Three days of silence. No cell phone, no Blackberry, no email, no computer, no television, no radio, no one to talk to. Nothing but the sound of waves crashing on the shore, a seagull’s cry and the rustle of fallen leaves. Does this sound like heaven, or does it strike fear in your heart just thinking about it? What do you do with all this time and absolutely no distractions? You begin to remember who you really are, why you are here and what your soul’s purpose is in this lifetime. This was my first time on a silent retreat. [...]

I’m driving West on Rt. 44 past beautiful rolling hills in Salisbury and Lakeville on my way to Hudson Valley for a two month stay in Rhinebeck and High Falls. As I cross into New York and head over Winchell Mountain Road to Rt. 199 which will take me into Rhinebeck, my jaw drops as I come to the top of the hill and gaze out over miles of some of the most breathtaking countryside I’ve seen on the east coast. It probably didn’t hurt that the sun was also setting behind the Catskill Mountains creating a stunning skyline as [...]