Man o’ Jelly

The news has been heavy lately. There’s a lot of tension out there, lots of heated debate, and not a small amount of aggression floating around. I don’t want to bury my head in the sand, but i don’t want to swim with sharks either. Or jellyfish, for that matter.

I do, however, like to watch jellyfish drift around at times like these. Their movements are so serene, so mellow—so totally tenseless. Look at these guys/gals/hermaphrodites, they’re incredible. Here’s a challenge for you. Watch the two videos below and then try picking a verbal fight with someone. It’s not going to be easy.

If you’re still feeling testy then a deeper therapeutic treatment is in order. You’ll need to fly to San Francisco, rent a car (probably wise to hire a convertible to keep that head cool), and drive two hours south to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

After watching jellyfish for the afternoon, drive an hour further south to the heart of Big Sur. Stay at the Post Ranch Inn if you like big views and high comfort. If low-key, old-world-charm is more your jam, stay at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. The next day, sleep until 11:00 am. Then have brunch at the Big Sur Bakery. Find your way to Pfeiffer Beach and walk off the buttermilk biscuits & gravy. Complete your journey to inner peace with a workshop at the Esalen, a not-for-profit holistic education center where you can “cleanse your chakras with sacred sound & wonder”, for example.

Peace.