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B10 RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS OCT. 19, 2012 Advice offered on college financing CARMEL VALLEY — Parents can begin planning now for how to pay for their children’s college education. A “Show Me The Money- For College!” seminar is being held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Torrey Pines High School Room 302, sponsored by San Dieguito Adult School. The cost is $32 and pre-registration is required. Call (760) 753-7073 or visit sdadulted.com. Financial planning for college funding can be overwhelming and complex. Get information in the area of financial planning for a college education, beyond how to complete the FAFSA forms, that high school counselors and investment advisors may not know. community CALENDAR Got an item for the calendar? Send the details via email to calendar@coastnewsgroup.com. OCT. 19 THAT’S LIFE LIFE at MiraCosta College, the lifelong learning group,meets at 1 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Oceanside campus, 1 Barnard Dive., Admin. Bldg. 1000, Room 1068. Call (760) 721-8124. BUYERS AND SELLERS Mira Costa College is sponsoring “Meet the Buyers,” hosted by Assemblyman Martin Garrick from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Escondido Library, 239 Kalmia St., Escondido. Meet buyers and experts on how to get contracts. Registration is required at becsandiego.com. TAKE AT TRIP Sign up for the El Camino Real chapter of Questers bus trip to the Pasadena City College Collectible Flea Market Nov. 4. Pickup at 6:30 a.m.; expected return is 4:30 p.m. Cost is $45. Reservations and payment must be received no later than Oct. 26. Call (760) 591-3581 for details. OCT. 20 CHILI & QUACKERS Join the Rotary Club of Del Mar Chili & Quackers from 3 to 6 p.m. at the beautiful ocean front Powerhouse Park in Del Mar. Join the Ducky Derby followed by a Chili Cook-Off. All proceeds benefit the Rotary Club service projects. NATURE’S COSTUMES From 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center, 2710 Manchester Ave. offers the Not- So-Scary Estuary. Costumes are encouraged and kids can create lollipop spiders and animal masks. Go trick-or-treating along the “Haunted Hike” nature trail, plus live animal presentations at 2 p.m. each day. Visit SanElijo.org or call (760) 634-3026. OCT. 21 PUT ON SOME PINK Join Unity of Carlsbad at 10 a.m. Oct. 21 at 3096 Harding St., Carlsbad, wearing pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness. Cancer survivor Pam Bird will share her experience and provide information on prevention and early detection. More information visit unitycarlsbad.org. BEHIND THE SCENES The Drake Center for Veterinary Care, 195 N. El Camino Real hosts Kids’ Day at the Drake Center for ages 7 through 12 at 3 p.m. Oct. 21. Dress up in a lab coat and help vets perform routine physical examination, use a stethoscope to listen to a pet’s heartbeat, look at slides through a microscope, X-rays and learn about general pet care. For reservations, call (760) 753-9393. OCT. 23 HERITAGE HUNT Scots- Irish Research will be discussed by genealogist Anne Bowman at North San Diego County Genealogical Society from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 23 in Carlsbad City Council Chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad. For more information e-mail tgordinier@roadrunner.com or call (760) 435-2536. OCT. 24 INVESTMENT CLUB A women’s investment club is currently accepting new members and meets at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and every fourth Wednesday in North County. A prospective new member may attend up to three meetings before joining. Call Patti at (760) 448-5086 or Michele at (619) 697-8209 or emaildollarsandsenseforwomen@cox.net. ANCIENT CRAFTS A special teen workshop will be held at 4 p.m. Oct 24 at the Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive to make a Dia de los Muertos sugar skull. Visit SDCL.org or call (760) 753-7376. OCT. 25 STUDY ABROAD The International Office at MiraCosta College invites students to explore international education opportunities at the 2012 Study Abroad Expo, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 25, at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo Campus, on the Student Center Walk, 3333 Manchester Ave., Cardiff. Visit miracosta.iip or call (760) 795-6897 or e-mail iip@miracosta.edu. ORCHID FEVER The San Diego County Cymbidium Society will hold its annual orchid plant auction in the Ecke Building at the San Diego Botanic Garden with plant inspection and taco bar start at 6:30 p. m. and bidding at 7 p. m. Oct. 25. Visitors are welcome. For more information, call (760) 931-0502 or e-mail billtcwong@att.net. POLITICAL EVENT A Town Hall meeting will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Encinitas Community Center 140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas. The meeting will focus on the new 49th congressional district, which includes all of the coastal communities of North County. OCT. 26 COME AS YOU AREN’T Join The Oceanside Museum of Art for its Halloween bash, “Art After Dark: Come as You TURN TO CALENDAR ON B15
