Inside Ellie's Head

Benefits of Dance

As if you don't already know the benefits, here's a list for:

Physical & Mental Benefits

*  Stronger muscles

*  Greater flexibility

*  Healthier heart and lungs

*  Reduced risk of Osteoporosis 

*  Stronger bones

*  Reduced risk of Alzheimer's and Dementia

*  Improved memory

*  Improved mental function

*  Better coordination

*  Better reflexes

*  More balance and stability

*  Enhanced spacial awareness

*  Increased physical confidence

*  Increased energy and stamina 

*  Help with weight loss and weight control

Personal & Social

*  Improved overall and psychological well being

*  Improved self-confidence

*  Increased trust

*  Better social skills

*  Reduced social isolation and exclusion

Next time you feel depressed or sad, try dancing. The increased levels of endorphins in your bloodstream will make you feel not only less sad and depressed but even happy in no time at all! 

Snow in June

We encountered a snow storm on our way down to Orange County earlier this month and I feel I should share some of the pictures that I took. Here they are few pictures and the journal entry that went along with them. 

"6/10/8      09:39

There is snow in June on the 93. Driving through Montana on our way to Idaho and there is a snow storm--a blizzard?! The ground is covered. 37 degrees F outside a sign read. Rooftops white, the grass white, the hills, the cars, fences, all white. The animals must be confused. We joked a little earlier about the bears going back into hibernation... For two and a half hours now it's been snowing. Over 100 miles of snow. Looking forward to some sunshine again. 

There was an Australian man that we met at the hostel in Lake Louise who was doing the same trip that we are on (From LA up to Canada, eastward to Banff, then somehow back down to LA) on his bike. He had already been traveling 7 weeks when we met. His eyes red and bloodshot, his lips chapped with blisters, his skin rough, his face tired and kind. We shared our carrot/ ginger soup with him which he seemed to enjoy. Driving through this snow storm makes me think of him on his bike... As cold and wet as it is for us, those words have entirely different meanings for him. He is after all on a bicycle for goodness sake -- a bicycle in the middle of a blizzard!"

The Great Giant Redwoods

The road up the coast of California was breathtakingly beautiful. As we drove up we witnessed the fog creeping up the mountain like a wounded water demon taking his way up to his cave hiding place after a day at battle. When it became sunny, we could see the shore for miles. The water so cold and vibrant like an untamed animal. Jagged rocks protruding at every mile and so much wildlife enjoying the sun, the ocean, and the freedom of being alive. I think we were transported into a different era. A time before technology, politics, and pollution. 

Here's an excerpt from my journal written while were were cradle by the ageless wisdom of the redwood trees in the land of the giants:

"5/24/8   20:00 ish

We sleep deep in the belly of the redwoods tonight. We have been swallowed whole car, tent, gear, and all. In the belly of the redwoods, there are the trees reaching hundreds of feed into the sky. The sky in turn pushes down on them with a thick layer of heavy cloud as if to say: "No more! Grow no more!" I think it might rain tonight. I am actually hoping for it. Heavy rain pouring and gliding down the sides of our two-person tent. I'm told the stove will be fine in the rain ("it is covered") and the lighter that's been left on the table outside is not our only one... 

The days are getting longer and longer as we head north and west. Today we arrived at the most western point in California and perhaps the most western point on our entire trip with the exception of Vancouver Island. At ten minutes before 9 PM, it is still light out. It will probably be another 30-45 minutes before we have complete darkness. It is also getting cooler. At 6PM tonight we could see our exhales rise up as we ate dinner outside of our tent in four layers of clothes, closed-toed shoes, and gloves. It is hard to believe that only 5 days ago  at 4:30 AM I walked out of a hot Pasadena apartment onto even hotter streets in shorts, a tang top, and sandals. It had been over 100 degrees F the day before and that morning it must have been at least 80 degrees. And now, five days and over 700 miles later, we lied in our cozy tent in multiple layers and bundled up in think sleeping bags, trying to keep the frost out of our bones and not going to the bathroom until absolutely necessary." 

Road Trip of a Life Time

What a fantastic trip that was. As we drove back into the once-beautiful Orange County, CA, we both looked at one another and said: "This is where we live??" We had remembered it more green, more alive, more---! Just more. 

In comparison to to all the greens we've seen, our greens are muted. The ocean here is not the deep rich color of the ocean that we drove next to for nearly 2000 miles. The flowers don't have the same vibrant sharpness about them. All contours and edges seem to be smudged with no real clear distinctions between the ground and the trees and the shrubs, the ocean, and the sky. Everything here has a thin layer of gray painted over it. 

We saw some pure and vibrant colors on our trip. The air clean and crisp as we and all plants and wildlife around us breathed it in. If I was a painter, I would have painted. If I was a singer, I would have sung. Inspiring! Nature is so very inspiring. 

For those of you who are thinking of replicating this trip or parts of it, I'll transfer some of my journal entries as well as my mileage log onto this blog in the course of the next few days. I hope you will enjoy!