iRetreat has just launched their new website with a whole bunch of exciting trips. If you are thinking of escaping the cold next winter you should definitely join these guys. This is a vacation you can feel good about. Not only do they take care and attention in ensuring the trip will be as eco-friendly as possible, but since you will be eating delicious, healthy food and doing yoga everyday, your body will come back feeling great too!

This retreat was held at Finca Exotica on Carate Beach. I highly recommend this amazing ecolodge. The staff are fantastic, the food is amazing, and the setting is out of this world.

It is so cool for me to see my pictures in action on the iRetreat website. Here are a few of my favourites! Here I am in front of my tent. It was such an experience sleeping in the jungle with all the noises. It was like one of those jungle sound machines, only it was the real thing!This was my shower. There was a tree near by that often had 5 or 8 Scarlet Macaws watching overhead. The yoga platform, built right into the side of the cliff. These little cuties were everywhere!

From Varkala to Madurai we took an overnight train. May is a busy time for Indian trains because it is summer vacation for most Indians. When we first arrived in India we started looking into trains, only to discover that they were fully booked. Miraculously, a travel agent that had been helping us was able to find a spot in a sleeper car, but without air conditioning. We were very excited because the thought of a 10 to 12 hour bus ride was even less appealing. During the wee hours of the night when we were wandering from car to car trying to find our spot it was pointed out to us that we were supposed to be in 3rd class sitting. We protested for a while insisting that we had been assured that our ticket was for sleeper, non-A/C, but to no avail. We had been given the wrong ticket/misunderstood/a mix-up happened…. That night sitting 3 to a bench in full florescent lighting sweating through my clothes I grew as a person, or at least that is what I’m telling myself!

The beautiful interior of the Sri Meenakshi temple in Madurai. These fried peppers were so yummy. This lady also made the best masala chai we tasted! To escape the extreme heat we took a bus to the mountain city of Kodaikanal where we hired a guide to take us into the bush. Our only instructions were to take us somewhere where we would not see anyone. This is quite a feat in a country of 1 billion people! We didn’t want to hike for several hours only to reach our destination and have a tour bus pull up. Our guide was wonderful. He showed us some incredible sights and these little cuties were as close as we got to humans. After another overnight train, not quite as memorable as the last, we made it to Mahabalipuram on the East coast of Tamil Nadu. I took this next picture at sunrise while the fishing boats were heading out for the day. Debra diligently writing in her travel diary. Later that day on the same beach the fishermen sorted out their nets. A sari store in Chennai. The trip culminated with the wedding festivities so my personal photo show ends here. Thank you for looking!

That is all in the past and a lot has happened for me and my career in one year. Everyday I am reminded of how lucky I am to have had the courage to follow my heart and do what makes me truly happy. I am also luckier than words can describe to have the support of those who love me and believe in me. Thank you to all my wonderful clients for inviting me into your lives and brightening mine.