Floral Notes and Bardo: The Creative Chronicles of a Shambhala Mountain Resident is a daily feature on the SMC blog in which a member of our staff/community shares his experience of existing as part of Shambhala Mountain Center.

Brighter still, the glow. In the hallway, we were strangers, now your freckles are almost unbearable.

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Before celebrating friendship via Super Bowl party I celebrated Groundhog Day with Heather. It’s an important holiday for her. We had a nice morning walk around the land, to the Stupa. Maple the prairie dog saw her shadow.

Delicious Colorado beer and all sorts of lovely conversation–dharmic, about being an artist, relationship stuff, society stuff. Friendly talk on all sorts of topics, the game was on in the background. Focusing on the television felt unnatural. It was difficult to do–I’m way out of practice. There were warm bodies in the room, there was no center of attention–especially not the TV. The beer was delicious. The conversation was heartfelt, so enjoyable. Great laughs, and I tried to explain the connection between Phish (my favorite artistic entity) and the Seattle Seahawks, while the Seahawks beat the poo out of our hometown team. I was rooting both for Payton Manning, who was the clear candidate for storybook hero event, but also rooting for Phish. Not so much the Seahawks, but I’m always rooting for Phish.

The Super Bowl party was held at a big house just off the land called Hayagreeva.

Here’s a line that came up in conversation:

“We shit in clean drinking water.”

–February 2

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Travis Newbill is a curious dude on the path of artistry, meditation, and social engagement who is very glad to be residing at Shambhala Mountain Center. His roles within the organization include Marketing Associate and Head Dekyong–a position of leadership within the community.