Just a Little Place by the Sea

People have been asking me questions about where I live in KAUST.  Do I live in a girls only dorm?  Are men and women segregated? Does your place have a kitchen or do you have to eat in the community cafeteria?

The answer to all of these is "no." Although, for the students there are girls and boys only dorms that I haven't been inside, but I'm assuming they are nice.  And there is an amazing cafeteria on the campus that I've tried once.  With all the options and various stations by country, it reminded me of the Marche in Toronto.

So where do I live?  I live in a townhouse by myself -- just like I would in the U.S. or Canada -- except this one is a lot bigger than what I'm used to and I have my own garage to put my imaginary car.

And I have a palm tree, which I love.  Any place with a palm tree has got to be great.

If you live here without a family, I think you get this size of townhouse.  Families get bigger ones or detached homes.  They all kind of look similar in style so it's easy to get lost.

Check out these hallways made for giants.

Notice I have my lovely Home Depot bag on the table that I use for my groceries.  They are trying to be plastic bag free at KAUST, so everyone has a reusable bag to do their bit to help the environment.  I might be the only one that arrived with my own.

They also are big into recycling everything, and I read in one of the documents that they will call you out if you're a "baddie" when it comes to sorting your trash.

The living room area.  There's a TV here and one in the bedroom.  There are maybe a dozen English stations -- and they play a lot of "Family Guy", "CSI: Miami and NY" and movies.  The movies range from "Betwitched", "Men in Black", and "Sleeping With the Enemy", to more recent ones like "Running With Scissors."

The kitchen!  So many cabinets, so little dishes.

The dining area.  The table actually had a leaf and two more chairs, but I felt like I was sitting in a boardroom when working there. So I removed the leaf and put the two chairs in my storage room. I didn't bother taking a photo of that -- or the laundry room as you really don't need to see my washer and dryer.

Giant window leading up to the upstairs. I love the giant window. Makes me feel like I'm living in a mansion in Beverly Hills.

Another photo of the giant window from the second flight of stairs.

A partial view of the bedroom. There is also a desk area in the room and the double wardrobe area is in another section with the master bedroom bathroom.  Again, I didn't bother with photos as it's not exciting.

Then there are three mystery doors down the hallway that are locked.  They told me they were the maid's quarters so I don't need access to them -- but I think they are scary.  You just know there's a Stephen King story about them somewhere.

That's about it.  I can't complain about the townhouse at all.  It's clean, more than big enough and the furniture is comfortable.  There's also a back yard that's pretty big too.  I haven't done anything in it yet, so it looks a little desolate.

I live about 3 blocks from the beach area and the gym, which works out perfectly.  The gym also has this amazing cheesecake in their cafe area.  It's a little dangerous, but gives me a reason to go there and workout.

Now if only I could convince Whole Foods to set up a market here (with Saudi - not "imported from the US" - prices). Then it  truly would be paradise.

Where the Heck Are You and What is KAUST?

The canal and the student dorms.

Okay, I’ve been getting lots of questions from all of you so I thought I would answer a few of them.

 I’ve already answered the “Do you have to be covered all the time” question and the  “Can you still text me” question in previous blogs.  So here’s the next question…


WHAT? YOU MOVED AGAIN??

Yup, I’ve moved. This time I’m in Saudi Arabia working at KAUST. KAUST stands for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and it’s a very cool place - in a very hot country.  It's already feeling like Phoenix in May, but with killer humidity because we are on the Red Sea. I feel like we are on an island because of the palm trees and the water, but we're not.

The mosque by the campus.  I find the singing sort of soothing.

We're located about 100 km north of Jeddah (about an hour away) and maybe 20 minutes from a fishing village called Thuwal that I have not been to yet, but some of their people will be here doing  a fresh fish market next Saturday (which sounds like a farmer's market with seafood). There is nothing in between us and Jeddah except 100 km of boring desert.  I'm talking real desert and not the pretty desert in Arizona.  This is desert like the ones you see on TV.  Just sand.

In other words, we are away from the main city and are kind of in our own little world, which is what KAUST is all about.


A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT BY THE SEA

KAUST isn't a compound, but a village. In fact, the word compound has never been mentioned.  There's already a few thousand people living here and it's growing monthly. It's similar to a retirement community like Fountain Hills in Arizona or those ones in Florida that are self-sustained.

