“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” – Isabelle Eberhardt

I’m here! The journey has finally begun and I must say, I am so blessed to in this gorgeous city!

The scenery is breath taking and I am lucky enough to witness the best of both worlds each day.

My apartment is up on a hill that faces the mountains and there is greenery everywhere. Looking out from my balcony, I see a garden, a mural painting (that I cannot wait to teach yoga in front of), and I enjoy the serenity of a quiet hillside. I am currently sitting on my balcony, sipping a cup of pour-over coffee while listening to the birds sing and typing this post.

My work space is located right on the beach! The sea is an incredible shade of blue and I love that when you look out into the ocean, you see islands and hill tops in the distance. There are restaurants, coffee shops, and bars all along the coast line, waiting eagerly to serve the tourists that flock to this city each summer.

With it only being the start of day four, I’m sure I will have a ton of other things to write about in the coming weeks. However, I wanted to give an update and fill you in so far. In each city I visit, I am eager to tell you about differences I have not witnessed before, things I am loving, and things I am not loving so much…

What’s different so far?

• We had the hardest time figuring out how to get into the bank the first day. There are two sets of doors and they only let in one person at a time. You stand at the first doors, they open, and you walk in. That door closes and the other door opens. It makes sense for safety, but it was new and hard to figure out…
• We weigh and sticker our own produce here. We didn’t realize this, so the lovely lady at the check-out counter had to do it for us… but we’ve got it covered from now on.
• People park ALL over the place. Half-way up the side walk, in between landscape, etc. Our Uber driver told us it is because more and more people started to buy cars here and there was not the proper planning for parking spaces. Makes sense.

• My closet pulls down to me (see picture). The hangers are way up at the top of the closet and you pull down on a pole to bring the clothing down to normal height. I think it is a genius way to save space

• To crack a window, the top of it releases and angles back. That’s a new one for me, but I here it’s pretty common outside the US and even in some places within the US… I’m just sheltered 🙂

What am I already in love with?

• The views, obvi 🙂

• The workspace, WiP, is awesome! There is a combination of seating to accommodate whatever mood I am in each day – cushions, couches, chairs, bar stools, etc. There’s an espresso machine and a great vibe to be working in. Plus, they let me teach yoga here

• The Green Market! It is about a 45 minute walk from where I live, but it is worth every step! It takes place nearly every morning down in Old Town and there is an abundance of fresh produce, gorgeous flowers, baked goods, meat and cheese. I also picked up some fresh lavender to spread throughout our apartment.

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• My crew! Everyone I have met so far has their own unique personality and they all rock! I think it takes a certain level of boldness and weirdness to decide to go on a trip like this, so everyone connects in some way. Plus, my program leaders are lit!
• The excitement for yoga – I already have excited students, ready to learn!

Things I am not as in love with…

• The driving here is a bit nerve-racking! There aren’t many rules of the road and sitting in the back of an Uber watching it all go down is a bit much for my anxious heart. I’ll get used to it, I’m sure, but it is super important to be extra vigilant as a pedestrian, as they don’t always stop or slow down for crosswalks.
• Smoke everywhere! It seems like the majority of the people here smoke 🙁
• So many coins! I am definitely not used to carrying change, so my wallet is just a bit heavier than normal.
• Humidity – It really is not bad, but I am sweating more than I am used to!

Still undecided: Whether I love or dislike my walk home. My apartment is one of the furthest from the group and is located quite a ways up the hill from everyone else. I am anxious for my legs to acclimate to the amount of walking up and down hill, because doing it several times a day is very new for me. I think the trek up the hill is similar to walking up thirty flights of stairs. It is also far away from everyone else too, which means there is a bit more walking on my own.

However, it is a safe city and I am looking forward to how great my butt and legs look at the end of this month (pssst… I walked 13 km yesterday). Plus, as I stated earlier, I have the gorgeous mountain views. So, I think I am aiming more towards a love for my longer walk 🙂

I have been taking it a bit slower paced the first few days as I get used to my new lifestyle, but I am eager to share more excitement with you along the way. I will also work hard on getting a yoga video up for y’all by the end of this week!

Much love, my friends! <3 Taryn