Refreshed

I've finally posted an article on our New Thought News Service blog. It's about the Dalai Lama's Gyuto Monks of Tibet. There are four of them here at the parliament. In fact, they've been camped out about 50 paces from where we, the New Service, have been all week.
They are truly beautiful human beings.
The last few days have been a whirlwind of wonderful experiences. I've not been getting as much sleep as I would like because I've wanted to soak up every moment possible! Some of my favorite people in the world are here and getting to spend time with them has been a beautiful gift.
Yesterday, I finally found a grocery store nearby and was able to buy some organic peanut butter. I love peanut butter, as my family will attest and I'd been meaning to get some for my breakfasts and such. So finally getting some was awesome.
I then jumped into the piece about the monks. I'd gotten interviews with the director of their program in Australia, a self-described Scottish Presbyterian Buddhist, and the multi-talented translator, a former monk and well educated (in the western model) nut. The "nut" part refers to his unusual, disarming and super corny sense of humour.
Taking a break from writing, I walked the five minutes back to the hostel at which I'm staying and made an awesome lunch. Three pieces of toasted, seed inundated bread with peanut butter and slices of Pink Lady apples. HOMYGOD. Berry, berry good. I shared with Suz and Katie and Bree and then asked Kathleen to get me a couple of sushi rolls from across the way. That was sort of impulse more than anything else.
After I'd finished my story, a great relief, I went on an adventure with the crew into the city. Our goal: an awesome bead shop Rev. Linda'd heard about. So we found the place, then the rest of my companions got food, we got starbucks, enjoyed the city sights and generally absorbed.
I wasn't too jazzed by the bead store, to be honest, nor by the Vintage Clothing store that was across the hall. Though they were interesting places both. What I really loved about this particular arcade was the Collected Works Bookstore. I just love bookstores. And this wasn't a used bookstore, this was as its name describes. The proprietor was more a book collector and librarian than dealer. I overheard him saying to Katie that he often liked to make sure his customers and their purchases were a good match. Was that book going to the right home? Or, why would this person want that book?
It was a great place.
We headed back to the Parliament and did one thing or another at our little news station. Bree and I had a really interesting conversation about heart and mind and where they are leading me. My mind tells me to "stay the course" and follow my current plan for after Palomar. That is to enroll this coming fall at either CSU San Marcos or Monterey Bay. My heart, on the other hand, tells me to reexamine an idea I had earlier this year: to move to WA for a year to establish residency and attend the Evergreen State College to finish my BA. This is where my heart was last night AND it still is today. I like the fact that I'll have finished my A.A. degree at Palomar regardless of my later plans. That will feel like a powerful accomplishment, something that would make taking a year off school that much more feasible.
And why might I want to do that? Here's the most succinct reason, besides the feeling that this is my heart speaking, I am called to truly enjoy my experience of finishing my BA. And I am very committed to making it a deeply satisfying, gratifying and inspiring experience all the way through. SO, taking a year to read, to live, to expand my comfort zone, to live life in a way that is sustainable, inspiring, socially responsible, and truly enjoyable, would also give me time to really flesh out what it is I want to study for this last period of my undergrad.
So. There it is. That's what I'm putting into the universe. My intention for school is to be truly, truly inspired, challenged and inspired by my work, to develop all of my interests and synchronize them.

AH! I got to play Capoeira yesterday! Last night there was a Youth Coffee night at which many beautiful people performed, dancers, singers and such. And there was this guy whom I'd seen earlier in the week wearing pants that really reminded me of capoeira style pants. So last night I asked him, "Do you play?" He had, though many years previous. A few minutes later, BAM! We played the most awkward and enjoyable games of Capoeira. It was so wonderful. I had a smile from ear to ear. It was so wonderful. And it was one of my intentions to play while here. I knew there would be someone, anyone who played. AGH! It was so fun.
Bree and I also took the opportunity to find a couple people to act as interview partners. Earlier we'd been offered the chance to be interviewed for the official Parliament documentary, later to be aired on PBS. PBS. As in the Public Broadcasting Service. WOW! I'll be Bree, Wes, Katie and I, plus a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Bahai, and a Methodist. I'm really excited. It'll be great. That'll be later today.

What else.
Conversations have been wonderful. I've attended a few sessions or workshops here and there, but mostly I've been enjoying wandering around the city and the parliament itself. In those times I have had the most rewarding connections to the myriad of humanities faces represented here this week. It is such a pleasure to be able to see everyone and, best of all, to share smiles. I've learned that the smile is a universal mode of communication, a pan-linguistic gesture.

Today, my intention is to further delve into my life, to really listen to my soul's impulses and to give proper respect the voices of my heart and mind. Also, I plan to take some time here in a bit to do some homework so I'm in integrity with that part of my life.

And it's raining in Melbourne!