August 1988 Left Florida for my first adventure north to New England visiting several spiritual centers on the way. My travels took me to the Babaji Kriya Yoga Center in Washington, D.C., Karmê Chöling Tibetan Buddhist Center in Vermont, and various other small grassroots spiritual groups. As a significant step in October, I discovered and attended a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat in Shelbourne Falls, MA in the tradition of S.N. Goenka.

Winter 1988/89 Retreated back to Florida in a quiet house and formed a daily four to five hour meditation routine in addition to an afternoon period of making "four tribe beads".

Spring 1989 Returned to Shelbourne Falls for another 10-day meditation retreat and then moved to Northampton, MA. Explored free time, nature and meditation with an intense drive to learn and understand spiritually. My first New England winter also brought much delight, as I also attended a third 10-day retreat at the Vipassana Center.

Spring 1990 Ventured forth to INDIA! Landing in Bombay taking a train north to the international Vipassana Center. I stayed for three weeks, taking 10-day retreat with S.N. Goenka in person. India is a story unto itself, moving north to New Delhi, seeking Swami Yogeshswarananda, whom I had met at FSU. Spent a month in Nepal while the country was in protest of the King and under marshal law. Returned to New Delhi and went north to the northern Himalayan province of Uttar Pradesh. Befriended by the indigenous Swami's or Hindu monks, I traveled high in the Himalayas. Eventually spending May and June of that summer living in a cave and then a hut at about 10,000 feet. Again I took up the practice of daily meditation, cooking, studying nature, being. One of the most extraordinarily powerful and peaceful experiences of my life - completely removed from modern society. Received teachings and honors from great cave dwelling swamis.

July 1990 Returned to Northampton with heart still aglow months after from the heights I had traveled. In the year that followed I maintained a three hour a day meditation discipline, but eventually more and more had to wrestle with finding my place in the world, post-Himalayas.

Summer 1991 Ventured west to California. A fun adventure with a retreat at the then still forming Spirit Rock Meditation Center. With quite a fortunate happenstance the retreat was a conference of all the west-coast teachers related to the center. I met Jack Kornfield, Mary Orr and others.

1993-1998 Work as a mental health counselor. First with adolescents, then with adults suffering from psychosis. Took continuing education courses in Psychology, Chemistry, and Physics with great interest. Worked the last two years at Windhorse Associates, an organization founded by folks from Naropa Institute (Boulder, CO), founded by the celebrated Tibetan Buddhist Teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. One or two 10-day meditation retreats were attended each year, mostly at IMS in Barre, MA, discovering western teachers, such as Joseph Goldstein of eastern style mediation. By 1995 I attended a four month retreat at IMS. Also began to be a leader for the Young Adult Retreat taught there, which has become a highlight every year for me.

Became a confirmed Episcopalian on May 7th, attending St. John's Church in Northampton, MA. Elected to serve on the Vestry at St. John's Episcopal Church.

August 2001 traveled to California to visit with Ajahn Amaro, well known Buddhist monk from the Thai Forrest Tradition (student of Ajahn Cha). Spent about a week living at the monastery and abiding by there daily routine of work, preparing meals and not eating after noon, and meditation. Enjoyed serving the monks and learning the blessings of their chosen path.

July 21-22, 2001 Attended first Ayawasca Ceremony as directed by Freddie a Medicine Man from the Andes Mountains, awakening me to greater vitality and inspiration to my spiritual path

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