50 Shades of Teal

Greetings My Friends!

It’s been a spell since we last communed here. With the world whirling seemingly faster every day, I am honored you share your precious time taking in my musings.

50 Shades of Teal reflects my Bahamian experience both literally and metaphorically. 

During my expedition to the Abacos, I had the opportunity to review my previous blog posts. With internet and platform changes over the years some posts were missing pictures, text and more. I hadn’t done this prior as it was too time consuming and I didn’t think many people were going back to read them. Evidently people were, and I wanted to respect them with a better presentation.  Along with photos obviously missing, there were many gross typos, so blatant I couldn’t believe I didn’t catch before, and the missing text was significant. In some posts, I refer to an earlier post (before I knew how to link to those previous posts) and either the post or that specific content is missing. Continuity is a bit improved as I did my best to make corrections. In that endeavor, I also made an interesting discovery. Rereading blog posts of January and February 2020, they were uncannily prophetic of the time ahead. If you are one of my newer audience members, you may enjoy reading about my earlier adventures. Should you choose to do so, may I suggest starting with the initial post on blogger in 2009. There were a few previous posts (on other platforms) but that would be the most effortless commencement point. Then read in chronological, or date, order. With all the challenges in my presentation, it seems to make more sense that way. Please be kind regarding duplicate posts, missing images and possibly words, as well as awkward spacing.  

Ironically this pic showed bigger than others and I can't make it smaller!

Before leaving California, AXICOM assisted me in making sure things worked on my computer for upcoming travel. Uncannily, within a week of arriving in the Bahamas, my E key started acting up. Did you know E is the most used letter in English language? Over my time there, it got almost unusable as I pursued one solution after another. The efforts were almost comical including my computer, unexpectedly, going for a ferry ride on its own in a brown paper bag. If you’ve read my blog, for any amount of time, you may have noticed the history of technology and I having the craziest tango. So far, an ongoing saga...

Probably due to my remembrance of a “past life” close to Nikola Tesla, I am not a fan of Edison. However, many can relate to his example ~ of discovering 1,000 -10,000 (depending on your sources) ways an electric light bulb didn’t work before he successfully created a working light bulb. In the Bahamas, I had a fantastic experience discovering yet another area that didn’t match 100% the specifics of “my place”. Considering I didn’t utilize 90% of what I brought in my suitcases is a pretty good indicator of the difference of what I anticipated and what actually transpired. Then again, the frequency of such a happenstance should have me quite accustomed to it by now. Hmmm…having an experience over and over until I “get it” – or simply embrace it.

Another sign or premonition was the silver chain necklace on which hung my black pearl * broke just after arriving in Abaco. I’ve had a number of signs/symbolism pertaining to jewelry - with it disappearing, breaking, and, magically appearing. It was quickly apparent this was not “My Place” as I

discovered there are no long white sand west facing beaches. Many, many sharks frequented the main island I was on. Generally sharks and dolphins aren't BFFs. The whole time, I had only one brief visit by a lone dolphin. I appreciated the fleeting encounter and was intuitively aware of some of the “deeper” reasons why.

There are positive reasons for everything as well as the absolute knowing I was in the perfectly right place at exactly the right time. So I focused on what was aligned with my vision for the time:
* Clear Teal - Turquoise Water
* White Sand Caressing My Feet
* Sweet Solitude
* Dolphins and Turtles
* Warm Climate
* Delicious Fresh Coconuts
* Being Barefoot 3 Months
* Loving Caring Interactions With Beautiful People
* Decadent Chocolate

I can relate my life to having a huge screen where I have access to every movie and tv show ever – desirable and not so desirable. It’s just a matter of me figuring out the proper use of the remote (sometimes a tricky task) to get the show I wish to experience instead of the one it is stuck on.

For those who perhaps haven’t quite reached their goals, I ask you to look and see what qualities of that goal, or those goals, have you currently manifested. What aspects are you enjoying right now? I believe the more we notice and appreciate in our present that which is desired, the desired will continue to multiply.

Back to a little about my trip. No surprise, I spent much time on the beach bedazzled with many a sunrise and sunset. My exploring, in all directions, resulted in acquiring information, seeing stunning sights, and acquiring numerous sea treasures. Views of the mighty Atlantic, as ever changing as my life, accompanied by the lullaby of the waves were a daily delight from my bedroom.

My charming host, Mary, was quite fascinating and somewhat of a prominent figure on the island. Among other skills and interests, she is a published author and prolific artist. Thankfully, I was able to be with her during her vivacious state. As time went by, serious health issues developed that drastically altered her life. It became clear that she would need 24-hour care. Since my host was so dear, I wanted to help but this clearly wasn’t what I signed up for. I decided to stay a couple months while a suitable caretaker was found. My host has three charming, and extremely loving, daughters - all super gifted in their own right. We had some ups and downs dealing with challenges as they arose but it was always with a sense of love and caring. It was an extreme honor and blessing just being able to spent time with these four amazing gals. Sometimes it is in the making of the lemonade that you realize some of life’s unique deliciousness!

