In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.      All photos (c) Bettina Gordon

Washingtonians needed to do a double take before we could believe it: yesterday, April 9th, the thermometer showed 87 degrees Fahrenheit at 4:10PM in the afternoon! It is my third spring here in DC and I am in awe (and a bit shocked, as we were wearing warm jackets still last week) that winter finally came to an end and went right straight into the most glorious spectacle Mother Nature puts on every year.

So I grabbed my camera and headed out towards the Washington Monument to give you the best reasons why you should schedule a visit to DC asap – the cherry blossoms are out!

 

View towards the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

 

The Washington Memorial is an awesome backdrop to the blossoms.

Thank you, Japan, your gift delights more than one million visitors every year. 

In 1912, Japan gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees to the United States as a gift to celebrate the two nations growing friendship. These trees were planted around the shore line of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. (FYI: In 1915, the United States Government reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan.)

Cherry blossom trees usually survive for about 50 years, but the city still has just over 100 of the original trees given to the city by Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo exactly 101 years ago. You can find those original trees near the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial which opened in October 2011.

Thousands of other trees have been replaced or grown from the original trees’ genetic line. So if you plan to visit, there will be plenty to see: the number of trees has expanded to approximately 3,750 trees of 16 varieties on National Park Service land.

Cherry blossom reporter at work.

Japanese Pagoda close by the FDR Memorial.

This is our friend Erik Jung, buddhist monk extraordinaire. If he wouldn’t be already, I’d say he looks pretty enlightened under these beautiful trees.

More tid-bits: Depending on the weather the average cherry blossom flower lasts four to 10 days. The entire flowering period lasts approximately 10 to 18 days. The average peak bloom date – this date is defined as the day when 70 percent of the blossoms on the trees are open - is usually April 4, but not this year – it is happening NOW!

This year the National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place between March 20th and April 14th, 2013. During these weeks there are many events happening promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.

As I stood in front of this tree yesterday, I felt so much gratitude and joy that all of a sudden I heard myself yell out loudly: “Bravo, BRAVO!” That is going to be my mantra for the next few weeks as DC is blooming everywhere…

Such a cornucopia of beauty!

The average cherry tree lasts for about 50 years. These ones are all the “off-springs” of the original trees so to speak.

Even tree trunks and roots are displaying the pedals wonderfully, don’t you think?

Give me a camera and turn me lose and I am a very happy camper!

Another view towards the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

In the background you can see the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial.

A beautiful day in Washington, DC.

(c) Nathalie Schueller

YOUR CALL TO ADVENTURE  series by Bettina M. Gordon 

Are you happy and content with the status quo of your life? Or do you hear a little inner voice that nudges you to explore what it is that could energize you every morning, bring a huge smile to your face and would allow you to enjoy a life beyond your wildest dreams? If you are ready to live your own truth rather than somebody else´s – let this series inspire you and show you what’s possible!

More often than not we just need a new perspective to see what is really possible. This interview series features people who answered their inner call to adventure. They now lead lives on their own terms and happily share their insights with us.

Mindie Kniss grew up with a big dream of going to Africa: “From as far back as I can remember, I was passionate about anything and everything to do with Kenya. It took 20+ years to make that dream a reality, but what it taught me is that those “impossible” dreams are, in fact, possible. Your dream might not have anything to do with traveling to a foreign land, but whatever it is, what needs to be your number one priority is to become the person who can step into that dream as reality. That is what I help you do.”
Photo (c) http://turangawaewae.wordpress.com/

This installment of the “Your Call to Adventure” series features adventuress Mindie Kniss, who blew off her career in Corporate America for a soulfeeding journey as a high-in-demand Life & Relationship Coach (www.MindieKniss.com)

Sometimes the life changing realizations come when we are very far away from where we belong. Just ask Mindie Kniss.

When Mindie and I met on Skype a couple of weeks ago I wanted to interview her about her transition from her leadership position in Corporate America to becoming a highly sought after Life Coach. Very quickly our conversation turned to Africa though, where Mindie had worked for six months outside of Nairobi, Kenya. In 2006 Mindie was selected for the prestigious Global Health Fellowship. Together with local NGOs Mindie created a very successful program for the women of the region that empowered them to earn money through their crafts instead of having to resort to sex work to feed their families.

Mindie Kniss fulfilled her wish of going to Kenya in 2001. And it was in Africa where she asked herself the question that truly changed her life: “What do I REALLY want?”

“One of the women had walked six hours through a torrential downpour and mudslides because she had heard that we would pick the most skilled women for our arts and crafts program that day”, Mindie recalls during our interview and I clearly see that this time in Africa had made a deep impression on her.

Not surprisingly Mindie had second thoughts about returning to her management position in quality assurance for a large pharmaceutical company in Ann Arbor, Michigan, once her time in Africa came to an end.

Africa gave Mindie the opportunity to step back and assess her life. 

While in Kenya she asked herself the question that changed her life:

“What is it that I really want to do?”

We are picking my interview up with Mindie right here: with the realization that she might not be able to go back to her old job for much longer.

Here are the topics we are discussing:

• What did Mindie answer to ‘What do I really want’? (around minute 2:30)
• How did she prepare for her new career goal of becoming a life coach and writer? (min. 5:40)
• What does she advise her clients who also would like to make a major shift in their lives but are worried about giving up the steady pay-check? (min. 8)
• How did Mindie find her very first clients when she started out? Did she struggle with charging for her services? (min. 11:40)
• How do you find out what you are supposed to be doing? Mindie shares her simple process to get to the bottom of the question “what’s my purpose?” (min. 15:30)

• From Life Coaching to relationship coaching: when Mindie met her husband, Sean Stephenson, she realized she did not have to be “GI Jane” all the time anymore. What a relief! (min. 21)
• Mindie’s advice for women who often feel like they have to be in control and embody “masculine” traits (as many of us need to be in business and often in our private lives as well): learning the simple art of receiving. (min. 23:20)
• For the men who want to claim back their masculinity: one of the easiest things to do. (min. 26)
• Do you think you are undateable? Mindie and Sean are currently working on a reality show! (min. 28:20)
• What Mindie has to say about her husband Sean; what attracted her to him and made her fall in love. (min. 31:20)

In September 2012 Mindie married her love Sean Stephenson, himself a well known therapist, author and speaker. I know Sean as the “Three Foot Giant” (that’s the title of a Biography Channel feature on Sean and the title stuck because it is so fitting) and have seen videos of him sharing the stage with the likes of Sir Richard Branson and his holiness the Dalai Lama.The couple has settled in Arizona for now and even though they pursue their own businesses they also join forces from time to time, primarily to coach people on successful relationships. Recently the couple was contacted by Hollywood producers to develop a reality show with the working title “Undateable”. For more on the couple please visit their websites MindieKniss.com and SeanStephenson.com.