But the big difference is that instead of people over 55, it's full of science and techie people from all over the world.



I think of it as the new Eureka (the Syfy channel TV series). In the TV series, Eureka was an experimental make-believe town in Northern California created by the government for scientists and computer experts to do their research and live.

It was basically a man-made utopia.  There was the main work building called GD and then all the stuff around the town to make up the community like the coffee shop, the garage, the school for the scientists’ kids, etc.

It’s a great series that you should watch on Netflix if you haven’t seen it.

The KAUST Beacon. It looks amazing at night.

KAUST is similar and is also a man-made utopia that began 5 years ago -- except instead of being located in California it’s located in Saudi Arabia. AND instead of the village being modeled after a quaint American town, it’s like a giant tropical resort on the ocean. How could you not love that?

The whole project is based on the concept of bringing together students and faculty (and their families) who love science and technology -- and who are open minded and see learning as a global language without cultural boundaries.

The campus is state-of-the-art, and there are two grocery stores, a movie theater, 3 fitness clubs, a golf club, a whole load of restaurants and shops, a hospital, fire department, bank, hair salon, travel agency, and of course, a mosque.

There's also a great beach and opportunities to go on fishing expeditions and diving excursions as we are right beside the Red Sea Coral Reef. They tell me night diving is spectacular.

We have out own bus system to help us get place to place, but people also bicycle and drive.  There is also bus system that brings us to the Jeddah a couple times a day.

Check out the interactive KAUST Map
Check out photos of KAUST

Map of KAUST

A BLEND OF WESTERN AND SAUDI TRADITIONS

As mentioned, there's already a few thousand people living here and it's growing.  They are building new homes now to accommodate more people as they estimate there will be approximately 10,000 people living here in a few years.  The official language of KAUST is English and people have come from China, Canada, US, Australia, Europe, and the Philappines -- just to name a few.  There's definitely a  mishmash of cultures.

But even though we are a hybrid village, we are in Saudi so we try to be respectful to the culture by not wearing short shorts, practicing other religions or eating in front of people during their fasting time (that's just mean).  These aren't big things and you'll find the rest of the place feels pretty normal -- except there is no alcohol or bacon. Although, they do serve this beef bacon that my co-worker says is pretty good.

One of the pools by the beach.

Plus, there are a number of things that we can do in KAUST that you can't do when you go to Jeddah or other Saudi cities such as wear your normal clothes in public, wear a bathing suit at the beach, drive a car as a woman, go to a movie theater (theaters are not allowed in the rest of the country so this is big deal) and shop in the afternoon (Jeddah closes down in the afternoon for prayers and stuff. They reopen at 5 p.m.).

It's actually cool being a part of the experiment while it's still in the growing stages.

Texting and Email: Communicating from Saudi Arabia

People forget that Saudi Arabia is considered a newly industrialized country. It's modern and very tech savvy. So yes, internet works fine and it’s fast.

APPS TO USE TO TEXT (FOR FREE)

Texting also works – but I would have to pay extra for overseas texts….I think. I might be wrong on this, but because I had to pay extra to text from the US to Canada, I'm assuming the same rules would apply for texting from Saudi Arabia to the US.

So I’m currently experimenting with the following FREE ways to text people or send photos to friends:

1) WhatsApp

2) Facebook Messenger

3) Skype IM

4) iMessaging and FaceTime (free if your friends have an iPhone)

All of the above work, but I'm finding with some of them, you end up with some texts from "creepers" who text random women they find on Facebook, etc.  I'm still figuring out the privacy and security features to prevent this.  But can't really complain as they are free.

VOICE CALLS AND MAGIC JACK MAGIC:

Yes, I can call people, but again, it’s expensive so I’m planning to use Skype and Facebook. KAUST interviewed me through Skype and it worked fine. Some people here say they are using Vonage to call home -- so that is another option.

I ended up getting Magic Jack -- which has turned out to be amazing.  Magic Jack gives you a US number and you can call any number in the US and Canada for free from anywhere in the world.  You could access from your computer, but I used the Magic Jack App on my phone so as long as I have Wifi, I can call people whenever.

