Sick Day

It's been a day of laying low and resting due to both Greg and I being sick.  It seems like that wouldn't stop me from writing but my brain has been pretty fuzzy all day.  Maybe that would make an entertaining post, writing about all the crazy places your mind goes when you don't feel good.  Like for instance, while watching Anchorman 2, I felt a likeness to Rob Burgundy.  More thoughts on that tomorrow.  😅

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Last night, the Moon and Sunset showing off.  

One of the many little things I love about living this nomadic life is the adventure of grocery shopping.  I love exploring a city in this mundane but magical way.  Who will I meet?  What will the place I buy the nutritious morsels look like?  I just pictured myself exploring a labyrinth.  Each city gives me a unique journey to go on, in something as simple as grocery shopping.  This life of travel really satisfies the "mythic hero on a quest" in me.  I get to navigate new terrains continuously while doing ordinary things, like running errands.

See!!  UFO's in my coffee!  And I got a free bag while shopping.  Adventure and Abundance!

During most of my voyages into world of errand running, I'll find a local coffeeshop in the route.  Mythic heroines need magical balms from time to time.  😜  To my delight, beside the Trader Joe's near my new home is this otherworldly coffeeshop, Mothership.  Their extra-terrestrial-ordinary coffee earned a donation to their UFO research.    You know it's been a good mission when you receive unexpected gifts at checkout (bag above gifted to me by the cashier at the Natural Grocers down the road).  Another nerdy but fun tidbit about being a nomad, is getting to be a member of libraries all over the country (I believe my friend,  Rachel Rowell taught me this great travel tip).  All I have to do is show the library that I'm living in a rv park in their area and I have access to the world of books and other treasures.  Since Greg and I are spending the weekend recuperating and letting our bodies heal, I thought I would pop into the library down the street and pick us up some movies (that you can't find in redox) and books to keep us entertained.  I know this isn't what most people would do upon arriving to Las Vegas. 😆  I'm sure we will get into your average Vegas escapade in the near future, but for now, this is our perfection.

Delicious Wisdom

Oh, another little perk in the everyday life of a wanderer, is having many different views while chore running.  

Driving around Vegas

This is only the beginning.  Starting out small but still epic in it's own way, like this sunset from inside our rv park.  I can not WAIT to find the sweet spots of the desert to take in the enchanted hour of dawn and dusk, but for now, I will enjoy what is in my backyard.  Looking forward to sharing how this extraordinary journey unfolds.  Here's to all of us finding the extraordinary in our ordinary.  

Landscapes of Life

We are all so precious.  I'm sitting here relishing this place.  This place - where I am in the United States - in this beautiful rv park - on the couch snuggled with my little guy, Cap, and most of all, where I am in my mind, my thoughts...this place of being at ease, at peace with all that is.  I am not always here, at ease.  For instance, yesterday was a bit rough getting into Vegas.  Had to jump through a few hoops, Greg became very sick and I had a headache that wouldn't go away.  Today, Greg's feeling slightly better, my headache is fading and the sun is shining outside (and inside me).  We are all so precious, exactly where we are in every moment, whether that moment is vibrant in happiness or dull in discomfort.  Whatever we are feeling or experiencing is leading our way, especially if we are willing to be there with ourselves.

Be there, sweetly with ourselves when we are feeling down.  Be there, exuberantly with ourselves when we are feeling joy.  Each place is pointing towards something essential, towards growth, towards being even more present in this precious life of ours.  It helps to know, we're all here together, we all experience these places - joy, sadness and everything in between.  I read a beautiful post earlier from a friend, Anna Loza that helped me "be there with myself", with what I was feeling, because she shared bravely about where she was, in that moment.  I believe life is always giving us these exquisite clues, helpful hints and ways to see even more beauty.  Anna's tender and powerful share, reminded me that we are all navigating our way through life, all of us experiencing the peaks of this wondrous world, and also sometimes the valleys, the caves, the lowlands.  Each landscape has something for us, if we pay attention and open up to how much each day has to offer.  Thank you to Anna and to other's, like Shanti Zimmerman, who lead the way in courageously being at ease with ourselves, even when "ease" is not what we might be feeling in that moment.  Thank you for reminding us all how precious, however we are feeling in each moment, is.

Current Snuggle Blog Session

Out walking in our new neighborhood

Las Vegas, We're Are Here

We've made it to our destination of vivaaaaaaa Las Vegas!  And that is the extent of our explorations.  We've found our home spot for the moment, have started to settle in and are taking it easy.  Here's a few shots during our travels.  The last one with the palm trees is our rv park for now.

Moon over desert mountains.  

Gonna let our minds and bodies rest in this little sanctuary and will have more to share tomorrow!

Heartwylde: A Wildorado Day

We passed a region yesterday called Wildorado.  Names can be magic carpet rides to enchanted realms.  I wouldn't mind saying I was from such a place - Adventure Fergie from Wildorado.  I picture it as wooded oasis surrounded by the warm reds, golds and browns of this canyon land.  At the time of passing the portal of Wildorado, I was FULL to the brim with wonder, excitement and electricity.  I felt like a firework.  I was ready to play amongst the poofy bushes of this desert land.  We were driving, so all this playful energy was happening while sitting in our spaceship, as it made it's way through this familiar yet foreign land.  My heart was beaming, as I mentioned yesterday.  A Wild Heart blazing through the desert.

