Lyn Fuchs's Blog, page 22

Wandering Mystic Meditation From Camino Santiago

Setting off on a trip around the world, I knew one thing I wanted to do was walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I'd heard about the pilgrimage from friends, and it seemed the perfect way to put my journey into perspective. I envisioned an epic Lord-of-the-Rings quest thru amazing natural surroundings. There would be much time to think and maybe even practice the Vipassana meditation I had learned in India, quietly observing the connection between my physical and spiritual sen...

Smooth Getaway Postcard From Coastal Georgia

It must be a sign from the cosmos when you find yourself cutting college classes to cook. That still small voice in your head can often direct you to your destiny, if you listen. Such listening is exactly what chef Dave Snyder did, when he found himself in this situation years ago. A guidance counselor suggested Dave might consider culinary school, since college wasn't his cup of tea. The rest is history.

As head of the successful Halyard’s Restaurant Group on Saint Simon's Island, Dave offers...

The Classic Lust of Anna Karenina

"Sin has a price. You may be sure of that." This comment, which opens the film Anna Karenina, reflects the moral code of author Leo Tolstoy, but only with a hidden twist. Whose sin are we talking about? The lustful wife who cannot control her passion or the prideful husband who cannot control his contempt? Such wisdom that all fall short in the quest to be good and compassionate is much of what makes this sprawling work classic lit.

Long before authors were exiled to the make-believe world of...

Wandering Mystic Meditation From Travel University

Next month, my daughter will be able to buy a drink in a bar with her real driver's license. (Yes Lauren, I did know about that other one.) During her teenage years, Lauren and I would reminisce over cups of coffee every April 16th. We marked another year by talking about our past trips and future travel dreams. Flipping through our photos, Lauren would laugh at her consistently inconsistent hairstyles, while I laughed off my consistently receding hairline.

My youthful adventure...

Should The Hobbit Win An Oscar?

There may be more evidence implying humans are meant to migrate than suggesting people should "settle down and act right." There is our ancient history of summer hunting grounds and winter camps. There is our modern tendency to hit the highway or flock to the beach for spring break or summer vacation. Every time we gleefully blurt out "Road trip!" is a primal confession that the human heart relishes a journey as much as a destination.


Astute observers of nature perceive that the Creator likes...

Wandering Mystic Meditation From South Africa

The beauty of meditation is you can do it anywhere. There is nowhere in particular you need to be. Some people find it's beneficial to create a special space. Perhaps a corner at home, adorned with some sacred objects from a trip abroad or a unique cushion used to sit on during the meditation.

Sitting in this space signals the mind and body that it's time to settle down, relax and take the inward journey. However, to achieve the myriad benefits of meditation, you just have to do it - anywhere....

Academy Award Nominee Zero Dark Thirty

The Oscar should go to Zero Dark Thirty. This film details the long relentless manhunt of a CIA beauty (Jessica Chastain) on the trail of Osama Bin Laden. The tension steadily builds and never lets up. From black site interrogations scattered around the globe and across the years to the black ops assault on a Pakistani compound in the dead of a nail-biting, history-making night, the gravity of this subject matter provides its own weight. There is little need for the kind of suspense gimmicks...

Wandering Mystic Meditation From Frank Slide

When we think of the story of the North American West, we all too often think of the simplistic tales from Hollywood - cowboys and Indians, the white hats versus the black hats. Those films rarely capture the genuine essence of the West. The real deal is an infinitely complex collection of stories passed down through time, comprising one of the great narratives of all time. There are moments in this history that leave us proud, and others that make us ashamed.

The West is an astonishing p...

Primal Wilderness Rambling From The Pacific

Wherever I go, I search for beautiful colors. They jump out at me from everywhere. From forests, vast oceans, infinite open skies and deserts at twilight to local markets full of mysterious fruits, exotic vegetables, aromatic spices and playful people.

Sometimes I search for what I need. The color to calm me down or liven me up, to stimulate my mind or touch my heart. I am writing this for you, hoping to help you find the colors you need.

So, I will begin with the color turquoise, just bec...

Smooth Getaway Postcard From Cinque Terre

I came to Riomaggiore late in my Italian travel life. It was in 2001, during an extended residency in Florence to write my first book Tuscan Echoes: A Season in Italy, that I took a three day trip to the Cinque Terre.

When I stepped off the train from La Spezia and walked through town to the sea, the beauty of this part of Italy completely overwhelmed me. Fishing boats rested on the cobble-stoned streets, narrow lanes enticed with cooling shadows, and always there murmured the sound of the per...