Email also works including Facebook emails. In other words, I’m not feeling deprived on how to communicate with people. It’s mostly the time change that sucks. I’m 10 hours ahead of Phoenix so when I’m up, my friends and family are sleeping.

The technology is the same as in the US, although my iPhone 4 is completely obsolete here so they are more advanced in some areas and have all the techno gadgets you could want. Once I get an iPhone 5, I’ll buy a sim card (no crazy locked-in contracts here) and I’ll be able to tell you more about the fees for texting overseas – and if it’s still free to iMessage iPhone-to-iPhone (even to people in the US), which will be good news to my fellow iPhone users and my mom who loves her iPad.

I will have a new phone number though as Verizon wouldn’t let me keep it. I'm planning to get my new number next week as I'm learning that Saudi Arabia does everything via cell phone.  In fact, I can't get a mail box or bank account without a mobile phone number as it seems the transactions are all through that.

ACCESS TO ENGLISH TV:

Yes, they have cable TV. My townhouse comes with a complimentary package that has over 300 stations from Asia, Europe and a couple US stations. There is also an additional cable package I can buy that will give me all the US stations. Those that have it say you get the shows one day after they air in the US which is pretty good. I haven’t looked into it yet as I’m not a big TV watcher.

There is also the option to purchase a US IP address for $60 a year that will give me access to US Netflix and other sites. I got PureVPN which has been pretty good.  The only limitations so far is that for some reason I can't watch videos on HULU or ABC.com. I can get Spotify, Pandora CBS, FOX and NBC. So no more Castle for me, but lots of Grimm and Blacklist.

To Wear or Not to Wear the Robe and Veil

Me in my Abaya (and really bad hair)

Before moving to Saudi Arabia, I skyped, emailed and phoned numerous women who had lived at KAUST or were still living there. I wanted to know what it was like to be a woman living in the area – and if I would have to wear the abaya and jihab (the robe and veil). The answer was “yes” and “no.”

On the KAUST campus, which is really a village, I would not have to wear the robe. I could wear my normal western clothes to work, I could wear shorts to work out, and I could wear a bikini to the beach if I wanted to – although they recommended a one-piece or tankini just to respectful to the other cultures also living on the campus. 

However, I'm just going to tell you that I did spend $100 on a boring bathing suit and I never wore it the whole time I lived at KAUST. When I went snorkeling, I  usually wore my bikini bottom with a surfer's rash guard top just because it was so hot and I was afraid of getting sunburned.  

At the campus there were women's only pools and bathing decks where you can wear whatever you want. And even in the family pools, there was a mix of bathing suits.

So when did I have to follow the rules and be covered?  When I left the campus.  So when I went to the city of Jeddah, I would have to wear the abaya (the robe -- which doesn't have to be black by the way). The veil was optional. I didn’t have to wear it, but was handy to have with me just in case. In fact, I only wore the veil if by myself and the only Westerner in the area -- and not because I had too, but because my blonde hair was such a novelty to people that I usually got second looks and people often wanted to take their photo with me. So I covered in an attempt to "blend."

DO YOU NEED AN ABAYA ON THE PLANE?

Clair Sale, who has been my lifesaver for the trip, told me the one thing she wished she had with her on the plane was the robe. So I bought one ….in Phoenix.

It was hard to find because if you’ve been to Phoenix, you don’t see anyone wearing them. I googled Halal meat shops in the city and found Alzohour Market on Yelp. I went there and asked the woman if she knew where to buy abayas in the area. She happened to have a selection.

And yes, I did consider buying on online, but I didn’t know my size and because I’m tall, I was afraid it would be too short.

The woman showed me a bunch of abayas and I was a little shocked at how expensive they were. My budget was $25, but the cheapest they had were $100. I was also surprised how decorative they were. When I checked the online news for Jeddah to see what people wore, they looked like they were wearing plain black ones. The woman assured that I would want one with something on it – and that there were designer abayas and everything. I trusted her and found one with gold sleeves that I actually love. I feel like a judge or high priestess in it.

So now I’m at Heathrow with my fancy abaya stuffed in my knapsack. My plane for Jeddah is arriving in an hour. Do I wear it now? Do I stay western? Do I wait and put it on just before we land?