The United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. In 1920, both Houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, passed the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution which finally gave women the right to vote. Photos (c) Bettina M. Gordon and Capitol Visitors Center

Washington, DC, March 2013

Last Sunday morning my friend Malia Everette and I were driving down Pennsylvania Avenue. We had just passed the U.S. Capitol building and were driving towards the White House when we were stopped by police and diverted away from our route. Police had started to block off the street because DC was getting ready for a march – a march to remember that 100 years before, to the day, on 3.3.1913 about 8,000 women had taken to the streets of Washington to claim what they considered to be entitled to: the right to vote.

On March 3rd, 1913 approximately 8000 women took to the streets of DC to march for their right to vote. (c) womenshistory.about.com

The Woman Suffrage Parade in 1913 did not go well. The parade was scheduled on the day before President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration to “march in a spirit of protest against the present political organization of society, from which women are excluded”, as the official program stated. It started out well enough but soon the marchers encountered crowds, mostly male, on the street that should have been cleared for the parade.

The Suffragettes (derived from the word suffrage, meaning the right to vote) were jeered and harassed while attempting to squeeze by the scoffing crowds. The police were mostly of little help, and some even participated in the harassment. Over 200 people were treated for injuries at local hospitals. Thankfully, the mistreatments of the marchers did not go unpunished and the district’s superintendent of police was replaced. Seven years later, Congress passed the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution stating that essentially “no suffrage can be denied based on sex”, finally giving women the right to vote.

Altruvistas founder and travel expert Malia Everette and I in front of the Capitol – two strong women owing our rights and freedom to the dedication and fiery spirits of our female ancestors. Now it’s our duty and time to positively influence the lives of the next generations.

100 years after this Suffragette Parade, Malia and I were on the way to pick up Malia’s group of student and adult travelers from Texas to start their week long tour and history lesson in DC. Malia is the CEO and founder of Altruvistas (newly revamped website is on the way) and a true expert in socially responsible and sustainable travel, as well as social advocacy. I was thrilled when she asked me to work with her as her tours are always extraordinary.

In the last few days we toured the historic  Washington DC landmarks (I was guiding), as well as volunteered for the National Park Service (beautifying the grounds of the Thomas Jefferson memorial, no less) and engaged with Native American activists and human rights leaders and also  learned about community gardens, to name just a few of the highlights. But nothing kept my mind and heart more engaged than the women who marched in 1913 (and in Europe before that) so we women could vote and have a say in how our countries are shaped.

Today is International Women’s Day, which honors the work of the Suffragettes and celebrates women’s success. So I am dedicating this blog to our female ancestors, whose activism got us the right to vote as well as all the other women whose quiet resolve, tenacious actions or relentless defiance brought us to where we are today. When we were touring inside the Capitol building I took the photos below in memory of our female ancestors’ (Rosa Parks, for example) achievements.

I also want to honor and express my gratitude to a woman very close to me.  The woman who gave me life, fed and nurtured me and who passed on some kick-butt genes to me that I shall forever be grateful for: my mother Susanne.

This is the woman I owe my life to, my mother Susanne. She was born in Austria in 1927 and experienced WW II as a child and teenager. She ran for the shelter with her baby sister in her arms when the bombs dropped. She hated the cold during war times (“Constant hunger I could manage, but being freezing cold for a long time is unbearable.”) and narrowly escaped violent soldiers by hiding in the hay of their barn. My grandmother was not that lucky.
Determined to have their daughter well educated, my grandfather took my mother back to Vienna after the war where she could study biochemistry. Susanne was one of only two women in the whole university. My father was smart enough to snatch her up. Both finished summa cum laude but could not attend their own graduation, because they could not buy a proper outfit. My parents were dirt poor when they got married. Purchasing their first car years later was a tremendous source of joy and pride. My mother worked full time in the laboratory and became a recognized authority in her field (as was my father). But unlike him, after a day at work she went shopping, cooked for the family (my brother was born in 1960) and cleaned as it was expected from a woman of that generation. Cooking she disliked the most.
More than 20 years into their marriage I came along – instead of going into menopause she went into nursing
I think it’s fair to say that a lot of who I am came straight from my mother. I have deep respect and love for her! My mother is highly educated but does not speak a foreign language. She won’t be able to read anything but this: Mami, ich liebe Dich!!

Last month my mother celebrated her 85th birthday (the photo above was taken at 84), after kicking breast cancer and stomach cancer to the curb. I am amazed by her strength and her perseverance and how she never gives up in the face of opposition. My grandmothers also had tenacity and grit and I’d like to think that the legions of women who stood up through times to make our lives easier were a lot like my grandmothers, my mother and like, yes, me and you.

Most of them had husbands and children and parents to take care of, they had jobs and challenges and health issues. Some had money, but many knew war, famine and hard times and they surely had more than enough to worry about – and yet, they also dedicated their time, energy and power towards the causes important to them. And they made great sacrifices – many of them even losing their lives – to fight what they knew in their hearts and minds to be right.

Since it’s now our turn to make a positive impact on the lives of the next generations I want to ask you for two things today:

1) Take a few minutes tonight to be grateful for the sacrifices these women had made for us and think of them lovingly. Take a moment to reflect on your own ancestors and honor their lives by simply remembering them.

2) Check out a few of the organizations dedicated to women’s issues and listen to your heart – it will tell you which one you should support. I asked Malia for a few suggestions on trustworthy and effective organizations. Of course there are myriads of worthy organizations – these are just a few examples of how we can influence and help girls and boys and women for generations to come:

SEWA is a self-employed women’s association that started in India. SEWA helps local communities and causes including disaster relief and supporting development projects internationally.

ECPAT International is a global network of organizations and individuals working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes (I know, just writing this sentence makes my heart cry out.)

Fairtrade USA helps consumers choose quality products and that will improve lives and protect the environment. Their vision: “We seek to empower family farmers and workers around the world, while enriching the lives of those struggling in poverty.”

Now let’s have a look into what other women did for us! Here are a few snapshots that I took inside the U.S. Capitol building a couple of days ago:

The Capital was finished in 1863 and since then Senators and members of the House of Representatives have passed laws under this dome. Just a quick recap on timing:
1776 the Declaration of Independance announces a new nation – the United States of America.
1789 The Constitution of the United States goes into effect.
1865 President Lincoln pushes the 13th amendment: the abolition of slavery.
1870 The 15th amendment is passed: no denial of suffrage on color, race, or former condition of servitude (as long as you are a man; this does NOT include women)
1920 The 19th amendment finally comes to pass: no denial of suffrage based on sex.                                               For the timetable as to when women were able vote around the world click here.

For the timetable as to when women were able vote around the world click here. New Zealand is considered the first country in the world to have given women the right to vote in 1893. My home country Austria granted this right in 1918, as well as did Germany. Most surprising to me was Switzerland, which only allowed women to vote on a federal level in 1971. That blew me away! At some point I need to look into this further.

