à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Gratitude
The Perils of Travel (and Food) Snobbery
Comparison is the thief of joy. – Theodore Roosevelt As a fairly well-traveled person with an educated palate, I once took pride in having sampled authentic cuisine in dozens of places around the world. Too much pride, at times. Having tasted what I thought was “the best” or “the truest”, I couldn’t comprehend how many Americans enjoyed meals that … Continue reading
Road Trip: My American Camino (Part I)
Before setting off on my last minute road trip, the voices of fear gave me a lot of flak for not having planned it in advance, or “enough” in advance. Still, days into my trip, demons continued to berate me (“What the hell are you doing?!” they asked), anxiety held me in its death grip, and I was … Continue reading
Spiritual Practice at Trader Joe’s
Whether you love, hate or are indifferent to Trader Joe’s, its model is distinct. According to TJ’s website, the business cuts costs by “putting innovative, hard-to-find, great-tasting foods in the Trader Joe’s name.” Although I purchase the bulk of my groceries elsewhere, I pop into their Boulder, CO store occasionally. I’ve discovered that their house … Continue reading
Silent Retreat: A Sedentary Camino
“The longest journey you will make in your life is from your head to your heart” – Sioux legend In December, friends offered to host a four day, mostly silent meditation retreat at their mountain home. For a modest fee, they’d provide lunch, snacks and facilitation; we could bring breakfast and dinner if we chose … Continue reading
The Vagina Monologues and My Narrow Escape from the Age Silo
A few weeks ago I saw an announcement about auditions for “The Vagina Monologues” to be staged at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Anyone with a vagina was welcome to try out. My normally still, small voice within shouted “Yes!”. My heart pounded, so I knew I was on the right track even if I … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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