To those living in La la land....

consider supporting my favorite local non-profit Machine Project this holiday season, memberships also make great gifts :)

Then fry your life away at their annual fundraising party....good fun, good coronary, good cause.

DreamWorld

Holidays are fleeting past and I miss my family most around this time of year (especially my Gram Athena), lots of love to you all. My mother has requested an update, so here it goes:

What a year. What a world.

Currently, I have been able to create a life within Istanbul with the luxury to be both removed from and immersed in the culture. This optional and anonymous nature makes for very exciting possibilities day to day; not seeking permanent place, because I have an idea where I want to end up, just finding temporary refuge in a city with a creative outlet and a little bit of comfort.

The fact that I am in a foreign country cannot escape me however, and is very apparent when I exit the rather modern western interior of home and into the neighborhood; a sort of village within the city where scrap collectors announce there needs and sweet toddling carts, their presence.

I also cannot overlook when I pass by an all girls school where scriptures are being recited in a rather cult like fashion.

Or am blessed with an intrusive call to prayer at 6 in the morning.

I am not here to ignore these moments, but embrace that I can live my life amongst them. No interruption or criticizing, but learning and choosing which aspects to participate in and which I prefer not to.

A good exercise in acceptance, and proof that coexistence is real and possible.

I have really developed an interesting way to look at life, embracing the present moment and accepting that in my eyes there are only a few things found to be true. Everything else is up to interpretation and becomes a battleground for the egocentric.

This is a period of intrinsic knowledge development, full eye opening experiences and challenges by which to grow. Here are some of the highlights this year (please also take these as a deep Thank You to those who contributed to the experience, you know who you are!):

-Meeting my Chilean twin Julian…Serydarth connects the best of the best.

-Being humanized by fresh humanure in the Tuscan mountains of Garfagnaga.

-Italy, it’s people, and all of its splendors!!

-Mutual understanding and the enjoyment of life with the lovely Joicy!

-Falling in love with the Balkans!! Music, cultural diversity, beautiful languages, and hot headed nationalism. This includes the countless bus rides, the ‘living in a car experience’ in Malakaland, and the unexpected 'ending up in' Turkey one morning in June.

-Learning about creating a homestead in the most sustainable fashion in Krushevo, Bulgaria.

-Permaship and the path to Istanbul (Andrew you have done more for me than you know!)

-Morocco, tranquility and trances.

-Visits from old friends and a beautiful brother.......Beer Gardens, following the World Cup (Germany and Holland during the finals was not planned), and a Spritz introduction!

-Maya opening up the Dour for music, a new found love for Belgian everything, and my lovely covoituraging hosts to Paris….. a lesson in ask and you shall receive.

-Non-hostile, hostel life and my worldly family in Pisa.

-The renovation of my current life c/o Cynthia, Angelika, and Emiliano. A Big GIANT Thank You.

-The opportunity to take a PDC with the masters, thanks to the Permaculture Institute of Turkey.

-‘Stumbling upon’ the passage Hazzopoulo and finding (my) Aponia.

At the end of 2010, my hair a bit darker, my wit a bit sharper, and my mind a bit clearer….I have a realization:

I do not live in a dream world, but in the real world living my dreams. Lucky me.

Luck Bless You. (XX Aponia)

XOXO

Ally

Oh and if you are not bored by the self –absorbed ranting by now, here’s a little extra food for thought…

Let go lovies, just live; and keep in mind this set of Alex-isms, some cliché but all carrying some truth through personal experience thus far.

Be inspired and it will inspire others effortlessly. Trust yourself and people will trust you.

Do what you have to do to survive even if you feel it is irrelevant at the moment, you can always develop a way to connect what you have learned later on. There is always a way to maintain integrity of a goal while developing new skills.

Any skill you learn will come in handy some time in the future, and you are able to learn anything if you really want to and put in time and effort.

With this said there are some things I just don’t want to learn, which I think is ok too.

Be yourself and stop questioning things, everything will fall into place if you have good intention….and thankfully it has so far for me.

Don’t ignore the ignorant; open their mind to something new (if you can, of course).

This world has so much potential for universal happiness, so start making choices that feed the happiness. I have much hope for 2011!!! Happy New Year......