OCT. 19, 2012 RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS Reflections and serenity in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico MACHEL PENN SHULL Machel’s Ranch I brought a wardrobe with me to Playa del Carmen. Usually when I travel to Mexico, I travel light. As my husband slept last night, I arranged my outfits perfectly in the wardrobe. I tried on my various outfits for the trip under the silence of our thatched roof in our hotel room. The humming of the ceiling fan added that “white noise” effect that felt like a Zen meditation moment in the wee hours of the morning. Then I actually did meditate. You know, like Julia Roberts did when she played Elizabeth Gilbert in “Eat, Pray, Love.” I sat with my legs crossed, my back straight and I took in those deep types of breath you forget to breathe in everyday normal life. The cold Spanish tiles added another layer of mystery to the ambience surrounding me. During this time of reflection much gratitude emerged from my heart. An overwhelming sense of how special it is to be alive; to share, to experience, to commit to this moment and open your soul to feel the power of love. After meditating, I laid down on the hard mattress in the darkness of the night. I could see bits of light streaming in from the outside behind the drawn curtains. I stared up at the A-frame thatched roof with thoughts of how my journey has taken me here to Playa Del Carmen in the silence of this place, the foreign surroundings with the smell of sea salt mixed in with moisture dangling above me. The white sheets seemed oddly ethereal in the dark. What is this life but a vapor? Do you know that passage from the Bible? That’s how it feels right now. Like life is so precious. Like each moment needs to be savored, loved, held onto so I do not forget the textures, the smells and the feelings that imbue me. Life can be incredibly short. That’s what I want to tell you from Playa del Carmen. So make each moment count. Be soft. Be bold. Be real. Feel something. Don’t numb yourself to the beauty because there is so much to be thankful for each day. Tell someone you love them. Thank you for reading my column. I am grateful for you. Thank you for that. Around town On Oct. 13, Robin and I crossed over an International border by foot. What we did not know is that the border we normally cross over was being remodeled. This meant extra walking involved. Picture me running in high heals in my black mini skirt with Robin close behind running as fast as we could across the new makeshift ramps to cross over into Mexico. When I saw the sign ahead, you could say I felt a sigh of relief. Next was the quick cab Just one example of the Mayan ruins in this region Photo by Machel Penn Shull Playa Car in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico. Photo by Machel Penn Shull Robin and Machel Shull on vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Courtesy photo ride through Tijuana. Robin spoke to the cab driver about their newest president in Mexico. Then he asked about our election. It seems as if there is no escaping the political banter right now, not even in Mexico. We arrived at our gate to find the doors locked. Luckily for us, the flight attendant took pity on us and let us cross over onto the tarmac to board the plane. We soon flew off into the sky with beads of sweat still dripping off of our foreheads. Our plane first landed in Puebla, Mexico. Luckily we didn’t have to connect there. This flight was headed to Cancun. Later that day, we arrived at Cancun airport. We found a shuttle and then rode with a Polish couple to Playa Car in Playa Del Carmen. Playa Car is like The Crosby of Rancho Santa Fe. Cobbled streets, lined with Mexican villas amidst the most beautiful tropical jungle. “Where the jungle meets the Caribbean.” We tried to make small talk with the other couple, which failed miserably. I've never felt so “Californian” in my entire life in a way that did not feel appealing. The good news is we did not stay at the same resort with them Morning in on the beach in the Mayan Riviera. Photo by Machel Penn Shull and were able to wave goodbye forever once we made it to our resort. On Oct. 14, Robin and I walked through Playa Car to the nucleus of town. Imagine bright colors, palm trees and balmy weather lining the blue sea. We walked everywhere. We had researched many boutique hotels before coming here. So we stopped in at each one just to see what they looked like in person. What fun. We then had the most delicious Americana over ice at Starbucks. (Hate to say it, but I've never been happier to be inside of a Starbucks!) We shopped. We walked. We ate delicious skirt steak with a mean hot green salsa on the Crossing over the International border into Mexico. Photo by Machel Penn Shull side. This trip has felt like a variation of wonderful side dishes. The little things that add so much to the experience. Later that day, we walked back to our resort and swam in the green sea. The sun had set with streaks of orange bursting through the clouds. The gentle waves lapped over us late in the evening. It seems as if we were on a different schedule than the rest of the resort. Everyone had gone in for dinner and we were now swimming in the sea. The white beach lined with lounge chairs were empty. I floated with my ears submerged under the crystal clear water, while watching B11 the small clouds float above me. Another peaceful moment where life felt as if all had added up to that one moment of perfection and I felt nothing but love for all. Then the sun had set.The lavender horizon met the green sea in such tranquility I cannot fully describe the beauty of it in words. Some fear Mexico. However, the trick is to know where to go, how to travel and what to do. I am writing this to you right now from the hotel computer. This moment is fading. The one of writing my column in a new and unfamiliar setting. This moment is magical for me. I want to say thank you dear readers for reading. I look forward to returning to Rancho Santa Fe and sharing more stories with you. If you have a wonderful one to share, please contact me. I would love to hear from you. If you have a fun event you would like Machel Penn to cover, contact her at mpenn@coastnewsgroup.com. One of the many excursions to do when you visit Playa del Carmen. Photo by Machel Penn Shull
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