I looked around the gate and every person there was dressed in the robe. The women were in black and the men in white. There wasn’t one Western person in the group. Hmm…robe it is.

PS. While I suffered the 6 hours wearing the robe and trying to sleep on the red-eye to Jeddah without strangling myself with the veil, it turned out it wasn’t necessary. About an hour before we landed the pilot came on the speaker and said we were entering Saudi air space. He said that they would now stop serving alcohol (crap, should have taken advantage of the free wine until then) and that if we wanted, it was time to put the customary robes for the landing.

Next time I’ll be more relaxed. But I was glad Clair told me to pack it. I did feel less of an outsider with it on.

Simple Pleasures of British Airways

I'm now into hour 2 of my 9 hour red-eye flight from Phoenix to London and I am loving British Airways. Except for the unexpected $95 free for having a second suitcase (only 1 bag is allowed), the service has been fab.

First of all there is free wine with dinner. Yay! Then free dinner. Yay! And it was chicken curry. I love curry and haven’t had any good stuff since leaving Toronto 8 years ago.

Then there’s the tea. I may be Canadian, but I have my Scottish grandmother’s blood and tea is my drink. Normally, plane tea sucks. It tastes like luke-warm microwaved water. This is not the case on British Airways. It’s tastes like real steeped tea. AND they come around with a brewed pot of it like US planes do with coffee. I’m in tea heaven.

Of course, I will be going to the bathroom 20 times during the flight – because all good things must come to an end.

Moving overseas is not Easy-Peasy

My pilot’s name is George Michael. Not THE George Michael, but still I find this amusing.

Finally I am on my way to Saudi and the preparations have been crazy – from the intense medical exam, to the rush of selling everything I own, to the emotional heart break of saying goodbye to my friends, family and boyfriend. Most of these have been supportive with this move, but not everyone -- which has made it even harder.

Let me just say moving overseas is not like moving from Canada to the U.S. or from state-to-state. I’ve done those and it was easy. Moving to another country is a little intense.

First of all, you have to part with everything like your furniture, your car and your apartment. I thought about putting it all in storage, but when doing the math, I figured in a year I would be spending $2000 for storage and then if I came back and didn't find a job in Phoenix, I would have to transport all my stuff to the new city which is usually another $2500.

Is my stuff really worth $5000? Do I really love my sofa and bed so much that I can't get a new one later on? No. Not really.

So now all I own 6 boxes of personal goods like fine China from my mom, a few pieces of art and some clothes. That’s it. I feel really light and uncomplicated now.

Secondly, you have to be prepared to get ripped off – a lot. I detest the Craigslisters who took advantage of me when they offered me only $550 for my practically new $1800 sofa that was still under warranty. And the girl who bought my California King luxury pillow top bed (with the stuffed leather headboard and silk sheets) for $350 and nearly made me cry. I think I may still be paying off the $1,600 that bed cost me. But I was desperate. I had two weeks to sell and no other options.

Then there’s the paperwork, which I am still panicked about. I got my temporary visa okay. It took three months to get all the stuff needed for it and the stamp. I thought I was done. But then I realized I needed a few different papers for my work visa. Yeah…If you are married or divorced and don’t live in the same state (or country) where you did the deed, start working on this 6 weeks out. I’m in week three of am still waiting on the authentication as these documents needed to be signed by the state, the U.S. government and the Saudi Embassy.

Did I mention that I’m already on the plane? Yup, I’m going and I’m waiting on papers – STILL. Yes, I am stressed. Very stressed.

But I see light the end of this whirlwind tunnel and I hope it shines on some peace. In the meantime, I'm going to fasten my seatbelt and listen to what George Michael has to say.

Oh…and in case you are wondering. I have not had time to learn Arabic (I did buy the CDs though). I have not learned how to wrap my veil (hijab) – but I have it in my knapsack. And I have not had time to change all my credit cards to overseas travel. What I am is a massive ball of nerves. Touch me and I may break.

PHOTO MOMENT: Cactus and Fire

One of my favorite things about Arizona during the holidays is the fire pits and cactus decorated with lights.  So romantic.

This is from the Camelback Inn on Lincoln Rd in Scottsdale / Paradise Valley.

