Returning to the land of smiles...

It was 22 years ago that we were on Phi Phi Island on honeymoon. I can't believe it took that long to come back and enjoy this magical paradise. It sure does look a little different from those days but they have also gone through a lot of changes, growth and rebuilding after the tsunami. Right now the island is thriving with lots of boutiques, tourist shops, restaurants, bars and dive shops. And plenty of tourists!!

We found a lovely little resort to stay in, Phi Phi Villa Resort, with nice comfortable bungalows and a lovely swimming pool as well. The days were sunny and warm with blue skies and gorgeous sunsets too. We spent our days swimming, exploring and relaxing, just what we all needed.

The Thai massages were amazing and you were left feeling so light and relaxed, a perfect combination. We indulged ourselves. And the food - oh, Thai food to die for. We loved it all.

After 10 days on Phi Phi it was time to head back to Bangkok in time to fly back to Dubai. Again in a big city, we decided to spoil ourselves with a really nice hotel, this time the Sheraton Royal Orchid hotel on the river. Beautiful. It was also a wonderful surprise when our friend Joy showed up for a visit. We had last seen each other almost a year ago in Roatan, lounging at our pool side. This time we were lounging pool side in Bangkok. It was great to catch up and find out about all that she has been up to and vice versa. Loved it.

So it was time to leave the land of smiles again. Happy and so glad that we had made the trip to Thailand, what a wonderful way to end our journey. Saying good bye, not knowing when, if ever, we would be back again but grateful for having had the time we had. The kids really enjoyed their time and were a little sad to say goodbye. But as they say, all good things come to an end, and here we were, at the end. A once-in-a-life-time experience, well worth all the effort, all the ups and downs, the good times and the hard times (as you can imagine traveling with a family can be), all so much appreciated. A fantastic learning and growing experience that we will keep with us and remember forever!!

Heading back to Denmark for christmas with the grandparents, the kids are hoping for a white christmas but no snow in the forecast. Oh well, perhaps you just can't have EVERYTHING all the time!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING US ON OUR JOURNEY. IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE THAT I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THE UNIVERSE FOR. Much love, as always, from us xoxox

Incredible India

Aaah, India. Incredible India.
We arrived in Mumbai 2 weeks ago and after the almost 2 hour taxi ride from the airport to our hotel it was late and dark. The kids were not happy with the hotel and even more unhappy after we left our rooms to look for dinner. The dark, busy, dirty streets of Colaba, Mumbai were not very appealing to them. So we decided to head south first thing in the morning, looking for the beach and a more relaxed environment.
We landed in Goa and headed to Palolem Beach (south Goa) where we hoped to find a nice bungalow on the beach. However we ended up in a local family run guest house just back from the beach which, although not the most attractive accommodations, was the most comfortable as it was 3 rooms connected (lots of space), air-conditioned (great for sleeping in the heat), and very cheap.
We settled in to life on the beach in Goa, enjoying the beautiful ocean, playing in the waves, and watching some amazing sun sets. Life in Palolem, as we learned, was very seasonal. All the bungalows and restaurants along the beach were temporary structures, erected at the beginning of each season and dismantled at the end. This makes them very basic, simple structures with not too many comforts, although very cheap and overall very charming.
We are happy to have finally made it to Goa. It was something Henrik and I wanted to do over 20 years ago and altho I am sure it would have been quite different then it is amazing to be here now. It is a very special place.
Alas, life in paradise has it's downside...and when Natasha and Henrik get sick with fever, chills and diarrhea we decide to change our plans. Instead of going further south we decide to head back to Mumbai to the comforts of a 5 star hotel!! From here we decide to change our itinerary and fly to Bangkok, again looking for paradise and returning to Koh Phi Phi, our honeymoon island from 22 years ago.
I am disappointed about not going to Amritapuri (Amma's ashram) but I realize that some of the family members are simply not ready for the ashram and rather than have a bad experience we will keep this adventure for another time. Since we all got to see Amma in Milan I am content about our decision.
I am happy we came to India, to see her, feel her and embrace her, for the short time we could. India holds so much it is impossible to explore it all, it has to be in small doses, bit by bit. The kids feel like they have seen enough and I am just happy to have been here with them.
India remains in my heart a very special place with so much to give and so much to learn from. I take what I can, feeling blessed for it all, knowing that I will return again and again.
With love from India xoxoxox

African delights...

