After a whirlwind of an ending to the summer, October was incredibly good to me :-). I started off the month with a much needed retreat at the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC. For three days and two nights, I had the pleasure of fellowshipping with an amazing group of women as we chatted, journaled, colored, reflected, affirmed, and were renewed. I had the most invigorating massage – my very first experience with the ABHYANGA technique. Needless to say, I left Boone feeling like my mind, body and spirit had undergone an overdue and much needed tune-up.
The next week welcomed an opportunity to present at the 17th Annual Engagement Scholarship Consortium in Omaha, Nebraska. It was such an honor to receive support to attend the conference, network with prominent scholars in the field, and to learn about what others are doing around the country as it relates to community based participatory research (CBPR), engaged scholarship, and community collaborations.
The third weekend of October was one big celebration with people I have known – and loved – for nearly 20 years now! It was my undergraduate institution’s homecoming and I was very intentional about spending time with my friends and extended family as much as I could. It was food for my soul.
So here I am … saying good-bye to October, but also saying “thank you”. October brought laughter, joy, celebration … hope, inspiration, and REBIRTH. November, you have to bring your A-game :-)!