While I flew home, Juli was overseeing the third and final stage of Zelda and Tejomaya's make-over at the salon. Zelda, whose hair length was sacrosanct allowed it to be cut several inches. The photos Juli sent immediately after being cut and styled showed a younger and more sophisticated woman. Meanwhile Tejomaya had her hair colored!
I thoroughly enjoyed this Nuest’as trip to Dresden, Berlin and Prague. It was three holidays in one, and a very different type of trip than others I've had of late. It was fun having no expectations or set itinerary. It was fun traveling with 2-3 young people ... even if they were unwilling to come out late at night to party in the streets of Dresden! I was grateful for having a few hours here and there to reconnect to my friend Zelda more deeply. I loved all three cities, but especially Berlin, which seems to have an interesting balance of old and new; light and heavy energies, and a level of mindfulness about its past that can either push it towards more compassion or less tolerance. Perhaps it is this last bit that mirrors, in a more objective way, that choice point the US is also experiencing.
The last thing I'll say (for now), is that while I really enjoyed experiencing European culture again — especially with a dear friend and god-daughters — my preferred adventures are to places where the cultures are much more different than my own ... where the lines between the sacred and the secular are blurred, and where deep, personal transformation is triggered. But honestly, this was a fun adventure!!!