I rarely post here anymore, as it simply became too time consuming to keep up with two blogs, so while I do find many blessings to be grateful for each day, most of my blogging is done on my raw food & life transformation blog instead. I will continue to post here once in a blue moon, but not very often.
1. Spending months traveling with ultimate freedom In February, I set off on a trip about abundance, being of service, trusting the universe and building community. You can read about my intentions here. I'm so glad I'm doing this instead of the 6 month permaculture sponsorship in Bulgaria. Sometimes things viewed by others as "not working out" are actually the greatest opportunities to pursue something even greater. In the past, I have taken large blocks of time off to travel, like a month or 2, but this was the first time in my life I have traveled with no end date - no need to return back to a place by a certain date, no need to get back to work somewhere, no plans to start any courses, no obligations anywhere, etc. And I have to say, it's been the most freeing experiences of my life. What was originally planned to only be a few months of travel temporarily paused in NJ after 3.5 months on the road, and while I thought it was the end, I got an amazing closure with my relationship with my dad & an opportunity up north near Canada for the summer, and then I will make my way west. So it's looking like that 3.5 months trip is going to end up being more like 8 or 9 months of straight traveling. It's been the biggest blessing of my life to have this freedom and be able to live my life this way and just trust that everything always works out if you follow the needs of your soul.
2. Family healing. After many years, I was able to heal my relationship with my father by finally accepting it for what it is and loving it anyway. Many years ago, I forgave the past & it had little effect on me, but I still had issues with the present and hoped for a change that was not possible, so I changed my need for change and moved into full acceptance & compassion. I knew he did the best he could when I was growing up, but now I know he is always doing the best he can and I understand more about why he is the way he is and am able to be compassionate, but still keep myself safe. It's like I forgot my inner child here when I fled for art school in NYC when I turned 17, and I just came back to stand up to him and reclaim her. Now she's safe inside me, and I'll never abandon her again. The sense of empowerment I feel from knowing several generations of abuse ended with me last week is incredible. Pieces of myself that I had been missing are now intact, and I am glowing with energy and full of love and peace. It was an amazing pause in NJ.
3. Summer Farming. I had wanted to find some summer work on an organic farm, but since I planned to spend the summer in NJ with my folks before heading to South America or New Zealand, I knew I wouldn't be able to withstand the humidity come July, so was looking for alternatives. I vowed last year to never do soulless work again, so wasn't into going back to office work & there is not much in this area except office & retail, so I was extremely thankful that things with my dad worked out as they did and the same night a friend told me the farm he was headed up to in Maine needed more folks. So I'll be spending my summer at Ol' Ways Farm growing the best food ever, eating it fresh from the earth & playing with baby goats, all in a cool summer climate near Canada. I'm so excited, I could burst! Ever since I refused to settle for anything soulless in my life, I have gotten everything I wanted and am extremely grateful.
4. Estonia's Grassroots Country Cleanup Day. Last year 50,000 Estonians got together and did in one day what it would have taken the government 3 years and 22 million euros to do - clean up all the garbage in the country. Truly amazing what can be done in almost no time when everyone comes together with a common goal:
5. Graze the Roof! Graze the Roof is an edible, community-produced vegetable garden on the rooftop of Glide Memorial Church, in San Francisco that my friend Victoria told me about. I didn't get to check it out before I left SF, but am loving reading about their herbal education classes & cooking workshops & will definitely volunteer some time when I eventually get back to California. The whole food/sustainability movement has really taken off, and on my travels I have seen people waking up all over and starting revolutionary programs in their own cities. It's amazing.
6. Another Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture, though this time at UC Santa Cruz. I would really love to be part of their amazing program in the next few years, after I finish paying off my debt and have manifested $4,250 for the six-month course. Once I get my chocolate company past it's first 2 years, that won't be an issue and I'll be able to invest more in myself & my lifelong education.
7. 'Home', the film. 'Home' is a non-profit film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand that has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being to deal with the current issues affecting our Home, The Earth. It's sort of a mix between Koyaanisqatsi & the BBC Planet Earth series. Because they believe everyone should take part in the effort, the filmmakers believe 'Home' needs to be free, so you can watch it here until June 14th.
