Blogs

The beauty of Nevada

Another full day, today roughly 7 hours on the road with many stops along the way being in awe of my surroundings. Not to many others on the road, just me and the critters, no music, just alone with my thoughts.

The day started with a diner American breakfast which was rather tasty … Mel’s Diner, worth a stop for anyone passing through Beatty. I was joined by Simone and her adorable 5 month old daughter, Eveangeline.

With the goodbyes and hugs, with a promise to keep in touch, it was time to hit the road.

Words definitely cannot describe the beauty of my travels so here are just some pics of what I captured along the way.

Here, some ruins in the middle of nowhere. I stopped to understand what on earth was here at this place, a long way from anywhere. This is Palametto, it took a couple of go’s to get it up and running in early 1900s, but there is very little of anything to keep it going so the town died a natural death!

Crossing the border, and soon realised a few miles down the road, after a wee tiny town in the boonies, that I was back in Nevada. The next border I crossed, it was manned where I had to stop, first time and of course I stopped on the wrong lane. I was asked of I was allergic to bees which I thought a little odd, only to find out that there were bees everywhere. It was a truck transporting bees, and there were a ton of them that had hitched a ride. Bazaar to say the least.

The views stunning

A tank with the words “we miss you already” which at the time we I was talking with my CSC Family and thought it fitting.

On the way to Lee Vinings via Benton. A gasoline stop with the slowest filling pump ever. And the steak sandwich took forever, so this is slow town!

Lost in thought, I started to imagine how it would have been without cars, just cowboys and Indians, the Calvary, how long it would have taken them to get around with the landscape at times beautiful, but I can imagine harsh in Winter and Summer times. Kind of hard to imagine when I’m traveling around 130km an hour, on very good roads, well maintained considering there is not a lot around except space.

Dinner tonight with my hosts from the AirB&B place that I am staying at tonight, ready for my adventures of Yosemite National Park. I decided on Mammoth Tavern, and bumped into Kristen and Cliff. They very kindly shared a Salmon Potato Skin (bloody beautiful), I ordered the Shepherds Pie being something that wasn’t bread, finished off with a couple of mouthfuls of Pumpkin Cheesecake, deliciousness!

Highly recommend Kristen and Cliff’s B&B place if you are ever in the Mammoth Lakes area. A very cosy, clean, funky place, and Kristen and Cliff make sure that you are all comfortable!

Thanks Kristen and Cliff for making my stay a pleasant one in this part of the world! Keep in touch!

That’s all from Me today. Tomorrow Yosemite National Park and back into San Francisco.

Songs are so fitting

I had started this blog a few hours ago, I thought yes, a great day, but who knew a great day ended up being an extraordinary one! So read up …

This morning was the day to farewell Sedona. As I stop and pause where it all began before I knew what I was driving into, I say a few words ..

The sun shines a little smile as it lights up Bell Rock in the distance as if to say goodbye, and then the skies open up and rains as I leave.

As I drive up Hwy 179, a few minutes up the road, Universe has this song for me “Its magic .. you know … never believe its not so! Certainly is!

I drive North West, with no clue where I will end up tonight. I put in San Francisco with 2 stops … Death Valley Inn and Yosemite National Park, but then removed Death Valley (remember this for later) .. The highway is open to scenery of desert and plains. Music is sparingly playing with little to no service, left to my own thoughts. I observe the many RVs and Campers on many desolate properties, and wonder what the attraction is to live so far from anywhere, plant life spare, Joshua Trees surviving in the crazy desert.

I drive past the Hoover Dam and decide to take a break and needed to walk. First, the view of Lake Mead .. nothing like I have seen before, a beautiful sight to take in. Lake Mead irrigates more than 1 million hectares across US and Mexico. With the Hoover Dam built back in 1930, finished in 1935 and was declared the highest Dan in the world, it helped to navigate water that created Lake Mead.

Next was the drive over the Hoover Dam, finding the furthest parking to walk down and take in the sheer size of the Dam. It’s been 3 years since I was last here with my family. The dam used to be known as the Boulder Dam being not far from Boulder City, but renamed in 1947 to Hoover Dam.