Oh, I must mention not one, but two amazing boating adventures I was treated to. Both were a blend of fun, wonder, and getting lost in another world…under the sea. From the brilliant multi-colored fish to the amazing variety of coral; I wondered if Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) ever went snorkeling.

Then, there was the discovery of Atlantean crystals in a popular area in plain view although nobody I encountered there ever saw them. But that is another story that may or may not be revealed in future tales. It was similar to all the crystals I found on the beach in Ecuador, including amethyst, that hardly anyone else saw. One of the quartz crystals is pictured in Baring My Soul and Planting a Dream.

Another highlight was my birthday surprise. With it being a magical day to start with, my host and her daughters made it a fantastic day to remember. They accommodated me going to one of my favorite bays. I had it all to myself – the turquoise (or teal) warm water, the idyllic white sand beach, blue skies with the perfect fluffy Care-A-Lot clouds, palm trees swaying ahhhh….. It was followed by a fun party with delightful company, a decadent famous chocolate cake – so many things went into making my milestone 60^th (yes, you read that right) birthday special. They have my forever gratitude for that and infinite other ways they made my stay so wonderful.  As you may know, I am a big fan of celebrations and (happy) surprises 😊

Inspirational tidbits often come into my awareness at the perfect time. That was the case for the following “message from the Universe” via Mike Dooley.

“What if, MH, you're already doing everything right, even though you're not sure?

 

And the surprises along the way have only sped things up, even though it felt like they slowed you down?

 

And all that you want is now barreling toward you, even though you can't see it?

 

And when it arrives it'll exceed your every expectation, even though your dreams were huge?

 

Wouldn't you be making some really weird noises about now? Whoohooing, howling… maybe even whoohoo-howl-barking?

 

Well?

  The Universe”

Recently, I caught from a friend the concept of plans being written in the sand at low tide. That sure accurately describes the majority of my life over the years. I have one idea. The Universe then erases it in one swift wave and I am on to the next adventure.

Indeed, the Abaco Cay I enjoyed is many folks’ heaven. Indisputably, there are gorgeous areas there but, just as clearly, not “mine” soooo the Quest continues….

Ongoing thanks to all my Angels (now my Bahamian host and her daughters, who I feel more as my sisters, are included). As I compose this, my next adventure is excitingly unfolding! More on that to come. Meanwhile, if my messages have helped, inspired and/or entertained you, I welcome your continued support. I could not have gotten this far on my incredible journey without you! It might simply be a moment of sending bright energy or a prayer. Please contact if you wish to contribute financially. The Tower Garden is an awesome way to support your own health and me too 😉 Juice Plus is one of the most amazing nutritional support systems out there. Just a reminder that kids get J+ FREE through the Healthy Starts Program with participating adult – Could be a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend, or other sponsor.

As alluded to earlier, technology is continuing to be a challenge for me morphing into a higher level of complexity than before. Rising to this daunting task, an incredible tech wizard angel is currently working miracles with it. In the meantime, I continue doing what I can where I am with what I’ve got. Translation, this delayed post is getting out more imperfectly than I’d like but is the best I can do for now.

Wishing you best health and happiness. May all your challenges turn into wonderful surprise opportunities as I have managed to appreciate with many of mine.

Love and DeLight ~

 

*My Black Pearl was gifted me by my parents for my 50^th birthday. They’d purchased it for that purpose a couple years prior on their visit to Tahiti for that special birthday. Occasionally, I throw tidbits in my stories that seemingly don’t relate. However, as one reads, they might notice how all the pieces tie together 😉

 

WORKAWAY - Not So Ethical?

Since I have recommended Workaway many times in the past to an unknown number of people, I feel it appropriate to follow up. Knowing what I now know about the organization, I recant my recommendations and provide disclosure of disappointing practices.

A reminder to my ever faithful family and my new readers – as I know I am welcoming a few here…..I did not join workaway due to wanderlust or a passion for travel. It was to assist me on my quest to finding my place as you can read, or refresh your memory, in Baring My Soul and Planting A Dream.

Initially discovering this travel trade website in 2014, I was so excited and promptly shelled out the money for my membership. What I learned along the way is:

·        Hosts pay no membership….just the volunteers.

·        A greater percentage of hosts I personally contacted don’t respond.

·        Less than stellar feedback (by paying volunteers) is removed – basically false advertising. Obviously this site is geared toward accommodating hosts so workaway will have a product, albeit not always honestly portrayed, to sell to volunteers.

·       Workaway implies situations have, for the most part, 5 hours work, 5 days per week in exchange for food and accommodations. That scenario is actually pretty rare at least with the hundreds of profiles I looked into (unless you also include a space to set up your own tent or paying extra for meals or having a space to prepare your meals).

·        Workaway monitors private messages too in spite of their denial….I have correspondence to back that up but don’t wish to spend any more energy there.