Sedona Sweat lodge with the amazing, mystical Rahelio

Photo courtesy of Rahelio's website

When you tell people you are going to a sweat lodge, you generally get two responses. It’s either, “Cool, can I come?” or “You’re nuts. People die in those.” 

I obviously fall into the “Cool, can I come?” category.

My first weekend in Arizona in 2012, I drove to Sedona to check out the mystic vortexes with an Indian Sharma that I found randomly through Google.  His name was Rahelio and I had an amazing time on his tour (see blog post)  - which was completely different than what I expected it to be. If you go, here's a note: you won't need hiking shoes and a big camelback full of water. It's very chill.  (You can read more about Rahelio on his website) .

 It was then I learned he also had a sweat lodge…in his backyard!  How cool is that? You know I had to go back to check it out. It’s taken me a year to get around to it mainly because Phoenix is hot in the summer and the thought of sweating around a fire when it’s already 118 degrees outside seemed really unappealing.  I needed the temperature to cool down a bit. And now that it's December, the time to sweat in a lodge full of strangers has come.

SCHEDULING A SEDONA SWEAT LODGE SESSION

But before I get into the Sedona sweat lodge experience, let me tell you a bit about Rahelio .

He’s earthy. And really laid back. I mean REALLY REALLY laid back to the point where he doesn’t schedule things, but kind of lets them happen.

Here’s what I mean:

"I’m thinking about driving to Sedona and do a sweat lodge session. Do you have one coming up this weekend,” I ask over the phone.

"I don’t have one planned yet, but text me Friday and I’ll see,” he says.

Apparently, spiritual sweat lodges aren’t like city-slicker yoga classes where you know there will be one every Saturday at 9 a.m. They are on a “need to have” basis and happen when they are supposed to happen – like destiny.

I love that Rahelio lives like this. I'm not like this. My friend Cristina calls me the Type A Hippie, which makes sense. I may not have concrete plans, but I do HAVE plans.  With Radelio, you have to accept that the not knowing when the sweat lodge will happen is part of the whole spiritual experience.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

Following the instructions, I text Radelio on Friday and hear nothing. I'm assume it's not happening and figure I will have to try the next weekend instead.

Then on Sunday night I get a text saying he’s going to have one on Monday. Can I come? Sadly, I work so skipping out the last minute to drive to Sedona to do a sweat lodge probably wouldn't go over well with my boss.

I text again the following Friday to see if he’s having one Saturday. He’s not, but maybe Sunday? Yay!! Sunday it is. I’m set.

And it turns out Sunday also works out for two of my friends. After listening to my on-going quest to do this thing for the last week, they too have decided it's time to meet their sweat lodge destiny. 

Triple yay!! I won't sweat...or die alone - depending on your sweat lodge perspective.

I was actually impressed my friends were willing to do this last minute because I knew nothing about what would happen or what to expect. In fact all I knew was that it was on Sunday at 4 p.m. and that it could be 2 hours – or longer. 

Rahelio also told me to bring towels. 

Did I know how many people would be there? No. Did I know anything about the lodge itself? No. Was it safe? Hopefully.

Yup… I was going in blind and dragging my two friends with me.


YOU DON'T KNOW SWEAT UNTIL YOU'VE SWEAT IN A LODGE

We arrived at 4:15 pm at Rahelio’s house in Sedona.

As we walked up the driveway, we were still unsure of how it worked and we were surprised at how many people were there. Thirteen people had shown up (we made 16) and many of them were first timers like us.

But the turnout wasn’t the only surprise. Rahelio’s backyard was also amazing. It looks like poop in the photo below, so you'll have to take my word that it was actually nice in real-life.

The sweat lodge was to the far left, but the right of it, he had created a prayer circle filled with comfy chairs, a futon, mats, statues, and crystals for people to mediate beforehand. He also had incense burning to put you in a tranquil mood. 

After we had changed into shorts, he had everyone enter the circular lodge single file and clockwise. We then waited in silence for it to begin.

It was fantastic…and hotter than you think it would be. But at the same time it was cleansing as the steam created from the water on the fire rained down on you. 

