Read with me: October travels
Hi dear ones,
I’ve been delaying sending this because there is too much I want to share. Many of you know that I recently left my job to travel, and the last two months have been dizzying. Mostly, I’m feeling a deep sense of good fortune that I’ve been able to take this time for adventure and reflection.
I did my first Vipassana silent meditation retreat with 100 other women at Spirit Rock, which was one of the most difficult but nourishing experiences of my life. I finally hiked Half Dome, which I found more terrifying than I thought I would (thanks friends who did not thoroughly prepare me for how scary those cables are). And, I got stuck at Burning Man, which was both harrowing and hilarious at the same time. A story for another time :)
After 30 hours of circuitous travel (SFO —> London —> Delhi —> Jaipur), I dove head first into the next leg of my trip. Alex and I were intoxicated by the pace, chaos, and magic of Jaipur. We cooked chapati bread and daal with the most generous family, were lulled to sleep by the sounds of honking horns, took a tour of a small village where a community is working collaboratively to create stunning textiles, bought way too many scarves, ate dinner with a young student who invited us to join her when she noticed we were confused by the menu at a restaurant, visited the Taj Mahal and nearly fainted from the intense heat and crowds, and marveled at the architecture and vibrancy of the city.
I’m now writing from a cozy inn in Patan preparing to do the Manaslu circuit in Nepal, a 110 mile trek in the Himalayas, and I hope to share more photos when I return. Please send me good vibes as I adjust to the altitude!
I only brought my iPad, so it’s difficult for me to attach links, but I’m sharing a few of the books, movies, and other things that have made my months better:
The Cazalet Chronicles (soapy British goodness), Truth and Repair, The Covenant of Water, Marie Antoinette on PBS, Stella Shorts aka the best shorts ever made, The Rescue, Wind of Change, The Emperor’s Children, watching Lettuce and the SF Symphony play together, Animal Joy, Olivia Rodrigo + Jia Tolentino (is there a better combo?), Fat of the Land face mist, vivek Murphy, deleting Instagram from my phone, Yusuf Dayes, Loquat, Quarterlife (TY for the rec Andrew), beading with Alex, the Collected Schizophrenias, Dua Lipa, volunteering at Alemany Farm, Hotel Biron, my lil Casio watch.
Sending love to you and please let me know what you’re reading, watching or enjoying <3
-Julia