We have just spent the last 4 weeks in South Africa and what an amazing time we had. It was VERY hard to leave it all behind, saying goodbye to family and good friends is always very difficult and this time the kids were not happy to leave...
We had an amazing time in Durban, the beach, water park, unbelievable Aquarium, soccer stadium where Tai did the worlds highest swing, so much fun had by all. We also visited Cape Town and Stellenbosch, wine country. Wonderful, beautiful, so amazing. But the most amazing of all was the Safari. We spent 3 days at Nambiti Falls Lodge and went out on safari every day, up at 5.30 am to see the wild game, and we saw all the BIG 5!! Amazing experience. The bush is undeniably God's most beautiful creation and unquestionably an experience everyone should have. Being in nature like that transforms the soul and brings one closer to knowing oneself. Seeing the animals in their own environment, raw nature, creatures of such majestic beauty, together as God intended, wow, we were all blown away by the experience and it was so much more that we had anticipated.
We also spent 3 days in the Berg, mountain range just outside of Durban. Had a fantastic time with all the family enjoying the nature, again, so close to the wonderful, beautiful and splendid nature, makes one feel so small and realization of our part in all of this hits home. We are all one and we belong together, to live in harmony with nature and everything that God has created. It is all so awesome!
Had such precious time with my family, so many laughs and good memories. My children loved to meet and get to know their cousins and aunts and uncles, so very important to them in their lives right now. It was a fantastic four weeks but again, it went by too fast and felt too short. It is always so good to catch up with friends as well and reconnect, very important in life today. A big thank you to everyone that make our experience so special. Definately the high light of our trip so far.
And now, we are off to India, incredible India, my love, India. Hoping that everyone has a great experience altho knowing it will take time....to adjust, to absorb, to connect...and perhaps, just perhaps, they will be changed by it all. I know I am. xoxoxox

From Wonderland to Bliss...and on

After our short stay at Damanhur we decided to explore more of Italy and headed to Rome on the Eurostar train system. Our plan was to travel for one week before heading back to Milan to spend 3 days with Amma....bliss bliss bliss.
Rome was unbelievable. This ancient city with all it's wonders, St. Peter's Cathedral, Sisteen Chapel, Trevi Fountain, all amazing and beautiful, breathtaking to say the least. We wondered around the streets, amidst the thousand other tourists, soaking in all the history of Rome.
Then it was on to Venice, the romantic floating city of Italy. Wow. This was a wonderful surprise. Such an incredible place, unique and so special. We stayed in a really nice hotel over the water ways and enjoyed gazing out the window at all the activity and action of the passing boats - police boats, cargo boats, ambulance boats, passenger boats, everything floating...we loved it!
After our short but sweet visits to these incredible places it was time to return to Milan for the family to meet Amma. We spent 3 wonderful days in her presence and this was the most wonderful way to give thanks to her for everything we had in our lives, for our opportunity to have these experiences, to travel the world, learning and exploring, and for being able to bask in Amma's light and love, for 3 days, this was true and wonderful bliss.
We met up with our friends, Lorin and Bruce, and sharing this experience with them was another wonderful gift from Amma. On our first day we all had darshan (the hug), amazing. We returned the next day and the next to sing, dance and rejoice in her divine energy, bringing so much joy, peace and happiness to us all. On the last day we arrived at 10 am and left the next morning at 10 am!! What a wonderful experience that we will carry in our heart and soul, always returning to it, to remind us how to love and how to enjoy everything that we have in our lives. Thank you Amma. Jai Jai Jaya. We love you.

On we go...