It was also relaxing and freeing. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about chanting and sweating with 13 strangers, but because it’s dark in the tent and Rahelio has a way of making everyone feel comfortable, it was fine. 

The place also smelled great.  He would through different herbs and plants on the fire like sage and cedar.  You inhaled this while trying to stay focused on the chanting, and when you left the lodge, your skin smelled like the plants as their scent mixed with your sweat through the humid air.

After about two hours, we emerged from the tent dripping wet. The sun had gone down and the Sedona sky was filled with crystal clear stars. Everyone (except us because we didn’t know) had brought food for a post-sweat lodge pot luck which was perfect.

Who would have thought chanting and sweating would work up your appetite?

FINAL NOTE:

Had to share this last bit. I wrote this blog entry during a plane ride from Phoenix to Calgary. After finishing it, I opened up the UP Magazine in the plane's seat pocket....and what did I see? An article on 4 ways to Explore Sedona featuring Rahelio!!! So unexpected and wonderful.

#NotJustAnyTequila: Giant girls, green glowing hoops -- and Black Barrel Tequila

Last night I dropped in on "The Bartender Oasis" on behalf of Hornitos® Tequila.  The event was pitched to me as an “unforgettable private event.” And they weren’t lying. It was fun, trendy and classy – and a little bit wild all at once.

MORE PHOTOS FROM HORNITOS BARTENDER OASIS

But what else would you expect from a tequila event that wasn’t promoting their everyday stuff – but an exclusive look at their premium Black Barrel brand? 

The tasting was so exclusive that the tequila won’t even be available until March 2014.  But believe me...the tequila will be worth the wait.  It went down so smooth that you won't want to waste it by hiding it in sugary margaritas -- unless  you really, really want to impress your guests.  

But the tequila wasn't the only thing memorable that night.  The event was held in downtown Scottsdale at El Hefe, where guests were greeted with green glasses, green glowing flowers and a super elegant giant green girl. 

She must have been over 8-feet tall on her stilts. 

Faces were painted in Dia de Los Muertos style, which I absolutely love – and I wanted to get it done if there wasn’t already a line. Next time for sure. 

Then there was the hulu hoop girl. 

Naturally, she was dressed in green and her hoop was glowing – because why not?  If you’re going to be a hoop dancer, glowing stuff is always good.  And  I have to admit she was pretty mesmerizing with her dance moves.

So why all the green?  It might have been because Halloween is coming and lime green seems to be in this year, or it might have been that in addition to the Hornito's Black Barrel Tequila, they were giving out shots of their Lime Tequila.  I'm going to be honest and say that I liked the Black Barrel Tequila better -- but that's just me.   

Maybe I'm a purest when it comes to my tequila and like lime free as there were certainly many others at the event who loved the stuff.  But that's part of the fun of Hornitos.  There's something for everyone.

Working out never felt so good with PUSHunderground

I love meeting people who are going after their dreams and that's exactly what Chelsea Good, Logan Williams and Meaghan are doing with their new sportswear line.

Their clothing line not only looks and feels great, but it's good for the environment. This is because the fabric is made out of recycled plastic bottles --- which is what got my attention. Clothes from water bottles? Cool!

“The plastic bottles are smashed and shedded and made into the material. It’s highly wickable and it doesn’t show sweat,” said Chelsea. “The shorts and tops feel so light it’s like you aren’t wearing anything at all.”



Their company is called PUSHunderground and their goal is to make the world and workout clothes better. But how they got into this venture is interesting.

“I was a high school history teacher and was passionate about sports,” said Chelsea. “I also come from a family of seamstresses.”

Logan has worked in the fitness industry for over 8 years, and has watched hundreds of people in the gym fight with their clothes during their workout.

"I was a personal trainer and nutritionist. I would see people pulling on their shorts or tugging at their tops during a workout and thought there must be a better way," said Logan.

The two women asked athletes, yoga enthusiasts and everyday gym goers where they needed their clothes to move and where they needed them to stay put. Then they made them based on their recommendations.

Shorts that aren't going to ride up? I can't wait to put them through one of my training sessions and see if they pass the test!

SPORTSWEAR WITH A PURPOSE

Now here's the really cool bit of their venture...

