Leavin' on a Jet Plane.....

How do you say good-bye to a learning experience?  How do you walk away from a place that has made you a happier person, a more enlightened human being, lighter inside. An adventure that has taught you to appreciate, even more than you certainly already do,  all  that you have in this world?

I am going home today to my family whom I love and cherish more than words can ever express, my closest and dearest friends in the world. Not many people can say that, but I can. Returning to my home, my little corner of the world, in my eyes, perfect and beautiful.  Going back to my job and my coworkers who I really enjoy and learn from almost every day. And I am returning to my Long Island, a most beautiful place, but a place that so many of us forget to value and appreciate and cherish.  Our beautiful nation, rich and powerful beyond  the imagination of so many who inhabit this planet, and how do we take care of our environment, our oceans, the air that we breathe, the animals who walk the same land that we do?  I think we have removed ourselves from the simple things in life, and have forgotten to take care of the very things that sustain us and the world we live in. If we don't wake up, there will be nothing to wake up to someday, for us, or our children's children.

I have seen people with almost nothing spend their days working, sometimes hard, sometimes not so hard, but they did have something  in common, they were thankful, and they were happy.  And they were beautiful from the inside out.

I am going to go home and put my pictures in order and get my thoughts together and continue my blog, because it isn't just for me, it is for anyone who wants to know about the beauty of the magical place and the beautiful people I have had the honor of living amongst for three magical weeks.  I hope in some small way it will open your eyes as it did mine, that you will be moved, as I was, to look around and realize some important facts.  Happiness is never somewhere else, happiness comes from inside of yourself, you carry it around right inside your heart and you can spread it with a smile just like a pebble spreads a ripple in a pond.  We are all responsible for the Earth will live on, the water and the air, the animals and the fish who also share our planet.  We have no right to destroy  their habitats and their lives with our greed or ignorance.  We have a resonsibility to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  All ships rise with the incoming tide, why can we not understand this????  Helping others brings joy and that fills your heart which in turn makes you smile which then makes others smile, and so it comes full circle. Maybe a tad simple minded, but one small step in the right direction is a good start, don't you think?

Sampai jumpa sampai kami lagi bertemu - Goodbye until we meet again

Terima kasih banyak- Thank you very much!