My hosts have returned from Cambodia and Thailand and the house is happy to have them back, as am I. The 3+ weeks I spent here alone with the pets feel like a dream now. Newspapers are being read, homework is being done, bookkeeping is being caught up on, and the countdown for departure is in progress.

The time I've spent here in Bend has allowed me space to explore ideas unfamiliar to me previously. Every morning I sit in silent meditation and clear my head, pondering the nature of things and the path I am on. My past flashes through the mind's eye in brilliant shapes and colors, a kaleidoscope of adventurous memories including people, places, and sensations. Speaking with many friends in the last few weeks I know that I am not alone in my current experience. The past is clear to me, a serendipitous thread of motion and action that has led me to where I am today. The future is unclear however, and the vision which comes so easily to aid in recalling the past fails me when asked to picture what comes out on the event horizon.

In describing the transition periods of my life to others I often envision coming to a point of decision similar to approaching the end of a diving board above unknown depths. There's a period of assessment when I weigh the potential benefits of jumping versus the costs of sticking with the board holding me up. Each and every time, I jump and find myself in a wondrous new paradigm filled with people, delights, and challenges unavailable and unimaginable previously.

And so these days I am again walking down the board of the present, mindful of the risks and rewards that wait at the bottom of the next plunge. As always, it's an exciting time and the anticipation is part of the fun.

I hope everyone out there is doing well and staying positive in this new year. All the best.