Day 7 of my nine day giveaway- wanderlust and curiosity

Hello my sunshiny friends and family!

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments. Although its impossible for me to reply I want you to know I read every one and appreciate you all so much!

We have just three days left of my nine day giveaway and I would be most appreciative if you could share the love on your social media sites so that loads of people have a chance to win. 

Let me know where you shared for extra chances in the draw for yourself. 

You see thats how it works. Generosity is always a win-win!

So.... a few weeks back one of my favorite, hold no punches, all around inspiring friends, Patti Digh, shared this quote in relation to travel and I asked her if she wouldn't mind a little collaboration; her words, my art. Go for it, she graciously replied!

You see these words resonate so strongly for mi amor and I, and I truly believe 1000% that the way our lives have miraculously changed over the past few years has been largely as a result of finally, absolutely, wholeheartedly "getting" and living this mantra.

For sure this applies as a beautiful affirmation for travel on both a spiritual and practical level, but even more this is where we pull ourselves back to, time and time again, in the daily navigation of our lives.

Its not always easy, in fact there is far more temptation to fall into the abyss of fear and negativity. There are crappy days, scary days, days you'd rather not remember, days that fill you with rage 

and there are amazing days, 

love filled days, 

funny days filled with curious whimsy.

The only choice we have is where to place our laser sharp focus. 

Which side of the coin do we choose to focus on the most. 

Catch yourself in your words and your thoughts, 

especially those that you use to others to describe your experience. 

Don't beat yourself up over it. 

Just be gently aware. 

Slowly, slowly your world will begin to change for the better,

 and there will come a point,

 just like compound interest where BIG MAGIC will begin to happen.

in the meantime just try to live like the second traveler in this story....

A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.

"What sort of people live in the next town?" asked the stranger.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer, answering the question with another question.

"They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I'm happy to be leaving the scoundrels."

"Is that so?" replied the old farmer. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll find the same sort in the next town.

Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.

Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they stopped to talk. "What sort of people live in the next town?" he asked.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer once again.

"They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I'm sorry to be leaving them."

"Fear not," said the farmer. "You'll find the same sort in the next town."

Source:http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/traveltales.html

Of course, along with expecting the best, it helps to cultivate a healthy sense of humour. 

Here are just a few of my travel (and life) tips, an illustrative tutorial if you like :)

 1. Accept that some paths may be fraught with danger, weathered and rickety, and bordered by spiky things. 

Approach them always with a sense of adventure and curiosity and a big smile. 

This pic was taken at a quirky restaurant/bar/art gallery in Baja California. 

We set off with friends to sample the enormous margaritas and seafood filled bloody Marys they were apparently famous for. 

The owners were an eccentric sixty something couple who seemed slightly off kilter. 

I was instructed to leave my plastic bottle of water outside before I was allowed entrance by the grey bearded, white robed husband with deep and slightly maniacal eyes. I smiled and complied.

The wife was quiet but welcoming and my plate of ceviche came with an unordered small bowl of home made vegetable soup that I was instructed to "make sure I finished" as it was "good for me".

The whole property was filled with awesome, outlandish art and we enjoyed our experience, even more for the quirkiness. 

Our friend Matt even bought an apron featuring our hosts face which was also emblazoned on every square inch of wall around the restaurant as he seemed to enjoy having his photo taken with his arms around every woman that entered the place. 

Only later, upon reading the numerous alarming reviews, did we realise we had had a narrow escape, and that many others had been locked in, chased out, abused and even chased down by car by the host, who it seemed, we had been lucky enough to catch on a good day!

 2. Visit lots of churches and if you chance upon a wedding, sit quietly in the back row, breath in the promise of love and send blessings to the couple that their lives together be excellent.

 3. Visit local artisans, watch how things are made, marvel at the extraordinary level of SKILL and copious amounts of hours it takes to make what they make, appreciate and honor their skills by buying something to remember the moment and think about where all of our STUFF comes from when you get home :) 

 3. Visit an exquisite 500 year old Mexican convent which now houses an art gallery which happens to be showing a fantastic exhibition of Meso-american erotic pottery. Think about what the nuns would have thought of that!

 4. Wander through a random doorway attracted by the amazing red wall and find an amazing art installation inside with thousands of cochineal bugs attached to thousands of nopale cactus pieces!

 5. Visit a tiny regional museum where historic photos adorn the walls. Find a photo like this one of Miss Gala Dominguez Legaspy who apparently "lived happily in her own way" and wish for a time machine so that you could hang out for a while.

 6. Drive to town to find a place to exchange Euros to pesos and find instead a blue whale skeleton casually laid out in someones yard.

 7. Walk to dinner in a tiny village  and stop to admire a mushroom the likes of which you have never seen before. Get down on the ground to take a pic and marvel at how it steals the show from the amazing scenery behind it.

 8. Go to an exhibition about the fabulous inventions of Da Vinci, stand inside a circle of trick mirrors and say to your amor (who is slightly regretting months of cheese, bread and wine indulgence), 

" see honey, you didn't put on so much weight in Europe after all"

9. Experience a traffic jam Devon, UK style and notice with glee how perfectly the cows tags coordinate with the bus ahead, how perfectly composed and balanced the darks and lights are and what a great photo you now have the good fortune of taking :) 

(humph, i didn't have that colour in my font selection!)

10. Have a post holiday dinner get together with friends and muse about the fun times and the lucky escapes you all had at a strange restaurant/bar in Mexico!

Good luck with the draw everyone and happy Friday from Australia!! 

Todays prize is this original dreamcatcher painting on paper, which is one of the projects from my Paint Mojo ecourse that will run again later in 2016! (dates to be announced soon!)

Sign up here if you'd like to stay posted on the next Paint Mojo ecourse and leave a comment below to be in the draw!

lots of love Tracy xox

and remember....