Here is the feedback that I gave for the first place, and ONLY place via workaway, I experienced.

(See: If I'd Have Known & Really......the Desert?!) Through the grapevine I heard that even the owner agreed it was truthful. This feedback was subsequently removed by workaway. It makes reference to the description of the place that was posted at the time and what I actually encountered. Note: I was being kind.

[09/02/2015]

I spent almost a month here. Just a heads up that it isn’t quite a Hotel/Resort and Restaurant in the usual sense. It is more of a backpacker’s hostel. There is a dining hall and kitchen to prepare your own food but not a restaurant that has food and you can get meals prepared for you. A group of young people live there and like to chill. They are great about cutting down coconuts, when available. Nothing like drinking fresh coconut water right out of the coconut! So if you are looking for something more laid back, this might be the place for you. You need to be prepared for all situations like often no water much less hot. You also must like the company of a pack of untrained dogs following you wherever you go….yes, that includes the kitchen. There is much that needs to be done around so you will have no trouble finding ways to help out and can probably choose the jobs you prefer. The facility sits on a beautiful beach backed by desert-like terrain. The beach is constantly littered with trash so Mother Nature would love it if you assisted in the trash collection helping uplift the Planet. It is about an hour drive south of the city of Manta and about ½ hour north of Puerto Lopez. You can easily catch an inexpensive bus right on the road to either location and more if you’d like to do a little sightseeing or shopping.

I must add that I stayed in Nov 2014 and haven't had a chance to post this earlier so things appear to have changed. I know they changed their description after I left a review on another site back in Dec.

Left by Workawayer for host

(Neutral)

for Help a hotel 4 km north of town of the fishing village of Puerto Cayo, Ecuador.

Knowing everything happens for a positive reason, I thankfully see many gifts resulting from being involved with workaway. If I hadn’t joined, I wouldn’t have met a number of wonderful folks – many of whom have since become dear friends.

Mary was one of the first that I made a magical connection with…..no surprise….on the beach! She shares an inspiring blog about her adventures and life as an expat in Ecuador. Mary, in turn, assisted me in making the synchronistic partnership with Hosteria Nantu including Andrea, Mauritz and what quickly became my Nantu Family.  At that time I assisted in getting Hosteria Nantu listed on workaway. Here are the reviews we posted for each other:

(Excellent)

for Volunteer at a Hosteria in Southern Manabi province, directly on the beach

[09/02/2015]

Words aren’t adequate to express my gratitude and happiness regarding my 2 month stay. Andrea and Mauritz were gracious hosts indeed. They and the staff quickly felt like family to me as we worked together….sometimes a little humorously due to my limited Spanish skills. It was an honor leading so many guests in daily morning yoga too. Between my hosts, the staff and a number of special guests, dozens more have been added to my heart for life. It was a real treat living and working right across from the beach. I got a chance to see all the different rooms in the hosteria. The reason this is significant as they are all artfully designed and decorated in their own unique manner. If you get a chance to volunteer here, between the hosts and the tranquil area, it will be an opportunity you remember fondly on for a long time to come!

Left by Workawayer for host

(Excellent)

Michelle

[08/04/2015]

We still miss this lady. She changes our life and the way to see things around. We really appreciate all she did around our hosteria, we still have people coming to look for our yoga classes and massages, I highly recommend Michelle as a worker, friend and person. Thanks a lot for all you did for Us. Everyone here keep talking about how great you were. You will always be part of our family, doors will always be open for you Michelle.
Left by host for Workawayer

Tessa and Alie frequented my poolside yoga class. Thanks to fb and their blog Happy Goats, we are able to stay in touch. Manuela from Italy, another beautiful yoga regular, co-owned restaurant Paella Mar in Puerto Lopez with her partner Toni from Spain. Loved their crème brulee! One more of my yogini friends is sweet Nadia. She shared my gypsy spirit and was on her own quest. Her time to move on came before mine and she gifted me with a beautiful handbag that she lovingly made for me herself. It was perfect for my needs (ok wants) at the time. Of course, I must express immense gratitude for my experiences with my furry, feathered and water friends - dogs, seals, seabirds, turtles and seahorses! 

During my research I came across a significant number of others who had similar, unsatisfactory findings and less desirable encounters through workaway. Will not go into any more detail so as not to immerse in the negative. Just backing up my own findings to save others unpleasant situations in the future.

Bringing the focus back to the bright side…..I am still open to that magical tropical location being shown to me in my night dreams and day visions. In the meantime, I continue Putting It Out To The Universe.... Please share ANY and ALL leads that may come to you regarding where on earth this Paradise might be or ways that I may discover such! Perhaps YOU would like to Personally participate with me in finding this Tropical Retreat?! It would be a powerful way of being the change we wish to see in this world…….Just Sayin’ ;-)

Thank you all for being such Bright Lights in my life!

P.S. Here's my workaway profile in case you can refer me to potential hosts...or if you may be one yourself!