8. Craft Mafia. I've gotten really into knitting & my DIY inner child has grown so much in the nourishing SF environment of do-it-yourselfers. I was super excited when I learned about Craft Mafia and their forum for networking, promotion & shared ideas. Lots of amazing events & groups all over the place, which is a nice craft resource when traveling. I plan to spend a lot of my free time on the farm in Maine working on some knitted products for my etsy shop.
9. Spikenard Farm is into Bees & Biodynamics. Through some New Zealand Beekeeping synchs on my travels (one of my goals is to study beekeeping, hopefully in NZ), a friend who is doing some freelance for Spikenard turned me onto them. After my summer farming in Maine, I will be traveling back West to Cali, and would like to make this one of my stops.
10. Indralaya is a "sanctuary of natural beauty and peace located on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington State", which is an amazingly beautiful area. The Pacific Northwest is amazing. The same friend who told me about Spikenard Farm thought I'd like to volunteer here if I make it back to the area. Theosophy, Community & Spiritual Development? Yes, please! It fits in perfectly with the intentions of my travels so if I'm that far West by September, I'll try to be of service there.
11. Free healthcare in the form of a birthday gift will result in my finally getting this pesky mole removed. It's changed size & shape, so it's in my best interest to take care of it now.
12. Turning 30 was awesome. I had a lovely birthday picnic under the Brooklyn Bridge with some of my old (and new) NYC friends. Tons of yummy raw treats, perfect weather, loving friends, the cutest puppy ever, news of sacred unions & life growing in bellies - what more could a girl ask for? It was a perfect day. I've never been one to worry about getting older, and was actually embracing turning 30 since my 20s were so full of health issues & living very imbalanced, so I'm very excited to start a new decade of growth.
13. Moms. They really are just amazing, inspiring, full of love & patience. I am eternally grateful to my mother and the intuitive connection we share. It's something very special in my life, and I am very blessed to have been born to her. Remember to call your mother and thank her for giving you life - it really is the most precious gift if you use it wisely. :)
14. Catching up with old friends. Got to see a ton of old friends from High School on this trip, and while I don't have much in common with a lot of people I knew in HS, it's still nice to see what everyone is doing with their lives and how they've grown.
15. Story Waters & Lee Harris are amazing teachers. On the nights of my journey where I've camped alone, listening to their Freedom Tapes on my ipod has been very life enhancing & helped me on my path of abundance. Here's Story Waters & his The Meaning of Life in 700 Words:
16. Lake life. I've spent about 2 hours every day in NJ walking around several different lakes at sunset. I feel most powerful when I spend sunrise or sunset outside in nature just being, so I try to do it daily whenever my schedule allows. In the past 2 weeks of my visit with my folks, I've seen the most adorable baby swans, goslings, ducklings and their sweet, protective waterfoul parents making sure they learn to walk, eat & swim. This is the beauty of NJ that I grew up in, and it's nice to be back in it as an adult for a few weeks, which is the longest visit I've had since I was 18.
17. Lauri Giblin who has helped me on my internal journey more than she will ever know. I'm not sure I would have made it through some of my past trauma without her guidance & support of me stepping into my own power. I'm so grateful to be able to work with someone like her who has so much knowledge from so many origins. It's incredible.
18. Cousins! I am so blessed to have a plethora of cousins who have weathered similar storms with their fathers and come to the same acceptance that I finally reached. Sharing stories has strengthened our bonds. Their support in all this has been immeasurable.
19. Release. Had to trim some of the remaining fat in the relationships portion of my life, and it feels incredible. Each time I release an unhealthy friendship, I am amazed at all the room I create for 5 new amazingly nourishing healthy ones that crop up in the space of all that energy. It's amazing.
20. Lifetime education. I always vowed to be a student for life, and would sometimes get swayed because of financial issues, but through the way I have chosen to create my life in this different way, I am always meeting new teachers and learning something daily on my travels. It's been the cheapest education I've ever gotten, this life on the road.
21. Love given to family, friends, lovers, nature & creatures of life. Giving it is the ultimate experience & expression of who we truly are, and when you are open & giving it freely, you receive it freely from others and the energy just keeps building & building to new heights for everyone. I am thankful for all that I have in my life right now that allows me to experience my true self. It was a lot of work to get here, and I am eternally grateful.
