  I coined that phrase myself! What it means to me...I find myself on these adventures, say i'm on a hike in a foreign land, already its adventure right? Okay, well then an amazing 400 pound bengal tiger crosses my path and although curious about me pays me none the mind as it takes off into the green jungle. You get my drift here I hope:) Adventures in within Adventure! They say when it rains it pours and by golly if its not the truth! Late June I received a call from a dear friend of mine asking me if i'd like to take on an inflatable SUP expedition paddling the Napali Coast on the Garden Isle of Kauai. Not two weeks after that I received a request from a woman in Bangalore, India asking me to come and be apart of opening Indias first ever Classical Pilates Studio.With little to no hesitation I said "YES" to both, bring on the rains! Let's travel to the Garden Isle first shall we? Mid August my good friend Gareth Tate and myself packed up our Inflatables and headed to the most remote islands in the world, I had visited Kauai once before ten years ago, but I knew this was going to be a way bigger experience. Gareth along with many other great gifts is a very talented videographer and photographer. Part of our mission was to do some product shooting for some companies (boardworks paddle boards,watershed dry bags, and astral footwear) he represents as a pro athlete, I had the lucky job to model:) Thank You Pilates for helping me build this strong, adaptable body. I had been paddle boarding before but never in the open ocean with my board expedition styled out and definently not for eleven miles straight, in sea conditions that varied from chill to 8 foot swells, not to mention tiger sharks:) We embarked on two Coastal trips to Kalaua Valley, a sacred site that you hike ,kayak,motor, or if your like us paddle board into. Ah, this place was magical with a waterfall that carried the heart of so many. Every morning I would bathe under that waterfall and every evening I would wash the day away into the night, it was pure bliss! Adventures within Adventures...Hiking up the valley to find hundreds of little waterfalls to dive and cannonball into, paddling under waterfalls pouring their love into the ocean, exploring sea caves and finding a rock shelf 35feet up to jump from, steep beach breaks that crush you into the sand, 8 foot swells that you think you mastered then Triton sends the trade winds your way and you curse the gods...or just Gareth:) The depth of my meaning for adventure changed here. I was taken out of my comfort zone, pulled from dog beds to fish buckets but always there is beauty, and what I thought was going to be a pencil dive turned into the most beautiful swan dive you ever did see!:) Aloha!  All photos shot by Gareth Tate.
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You have all heard the expression "a picture equals a thousand words." So in saving you and myself from reading and writing thousands of words here is a photo post of my time in Antibes. Well there you have it folks, life on the Mediterranean. I think it suits me.
 HMMMMM I dont speak French and I am headed to France to teach Pilates. This thought crossed my head a few times, but ah what the hell with it I'll learn french!
That was my goal, by the end of my two months in Antibes I was going to teach a mat class in French, challenge accepted! It was not the easiest task I have taken on but it wasn't the hardest either. I practiced every where, in the studio, at the markets, in the cafes, at the gelato store, at the patisseries, and even some at the beach. I had these lovely neighbors who didn't speak a lick of English , I practiced the most with them. Everyday morning and evening we would meet in the street, or in the garden and have these wild conversations where we tried to real hard to understand each other. HAHAHA It was brillant, the love of those little get togethers is what fueled me whenever i felt alone, and what fed my ability to take on the language. I had quite a few private clients who struggled with English. Together we learned from each other, one on how to move properly and the other how to speak the movement in a second language. It was so fun and my french was improving. It is amazing what you can accomplish with a firm intention and a dedicated practice. It might not have been perfect, but even before the end of my time in Antibes i was able to successfully teach a full 55minute mat class en Francais!  Teaching Pilates in France was something I kept telling myself i wanted to do when I graduated my program, I kept putting it out there, believing maybe even sub consciously that it would happen. When the day came that I was offered the position , I accepted with zero hesitation. Living a life with choices and freedom is of great value to me. To be able to take off for the next adventure is a priority in my life and teaching Pilates along with helping others find more "zest and pleasure" as Joseph Pilates puts it so nicely is another strong priority. Together they work very well together, wouldn't ya say? So I gave up my amazing room in San Francisco, my clientele, and many of my belongings to set out across the Pacific ocean and settle on the azul waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Ah, my summer of Gelato and swims in the Mediterranean Sea! Antibes is a small village along the French Riveria. Although it is a small village it docks some of the largest yachts in the world, billionaires row is what they call it. I stepped off the train on a very hot sunny day and walked the one mile to my new home, huge suitcase in tow. I was taken in by the cobblestone streets, the street seating restaurants , the cars, and the people. By the time I walked between the Iron Gates to my new home and my studio, I was drenched in sweat and exhausted. I took in my new surroundings...A beautiful garden lay off to my right, the most gorgeous studio i have ever seen stood right before me and then tucked away in the corner was my little French cottage, ah it felt good to be alive. |
HANNAHThere once was a girl who dreamed of seeing the world and touching peoples lives. Now she is teaching Pilates around the globe, this a look inside that journey. Archives
August 2017
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