After another wonderful week spent exploring and enjoying Ibiza it came time to leave. The only compensation was knowing that we will be back....but on we go!
We left for Barcelona, ready to see what this next city had to offer. After checking in we went for a walk along the lively and most entertaining Las Ramblas boulevard. Filled with artists displaying their works, whether it be works of art or drama. It was very interesting to see musicians, magicians with magic crystal balls, ladies painted blue, scary monsters with amazing, out-of-this-world costumes, dancers, and so much more! What a great way to spend a warm evening is Barcelona.
The next day we took another city tour on the open deck bus. We stopped at cathedrals, parks and Gaudi monuments of mosaic art that amaze, dazzle and bring the element of wonderment to the world. Amazing! Europe sure does have a lot to offer in this way. So much that one could spend many months exploring and still not see it all. We take it all in, appreciating what time we have and what we get to experience.
From here we decide to head to Milan. This city surprised us with it's own charm and style. Being the fashion and business capital of Italy we can see how it all fits in. Our luck was it was Fashion Week and altho we did not get to see any shows (tickets being very expensive and probably unavailable) we did get to enjoy the atmosphere created by this most important event in the fashion industry. The city was filled with people, all hotels full, and the streets jammed with beautiful people, all out to savor the experience. We wandered to the cathedral of Duomo, another beautiful Gothic inspired building, and milled around with the thousand others!!
From Milan we were excited to get to Damanhur, the eco-spiritual community located just 20 kms outside of Turino. We took the train and were met upon arrival by our friends. So great to see them in Italy. We managed to jam all of us and our luggage into their car and headed out into the Italian countryside and the start of the Italian Alps. Arriving we were welcomed and taken to our guesthouse where we would spend some days again exploring this magical place. We have much to learn about Damanhur and everything they have created here - the sacred woods where the plants play music to us, the magical Temple of Humankind where the magic of our divinity is expressed.... so much it is hard to express in words, needs time to be absorbed. Will write more about Damanhur after some time processing the magic of this incredible community and their work...
Until then, the light and love of life keeps on shinning and we are happy for all that we are experiencing.
Stay posted. xoxox

From the city of love to the city of life...

From the beautiful city of love, Paris, to Ibiza, the white city of life... the paradise with a very special vibe. We have been here just over a week now and the thought of leaving is not appealing at all... Ibiza seems to be the mecca of all hippies, young, old, rich and poor, and we seem to fit in very well. So... we will enjoy our time here, soaking up everything Ibiza has to offer!

We have been exploring the island, from one beautiful beach to another, we have been to a different beach every day of the week... all beautiful, all welcoming... we have been from the North to the South and to the West, still to explore the East end of this island. The food has been amazing from Mediterrasian to Indian to typical fresh seafood and yummy tapas... we are sure there will always be something new to try, so many restaurants to discover in our culinary exlorations...

Yesterday we met up with old friends from Roatan whom we had not seen in 6 years, since they left Roatan for Ibiza. So fantastic to catch up, see their lovely family, hear their story and enjoy. We spent the day at their old Ibiza finca far out in the countryside (and yet not so far out at all), surrounded by almond and citrus groves, rolling hillsides, peace and quiet... amazing. Spent the day enjoying the lovely fresh air, swimming in their pool to stay cool and refreshed. Wonderful.

Looking very forward to see what treasures we uncover this week, while we look for a house to rent, to relax and enjoy the island, away from the tourists... hoping to get a feel for life on Ibiza.

From this paradise of love, life and all that is good. xxxoooxxx

The journey begins....