The clothing line is only one part of Chelsea, Meaghan and Logan’s goal. They said they didn’t want to make just another pair of shorts or another top, but wanted to come up with a way to make a difference in the world. 

You would think having the material made out of recycled water bottles would be enough, but it’s not. They want to do even more.

“We want to take on the crisis of clean, safe water,” said Chelsea.

That's one lofty goal!

Every time someone buys something from PUSHunderground, they are going to donate a portion of the proceeds to building wells in water scarce communities around the world. How nice is that?

A DOLLAR MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Of course, starting a business is expensive which is why the women have set up an Indiegogo account to raise the $10,000 they need to make their dream a reality. In less than 24 hours, they’ve already raised close to $1,000 so they just need $9,000 more.

But the cool thing is that if you give $9 or more, you’ll get a something from their sportswear line so it’s not like you are getting nothing for your money -- which I like because I don't really have money to throw away, but I could be tempted to contribute $35 for a new pair of workout shorts -- although I do kind of like their Flower Power socks...decisions, decisions.

So here's a quick breakdown:

• $9 will get you a headband
• $15 a pair of funky flower power socks
• $18 for a t-shirt
• $35 for workout shorts…and so on.

Check out the PUSHunderground Indiegogo page for details.

MOG100: One of the Toughest Ultras in America

Once you run a half marathon, you set your sights on a full marathon. And once you conquer that, then it’s time to think about an Ultra run – at least that’s how my mind works.

However, there’s a big difference between running 26 miles and 100 miles and even I know I’m not ready for a run that intense.  But I was ready to help mark the trail of theMogollon Monster 100 (MOG100) – or so I thought.

THE MOG100 IS ONE TOUGH ULTRA

The Mogollon Monster 100 is a crazy, rugged trail race located outside the town of Pine, Arizona.  But here's the thing, the "100" is really a lie because the race is 106 miles – approximately.  And if you've ever run any long race, you know those last few miles are the ones that kill you.

“We couldn’t physically use a tracker on the trail,” said Jeremy Dougherty, one of the race creators. "It was just too rocky and uneven to get it exact but we did the best we could."

The race climbs the Mogollon Rim and Jeremy says runners can expect to climb 23,000 feet along the way.  And the course is extremely technical and not for ultra newbies (like me).

The terrain is rough and ranges from steep climbs, rocky areas, streams and knee deep grass.  It’s not like you’ll be running on a smooth dirt path. This trail is hardcore.

Jeremy and a couple of buddies came up with the race one day while hiking.  It uses 35 miles of the Zane Grey Ultra route and then a bunch of other trails to make up the full 106 miles. 

And it's tough. In fact, Jeremy thinks it might be one of the hardest ultras in America -- it maybe even the hardest.

“Last year we had 32 people sign up and only 9 finished the race,” Jeremy said. “We’ve got 50 signed up this year. We had over 60 at one time, but a few people have backed out.”

Yup, it’s that difficult. So naturally I had to volunteer to help out.

PARTICIPATING IN AN ULTRA WITHOUT DOING AN ULTRA

I found out about the race on Facebook through a post. A fellow runner was looking for a pacer for the MOG100.

With a name like Mogollon Monster how could I resist not googling this beast of a race?  I checked out the description and the photos, and immediately fell in love with the course.  It’s gorgeous. Lots of trees, great views and the thought of running under a moonlit sky sounded fantastic.

Luckily I had plans already that weekend so couldn't sign up. I'm saying "luckily", because now that I know more about the race, I think I would have died if I actually attempted to complete even 50 miles.  Instead, I volunteered to run and mark a part of the Highland Trail the week before the race – which if you’re an "Ultra Race" novice like me is the perfect way to check out the course and be a part of the event without having to run the whole thing.

I had to admit, I was pretty impressed with Jeremy and his team for putting this race together.  It's not like he does this for a living.  He's a manager at one of the resorts in Phoenix, has a 14 month old son and squeezed in this planning in his free time.

"I had to pick this weekend because this area is famous elk hunting trips. I had to make sure there wouldn't be any hunters in the area while my runners were out there," Jeremy said.

Um, yeah... elk hunters and runners. Probably not a good combination.