“Votes for Women a Success: The Map Proves It,” ca. 1914. The National American Woman Suffrage Association used this map in rallies and meetings during its state-by-state campaign for voting rights. As you can see, some states had granted women the right to vote as early as 1869 (Wyoming). But to actually pass as an amendment to the Constitution the proposal must be supported by 2/3 majority of both Houses of the Congress and 3/4 of the states must approve it. From the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. Photo (c) visitthecapitol.gov

THE FACES OF OUR ANCESTORS  
I took this photo in the famous Rotunda underneath the Capitol dome. This group portrait monument is dedicated to the pioneers of the woman suffrage movement, which won women the right to vote in 1920. It was sculpted by Adelaide Johnson from an 8-ton block of marble in Carrara, Italy. The monument features portrait busts of three leaders of the woman suffrage movement: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott. 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), president of the National Woman Suffrage Association from 1865 to 1893; author of the woman’s bill of rights, which she read at the Seneca Falls, New York, convention in 1848; first to demand the vote for women.
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906), abolitionist, temperance advocate, and later president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, who joined with Stanton in 1851 to promote woman suffrage; proposed the constitutional amendment passed many years after her death.
Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), Quaker reformer and preacher, who worked for abolition, peace, and equality for women in jobs and education; organizer of the 1848 Seneca Falls, New York, convention, which launched the women’s rights movement.

The sun bursts through the Capitol’s dome hitting the paintings in the Rotunda. This painting shows Spanish conquistador and explorer Hernando De Soto, riding a white horse and dressed in Renaissance finery, arriving at the Mississippi River on May 8, 1541. De Soto was the first European documented to have seen the river.
The sun patches reminded me that in every country’s history there are moments of darkness and light, moments of shame and of glory.

This is the newest statue in the famous Statuary Hall: the civil right icon Rosa Parks! This statue is brand new and was unveiled this February 2013, 100 years after Rosa was born.

This statue made me happy to see: On February 27, 2013, a statue of Rosa Parks commissioned by Congress was unveiled in National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol, approximately 100 years after her birth on February 4, 1913. Rosa Parks, whose arrest in 1955 for refusing to yield her seat on a segregated bus to a white passenger helped ignite the modern American civil rights movement. This bronze statue depicts Parks seated on a rock-like formation of which she seems almost a part, symbolizing her famous refusal to give up her bus seat.— This is the fact sheet I received from the U.S. Capitol Department of Communications:
Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. She was raised on a farm, attended rural schools, and then took some vocational and academic courses at the Industrial School for Girls in Montgomery before leaving to care for her grandmother and mother during their illnesses. In 1932 she married barber Raymond Parks, who was working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1933 she completed her high school studies; 10 years later, she joined the NAACP and was elected secretary. Her involvement with the organization heightened her awareness of the injustices imposed by Jim Crow laws in the former Confederate states, which mandated racial segregation in public facilities and retail establishments.
On December 1, 1955, while riding a bus home from her job as a department-store seamstress, she refused to obey the driver’s direction to move from her seat to make room for a newly boarded white passenger. She was arrested. On December 5, at her trial, she was found guilty of disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance. That day was also the start of a bus boycott that would last more than a year and increase the prominence of many figures in the civil rights movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The boycott ended only after a separate Supreme Court decision held that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.
After her conviction, Parks was fired from her job and she and her husband sought work, first in Virginia and then in Michigan. She worked as a seamstress until 1965, and then served as secretary and receptionist to U.S. Representative John Conyers until her retirement in 1988. She co-founded the Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation in 1980 and the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development in 1987. She published her autobiography in 1992 and her memoirs in 1995.
Rosa Parks remained an icon of the civil rights movement to the end of her life. In 1999, the United States Congress honored her with a Congressional Gold Medal. Following her death on October 24, 2005, she was accorded the rare tribute of having her remains lie in honor [3]in the Rotunda [4] of the U.S. Capitol in recognition of her contribution to advancing civil and human rights.

I am terribly afraid of small planes.

Which is peculiar, because I am in one.

As I delicately claw my fingers into the leather hand rest, I lean my forehead against the window and risk looking down. Wow, are we close to the ground. New York City in the morning sun is such an awesome sight though, that for a moment I forget my malaise.

Also to be just, this plane is not that small. It’s a private plane, a turbo prop, seating 30 people comfortably. And by now we’re about 1500 feet above ground or so, sipping coffee and getting to know each other. But still, I am way out of my comfort zone. My knuckles turn white. Oh mother of god, how did I get myself into this adventure?

Rather quickly, as it turned out when I stumbled upon a unique travel company that peaked my curiosity.

As a European in America I must say: I LOVE the US and I love to discover the unusual and breathtaking natural wonders this continent offers. Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls – these are all terms of endearment to me, words that make my heart melt and my eyes shine. Sadly the loves that I long for are located all over this huge country of ours. And they are rather inflexible, none of them would meet me half way. Unfortunately, I am not a skilled road-tripper. Driving endless hours to see them is not titillating.

I was longing to see this for many  years – once I did I thought it was even better than expected.  photos (c) B. Gordon

Imagine my delight, when I heard about Mauiva AirCruise, a Florida based air charter, whose owners came up with the concept of air-cruising: think flying from one awesome place to the next in a private plane, significantly cutting down on travel time and airport hassle.

As I browsed their All American East tour description, I perked up further. A one hour flight from New York to Niagara Falls instead of an eight hour drive? Then hopping down to Pennsylvania to visit the Amish before flying on to Washington, DC to learn about the capital’s history?  A 6 day/5 night trip that won’t involve endless road-tripping?

Screw my fear of small planes, Niagara, I am on my way!

Slowly I am easing into my seat. So far my gut decision to fly Mauiva AirCruise worked out very well. Our tour group – a colorful mix of Americans, Europeans and Aussies – met very early this morning in the lobby of a NYC midtown hotel, where we were picked up by a coach bus and driven to the private airport on Long Island where the Mauiva jet awaited us. The bus drove right onto the tarmac and we boarded the plane without wait, security check or even time for me to have an anxiety attack.

I think I can get over my fear of small planes: no security lines in overcrowded airports, no full body scan, no hassle – quite awesome. Mauiva AirCruise started in 2011 and currently offers the All American East and Western Wonder tour.

By 9:30 AM we’ve landed again, boarded a new coach bus (luggage, hotel-check-ins, dinners, attraction tickets etc. are all handled by the Mauiva tour host) and now we are cruising along the Niagara River and I see a huge cloud ahead of us hovering over the water. “That’s the mist from the falls,” explains our tour host, and my excitement rises. We are approaching the biggest falls in the United States and Canada and I swear my heart starts pounding harder. What might the Native Americans have felt when they first discovered the falls thousands of years ago?