The journey begins and I begin to wonder.... will we make it!! It was quite a feat just to get off Roatan so I guess no matter what we do that was a huge accomplishment in itself. The trip to Miami was easy and South Beach is always welcoming. Although when we got to the first hotel I had booked on the internet to see that it was closed for renovations, I began to wonder how this would all work out??? As luck would have it they found us rooms at their other hotel which was quite comfortable. Having faith helps when you travel with a group of 6!!
The flight from Miami to Denmark was without incident and quite pleasant. Arriving in Copenhagen to be met by Henrik's parents was very pleasant. We spent 4 days enjoying Henrik's home town and preparing to begin the trip around Europe.
We flew to Paris to meet our good friend Marila and her two children. We were then off to Disneyland Paris to have some fun... the rides were good, the weather great and the hotel's water park was enjoyed by the kids (especially since the water was heated!). We were extremely exhausted after a day at the park and we battled to wake up early the next day... to head to Paris, the city of love.
What a wonderful day spent at the Eifel Tower, laying on the grass relaxing, basking in the amazement of being there... life is good.
Tomorrow we will take a tour of the city to see all the main attractions and perhaps get some time to relax and enjoy Paris, the cafe's, good food and all that goes with it..... hopefully the sun will continue to shine and the good weather follow us along the way.
Until next time.... au revoir and lots of love...

Life is short...

“This is your life. 
Do what you love, and do it often. 
If you don’t like something, change it. 
If you don’t like your job, quit. 
If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. 
If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; 
they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.
Stop over analyzing, life is simple.
All emotions are beautiful.
When you eat, appreciate every last bite.
Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people,
we are united in our differences.
Ask the next person you see what their passion is,
and share your inspiring dream with them.
Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself.
Some opportunities only come once; seize them.
Life is about the people you meet and
the things you create with them,
so go out and start creating.
Live your dream, and wear your passion.
Life is short.”

Time for...

Well the Graduation is over, what a great time we had! Natasha was valedictorian of her school, such a high achiever. We are so proud of her. Now there is more time for planning our trip, although....

Henrik and I are off to New York to spend one day with Amma.... we are both so excited. Amma makes her US tour every year visiting 10 cities in 7 weeks. To get to spend time with Amma, basking in her grace and unconditional love is an incredible experience, recommended to all.... have a look and see when she will be in your area of the world, she travels constantly, visitng her children all over the globe. We also plan to see her in India at her ashram and perhaps in Europe when she makes her European tour in October.


Amma's life is her message. In other words, Amma does not teach anything that she herself does not practice. Living from moment to moment in a constant state of supreme happiness, Amma warmly embraces thousands of people day after day, wiping their tears, giving them her divine guidance and offering solace to all who come to her. Amma recommends the path of selfless-service through the example of her own life.


Amma says, "The beauty and charm of selfless love and service should not die away from the face of the earth. The world should know that a life of dedication is possible, that a life inspired by love and service to humanity is possible. Amma always points out that the purpose of one's life is to realize who we really are. She says, "By realizing our own Self we become full, with nothing more to gain in life. Life becomes perfect."


To attain this goal, Amma says that no particular path or spiritual practice can be recommended for all. "Just as a doctor gives different dosages or even different medications to patients with the same ailment according to their constitution, so does a Spiritual Master prescribe different methods to different people to reach the same goal. Spirituality is the practical science of life. Apart from taking us to the ultimate goal of Self-realization it also teaches us the nature of the world, and how to understand life and live fully in the best way possible."

 Jai Amma..... Jaya Jaya

In the beginning....

It is now, in the beginning, that the excitement starts to build... we are about to launch into an adventure that has perhaps been the single most prominent dream of ours for a very long time... to travel with the family, exploring the world and everything in it!

Our adventure begins in August where we will set off from our island home of Roatan, headed to Europe for the first leg of our trip. The plan is to spend 3 months in 3 different continents beginning with Europe, then to Africa and on to Asia. It is hard to say if we will accommplish the time constraint (3 months per continent) as we are really hoping to "go with the flow" and take the path as it leads us... but, they say, it is always good to have a plan!! So, this is the plan...

It really is in early stages right now... guide books are out, internet research has begun. The family are gearing up for the big challenge. Teenage girls are leaving behind boyfriends... and school friends too! But the school of life is calling and boy, what an education this is going to be!! No class room can give us this experience and experience leads to wisdom and wisdom leads to freedom... and victory!!

Jaya