With walking done, it was time to hit the road again. I hit the craziness of the Las Vegas traffic which I expertly got through, got out the other side to even more desert, this time miles and miles of nothing except the haze in front of me and my thoughts again. It was actually quite comforting being in open space, feeling quite relaxed, giving time to reflect, time to think nothing at all but to look at the landscape before me.

I stopped for gasoline, was looking across the street and there it was The Alien Center and the biggest firecracker in the world. I could not help myself. After chatting with the lady who served me, asking what it was all about, she advised that behind those mountains (she points) is Area 51 … who knows what goes on behind there in that area she says, but only President Trump is allowed there. The Center has a lot of Area 51 alien paraphernalia. So after finding out where she thinks is a good place to stay, telling me not to speed as it is a speedtrap, I went on my merry way.

You got it, I had to check out this Alien Center … well it definitely had a lot of tourist teeshirts and mugs, shot glasses. Even a cute soft toy where the eyes lit up.

Getting that out of my system, I got on the road, alone again with my thoughts, this time wondering what might be behind those spectacular mountainous views.

Tonight’s abode is Death Valley Inn. Now remember, at the beginning of my blog I spoke of removing Death Valley as a stop, but Universe had other ideas!

I arrived around 5.30pm, got my room key but decided to go have a bite to eat in downtown Beatty. It was here that my blog was done, or so I thought!

I get back to the Death Valley Inn, get to my room, and would you know my key doesn’t work. So back to Reception. All apologies, a re-set and I go back. Again doesn’t work, after the third time I soon switched on and realise there is a reason. Well the next couple of minutes soon turned into a couple of hours where I met the lovely Simone. We spoke about all sorts of topics ranging from the history of Mona Belle, the Inn when it was known as Burro Inn, Beatty and Rhyolite amongst a few things. She spoke of her beloved Grandfather and her family and offered to sing something that she sung with him. Simone has an amazing strong voice and I can see her going places. See below the video link I recorded of her singing

Simone singing Diamonds in the Sky … the acoustics in the old inn are amazing when she begins to bellow out the song!

Thank you Universe for connecting me to another beautiful soul. A wonderful end to the day! WOW …

Snoopy, Chicken Point and a Submarine

Another full day of adventure, hard to believe you can fit in so much in one day!

After getting the low down from the locals again, I was set for the day.

First up, Chapel in the Rocks. Apart from the beauty all around, walking into the chapel took my breath away. The energy amazing. I took some to meditate and send healing out. As I sat, a tear rolled down my cheek. I acknowledged the tear or 2, acknowledged the feeling of gratitude.

Next … a pink jeep tour up the Broken Arrow trail to see the sights of the Chicken Point, Submarine and Snoopy. Mind blowing scenery …

So having time to kill after all that spectacularness, what was a girl to do I wonder. A drive up to Jerome with “You ain’t seen nothing yet” bellowing out from the radio. Really I ask … I get up over 5,000 feet above sea level and the views magic. I also wondered why, a place so high up, not a lot around. It is a ghost town of sorts, discovered in late 1800s for its mining.

The day was finished off with my second Sweat Lodge Ceremony which I came away feeling bloody fantastic.

So yes, how much can a girl fit into one day .. a lot so it seems!

A piece of my heart will always remember this very special place, the people and the energy like no other. Sedona is Ulluru on steroids, today I was told by our Pink Jeep guide that Zion in Utah is Sedona on steroids. The mind boggles. You never know, maybe Universe will help me to get there one day!

Edith, Hans and Rahelio

A mystic place is how I would sum up Sedona!

Talking to locals is the best way to get a low down on the places to check out.

One of the kitchen staff told me about Route 89A … check out the Indian Markets made by the local tribes and the cost much lower, oh and there is a stop at a bridge you should stop at.

So off I go exploring. And true to form, I found the local markets and bridge.

Meet Edith, a beautiful soul. I spent time chatting with Edith for ages talking about crystals.

My new ride … definitely wouldn’t mind one of these, you do not need a motorbike license! A slingshot. Sweet ride!

