Here’s my two cents from the PE e-letter this week along with some added photos of a beautiful skyline in Central Oregon. It was one of those spring days up here when the weather went from sunny to snow to rain to hail and back to rain all in the space of an hour.

Whenever I arrive anywhere after traveling I am lost, not quite sure what to do. I have no rhythm established. Do I eat? Watch TV? Do laundry? Run outside and talk to the trees or people on the street? Unpacking helps to some extent—putting familiar things in unfamiliar surroundings—clothes arranged neatly in dresser drawers, shoes set by the door, coats and sweaters hung in the closet, computer plugged in, internet on, email checked, vitamins set out on a desk or countertop, toiletries lined up on the bathroom counter, my own down pillow thrown onto the bed with a wool shawl and my traveling stuffed bunny pal. These things all help “me” be in the room where my eyes and fingers can be in contact with them. I like to burn incense or spray a special “clearing” potion called Serenity Spray that has sage and lavender and other herbal essences in it, all of which uplift the energy and removes any bad vibes. I also bring a traveling altar with me, consisting of a couple of silk cloths, a seashell, a candle, a framed picture of my teacher or a guru and my book of prayers. When this is set up on a dresser top or nightstand then I truly feel at home wherever I am.

It does usually take a good 24-36 hours for me to “land” and I most often find myself regretting making the trip, immediately wanting to turn around and go home, even if I’m at my home in Sisters. Even though I’ve grown to know that this is what I’m going to go through each time, it still surprises me, catches me off guard and I’m spun out of my comfort zone into a sort of “outer limits” zone. It’s now been 48 hours since I arrived in Sisters and today I feel terrific. I’m perfectly content to be here, looking out the window, taking long walks, talking to friends on the phone back in L.A. I’ll go back on Saturday, as planned, but I wouldn’t go back earlier even if you paid me. I guess it’s a process of assimilation and like a dog who turns around three or four times before he plops down to sleep at night, we are creatures who must feel secure in our environments, allowing our senses to relax, our guard to be let down. We need to make a connection with the place and the creatures in that place.

I am one of the very blessed and fortunate ones in this world to have so many loving and supportive places to lay my head. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to settle down and settle in to find myself never wanting to leave, until the moment that too turns and I am ready to go home or go forth, whichever way the compass is pointing, whatever the destination on my ticket reads.