Finding my center...

I'm so glad to be home!
I got home yesterday afternoon after almost 24 yours of travel, taking a bus from Antigua to Guatemala City and then flying from Guate to LA, where I arrived at 1:00am. Since I had to be back at the airport at 5:00am, I decided to just stay at the airport, finding a little corner and sleeping on my bags for a few hours.

I felt completely safe. On my entire trip, I encountered so many strangers that were over-the-top helpful, generous, kind and trust-worthy. At one point during my few hour nap, I woke up feeling that someone else was there...and there was a security or maintenance man about 15ft away from me just being "around". I was a bit startled and asked if it was OK that I be sleeping there. In a booming voice like James Earl Jones, he said that it was fine that I was there ane was just making sure I was allright. To be honest, I think he had been around most of the night to make sure that I was OK.

At the AC ticket counter in LA, I knew I would have some issues with my oversized bags! I already had trouble at the Guate airport and had to pay an additional $200 for the bags b/c they were 90lb and 73lb. The limit is 50lb each. That guy was totally helpful as well, bending the rules to help me pay a cheaper fee. In LA, the lady at the desk turned out to be from Guatemala. I opened the bags and she saw all the Guatemalan stuff that we're giving away at the Gala I'm organizing for my dad's company. She gave me her email address and wants to know how the event goes...and found a way to charge me a cheaper fee as well.

Lovely people everywhere! Angels in disguise!

Getting home and to the hostel, there are angels there, too. I am surrounded.

I went to sleep early and woke up at 6am to Scotia meowing her 6:00am finest! What a lovely sound! As I start my day today, I am looking at the huge list of things that are on my plate. It would be so easy to get wrapped up and wound up in it all so quickly.

Baking helps me slow down and find my center.

Baking is like therapy for me. I wonder if it was for my mom, too. Mom, was/is it? When I'm happy - I bake. When I am sad - I bake. I love to bake. Today, baking blueberry muffins helps me to start slowly, ease into my day at a pace that is healthy, just like these muffins from the Weight Watchers cookbook. It reminds me of the lady making tortilla patties in Guatemala the other day.

I wonder if she feels the same way I do about baking....