Time warp and decompression at home

I’m writing this post under very unusual conditions compared to recent trip post.  I have a great WiFi connection, am sitting in the comfort of my own living room, am sipping a homemade Chai and experiencing much cooler weather.  Home!

Where is that?  Home?  The answer depends on whether or not you are present.  Really present.  If you are present right here, right now in this moment, there is no home more comforting than that.

The experience of traveling home was an extension of the “segment intending” process I wrote about.  During my trip, I picked up a few gifts, some coconut oil, a wooden statue of Buddha and such.  On each occasion, at least one person cautioned, “you’ll never be able to get that through customs”.  Hmmm, how do I relate to that?

Each day, people around us, conditions around us, are planting unconscious intentions for us.  Whatever we focus on, we put energy into.  And what we feed our energy to, we increase the likelihood of happening.

I’m choosing to live in my world, based on my intention and staying present to be clear about the best live experience I can choose.  We either purposefully and clearly choose our own intention or allow some external mindset, often based on fear or worry or simple unconsciousness creep in and we have to then live with that.

I’ve often used this quote from Carlos Castaneda in my workshop materials:

“The trick is in what one emphasizes.  We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.”

What you emphasize is a choice!  Choose wisely, you will reap the reward or cost of what you focus on.

Monday am, 1:30, I was shocked awake from a deep sleep by my phone ringing.  I wondered if I could get back to sleep?  I couldn’t control that but I knew I could focus on my breathing, intend to relax, be still.  The result:  of course I got back to sleep.

My minibus to the airport was to be there by 5:00 am and I was to be in the lobby ready 10 minutes early.  I checked out of my room, moved to the front of the hotel to wait in the humid fresh air rather than the stale interior air.  And my mind wanted to wander.  I had been warned that minivan’s could be notoriously unreliable.  And they take much longer than the agents say they will, maybe 90 minutes or more rather than the 60 minute ride quoted.

Those thoughts would breed worry, concern, fretting, emotional energy being wasted left and right.  As those thoughts were popping up, a young couple came along pulling a lot of luggage and asked me if I was going to the airport too?  They had reserved a taxi.  I considered joining them.  But, the feeling inside, the place of calmness and trust, said to wait.  I had the feeling that everything would be OK.

Shortly after 5:00 am, a minivan pulled up, my ride!  There was only one person on this 12 person van.  Part of me started thinking, “Oh great, it’s going to take forever to make all the stops to fill this van up.”  Cancel!  Stay present. Breathe.  Trust everything is OK and focus on getting to the airport on time.

The driver cruised down several side streets stopping at another hotel.  One person got on.  I stayed calm, breathing, relaxed.  No worries.  Worry is a choice.  Calmness is a choice.

The van turned on several more side streets before turning onto a major road and zooming along rapidly and a bit carelessly.  The woman sitting next to me said she hoped she wasn’t going to die in a van headed to the Bangkok airport.  Really?  That’s your focus!

The van arrived at the airport by 5:35.  It dropped me right in front of Thai Airlines.  It took less than 10 minutes to get through check-in.  Another 10 minutes or so for immigration.  By 6:00 am, I was walking down the corridor toward my 8:00 flight!  Calm, staying peaceful, smiling inwardly at how wonderful it feels living from this place.

My departure was 40 minute late giving me a very tight 60 minute window to get to my next flight with Nippon Airlines to San Jose.  I stopped at an information booth to ask a question about direction.  Even through I already knew my gate number, the information hosts asked to see my ticket, looked it up on the computer and informed the gate had changed.  Poof…just like that and I was off to the right gate in the right terminal.

Nippon has given me an exit row seat for my longest flight.  Yay!  I arrived in San Jose, breezed through customs and immigration and had to take my backpack, leave the airport, walk down the sidewalk, re-enter the domestic part of the airport and check back in.  Within 15 minutes, I was checked in and through security.  Poof!

Upon arrival at DIA, I texted my friends waiting in the “cell phone” lot that I had just arrived.  Baggage was not there but my friends headed to pick me up anyway.  I texted them that I would let them know when my bag arrived.  A few minutes later, the belt started and one bag came off, my backpack covered in it’s bright yellow protective cover.  Untying the cover, putting on the pack, traveling down a flight, walking out the door and at that exact moment, my friends were driving up to the door.  Yay!

I’m home and experiencing that time warp feeling when everything around me in my world changes so dramatically in such a short time. Climate, connection, warmth, being in a world in Bangkok where everything is a few short steps away, being here in the US where neighborhoods tend to be isolated and distant.  I’m here and continuing the same intention process.

Today, I was asked how I deal with the decompression challenge when I come back from a long trip.  The more I’ve traveled, the less decompression I’ve had to deal with.  My trick: stay present, in the moment, wherever I am!  Be here now!  And this trip, after a friend suggested I visualize grounding myself to the earth each time I pass through a time zone, that feels like it’s really helped.

So, after 30 hours of travel and a 13 hour time change (this moment would be noon tomorrow were I still in Bangkok), I’m home and feeling here.  My tulips are coming up.  Daffodils are about to bloom. I put out bird seed last night and filled the heated bird bath and my critters returned already.  I’m back home, in a new rhythm, staying focused and intent on continuing an inspired, meaningful, joyful life that flows with ease and lightness.

Ciao!

PS…and I’m home in Colorado!  What a great place to live!