A river runs through it: the Niagara River forms part of the border between the US and the Canadian Province of Ontario. The river splits off right before the falls and to the left is the American side, with the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls (the thin fall on the very right end of the left fall). On the right side – the Canadian side – you see the Canadian Falls. The more mighty falls are usually referred to as Horseshoe Falls. Don’t know how they came up with that name. This photo is from the Niagara Falls Live website and was taken from the Canadian side. The mists arising from the Horseshoe Falls can be seen from the highway miles away.

As we cross the Rainbow Bridge towards Canada, our bus is getting overcrowded on one side since the whole group is rushing to the driver’s side staring at the falls and snapping the first photos of the water – water that started to gather thousands of miles away and traveled through four of the Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie) before crashing down 176 feet/54 meters right in front of us sending a huge cloud of mist up into the sky. Thirty-two hundred tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every SECOND. A million bathtubs would be filled in something like a minute. My jaw drops a bit.

Nobody puts on a better spectacle than Mother Nature herself. Period.

“The Niagara River is ferocious and unforgiving”. I think of this quote by Niagarafrontier as we embark on the thrill I am after: riding one of the Maid of the Mist boats – the former ferries between the US and Canada – upstream into the steam of the falls. We all fumble with the thin blue raincoats that we were given before boarding the boat and there is a sense of fun and excitement in the air, as we glide closer to the falls. This is pure fun for us – for others, the falls meant hope, luck and death.

Fifteen (crazy, if you ask me) people have intentionally gone over the falls, some of them survived. The first to strap herself in a wooden pickle barrel and shoot down the falls was 63 year old retired school-teacher Annie Edson Taylor in October 1901 – on her birthday. She survived, and so did her cat. Annie was hoping to gain fame and fortune from her stunt so to not end up in the poorhouse. She risked her life to avoid what was still her fate: she gained fame but not fortune and died destitute.

In 1911, a decade after Annie, a man name Bobby Leach went down the falls in a tin barrel. He, too, survived with injuries that eventually healed but only to slip on an orange peel in New Zealand, infect his leg and die of gangrene – mind-boggling, right? And in 1960 a seven-year-old boy was swept over the falls after his boat accidentally capsized. He wore nothing but a life-vest. The boy was plucked basically unharmed from the furious plunge pool beneath the Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the Maid of the Mist.

As we’re heading towards said furious plunge pool the roar of the large Horseshoe Falls keeps swelling. I took my place at the very front of the boat, right at the rail. Supposedly that’s prime real estate. “Don’t use the upper deck, stay down, close to the water, right at the tip of the boat”, another travel writer had suggested to me. Done – I have the best spot on the boat to see the falls from the bottom up.

By the way, Mauiva is a Polynesian term that means making something from nothing. In Hawaiian folklore it references the fisherman who pulled the Hawaiian Islands out of the Pacific Ocean, essentially creating something out of nothing. As we are heading right into the fall I have a similar feeling – out of nothing but the sky falls the biggest body of water I’ve ever seen creating some frightening magic.

As we make our way towards the roaring plunge pool the experience becomes more and more intense. (c) Photo provided by Maid of the Mist

The steam becomes thicker, the water sprays more intense. We huddle together on the stern, small little figures in blue, soaked in water, with huge smiles on our faces and all cameras tucked safely away.

First I am hanging on to the rail as we go deeper into the mist and the thunder of the crashing falls drowns out any other noise. The tip of the boat rocks up and down and my body starts swaying. I squint my eyes and stare down into the froth where the falls hits the river and it’s all white and wild and primal. Awesome.

I decide to let go of the rail and raise my face so the water hits me straight on and makes breathing difficult. I sway, hit the person next to me, try to stand up straight again and get doused with another wave of raindrops. Can’t stop smiling from ear to ear. I want to be part of a most intense natural performance that has been going on for millennia. I want to feel it, smell it, inhale it. Nothing but falling short of going over board will do.

Best 30 seconds I’ve had in a long time.

(So intense that I throw water in my face just writing this. Just kidding.)

As the ship slowly veers away back towards the port I am happy I overcame my fear of small planes to indulge in this experience. “Thank you, Mauiva”, I silently say to myself – meaning the company, sure, but more so the force of nature that “pulled these falls out of nothing”.

As a side note: I took the Mauiva AirCruise tour not only as a travel writer, but as a professional tour director which I also am. On this particular tour I found out if I could overcome my un-easyness in planes with less than 300 passengers.  Turns out, I can. Between you and I: flying private planes is quite becoming. Heavens, by now I think I should have my own!  :-)

There is a second stop on the Mauiva All American East experience that I found fascinating and unique: the Amish People of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Sign-up for the updates to not miss this upcoming story on the life of the Amish!

Almost 60 years of Austrian tradition celebrated in America: The Viennese Opera Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City

February 2013: Viennese Opera Ball, New York City

Photos and text (c) Bettina M. Gordon. All photos shot with my little Canon point-and-shoot.

(for my German speaking audience: this is my story on the ball’s patron, Dieter Beintrexler, for the magazine FIRST Alles Walzer in New York)

Hailing from a city that once was the intellectual hub of all of Europe and that still is beloved for its music, chocolate and Lippizan horses, my heart beat a bit faster when the invitation to this year’s Viennese Opera Ball in New York arrived in the mail a few weeks back. It is lovely and heart-warming to me to have the opportunity to experience a piece of my home country here in my country of choice.

You see, Vienna has a long standing tradition of throwing outlandish and ostentatious parties during the dreary and cold winter season. By the late 18th century nobility and high-society started to meet at the Imperial Palace, City Hall, Schönbrunn castle and palaces around town to celebrate the Ball season and enjoy a night of ball room dancing, impressive gowns and attires, great etiquette and intrigue. And guess what – this tradition has not stopped!

Every year more than 200,000 visitors enjoy Vienna’s more than 300 ballroom events (not counting the Austrians, who love this tradition) and let themselves be enchanted by the elegant ball gowns and the famous waltzing melodies. The most well-known ball of the season is the Opera Ball, which takes place in the Opera house and is broadcast live around the world. According to TourMyCountry.com the Vienna Opera ball gathered revenues of 20 million dollars (in 2007) so you can imagine the economical value the ball season has to Austria.

In New York City, however, the Vienna Opera Ball is one of the great charity galas benefitting worthy non-profit organizations – the 58th ball of its kind was dedicated to raising funds for the famed Carnegie Hall this year.

Like its Austrian sister ball, the Viennese Opera Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel follows the same tradition and etiquettes that already enchanted Emperor Franz Josef  and his wife Sissy in the mid 1800′s. What worked for Franz Josef and the Empress, certainly worked for Joshua and I last week:

Tradition number one: the opening ceremony. The year’s debutants – usually young ladies and gentlemen between the ages of 16 and 18 – are formally introduced to society. This is still a very big deal in Austria. The debutants take intensive ball room lessons before giving their debut and commence the ball with a well choreographed opening ceremony. I remember when I was a debutant and how my dance partner and I had butterflies in our stomachs. I believe we made it through the ceremony without any major missteps – or at least none that I would remember. But I also forgot the name of my then debutant partner. So maybe we totally flunked – who knows!