Meet Hans … another spoilt pooch that loves traveling with his human parents … he loves the slingshot. When he sees new humans, he gets up on his back legs and waves to get attention so that he gets pats. Soooo cute!

Next stop, the bridge for some more spectacular views and the sound of the river flowing below me.

Then the fatal mistake, stopping in the town … I was in crystal heaven, blissed out with music on the xylophones available to play on the street known as the Free Notes Harmony Park. Have to see if we can implement this somewhere in Sydney, sounds incredible. Had a giggle at the Husband Day Care … thought that was a great idea and should probably be implemented the world over!

This afternoon, meet up with Rahelio. He took a group of us to a couple of local spots to learn all about love and gratitude, the Stupa, the medicine wheel. Rahelio was instrumental in building the medicine wheel and is very proud of it. He began to share the stories and purpose of the medicine wheel, which were so interesting.

and he did a healing using the medicine drum, flute and rattle. He sang, he sang some more! It was certainly beautiful to be on the other side and receiving the healing.

It was certainly a memorable afternoon as it finished with a beautiful sunset that was certainly magical!

“The Best Hike Ever”

This was a quote I overheard a young boy telling his Mum. Not wrong mate!

Today was spent exploring Sedona, a stunning spectacular place that is always changing.

Another big day of walking, with 16K+ steps, 11.43 kms, 30 floors climbed. Another evening I have crawled into bed, oils on the muscles with the body simply aching but will be rested for another day ahead!

This morning I spent exploring Bell Rock on both sides.

The Bell Rock Pathway may be the most popular trail and one of the easiest of all the walk-ways and hikes in the Sedona area. Bell Rock, so named because the shape resembles that of a large bell, stands adjacent to Courthouse Butte and both, typically in tandem, are frequently the object of photographers and artists, and I can see why as the sun dances away on the cliffs, the clouds providing for some interesting fotos. The location also enjoys significant popularity as one of Sedona’s vortex sites.

Some pics from my first walk

Meet this little fella … a scorpion

Spectacular colour of nature

Some balance in your day!

The sun dances all around us

Walking up to Cathedral Rock, another vortex site!

Cathedral Rock

Yeah!

Tonight I participated in a Sweat Lodge Ceremonywith Rahelio and 8 complete strangers. A powerful ceremony full of tradition and culture, an opportunity to give thanks!

Because my eyes are having problems staying open, I’m calling it a night!

So in love …

Today was a topsy turvy journey to Sedona, leaving Buttonwillow CA. With around 9 hours of driving to do, it was an early start with waffles, using the motel’s basic amenities which included unhealthy and very unhealthy. Served by Misty and breakfast sitting with a gentleman who grew up in El Salvador and now lives in Sacramento doing seasonal work in Buttonwillow. A couple of reminders of a couple my nearest and dearest back in Australia. I should have known then I was in for an extra magical journey!

The day started out beautiful, the scenery magnificent as it changed every couple of hours.

From the Golden Hills, to a landscape of windmills for absolute miles, to seeing a Deer, to solar farms …

To some quirky sights and stops along the way, and yes I resisted not buying crystals! Meet Mouch, a 7 year old who was absolutely gorgeous, big grin on his face enjoying a bike ride with his human companion!

Side tracked on Route 66

… to a change in weather … rain and rainbows, to snow on the hills.

By the time I got to 7000 feet above sea level this afternoon, there was evidence of snow and a temperature drop from 82F to 34F (which is 1 degree Celsius in our language) … bloody cold

I had a giggle as I listened to the radio, flicking from station to station, to silence. As I got closer to Sedona, all I was able to get was country music. The following words rang out …

Give me some kind of a sign girl .. and there were the rainbows!

I was literally 4000-7000+ feet up and I hear this song not once, but twice … This is it .. this is now.. on top of the world together. This is what i was talking about.

