On my way...

Saying goodbye was not easy. The boys are all back in Germany now and I am in the US for the next 9 weeks.
I’m glad the actual day of us separating is behind us, it’s something that hangs over you the last coupe of days even though you are together. You know it’s coming and you know it will be sad. So they are off and I am moving to the next part of the journey. Ready to start it all.

After a nice tree hour drive from LA my mother in-law and I arrive at the JW Marriot. It is massive, with ponds and flamingos in the front yard! This is a true American hotel. The lobby is huge and filled with people. This hotel is fully booked right now so it almost feels like you are in a little city when you enter the premises.

It’s Saturday the 25th so we are a day early. It will give us the chance to drive around here a little bit and see what is near the hotel. When we entered the hotel we already saw there is a Ralph’s grocery store opposite the street so that’s great because I’ll be able to walk over there to get the things I need. For all the other trips you’d basically need a car.

There are lots of people here with cars but the hotel charges $10 a day for them to park, witch adds up obviously.

After a good orientation of the area we have a wonderful last meal together, I’m so glad I can share this first impression with someone. We have a wonderful time together and it’s hard for me to see her leave the next day. Now I am really on my own.

When we checked in earlier today I found out my roommate flew in early too so she was already in the room her and I will share for the next 9 weeks. Can’t wait to meet her. It makes me a little nervous. Especially after having seen the rooms. The rooms are small and most of them have two double beds in them with a nightstand in the middle. Then there is a dresser with a huge flat-screen, a mini bar and a table to write at. You could basically hold hands while you sleep in next to each other. It’s a little bit like and Indian Marriage ‘no choice’ as Bikram will tell us many times.

As you might have noticed already I am not connected to the internet in the hotel. Up until now the Bikram organization has not organized a rate for us at the hotel. The Marriot charges $12.95 a day for internet in your room! I’ll probably have internet once a week and drop the updates in my blog that day. It stressed me out to find out I’m so disconnected it was not how I pictured myself here for 9 weeks. It is what it is and I’ll figure out the best way to connect home over then next couple of weeks.

Sunday 26th

So I am in my new room and have officially met my roomy. I feel lucky. Shannan (32) is from Victoria, Canada and has also practiced Bikram for a little over a year. She has a husband and a big dog to miss during our stay here. We click well I am very pleased and relieved. Our room is small but it holds all we brought. Now it’ll be up to us to keep it our little happy place.

Today is registration day and we are having our first meeting/presentation done by Rajahsree (Bikram’s wife) she is stunning and very reassuring. She makes sure everyone feels they are going to be okay. Bikram will arrive at the hotel today and will teach our first class on Monday afternoon. My body is craving a good practice, it’s been five days.

Both my roommate and myself haven’t been sleeping very well here. It’s our second night in the hotel and we keep waking up in the middle of the night not being able to go back to sleep. This has nothing to do with the hotel and all with our new situation. We’re like a teenager going to highschool for the first time, it’s all new, we meet twenty new people per hour and it’s all very stressful because we there are so many loose ends still. It will all come and settle.
The vibe here is very good we are a group of 321 trainees all in the same boat and it feels like a very supportive situation.

Bikram will be here for the first two weeks straight and we all have to present half moon pose on stage in front of him and the whole group. He says it’s his chance to meet all of us and see what we are made off. It’s been fun seeing everyone introduce themselves and blast out the dialog for half moon pose. Most of us have never been in front of 350 people. The funny thing is that those 350 are your lifeline while you are up there. It’s ‘The boss’ who is sitting in his big fluffy chair in the isle that intimidates you.

I’ll give it a day and then I’ll go up there.