YOLTLO: I AM GOING TO INDIA!

This is the only appropriate title for this blog post. 

It's a funny story, this little journey to India. Let me begin by saying that I am not the most traveled person. I'm not the most untraveled person either, but I'm not affected by a chronic wunderlust like many others that I know. I love my home and I love being at home. I have never lived anywhere other than Tampa. (Yes, I was born here!) And I'm only a 20-minute drive from that home that I lived in from the time I was six-months to almost 21. 

But at the end of a particularly stressful week, one of my best friends sent me a message. She said she was planning on going to India for a wedding, and that she thinks it would be amazing if we traveled there together. Any other time, I'd be like, "I don't have time for that!" But there was another part of me that was screaming, "Get me out of here and go have fun for once!" 

I mentioned this idea to my partner when he got home, and he immediately encouraged me to do it—swatting down excuses like a pro. So, I began to look into the logistics of a plane ticket, and I checked in with my inner committee on its overall opinion. Within about two weeks, I booked the two of us a flight. My friend was working in rural Haiti at the time, on a micro solar grid (because she's a bad-ass!), so I had to do most of the flight research and booking. We were on the phone together when I decided on the final fight. Having lived with me for five years, she knows how much I stay at home. (During the time that we lived together, she traveled to, I don't know, at least three different countries on at least five trips—including to India!) As soon as we made our trip "official," she exclaimed, "I can't believe you did that."

One word Jamie, YOLO ... YO-LO.

That became the theme word for the trip. I was writing our proposed itineraries with the subject, "YOLO 2016." But then later, I realized that in India, they don't believe "you only live once."

So, I decided that it would be YOLTLO: You Only Live This Life Once. 

Day 34: Deb!

Today I had to say "See Ya Later" ("good bye" just makes me sad) to a great friend of mine, Deb Muller. Tomorrow morning she embarks on a journey to travel, work, and discover. Her and her girlfriend, Cricky, have found new homes for most of their possessions, tied up their loose ends in Tampa, and have been asking themselves what they really what to experience in this life. So they are leaving everything they know to explore their passions. We all can take inspiration from that.

Deb has been instrumental in my yoga practice the past year and a half.  When we first started to become friends she had just finished her yoga teacher training and really encouraged me to take that step in my life.  She introduced me to LeShan, the teacher I am now working with, and supported me in my slow journey to beginning the training. Deb's yoga classes have been some of my favorite to attend and have helped me a lot in my practice.

But also Deb is a friend in the truest sense of the word. Maybe its the yoga, maybe it's just who she is, and probably a little bit of both. She is one of the few people that I feel really knows how to listen.  Knowing that people like Deb are out in the world (even if it's out in the world away from where I am), I feel things are going to be okay.

Deb and Cricky started a blog to share on as they journey. Check out

The Farmer and the Yogi

. Follow them. Love them. I know I will!