This piece I wrote for the Daily Tidings, it was in Letters to the Editor on January 5th. Since my return to the states from India and Nepal many people have asked me to sum up my experience. “What was the highlight of your trip?” or “What did you learn during your travels?” Often times people ask me to sum it all up in a short amount of time. This just compounds the difficulty of expressing myself. Trying to tell my stories has been so enjoyable, seeing how I respond and react to people’s questions. A theme has emerged from the many conversations that I’ve had: Gratitude. Coming back to Ashland, The Valley, Southern Oregon, the Northwest and the USA has deepened my appreciation and gratitude. This place is a sanctuary, an intentional community in all definitions because people have come to this place to live out of choice. There are so many reasons to love Ashland, without listing them myself because I’m sure everyone can think of so many, I would just like to say thank you. Thanks to everyone who is dreaming, who is working to make the world a better place consciously or unconsciously. I’m so thankful to everyone who has made Ashland and the surrounding area their home. The people who have made this place the beautiful way that it is. Gratitude is a lesson that I’ve learned while traveling, to be thankful for all that there is. So thank you and happy New Year. May this year be filled with love, joy, gratitude and blessings for all.