Tradition number two: Alles Walzer! At the end of the debutants dance the master of ceremony grabs the mic and declares – in improper but somehow traditional German – “Alles Walzer”, which means everybody is now invited to the dance floor to dance the first walzer of the night. Usually this is a “links walzer”, a walz where the couple twirls counter-clock-wise instead of swinging to the right. It sounds like a not a big deal – but I challenge you to try it. It’s humbling.

Walzing and photographing is not an easy feat – regardless of whether you twirl to the left OR to the right. Note to self: enroll us in ball room lessons, we need some upkeep. And ask somebody else to take the photo of us dancing next time.

Tradition number three: every Ball has its own flair and styling. The Opera Ball is one of the most elegant affairs, while the Flower Ball or the Ball of the Hunters and the Ball of the Coffee House owners (yes, many gilds have their own balls) is distinctly different in decoration and maybe even in outfits. As you can see, the Waldorf-Astoria was very elegantly decorated and this was an evening of elegance and sophistication.

Tradition number four: formal dinner. Well, actually this is not an Austrian tradition but the American twist to the evening. In the Opera in Vienna, about 5.000 people squeezed onto the dance floor on February 7th, and there is no formal sit-down dinner but only dancing until the midnight buffet is opened (more of that below). In New York, however, we feasted on lobster and fish appetizers, filet mignon (which was impressively well done given the fact that there were over 600 guests in the room) and chocolate mousse dessert. I must say, I am liking the American twist to our Austrian tradition.

Tradition number five: guess the guests! I admit that I looked at the gentleman on the right and thought that he looks rather familiar, but I wasn’t sure where I had met him. Turns out I “met” him on TV: Dancing with the Stars pro Tony Dovolani and wife Lina Dovolani; brothers Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy; and Miss Teen USA Logan West were among the guests. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images).

Tradition number six: dress up to the nines. The Opera Ball is a very elegant and white tie affair. I repeat, a white tie affair (as you can see with the Dancing Stars). Even a tuxedo would have been underdressed. While my dress was fitting the occasion, my husband’s attire was not. As the Austrian woman in our relationship, I take full responsibility for this blunder. I was busy traveling in the week leading up to the Ball and somehow never read to the end of the invitation, where it clearly states: white tie and decorations for men. I did not give my man the appropriate direction. And there he was, all in black among the White Ties. Oops. Major fashion faux-pas. Turns out, I was the only one embarrassed by my oversight and nobody else seemed to take offense. Here’s Joshua’s take on Austrians: “As much as the Austrians are people with strong traditions,  they also have a great sense of humor. Nobody made me feel the least bit uncomfortable and I never got so much as a sideways glance.” It’s true: we celebrate traditions but are no sticklers about it.

Tradition number seven: it’s not a real Viennese Opera Ball until the horse carriage delivers the ballet dancers! Following the etiquette and traditions, we enjoyed ballet performances, a presentation of Josef Haydn’s “Die Feuersbrunst” (“The Burning House”) and a midnight Quadrille but the most impressive highlight was the horse carriage entering the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria. Talking about grand entrance!

Tradition number eight and my most favorite one: the after-midnight buffet! Now this is classical Austrian again. After hours of walzing the dancers need fuel again and are traditionally served the more rustic foods like goulash, sausages and bread. The Tanz Bar and post-ball supper (between 1AM and 4AM) at the Waldorf did not disappoint as you can see. We enjoyed spaetzle, goulash, red cabbage and sausages with mustard and sauerkraut. There was also a crepes station (Palatschinken) and more music and dancing.

Tradition number nine: dance (and eat) the night away. The famous clock in the lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria is our witness that confirmed that we had an awesome time all through the night!

 For information on the Viennese Opera Ball: http://www.vienneseoperaball.us/

YOUR CALL TO ADVENTURE  series by Bettina M. Gordon 

Are you happy and content with the status quo of your life? Or do you hear a little inner voice that nudges you to explore what it is that could energize you every morning, bring a huge smile to your face and would allow you to enjoy a life beyond your wildest dreams? If you are ready to live your own truth rather than somebody else´s – let this series inspire you and show you what’s possible!

Sometimes we just need a new perspective to see what is really possible. This interview series features women and men who answered their inner call to adventure. They now lead lives on their own terms and happily share their insights with us.

I just returned to DC from New York City, where I had the pleasure of attending the Viennese Opera Ball at the Waldorf Astoria hotel (spectacular). This experience came right on the heels of a trip to New Mexico, where I visited Acoma Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited American Indian community in North America. Ancient Native American culture followed by European high-society tradition within a few days – what an awesome ride!

Many of us LOVE to travel but living in a nation where two weeks of vacation per year is the norm, extended travel seems like an unattainable luxury. OR IS IT?

I am really happy to bring you this installment of the “Your Call to Adventure” series featuring Sherry Ott, famed travel blogger of Ottsworld.com!

Sherry Ott – from corporate cube dweller to globe trotter. Here she is in Nepal on top of the world.

Sherry’s story is truly unique, as this “modern nomad” (as Canadian TV dubbed her) did not have a passport until age 30! It was not until Sherry first ventured out of the U.S. that she met people who had traveled for months on end, which made her ask: “Could I possibly do that myself as well?”

She decided “Yes, I can!” Sherry strategically planned her future and started saving money to travel the world. Only six years after receiving her passport, this former cubic dweller left her high-paying job as the IT director of a large retailer in New York City behind to travel the globe for one year. That was 2006 – and she has been on the move ever since.

Years on the road turned Sherry into an awesome photographer as she proves with this shot from Antarctica. If you’d like to know how she and her father experienced Antarctica and get insider tips, join them on a free webinar on February 13th hosted by ExpeditionTrips and G Travel at 6PM EST.

When Sherry set out on her travels, she had NO IDEA that she would become a famed travel blogger – this job description did not even exist when she first headed out!  Now you can (and should) read her stories on Ottsworld.com and follow her on facebook.

If you EVER played around with the idea of taking a career break to travel the world and then using this experience to YOUR ADVANTAGE with future employers upon your return, listen in at minute 21 of my video interview with Sherry when she talks about her website MeetPlanGo.com. The site is dedicated to showing professionals how they can do exactly that.

This community of likeminded folks is coming together again on February 20th in New York City and if you are anywhere close, I highly suggest you don’t miss the event!

I reached Sherry while she was in Buenos Aires and we had a frank talk about the awesomeness and challenges of heeding your call to adventure and being on the road for six years now. I truly enjoyed and appreciated Sherry’s openness, honesty and sense of humor.

Enjoy what’s possible!

Bettina

How I met Sherry: the famous Schnitzel story.