Scott McCreery Lyrics
Way up in the mountains, four thousand feet high
There’s a trail through the trees to a cliff where Carolina meets the sky
Oh, and there’s a view I just can’t describe
No, I’m not there yet, just a few more steps, baby wait
Okay, you can open your eyes
This is it, this is now, this is what I’ve been talking about
Looking out, can’t you see forever?
Take my hand, just take it in
This is a moment we won’t forget
On top of the world, here, together

I arrived just before the hotel, got out of the car and it was an instant love and feeling of peace. Words do not do it justice how it felt! A couple of snaps before it got dark … followed by a yummy meal by a chef, not a cook, so I was told, at Corner Table.

Looking forward to what the day brings tomorrow … stay tuned!

First stop is Bakersfield

Started the day with breakfast with some of the CSC Family as we had our last meal together. Some had already left, but those of us still around had a 8am breakfast appointment, and guess who was on time on this one occasion with the rest of us running a little late, but Valentin whom sent us a foto of him sitting with all his friends as per below … Not … LOL. But soon he was joined by those of us left to say cherrio which was great. Others had already left very early.

So with some last minute hugs to everyone and a selfie with Benedicte and Stella, Lung’s wife, it was time to head out. No time for tears as the shuttle awaited, which was a good thing, but there was time for one more hug from Benedicte!

Ricardo and I were on the shuttle, took 3 go’s at the perfect selfie to send to the group to say goodbye. We had been in the shuttle picking up people for about half an hour, and soon realised that we passed our hotel for one last time, like the place wanted to say goodbye one last time.

Finally on the road … just me and the magic of Sedona as it awaits my arrival. It was a tough drive being tired so I decided to not push it but did get to the outskirts of Bakersfield which took me a few hours to get to with a few stops along the way! With a mix of Spanish and English music, singing and bopping along, I enjoyed the view of openness landscape.

My chariot for the next 10 days!

Getting out of San Francisco saw the longest bridge and road ever that I have traveled on with the sea on both sides as I headed out of San Francisco, called the The San Mateo–Hayward Bridge. It is the longest bridge in California and the 25th longest in the world by length.

From the Golden hills due to California also being in drought, to miles of orchard trees on one side, grapes the other, to hills on one side of the road, to the flat plains on the other side.

Bakersfield is a city and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. With a population of approximately 380,000, making it the ninth-most populous city in California and the 52nd-most populous city in the nation. The city is a significant hub for both agriculture and oil production. Kern County is the most productive oil-producing county, and the fourth most productive agricultural county (by value) in the United States. Industries include natural gas and other energy extraction, aerospace, mining, petroleum refining, manufacturing, distribution, food processing, and corporate regional offices. The city is also the birthplace of the country music genre known as the Bakersfield sound.

Where you see the car icon on the map, shows the distance traveled so far, and how far I have tomorrow. Hence the early night!

As I sit by the pool watching the sun go down I reflect about the morning, the drive, and the posts throughout the day of my CSC Family as they all disperse wondering how they all are, the bed awaiting for my head to rest for an early night to get an early start tomorrow to Sedona.

Career Prep Day

Well it was a day to end all days, being our last ever day with UWBA, last dinner with my fellow CSCers as we all depart tomorrow. So as you can imagine, a roller coaster of emotions, mainly good ones, with the odd private tear as I bid farewell to people that were up until either 4 months ago, or even 1 month ago, complete strangers. But for some reason, Universe brought us all together to have one hell of an experience together.

First up .. at brekkie this morning some of us got up to say thank you to the Breakfast Crew. Thanks to the Holiday Inn for looking after us for so long.  It was a pleasant experience, and everyone so kind and friendly!  I am going to miss my poached eggs!

Today was Career Prep Day, so our last gig to finish off the month. It was a little exciting to get back out into the community to do some volunteering. UWBA, IBM and Ernst and Young (EY) come together as one and provided an amazing day which was organised very well by UWBA and EY. This event was based at Skyline College, and oh what a campus. We saw up to 80 students, and UWBA promised that all the data collected would be in Salesforce or ECM.

We met some amazing people whom work at EY, and amazing students of all ages ranging from 17 and upwards. I had many conversations with these students. To my amazement, there were even 2 young students whom were interested in Customer Relationship Management. Yes CRM, but not the CRM I was expecting. They had a slightly different take on it, but either way, they received a blast of the Shaz wisdom.

