Entering the whirlwind of change

I just completed my 30 hour journey to Chiang Mai, Thailand and arrived in my adorable guesthouse near the Thai yoga massage school I'll be headed to in the morning.  My private room equipped with internet access and a balcony (pics to come) couldn't make me feel more at home in the farthest place I've ever been away from home.  And to help matters more, every person I've met since arriving has spoken English and has been more than helpful.  

Along the way I also met nice folks, one couple at the JFK bar while I was having my pre-boarding beer, who admired my courage and reminded me what a great experience this was going to be for my personal growth, and another lady who is from Chiang Mai who works for the UN and was in NY helping refugees from Southeast Asia.   In return for my favor of filling out her taxi receipt from NY (so it looked like a American writing) she has offered to get together while I'm here and possibly introduce me to some of her work.  Those of you who know me know that I think those jobs are so admirable and would love to be able to get involved in some way.  These gifts along the way reminded me of an article I read a few months ago in O magazine about the power of the law of attraction, that just making eye contact and smiling at others, sends love out but also brings even more gifts back to you.

So now I'm up at midnight since I slept all day, the first challenge of adjusting to being halfway around the world.  I take with me this passage that jumped out at me from a book I'm just finishing up..."Admittedly it is frightening to leave the familiar contents of one's life...change is frightening, but waiting for that feeling of safety to come along before one makes a move only results in more internal torment because the only way to acquire that feeling of security is to enter the whirlwind of change and come out the other end, feeling alive once again."  Anatomy of the Spirit, Caroline Myss.