Stories happen to be shared
San Francisco was a bit underwhelming this time around. The city vibrated at a frequency that I could not connect to; not the way it happened on previous visits. The encounters, personal and professional, were meaningful, and at times moving. But my relationship with the place felt stuck. We got in the car and an … Continue reading The Gems of Northern California
When I was a young girl (maybe 8 or 9 years old), I watched a play in one of the Moscow's theaters named The Blue Bird. I may have even seen it more than once. I really enjoyed the story line (based on a French fairy tale), in which the children were searching for the … Continue reading The Blue Bird
The train from London took a little more than an hour but it felt like we had gone back two hundred years. Exiting the train station, we stepped onto the streets, purposefully preserved from the 1800s. Yellow-beige buildings, cobbled streets running up and along the hill. A river casually flowing under the bridge. I was … Continue reading Bath
Little amethyst flowers are slowly opening up to display their purple glory. It’s been a while; an entire year with its cold winter of waiting. Waiting for the sight, the scent. The most impressive view is from my bedroom window, under which purple and white bushes present a regal appearance. But not for long; their time … Continue reading Times of Lilac
"We are loving ourselves when we give the body the benefit of every doubt." "The Three Questions" by Don Miguel Ruiz I’ve been open to learning of different kinds for as long as I can remember myself. I’ve been willing and eager to grow and develop intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. One area I’ve been … Continue reading Mothering your body
"Destiny itself is like a wonderful wide tapestry in which every thread is guided by an unspeakably tender hand, placed beside another thread, and held and carried by a hundred others." Rainer Maria Rilke, "Letters to a Yong Poet" I was in New York City to give a talk at the Teachers College, Columbia University. It … Continue reading Baltic and Other Shores
The leaves are long gone and the trees stand naked. They are not embarrassed by it. The trees show off their strong trunks and elaborate branches, the graphics of an incredible artist. The shapes and silhouettes vary: ovals, spades, and semicircles, narrow and wide. The winter air is clean. Some days are gloomy grey but … Continue reading Trees in the Winter
Here starts the road of Eternity to the center of the Universe. The white stones on the backdrop of the desert, under endless blue sky, keep thousand year old secrets. Filled with a plethora of important historical sights, the Old City is greeting tourists. At first glance, one might think it is really focused on … Continue reading Jerusalem
It was about to rain. Right before the storm descended upon the valley, the green mountains on both sides of the road got a more defined contour. The sky was divided; the left part was still light blue with the white clouds; the right part was getting darker and tense. The waterfall started almost immediately, … Continue reading An August Rainbow
There is no yesterday and no tomorrow, only today. Only now I sit and look at the miracle named Autumn. Content with itself, the Mountain dressed up in magical colors. The green tops are playing with orange, yellow and red bottoms. Silence is occasionally interrupted by the whispering of dry grass. A busy groundhog is … Continue reading Happy Autumn
