When I went to California this month for vacation, I stayed with one of my best friends, in a light filled room isolated on one end of her parents' house. As her parents left for work, they turned on the fountain on the patio. So every morning, I woke up to the soothing sound of trickling water.
In the beginning, I was on EST, and I woke up at dawn, when the house was quiet and still. The tall, mossy trees and bright smell of flowers was so enchanting, I wandered outside and sat to meditate near the fountain. Another positive was that my best friend's dad is really into making cappuccinos and lattes, so he willingly concocted these on most mornings. I felt like I was staying at a hotel, but it was just a really cool house, designed in the indoor/outdoor spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright and Paul Rudolph.
