Greetings...and Feliz Ano Nuevo!

OK, so I'm a little late--with Christmas wishes, New Year cheer and a stack of photos and stories. The truth is that I've really been putting my "all" into my job with Loreto Bay, hoping that it will provide a middle-road between NY corporate lawyer and international vagabond traveler!

I am currently taking a much-needed vacation and spending a week visiting my Mom in South Carolina. Although my online time here is limited, I am hoping to catch up on some very belated Travelogues. What I've noticed is that the experiences that justify the most photos and text are the ones that I procrastinate the longest (because I want to do individual web pages for each). So while Garth and I won't be adding new pages to the website this week, I will go ahead and get shortened versions of the Travs out to you, then I'll email links later to full pages. My goal is to catch up so I'm more current and more in touch with everyone....it's my Ano Nuevo resolution!

Before I work on a Travelogue from the Christmas present project, a quick note on the recent tsunami. The news and video footage shocked (and continue to shock) me. It is such a tragic event in such a beautiful part of the world, where I've been lucky enough to travel extensively. If you were on my Travelogue during my year in Africa, you know that I moved to Indonesia. After my step-father's unexpected death, I tried very hard to return to my new job in Jakarta but the universe kept throwing road blocks in my way--most notably the first leg of my flight being into NY on Sept 11th (yes, that Sept 11th). My diversion led me to Loreto, who would have known?!

I think that we, especially Americans, live in a world of insurance. Unexpected tragedies remind us that we really are not in control of the danger in our lives, and that makes us feel uneasy-but it is reality. There are so many forces larger and stronger than us, so I believe in living our lives fully and treating all others with respect and dignity. If I say more, I'm afraid it will sound like some cliche calendar motivational line. Let me attach photos instead...

Both of these photos were taken (one by me and one by friend, Kirsten) on small islands in Indonesia. One represents the smallness of humans compared to the sheer size and force of nature. The other conveys the simplistic core of an innocent girl's timeless message of peace.

Let's enter this new year strong and focused, but also generous and kind.

Siri