Hello friends in fitness….here’s a quick update with another ¼ of my sabbatical year (almost) behind me… It’s fall and the holidays, starting with Halloween are almost here. Before the flag changes on my website for November 1, I thought it’s cool to give you some more Tidbits (News) & Teasers of both the fitness industry at large a quick survey, and, more importantly, a glimpse into my personal
life:
Here’s the recap of my countries so far:
January: Puerto Rico
February: Paris
March: Manila, Philippines
April: LA
May: Crossing to UK on a ship
June: Mykonos
July: Countryside Cottage in the UK
August: Monte Carlo and surrounding areas and islands
September: Capri, Italy, with a road trip through the south of Italy and Pilates in Rome
October: Thailand
In September I
was on the rock that most call Capri and AnaCapri my favorite island in the world. I’d be there instead of Mykonos if it were affordable. I took a house from friends which turned out to be a Villa, and it was amazing to cook simple things from amazing ingredients like basil, tomatoes, arugula from my landlord’s garden, added fresh pasta, and cheese, and had a daily carbohydrate feast.
I made risotto for my Italian friends from church and they all gave me thumbs up, so that was reassuring. We visited a church open only one day per year, had mass, and then had a huge pizza bake in the wood-fired oven outside of its doors. After that, the full moon rose. Friends visited from the USA and Italy.
I did a road trip with my friend Domenico from
Rome to meet his family, which was 20 minutes away from the long-lost Italian family of Bernadette, so Betty came and joined us on the road trip. Her family there speaks no English—and she speaks no Italian—so leaving her there with her family for 2 days was a hoot.
October meant the usual work programming the AFC/Asia Fitness Convention in Thailand. I didn’t present sessions but help run
the event from behind-the-scenes, and it was a joy. I subbed an emergency session and helped run different opening/closing/party ceremonies, but overall it was great to stay on sabbatical. I loved watching my colleagues—who are all so much better than I am anyway—shine and bring education to Asia.
I took a huge flat—5 stories—in Thailand to accommodate all the guests who came to stay
with me…and it was great to have friends from far and near visit. Noel and Kim from Malaysia, Irene from Manila, Yury from Vietnam, and Betty from New Jersey came to join me for the convention and shopping fun. I got used to strong feet massages in the afternoons for a few dollars, and I’ll miss that back in USA.
