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2013 Highlight: Best flight of the year
This year was full of flights around the world and I am very grateful for all the speaking opportunities, side trips, vacations and amazing people that I met along the way. There were a lot of flights to say the least and countless hours on planes. (Ps/ I plan to plant a lot of trees in the near future for all the flying I do plus I love trees – part of my 150 year plan.) But the best flight I had was one that I did not plan. In September I was scheduled to be in Kuala Lumpur then Bali for a couple of talks. The Emirates flight I was suppose to take (NYC to Dubai to Kuala Lumpur) was changed and the other option I was given was a Cathay Pacific flight from NYC to Hong Kong then Kuala Lumpur.
That flight was 15 hours long but the route we took was not something I expected. We headed north east from New York (instead of west), flew over the North Pole flew then over the 2 places I have always wanted to see, Siberia and Mongolia. Daylight the entire flight and I was blessed with spectacular scenery. Here are some photos taken from the plane. It got my vote for the best flight of the year!
More chunks of ice can be seen in the water as we approach the North Pole. An island with a lake on it.
The “start” of the North Pole. From here onwards it was just white everywhere.
Views of the North Pole
Flying over Siberia.
Mongolia! I’ve seen it from the air and now I want to see it on the ground!
Western China in the morning.
A 46 second video showing the flight over Mongolia.
And here’s a list of all the places I have been blessed to be this year!
January
Buffalo, USA
Toronto & Ottawa, Canada
Munich & Hamburg, Germany
Kitzbuhel, Austria
February
Kolkata, Varanasi, Allahabad, New Delhi, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Chandelao in North India
March
Sydney, Australia
Queenstown, New Zealand
Charlotte, North Carolina
May
Portland, Oregon
Toronto, Canada
Nosara, Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica
June
St.Thomas, US Virgin Islands
July
Sydney, Australia
August
St.Louis , Missouri
New Orleans, Louisiana
Portland, Oregon
September
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Central Java, Bali & Lombok in Indonesia
October
Perth, Brisbane & Byron Bay in Australia
November
Kitzbuhel, Austria
Munich, Berlin & Hamburg in Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
London, UK
December
Eagle, Avon and Boulder, Colorado
2013 Highlights: Being at the World’s Largest Festival
When a festival happens once every 12 years you don’t want to miss it. The Maha Kumbh Mela festival is the world’s largest festival and took place this time in Allahabad, North India. The last time this festival took place I was a monk in a monastery in Hawaii and therefore could not ...
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The Goddess of Madurai and her temple
This spectacular temple is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus the world over. The hallways and chambers are crowded from dawn to dusk, filled with pilgrims eager for darshan (sight) of the Goddess Meenakshi in the sanctum sanctorum. Pilgrims come to offer prayers, to have wishes fulfilled, t...
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Respecting your elders…including the cows
Chidambaram is an ancient pilgrimage place where for thousands of years pilgrims have come to discover their higher Self. Even the famed yogi, Patanjali, visited here and worshiped God in the form of Nataraja (Hindu god Siva in his aspect of dance). Chidambaram is one of my favorite places to vis...
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Spirituality in the Centennial State
Last weekend, December 6-8, we traveled to the great state of Colorado for five speaking engagements. Though it proved to be a particularly freezing weekend as far as the weather was concerned, the welcome from the Eagle, Avon and Boulder communities was warm and inviting. The first event was tit...
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Selfless love in Chidambaram
One of the most powerful parts of our South Indian Spiritual Adventure is our trip to the orphanage in Chidambaram. Located just a few minutes outside the center of town, the orphanage is a true place of nurturing, good will, and infectious love. The orphanage provides shelter, food, care, and e...
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Remembering Nelson Mandela
A true hero in so many ways, Nelson Mandela is someone that has always inspired me. Sharing two of his quotes that always inspire me to strive for the best.
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