The first time I came across Sherry’s website was about a year ago when I read her spot-on story on the intricacies of eating a Wiener Schnitzel, a delicacy of my home country Austria! Being a total sucker of anything Schnitzel I immediately “followed” this woman as she tracked from New York to Antarctica, from Buenos Aires to Patagonia. Then I started to dig deeper and discovered her unusual life story. Sherry truly is a perfect example of what can happen if we heed the call to adventure and trust in our abilities to figure things out as we go along.

Ever wanted to horse track across Mongolia? I DO and I WILL!

One of my favorite reads on Sherry’s site: Her travels through Mongolia and the Mongol Rally.

Sherry was nothing more than an amateur when she first set out on her journeys. But while on the road she tirelessly honed her skills as a photographer.  Even though she still does not call herself a professional photographer, I beg to differ: her photos from around the globe are truly beautiful and capture the essence of the locations and people.

In case you are sick of your job check this out.

When Sherry returned from Antarctica she published a photo blog called “Mother Nature is in Charge“

If you can travel to the southern most continent on earth, you can go anywhere! ExpeditionTrips will safely bring you to the penguins. Is this a fun photo or what?

Inspired enough to pack your bags? Great, we’ll see you on the road!!

To view more of Sherry’s awesome photos click here. 

View from the mesa of Acoma Pueblo at almost 700 feet. The valley below is studded with sacred, towering monoliths and the view can take your breath away – all images (c) Bettina M. Gordon

January 2013, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico

All images and text (c) Bettina M. Gordon

There are high-tops and sky-scrapers and then there is Sky City: almost 700 feet above ground, on a large sandstone bluff, sits the village of Acoma, the oldest continuously inhabited American Indian pueblo in the United States (a title also claimed by the Taos Pueblo a couple of hours further north). This is quite the feat: more than nine hundred years of not relenting to invaders trying to force the Natives from their homes and their land speaks of the defiance and deep cultural roots of the pueblo’s inhabitants.

Originally I had come to New Mexico, “Land of Enchantment”, to speak about travel writing at the International Tour Management Institute’s (ITMI) yearly symposium. When I heard that we could visit Acoma Pueblo – located only about one hour west of Albuquerque – as part of the program I jumped on the opportunity since I am very interested in the culture of America’s first nation. I am glad I came to Acoma as it is a lived-in village as much as an historic site.

Visiting Acoma was surely a trip back in time. A long trip back. A federally recognized Indian Tribe, Acoma Pueblo has a land base covering 432,000 acres and is home to 4,800 tribal members with more than 250 dwellings, none of which have electricity, sewer, or water.

No running water, no electricity but an awesome view over the valley. I assume the little huts on the bottom left are outhouses – but I did not investigate them myself.

Sure, there is the vast sky all around but just about everything else needs to be brought up to the mesa – including fire wood for the winter.

In 1629, construction began on the massive San Esteban del Rey Mission, a Catholic mission.  Both the Mission and the Pueblo are Registered National Historical Landmarks. When we toured Acoma with our professional guide we were not allowed to take photos inside the mission, but this Wikipedia paragraph puts the immense undertaking of building the mission into context:

Between 1629 and 1641 Father Juan Ramirez oversaw construction of the San Esteban del Rey Mission. The Acoma were ordered to build the church, moving 20,000 tons of adobe, straw, sandstone, and mud to the mesa for the church walls. Ponderosa pine was brought in by community members from Mount Taylor, over 40 miles away. At 6,000-square-feet, with an altar flanked by 60-foot-high wood pillars hand carved in red and white designs representing Christian and Indigenous beliefs, the structure is considered a cultural treasure by the Acoma, despite the slave labor used to build it.

No cameras were allowed inside this almost four hundred year old church, where we found Christian and indigenous beliefs still heavily intertwined. By the way, Ansel Adams photographed the mission around 1941.

What struck me was that our guide spoke passionately about how his people’s religion was suppressed and oppressed (people were not allowed to practice their religion and forced to convert to catholicism). He made it very clear that his people suffered greatly under the Spanish in the late 16th century but yet, hundreds of years later, this church is still the center of worship in the pueblo.

And while there are many symbols and paintings in the church representing indigenous beliefs, surprisingly many of the devotional objects were clearly Christian. The mission lacks the pews and usual pomp of catholic churches and we walked on dirt instead of stone floor, but there were paintings of Mary and Jesus, Francis of Assisi and other saints and it was clear, that many Acoma are still Catholic.

It surprised me to hear that the birth of Jesus is celebrated every year with a multi day event. And I am wondering why there is not a heavier focus on Native American religion again by now. Or why, if their Native religion is practiced more in secret and out of sight from us tourists (which I understand), so many Acoma people still choose to celebrate the Catholic faith – given their history. Next time I visit I will certainly investigate this conundrum further.

Doesn’t this picture make you think of “stairways to heaven”?

As a European I am especially enchanted with Native American traditions and, of course, the breathtaking landscape of the American West.

Our tour guide called this tree the local forest.

While we were strolling through the village we were greeted by the locals – approximately 30 or so live on the mesa all year round – and many Native artists gave us a chance to admire and buy some of their crafts. This gentleman and his son also graciously granted me a photo. If you come to Acoma Pueblo yourself, please always ask the villagers for permission before taking a photo.

At the Sky City Cultural Center we watched to a traditional dance performance. It was OK to take pictures but video was not allowed. And we all needed a camera permit to even take pictures.

If you would like to visit Acoma Pueblo check out The Sky City Cultural Center for details: http://sccc.acomaskycity.org/

To visit Acoma Pueblo please check out The Sky City Cultural Center for details: http://sccc.acomaskycity.org/

Acoma Pueblo is open to the public by guided tour the majority of the year. Photography of the Pueblo and surrounding land is restricted. Tours and camera permits are purchased at the Sky City Cultural Center. While photography may be produced with permit, video recordings, drawings, and sketching are prohibited.

YOUR CALL TO ADVENTURE  series by Bettina M. Gordon 

By all intents and purposes, many of us lead very successful lives. But what we feel inside does not necessarily match outside appearances. So often something feels off or missing. Like we are not fully ourselves.

We may be aware of a little voice inside that nudges us to go and explore. That calls us to adventure. That urges us to stop playing it safe, to confront our fears with courage and finally live according to who we are.  Living our own truth and not somebody else´s.

Sometimes we just need a new perspective to see what is really possible. This interview series features women and men who answered their inner call to adventure. They now lead lives on their own terms and happily share their insights with us.

Jess and Lisa Arie, at their 160-acre ranch in Dove Creek, Colorado. The couple opened Vista Caballo to engage leaders, groups, and individuals in a transformative and real-time shift in perspective. Hailed as the “CEO Whisperer” by Fast magazine, Lisa defines her life’s mission as fast-forwarding people striving for true change, to rediscover their instincts, receptivity, ability to innovate, and peel back their true potential as human beings, so they can achieve their most audacious goals.

