plot along greatly. Went to check out some other properties for an upcoming Vision Quest Retreat. Another great lunch, this time from Sips and Bites of Brown Stew Chicken and Rice-n-peas. Loved my new villa for one day #13…so nice to be right on the water, just walk out the door and down the steps and I’m there…more sunning on my favorite flat outcropping.

with Charlotte Wallace, Rock House Manager

Celebrated my last day with a massage at the spa and sat on my deck afterward watching the sunset and feeling the great sea breeze.  Picked up my supply of Blue Mountain Coffee from the shop.  Dinner at the Rock House’s award-winning Restaurant with family.

All in all this has been a fabulous adventure but I WANT MORE!  Can you believe it?

Writing in Villa 13

I have been reading Pema Chodron’s  book “When Things Fall Apart” and playing with this notion of recognizing and celebrating the impermanence in life.  I am working on recognizing how this relates now to how I feel about leaving this place.  All good things come to an end, but so do all “bad” things. We try to hold on to the way things are, we don’t like change…at least I don’t so I’m getting the recognizing impermanence thing and catching tiny glimpses of how great it will be when one day I can actually celebrate it.  But, for now I’m going to indulge in a little melancholy moment on my balcony to star gaze and say good-bye to this beautiful country.

As always feel free to drop me a line and tell me about your journey.

Impermanence

To participate in my non-fiction book about women living their visions, by answering  a brief survey and telling us your story, please visit The Vision Quest Survey

(from travel journal dated 9.4.10 8:15 PM)

Rainbow on the Horizon

Since my last entry the weather and my productivity has improved steadily each day. Three days ago on Friday when I awoke the sun was out. I got up put on music, opened my doors to the fresh sea breeze, took the wet soggy towels away from the door that had been keeping the rain out, took a cold shower, put gel in my hair and packed up my computer bag to head to breakfast. Before I could even get out the door the clouds returned and it started to rain AGAIN! This is how it was. At first we just had periods with no rain then we got a little sun but rain too and then finally today no rain at all.

My internal weather systems have also been very mutable. I have battled boredom, fear, self doubt, and loneliness off and on over the four days that have passed since my last entry. Through all of these various battles, some decidedly bigger than others, I did manage to work on Book II (of the Adventures of Isabelle).

Rainbow

By Sunday afternoon the sun was shining strongly. Ironically this is also the day that my psychic battles reached a fever pitch. I was miserable; restless and discontent, there was no way out. I felt like Buddha facing the seven Maras from my cliff-side only there was only one Mara and that one was me. I came face to face with myself and the

What do you think? Drop me a line and let others know.

To participate in my non-fiction book about women living their visions, by answering  a brief survey and telling us your story, please visit The Vision Quest Survey

(from travel journal dated Friday October 1, 2010)

My writing spot in Villa #1

Got up early today and happy as I assumed that the Internet was back up and that I could get a ton of work done.  Very eager to get some of the women’s conference work done but foiled again!!! No Internet still!

I realized I came here to face my fears.  I keep trying to be in denial of it because it just doesn’t seem to make sense…this is not what I came for.  I came to write and to escape but am slowly beginning to accept that there is no escape.  Suffering is everywhere…even in paradise.  Buddha says suffering is inevitable, this is one of the 4 noble truths. 

Waiting out the Storm

I also just realized how once again my fear exists in my ego. This is not supposed to be about me.  I forgot that my job as an artist is to sacrifice myself on the altar of creativity. When I look at it like this I am unafraid I am on a mission and prepared to die. I’m living my vision right here and now by being here and I don’t even want to realize this.  I had a vision to travel and write and paint. I’m sitting here in a little hut in the tropics with no AC with my laptop on this small wooden table.  It is raining steadily outside.  It seems that it has been raining for 10 days straight. 

Sitting with yourself can be very challenging.  I continually want to change my situation but am learning that this is futile so I’m considering the below…

The Four Noble Truths were the first teaching of Gautama Buddha after attaining Nirvana. They are sometimes considered to contain the essence of the Buddha’s teachings:

1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another.
   

   Jamaican Buddha

2. Suffering is caused by craving. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness. Craving also has its negative aspect, i.e. one craves that a certain state of affairs not exist.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends. This is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi);
4. Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha. (Wikepedia)

What are your thoughts on the above?  Is suffering an inevitable part of life as a human and do you accept this or attempt to change it?  Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts.

To participate in my non-fiction book about women living their visions, by answering  a brief survey and telling us your story, please visit The Vision Quest Survey. 

(from travel journal dated September 30, 2010)

Natural Composition with Light

I awoke this morning in my lovely room at Moondance on the Cliffs to a world changed.  Tropical Storm Nicole had finally abated. The sea was calmer, it had stopped raining and I even caught a glimpse of some sunshine. I got dressed and walked out across the soggy lawn to see the sea. I took some peaks in the villas that I passed along the way. The sea was calmer but still quite rough.  After this I got a cup of coffee and headed to my room to work. Actually got work done.

I Inquired about things back at the Rock House then had breakfast in my room. Apparently someone was to come at 9:30 to apprise us of the situation and our options. Not sure that that person ever came but eventually the intel arrived. Power back on at RH and they would be retrieving us around 1:30.  Matthew, the manager at Moondance, asked them to call him around 1:00 to give him an update and status report on the clean-up effort.  This call too never came but the driver, non the less showed up at 1:45.

I begged off of that ride by saying I was not prepared as the pre-call had not taken place.  The driver agreed to come back at 2:20. In actuality I wasn’t ready becasue I didn’t feel like vacating my dry comfy digs so soon.  I had quickly become attached to the cool dryness, the hot water and dare I say it…the cable TV.  Not to mention that I had finally actually gotten some work done!