One highlight from this event was when Nicole from UWBA was speaking about the Skyline Sparkpoint to the EY volunteers. She mentioned about IBM and the CSC program, and how we had helped them with the Employer Engagement data. She continued on to say that she used the tool that we had provided to announce that EY was in the Top 10 companies that provide volunteers for engagements of this nature, so that was very exciting to see first hand the deliverable being used, knowing that Nicole would have spent less than 1 minute doing a check! Powerful stuff!

A fond farewell and hugs all around to Nicole and Ansa and to the rest of the crew from UWBA. You guys are amazing stars, so continue to shine brightly and pave the way. See you Ansa (and anyone else from UWBA) in Pakistan when Ansa opens the first Pakistan SparkPoint Center, and we will be there for the opening! Learn lots, give heaps, and glow!

This afternoon, Meaghan and Kaila very kindly hosted Benedicte, Ricardo and myself up to Twin Peaks. This was an amazing way to finish out the month, sitting on top of San Fran, looking down on this interesting, special city that we all have grown to love in our month here. So many feelings, so in awe of what we have been through, and how San Fran embraced us all in it’s arms, where we created so many fond memories. On top of that, we were blessed with watching the Blue Angels dancing across the sky as they practiced for their event tomorrow.  We ended up at a bar at the Castrol area called Twin Peaks, thinking we would stay with the theme. A nice cool Sierra beer and a lot of laughs equals a great recipe for the afternoon.

Tonight was our last CSC dinner together, and the chosen cuisine was Indian food. A great atmosphere, and good food which was Indian / Pakistan cuisine. Brittany from Atlas Corps joined us, and soon the whole group was briefly together! We were a noisy bunch of people in this little restaurant, I think in the end they were glad to see us go.

WIth a walk back to the hotel, we continued laughing and just chatting about the memories. I am going to miss my CSC family, as yes, that is what we are. Other CSCers before us would get it, and those after us will get it! The CSC program does change your life in many ways, pushing you outside of your comfort levels, friendships are born, growth happens. I would not change one thing! I know that I have new life long friends in my CSC Family and my UWBA Family, with memories that will stay with me for a very long time!

Vegemite, NZ Cheese and A tear in the eye!

Hey my fellow readers … well what a day! So let me try to capture it as best I can without boring you to much! I wanted to savor the day as much as possible, be mindful and present! This meant that I took note of just the smallest of things they stood out for me… so here goes!

This morning Benedicte, Susannah, Ricardo and I …

  • went shopping for a thank you morning tea to our UWBA family. The donut queue grew outside Bob’s Donut Shop behind me, the smell of freshly made donuts from this popular 24 hour shop. Next, my first time in Trader Joes. A supermarket that greeted the senses with so much colour … noting the pumpkins, who knew there was so many varieties.

  • This morning’s morning tea seemed fitting to officially hand over the deliverables. So armed with donuts, cake, cookies for Team Sweet and vegemite and NZ cheese on crackers for Team Savoury, it was an opportunity to have one last get together, to show our appreciation to everyone. After a quick demonstration on how to eat the vegemite, a few were game to try it, with reactions funny to watch, and to my surprise, some even liked the vegemite.

  • Finalised our presentation to IBM and other Host Organisations later in the day, and final handover to Ansa on the Employer Engagement Workbook.

  • did a lap of the office and said goodbye to one and all, with a hug or 2, dropping the keys, a few koalas scattered around the desks, final messages left on whiteboards, we headed out the door.

Come 12pm, we had to leave to head to the IBM Watson Center, so

  • taking one last walk out the office, we stopped to farewell the Security Guard, and thanked him for his smile each morning as he did hello and farewell to us for the last month
  • I rescued a painting that was randomly just sitting on the pavement, so propped it up in the hope that it gets to the rightful owner

  • Listened to passerbys as they talked about Salesforce, and how the sellers should use it which I had a giggle at
  • as we got closer, we were joined by the other teams as they were coming from their Host Organisations.

The IBM Watson Center is a tad impressive.