All of these amazing photos by: www.thatgirlproductions.com

Lisa Arie, founder and CEO of Vista Caballo, the Innovation Ranch

It is my GREAT pleasure to start the Your Call to Adventure series with Lisa Arie, innovator extraordinaire and woman with fire in her soul! Lisa and I lived in Manhattan for many years and actually engaged in the same passion, at the same time, with the same man (no,no, nooo it’s not what you think, check out part three of the interview) but never connected until about 1.5 years ago when a mutual friend introduced us.

I was instantly intrigued by Lisa’s story and how this advertising maven who started and ran two multi-million dollar companies, left a very big life behind to now live with a herd of horses in Colorado experiencing an even bigger life: Lisa discovered her gift for helping CEOs, entrepreneurs, pioneers and adventurers through their own personal and professional evolution – by engaging with her horses.

The results the participants generate are so remarkable that Fast magazine calls her the “CEO whisperer”.  When scientists visited Vista Caballo, one of them made a surprising initial discovery: our brain waves actually change when we humans interact with horses. The delta brain waves – usually only active in deep sleep – became activated. Further research into this fascinating topic is planned and I, for one, am very curious about the results. Personally I think Lisa nails her innovative approach with Vista Caballo’s tagline already: There Are Retreats. And Then There Are Advances.

I caught Lisa upon her return from France, where she gave the keynote at the World Innovation Forum. We will discuss her transformational work at the innovation ranch in a later post, so please stay tuned. This time I wanted to know about her own evolution and how she became who she is today. So we dove right into the nitty-gritty of exes in Texas, break-downs in Manhattan and strange voices that say things like “Go to the horses”.

If you want to drop Lisa a note, do it at la@vistacaballo.com or connect on facebook.

Enjoy what’s possible,

Bettina

Lisa Arie, innovator extraordinaire

The Journey begins

First, Lisa Arie followed all the rules: get a degree, get a great job, pay your rent, become really good in what you do and create not one, but two highly successful advertisement companies. All this kept  Lisa’s life very full until she realized that her work had become more of “a job” that was not fulfilling any longer.

She grew less happy and struggled with the question “am I even allowed to feel like this is not enough“? So she pushed the question aside and buried herself in even more work.

Interview Part 1

Right Click Here to Download

The voice said “Go to the horses” and she did.

The Pivotal Moment

Building and running two multi-million dollar companies and jetting between New York, LA and Texas eventually took its toll. When Lisa had her break down on a street in Manhattan, she knew this is it. She could not kid herself one more day. Then she “heard” her calling – and, frankly, it did not make sense at all at first. As Lisa now puts it: “The more illogical the calling is at that pivotal moment, the more you know you are on the right track!”

Knowing you are on the right track is one thing – but leaving your “old life” behind completely is quite another. That’s when the medical wake-up call came.

Interview Part 2

Right Click Here to Download

Lisa’s support team: husband Jess and the horses.

Stop playing it safe

Once Lisa stopped playing it safe, her transformation jumped to another level. She gained confidence in her abilities and learned to navigate life with more understanding and ease, which is one of the skills she now teaches her clients who come to Vista Caballo for their own quantum transformation.

Lisa did not build Vista alone. Once she allowed herself to open up and really connect with another being – her horse – a man, who she had met years before, came back into her life. They met again and he immediately recognized her transformation. Jess took a look at Lisa and said: “Now you are ready.” “For what?” she asked. “For us.”

(Sorry, ladies, I forgot to ask Lisa if Jess has an unmarried brother who is as wise and cool as he is but if he does, we’ll let you know!)

Interview Part 3

Right Click Here to Download

Being loved for who you are – the magic of horses.

The most surprising thing Lisa learned about herself on this Journey

Interview Part 4

Right Click Here to Download

I am going to dedicate another article to Lisa’s cutting-edge and innovative work, but for now here’s a sneak peak into Vista Caballo and the life changing transformation that is happening there. If you’d like information on Lisa’s programs, please inquire with her directly at la@vistacaballo.com.

Bettina M. Gordon, (c) photo by Nathalie Schueller

Do you KNOW that there is more to your life than what you currently are experiencing?

I certainly do. Or at least one of my body parts does.

I was just reaching for the awesome European butter at this new French restaurant on H Street in DC, when Joshua looked at me and said: “So what does your gut say?”

Not one to shy away from such a question nor to lose sight of the irony of the timing, I generously spread the butter on the baguette, took a humongous bite, washed it down with Cotes du Rhone (after all, if my gut is put to work it should have proper nutrition) and answered: “That it’s time to commit to the deadline of summer 2014”.

That I am wishing for a “dead-line” on my birthday is another one of life’s great ironies. But truth is, I am a journalist for a reason. I love deadlines. I strive on deadlines. I cherish deadlines.  Without them I can be a lazy bum who can waste perfectly good hours, days or even years away. Left to my own devices, I can lollygag and dillydally but NEVER have I missed a deadline for any of the media outlets I worked for in the last decades.

This is why my gut tells me to set my own deadline now. I am scared shitless but my gut is right. It’s time to summon all my courage and do it: I am taking on the mother-load of calls to adventure.

Like you, I too have gone through plenty of transformations in my life, like building a life on a different continent (I am European), kicking-butt in my journalism career, achieving more than I bargained for and even getting married – certainly the biggest transformation of it all for me.

By all intents and purposes I should be super happy and content – and yet, there is something more or different that I am meant to experience and do with my life. By now I am determined to leave no stone unturned, no nook and cranny unchecked to find out what exactly that is.

One calling I’ve danced around for years now, pretending not to hear it and certainly not heeding it. It’s my call to serve, inspire and impact people on a global scale. How? Not quite sure, that will become clear in the next 18 months. I just finally trust that the yearning deep inside me will not steer me wrong. 

What are YOU called to do? What is your next adventure?

I chose the tagline “Your Call to Adventure” inspired by Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey”. Famed mythologist and writer Campbell spent his whole life steeped in myths from around the world closely studying the narratives. He discovered that these stories follow the same story pattern told in infinitely different ways.

The stories begin with the Call to Adventure, when the hero is summoned by destiny to leave the world she or he knows behind and enter the unknown – a fateful region full of potential treasures, but also danger.

If you are even remotely experiencing what I am experiencing, you’ve heard the call, first in a whisper, then louder and louder. You heard it, but still you distracted yourself jumping back onto your device to answer 200 more emails, burying yourself in work, obligations and activities – or throwing back a few more drinks just to drown out the feeling that you are off kilter. All for a very good reason.

Because what if heeding this call will cost you dearly? After all, what will happen to you if you give up your regular hefty pay-check, your hard earned bonus, your executive perks, the recognition in your industry, your position within your circle of friends, heck, the position within your own family?

Yes, the unknown is a bitch.

That’s why I came up with the idea of a series of interviews with people who have actually already braved the unknown and are successfully on the other side. Nothing wrong with a little adventure-guidance, right?

I’ve lined up an awesome group of go-getters, who have left the traditional success model behind to do something that truly fulfills them (that’s what the calling is all about) and adds great value to the lives of others.  We are discussing topics like: 

What made you take the leap? How did you prepare – or did you even?

