Hi Reader,

I just got back from a family trip to Asia, and I want to share a strange and beautiful moment from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

I had been in a total pity party.

I had caught a bad stomach bug on our last day in Hong Kong, which also happened to be my birthday.

I was slowly recovering, but plain rice and bananas felt like a crime in a country with such amazing food.

On our last day, we decided to visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a famous temple about 30 minutes outside the city.

I'm usually a meticulous trip planner, but I was so worn out that I did zero research on this one.

We just hopped in a taxi and showed up.

And there turned out to be a million stairs to reach the top of the temple.

And of course I was wearing my platform sandals. 🤣

But the climb was worth it.

The temple was breathtaking and so incredibly peaceful.

Something in that stillness finally quieted the annoying voice in my head, and I found the peace I'd been needing.

We even received a blessing from a Buddhist monk, including a special one for our daughter.

Then the sky opened up.

Pouring, gushing, thundering rain.

We lingered and watched it for a while, but eventually we had to accept that it wasn't letting up.

So we bought cheap ponchos at the gift shop and headed down.

My husband took charge of getting our daughter down safely. I had just recovered from a badly broken wrist, so I was terrified of falling.

crept down those swatery stone teps in my sandals, praying with every one that I wouldn’t slip.
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Once we finally reached the taxi, thoroughly soaked - I felt only gratitude.

The poet Rilke said:

"Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going.
No feeling is final."

Travel is an adventure, always.

It's not always perfect.

But when we truly live in the moment, we can learn so much from the experience.

Wishing you a beautiful week 🌸

​
Amalia

PS - I did a few (imperfect) YouTube lives from Asia. If you want the full story on my getting sick and dealing with things going wrong on the trip, I made this live from the night market in Chiang Mai (before the visit to the temple).

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P.S. - When you're ready, here's three ways that I can help you feel your best: 1) Reply to this email or click here to set up a free discovery call with me. We'll chat about your wellness goals and I'll tell you how I can help! 2) Grab my Gluten-Free Goodness guide! This is the guide that I wish I had had when I first started eating gluten-free 9 years ago. It’s full of my favorite gluten-free recipes, products, tips & hacks! You can grab it here ​ 3) Subscribe here to my YouTube channel and learn more about my favorite wellness tips and travel adventures. Don't see a video on the topic you're interested in? Reply to this email to request a specific topic for a future video! ​www.yogabyamalia.com​

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