Then there's all that stuff you don't think about when running a race, like getting the porta-potties up in the middle of nowhere, aid stations, accommodations for the runners and their families and friends, and what to do if a runner doesn't show up at an aid station when expected.

"Cell phone reception is sketchy on most of the route and so is GPS.  If a runner doesn't show up when expected, then we have to wonder if he's lost or hurt or just resting somewhere along the way," Jeremy said.

I looked around the dense woods and the steep hills.  Yup,  making sure we clearly marked the trail was super important as I would hate to be a lost runner -- and I would really hate to be the poor person who would have to go out and try to find them in the vast area, especially at night.

HOW HARD CAN MARKING A TRAIL BE?

I arrived at the Trailhead outside of Pine around 7:15 a.m. (45 minutes late as I got lost).  As I pulled in, I saw Jeremy and Justin getting ready to hit the trail.  

Justin was going to attempt to clear a path by lopping off branches and the brush.  Jeremy and I were going to run/hike the trail and mark the route with ribbon as we went. He took the yellow tape and I had the red "oops, don't run here" ribbons.

It sounds simple until you realize I haven’t actually ever run 20 miles of trail as I’m mostly a road runner.  While I run 15 to 18 miles each Saturday for fun (on roads), I’ve only run 8 to 10 miles on trails – and none of them were as rugged as this route.  

It took nearly 7 hours for us to complete the trail marking and I was glad to see my car at the end.  I was out of water, I was bleeding (a pebble in my sock had rubbed the skin off my heel), and my legs had scrapes and bruises from the branches. 

I hurt. And I smelled like...well, like someone who was running around in a hot, dusty forest all day. 

Just 20 miles of the Mogollon Monster kicked my butt and I have the biggest respect for the 50 runners who will be attempting to complete the entire 106 miles this weekend.  Good luck!!!!  And maybe I'll be ready to run it with you in another few years.

Burning Man: I never expected the Temple

The Temple - Burning Man 2013

Nobody warned me about the Temple at Burning Man.  My friend led me there on Saturday as he had a duty to fulfill.  The mother of a friend had passed away the week before and he promised to leave a message for her there.

He told me this in advance, but it didn’t prepare me for the power of the temple. 

We rode up in the heat of the afternoon passing through the now normal dust storms along the way.  I had my arms draped with yoga bracelets from Silver and Sage (one of my friend's friends made them)  with the plan of handing some out along the way – but that didn’t happen.

This is because this area is sacred…and a place unique to the rest of Black Rock City.

When passing through the camps lining the streets of the playa, you always hear some sort of music, conversation, laughter or a call-out for free drinks, free pasta, free massages or whatever people happen to feel like doing at the moment.

When you walk through the boarded fence marking the perimeter of the Temple, that all ends. The vibe changes. It's somber. It's sad. It's different.

The wooden fence outlining the Temple's perimeter

The first thing I noticed was the silence…and then the tears.

The dub-step beats you hear in the background in other parts of  Burning Man didn’t reach the Temple.  Here you heard the wind and sometimes that wind would trigger the gongs within the Temple to echo within its structure. But that was all you heard.

No one spoke. No one made eye contact.

It was a place to be alone with your own sorrow, hurt and demons in the midst of hundreds of other souls wandering around and doing the same thing.  You're lost and invisible in your pain amongst the crowd.

The Temple itself was a plain wooden pyramid that they would burn on Sunday night. But while it looked like nothing special, it was the most powerful structure on the property because it was filled with  a combination of human suffering and peace.

As you walked around and weaved your way through the sections, messages written in marker on the wooden beams lined your path.  The messages were simple -  but their honesty was raw.

Messages left on the Temple

While walking I read things like:

- "Sarah, please forgive me. I’m so sorry.”

- "1979 -2012 – He was taken from us too soon.”

- "I am beautiful…and one day I may actually believe it.”

- "Tara, I love you. I wish I would have told you.”

- "Please…give me another chance. Derek.”
- "It's been a year, and I still miss you."

There were also photos of friends undergoing cancer treatment,  those who had recently passed and shrines to friends and families.

The temple was truly an unexpected spiritual place in this vast place of dust, crazy outfits and happy go-lucky cyclists.  And I could see how when it burned on Sunday night how the experience could help release the emotions trapped inside the people there.

It was amazing.