How did you deal with giving up money/prestige/power?

How did your employees, friends and family react?

Did you doubt or even regret your choice?

What is your life like today?

Lisa Arie kicks-off the Your Call to Adventure series!

To kick-off the 2013 series “Your Call to Adventure” I spoke in great length with Lisa Arie, founder and CEO of Vista Caballo, her cutting-edge innovation ranch in Colorado that uses the tagline “There Are Retreats. And Then There Are Advances™”

Brilliant, I agree.

Lisa started and ran two multi-million dollar advertising companies in New York, L.A. and Texas when she experienced a pivotal moment 12 years ago. She broke down in tears and heard a voice inside telling her: “Go to the horses.” Lisa had her breakdown on a busy street – in Manhattan! Sometimes – or often – the things we feel called to do make no sense at first.

Look for my interview with Lisa in my newsletter next weekend, January 19/20 2013.

Court and I at the Lucky Dog Adoption event on 1/6/13 in Falls Church, Virginia

In last week’s newsletter I encouraged you, my treasured audience, to commit to doing something that you love to do but don’t do often enough. Something that lights you up and brings you joy!

Heeding my own advice, I did what I LOVE to do: spending more time with dogs and volunteering my time and love to save a dog’s life.

And since I discovered this AWESOME organization that has rescued thousands of dogs in only a few short years, I am excited to share this story with you. Maybe it will inspire you to seek out a similar organization in your community or even become a foster parent as well!

Full disclosure: I am a dog nut. I grew up with dogs. As a teenager I spent my summers volunteering for the local animal shelter. With one exception (a poodle, that my mother wanted) all our dogs were rescue dogs. When my childhood friend Doris and I walked our dogs, we usually had a pack of seven dogs (she and her mom usually had five dogs, my family usually two at a time) to manage. Loved it.

When I moved to the United States though, my life with dogs came to an end (but not my love, of course). I moved to a high-rise building in Manhattan and traveled often for work as a journalist. I also flew back to Austria multiple times per year to see my family. Having dogs was not an option for me for many, many years.

Then I discovered: DOG FOSTERING! The perfect way to have a temporary dog companion and save a dog’s life.

In the spring of 2012 I came across an amazing organization here in Washington, DC, called Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. This non-profit organization has saved over 4,000 dogs from high-kill shelters in the South in just a few short years. These shelters are often in rural areas, where only a handful of pups ever get adopted. The vast majority of dogs – something like 99% of them – in these high-kill shelters have no chance of finding a new home. They are euthanized, often hundreds of them at a time.

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and similar organizations are literally a dog’s last and only chance to live.

Here’s what I found to be most incredible about Lucky Dog: Lucky Dog’s founder, Mirah Horowitz, grew an organization with hundreds and hundreds of VOLUNTEERS, who work together like a well oiled machine. It’s really impressive.

Mirah works with the shelter’s personnel who identify the dogs that are most suitable for adoption. Volunteers drive these dogs – in their private cars – from the shelters up to DC, which for many means at least a four hour drive each way. In DC the “transport” is met by volunteers like me, who will take one of the dogs (or more) home. We provide temporary housing and feed/exercise/train/pamper (not necessarily in this order) our foster pups until they find their forever home. Fostering is extremely important. If a dog does not have a foster that will care for the pup when it first arrives, this dog CANNOT come up to DC and escape the shelter!

All dogs are showcased on the Lucky Dog website and dozens of volunteers work behind the scene to approve (or deny, if the applicants don’t meet the Lucky Dog standards) adoption and foster applications. Every weekend there are two adoption events in and around DC where the foster “parents” bring their dogs to meet potential adopters. If the match is made, thrilled adopters and lucky dogs wag off into their new lives together.

I was floored when I first learned all of this, especially because the whole process is, of course, a lot more complex than I have room for here. I have the utmost respect for Mirah (a full time attorney, as far as I know) and her team – YOU ROCK!!

I will write more about this extraordinary organization and others at a later time, but if you are interested in adopting a Lucky Dog or becoming a foster parent, please fill out the respective applications on the website. And check out the events page, as there are always volunteers needed as well. 

Good news: Court found his forever home within three weeks of arriving in DC! His name is Juneau now and his new owner could not be happier – and so is Juneau.

AND PLEASE SHARE THIS POST & SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT DOG FOSTERING!!

Waiting for the dogs to arrive. On Saturday, 1/5/13, adopters and fosters awaited the arrival of over 40 dogs from shelters in the South. In this photo we are all pretty mellow and just hang out – but you should have seen the excitement once the transport with the dogs pulled up. Especially the children of the families that were ready to adopt were brimming and smiling from ear to ear. The new family members arrive.

Transport has arrived! Slowly and a bit unsure Leo takes his first step out off his crate. Leo was extremely emaciated and malnourished when he was dropped off at the shelter. I saw photos of him — the boy was nothing but skin and bones, horrific.  If it would not have been for Lucky Dog, Leo would not be alive anymore. ….. AND HERE’S THE BEST: ONLY ONE DAY AFTER THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN LEO WAS ADOPTED!!

As Spot takes her first steps into her new life, two more puppies are awaiting their turn in the back. They’ve been in the van for eight hours and ready to greet DC!

Here he is, my foster dog Court! While others were shy and unsure, this dog just could not wait to play and run off some energy after the loooooong ride up here. 

Doesn’t Court look like a large sized dog? In reality, this boy is surprisingly small and weighs only about 33 pounds. He’s a big dog in a small body, I think. 

First stop: the fenced in dog park in our neighborhood so that Court and Georgia (a former Lucky Dog rescue herself) could get to know each other and run off some steam. Court is awesome with other dogs and plays and plays and …. plays some more. Look at his fun little stub for a tail! This dog is certainly unique with a great temper to boot.

I think I can read his mind: “Yippee, I get to play! DC is much better than I even hoped for!”

Sunday, January 6th, Court is putting on his statesman face. We are at the adoption event in front of PetSmart in Falls Church, VA, and he shows off his best side.

Court and I are taking a little break. Behind us you can see other doggies with their fosters and potential adopters. Adoptions events are a bit exhausting (Court actually fell asleep briefly after this pic) and soooooo worth it: 42 dogs had arrived on Saturday and the following day 36 (!) of them had found their forever homes!!!

COURT — A GREAT DOG WAITING FOR HIS FOREVER HOME!! I have no idea how this boy ended up in a high-kill shelter, but I can tell you that Court is a joy to be around. He is active and loves regular visits to the dog park or long walks but then he settles down nicely at home and enjoys plenty of belly rubs. Please check out Court’s profile on the Lucky Dog website. If you are interested in adoption Court, please download the Adoption Questionnaire and email it to Vernisha at Vernishat@luckydoganimalrescue.org!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST AND HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT DOG FOSTERING!!