I thought I would keep a travel log of my journey to Vivekananda Retreat, Ridgely, New York from New Bern North Carolina. I am sitting in airport, still a native, and waiting for flight to Charlotte, NC. I will wait in Charlotte for 2 hours and then catch my connection to Albany to arrive there about 4:30.
I am a very nervous traveler. I get confused when I am out of my home environment. I have already spilled my coffee in front of the ticket counter. At least I know people here at the airport, who are my coworkers in the county agencies. They were able to help me clean it up. When you are traveling out of your element even the smallest helps feel like tender mercies.
It is a hunters moon this weekend. I imagine that Ridgely is going to be bathed in moonlight tonight. I did not plan it this way, it just happened of a moment after India trip was cancelled.
I will try to figure out how to post photos, if I can.
From the Veda Kalpataru Hindu Resource Center ( http://vedakalpataru.com/?page_id=172 ) a Hindu travel prayer invoking the names of powerful wise kings, bringing strength to the traveler.
Vainyaṁ pṛthum haihayamarjunaṁ ca
Śākuntaleyaṁ bharataṁ nalaṁ ca
Etān nṛpān yaḥ smarati prayāṇe
Tasyārtha siddhiḥ punarāgamaśca
“Accomplishment and safe return will happen to him who remembers during journey the names of these kings – Prthu the son of Vainya, Arjuna (kaarthaveerya) of Haihaya, Bharata son of Shakuntala and Nala”