We were greeted by the lovely Emma, Brittany and Jamie. Lunch was served where we got to meet some IBMers which was lovely. These IBMers were keen to learn about the program, and to learn about our stories, so within the next hour, the 15 CSCers spent chatting and sharing our stories, our backgrounds, our experiences.

I met 3 interesting young ladies whom were new to IBM, started back in January. Introductions made, we met Gentry, Jenna, and Alex. Good luck on your IBM journey and look forward to seeing you all on the FB Group, hopefully we inspired you to be around for another couple of years, take up some volunteer work and apply for CSC!

Nicole, Ena and Kelly from UWBA came along to support our presentation.

So it was time, presentations given by WAKE, MEDA and SFCCC Sub Teams. Everyone of the team members did an impressive job over their month assignment. It was their time to shine and share what they had been up to. Everyone has done an outstanding job!

And then it was our turn – UWBA Sub Team. Starting with Benedicte, she kept it light! We tagged team through the respective sections, sharing the work done. Then it was my turn and something happened … one of the photos had caught my eye and all of a sudden I was sharing about the golden moment, and why this CSC program matters and a tear came to my eye, not what I was expecting. Quickly moving on and sharing the fun stuff to shift gears, spoke about the Field Trip and volunteer opportunities, again, a little choked as I think about the work we all did together, the people we met, and role of Sparkpoints, the passion of those working in these centers, and soon realised that I was experiencing feelings of getting it, that I am really going to miss it all, but inspired to do more when I get back home. So much feelings in such a short time!

Finally, our presentation done, it was time to give out some thank you gifts to acknowledge how grateful for all the support from Atlas Corps (Emma and Brittany); and Jamie and John (IBM). On behalf of the team, I would also like to acknowledge Misha and Jamie McDonald as well. Without all of you, none of this would have been possible! So thank you!

With all the formalities out the way, it was time for the pics:

Nicole,Ena, Kelly, Ansa (Atlas Fellow working at UWBA), Susanna, Benedicte and Ricardo

The CSC USA2 San Francisco Team

Tonight we celebrated, tonight was Karaoke, such a fitting team evening as we all sang for a couple of hours, surprised at how good we all were … haha. Lucky it was a closed room is all I can say, and the pictures and videos stay with me.

Tomorrow, our final day with UWBA, and it will be spent volunteering at a Career Prep Day in San Bruno.

Prepare Rehearse Deliver!

Today was the day, the day that we have all worked hard towards .. that final presentation to our client.

We followed the IBM principles of Prepare, Rehearse, Deliver. This morning, the four of us sat as we finalised the presentation, we each spent time alone with our thoughts and wrote notes of what it was we wanted to impart.

We convened, ran through what we were each presenting, refining the delivery.

Then 12pm came and we were ready! The UWBA Team settled, with the San Jose dialed in, we began.

With Benedicte opening and introducing the Engagement Model, Susannah talking about the Engagement Model Workbook and scoring, Ricardo highlighting Salesforce data quality report and dashboard prototypes, it was soon to be my turn in the spotlight.

With butterflies in the stomach, off I went … I spoke about the high level recommendations that we had come up with. It felt right, and as I drew on all my experiences of talking to our sales communities about our own internal CRM tools, I was soon in Shaz mode promoting the importance of data collection, and stressing the areas of our observations and recommendations which supported everything that had been shared with them throughout the presentation.

Finally, after great questions and discussion from the UWBA Team throughout the presentation, Benedicte wrapped it up very nicely.

The UWBA Team forever grateful, the smiles and claps afterwards, and all the comments received, we were on a high!

This afternoon we were focused on transferring of knowledge and finalising all the deliverables to present in a special morning tea with our UWBA family tomorrow.

We took a minute to pose for a team pic for Robert from the Marketing Team with our host Nicole.

Lunch we decided on a mini celebration at a local Australian cafe .. so I got to splurge and enjoy salmon, cream cheese and dill on sour dough bread, with a Tumeric Latte Almond Milk extra hot. Whilst a little pricy and not an Australian staff member in sight, I was still a happy camper!

What a day! Difficult to get across just how I am feeling, but all I can say to sum it up in one word … MAGIC! And to quote Susannah .. “Nailed it!”