I am 12 stories high sitting in the Sun Room of my parent’s downtown condo. Hot San Diego air is moving through open doors and windows and the glass walls in the room are giving an incredible view of the city, the harbor, the sky. My parent’s sold my childhood home two years ago and my nature loving Buddha Mama surprised all of us with wanting to retire in city lights. This place is a gift.

I’m typing from a keyboard that I haven’t used in over eight months and that I’ve thought about and missed the whole while. It feels big and a bit awkward and almost too much, which makes me laugh at remembering the hot tears I cried on the Best Buy store floor over choosing a mini-keyboard cover for my iPad, a peak moment of breakdown and stress before I left. It’s taken some getting use to but I’ve surprised myself with how quickly I’ve adjusted, to everything.

It’s been a gift to be home. I’ve filled my days with teaching and taking yoga, yoga and more yoga (yes, please), and with so many loved ones, loved ones, and more loved ones (yes, please). It’s been delicious. It’s also been crazy, in a mostly calm way, and magnificent, too. When you travel, often times the hardest part is “coming home”. The integration of where you just were to where you are now and how to gracefully balance and blend the two. Reverse culture shock has been nearly non-existent, which has been totally surprising and awesome. Seeing everyone has felt like it was literally just yesterday that I saw them last, as if nothing’s skipped a beat. It’s been wonderful and mind blowing and abnormally normal all in the same stroke; magical, high energy and so abundant.

I’ve been working on making my way through it all with surrender. With love and gratitude and Joy. Focusing on going / thinking / living Higher, beckoning in with Trust the life that wants to live in me and letting that life flow. Aligning. Choosing Happiness. Choosing Yes and More Please and Thank You and Knowing. Choosing this and receiving the moment like a gift, no matter what is being given. Becoming more full in doing so, loving my life and myself more than ever because of it. It’s beautiful. And it hasn’t necessarily been all butterflies and rainbows, there’s been shedding and harder mirrors and undesired habitual pulls, too. But honestly, I’m really just refusing to let anything other than Love set the tone.

I’ve less than 48 hours left in this beautiful city before I head north to Oregon to meet / be in awe of / nibble on the little toes, cheeks and ears of my new baby nephew. I simply cannot wait to curl into his magic. I get to go laugh and play with my precious niece; witness her power and growth and beautiful Being. I’m graced with time seeing *both* of my sisters, whom I love and adore, time with my incredible brother-in-law and his equally incredible family, and with my one and only Mama Bear Barrera, who’s been up there helping care for the new peanut. In sum: I’m about to enter into a state of (more) bliss.

For those of you reading this from San Diego – thank you. You’ve filled my time and heart here with so much love and joy and support, regardless of if I was blessed enough to see your face. For those of you reading this from anywhere other than San Diego – thank you. I have felt you and can feel you and am so grateful for your presence and support and love; for sharing this life with me.

I’m heading off to ride the last of this sweet San Diego wave with softness and a smile. Oh what a gift this all has been. Yes. More. Please. Thank You.

Onward, onward, onward and up y’all <3

To aligning with our Highest Light.

To rooting in our Deepest Love.

To Happiness and Joy and belly laughter and allowing and showing up with arms wide open, no matter what.

To Trust.
From my heart to yours,

Love, Love, Love.

AB