My inspiration found while walking Captain this am.  Heartwylde, navigating life from your heart.

Yesterday wasn't all love beams and desert frolics, though.  I didn't write about it in my post because I wasn't even sure how to describe the experience yet.  You know, when you are in the "forest" it's hard to see the bigger picture.  Now that I've had a wild night's rest - I call it wild because of the banshee like winds that were our lullaby - I can reflect on the unruly terrain we traversed.  We had been "non-stop" driving since Sunday afternoon.  I mean we stopped for gas, quick meals and to sleep a few hours but otherwise, we were road warriors with a mission.  It was catching up with us.  Our minds and bodies were starting to rebel.  You know how some days, life likes to give you a few challenges to juggle?  The next challenge, Greg discovers we have a problem with one of our slide outs (what makes a rv/travel trailer bigger).  These are never fun discoveries especially when you are in route and when "time is of the essence".  Throw in a few more frustrating moments and emotions and you have a Wildorado day!  A remedy to much of what ails us is a perspective shift.  Sometimes it can be a choice in the moment, taking a breather and sometimes it's a night's rest.  We woke up today as new people, each morning is a new beginning, right?  We feel bright-eyed and bushy tailed.  From three weary travelers to "The Three Musketeers Pioneers"!

Sunrise view from our base camp

We are taking a much needed break from our non-stop driving and staying in an rv park near the Grand Canyon we've visited before.  Unfortunately, we'll not explore that wonder of the US today, due to 45 mph gusts and our need to be still for a day.  We will mosey on into the little Historic Route 66 town we are in.  It's nice to be still and take care of ourselves for now.  Meanwhile, here's a glance of what it looks like when Cappy and I are typing the blog posts, as our caravan hastens down the highway:

Blog Writing Road Warriors

Although I don't mind writing while in the truck, for some reason, it seems I can follow the inspirations of my heart more easily when I'm stationary.  At this moment, we are resting with our coffee/tea listening to the wind howl outside (happy we're not driving in these gusts with our high profile vehicle/home).  Next, we'll see what delicious morsels we can find in this  classic Route 66 town.  

Shine yeah!

The Arizona star lights me up!  Every time I see it, I feel like it's symbolic of a heart wide open.  Nothing but love light bursting forth!  Today's been quite a day.  We're on day 4 of truckin' across the US.  My energy has felt fiesta-like today.  I believe it has to do with how much the terrain has changed before my very eyes.  Plus, it might just be New Mexico and Arizona rubbing off on me.

Our view right now.

If I've been boring everyone lately, I have a feeling my posts will get more lively soon.  We shall see!

*Post title is a lovingly adopted colloquialism from my home area of Robeson County.  You would hear it used in a conversation like this: "Are you excited to be going to Las Vegas?"  "Shine yeah!"

Good Friends, Good Fortune

Sometimes in our cross country sprints, the timing and trail sync up perfectly where we get to see friends/family for a quick bite to eat.  Today was one of those days!  Our good friends, Chase and Amanda met us by the interstate in a parking lot that had enough room for our home on wheels (one of the challenges of traveling with your house) in Arkansas.  They treated us to a spunky local diner in historic downtown Van Buren.

Gliding down the road in Oklahoma, with fields of gold swaying in the wind, it dawns on Greg and I  for the hundredth time how we are living a dream-come-true.  Being able to get to know and explore places all over the country with people that we love (including the beauties above beside Elvis).  This life isn't for everyone, even though it sometimes might look pretty glamorous, it definitely has it's challenges.  For one, we've been sleeping in Wal-Mart parking lots for the last two nights.  When we are on a beeline to a destination for work, we'll park in places that allow free overnight parking for a quick night's sleep before we hit the dusty trail again.  We don't mind the "hardships" of being nomads.  They keep us on our toes in the best possible ways!  It's thrilling and fulfilling to grow through the many experiences in our migrations.  We definitely don't mind all the boons of being wayfarers, either.

"Falcons for Days"  - quote by Greg Hoffman
One of the many (at least 30 or 40) raptors (hawks, falcons, eagles) we've seen in the last two days!
We consider seeing these majestic birds one of the many rewards of our explorations. 

A theme that has been on my mind the last few days is being open to the possibilities of life.  Right now, there is so much potential swirling around all of us.  Unlimited potential.  It's easy to unknowingly close ourself off to possibility by thinking that the only options available to us are what's currently in front of us or what we've experienced behind us.  Those are, of course, important to consider, yet there's a third consideration.  Ahhhh...the power of threes (a future post).  This third viewpoint is where possibility awaits.  It's being open to the unknown, mystery, miracles, things we can not see but we know are there.  Years ago, we didn't know this "dream come true" life was on our horizon.  We didn't even know it existed.  Even right now, we're heading towards an opportunity that seemingly "came out of the blue".  There's no doubt, that what we sow, we reap but there is so much more to that equation.  It's being open to the unknown, to our dreams, to the infinite opportunities that dance around us in every moment.  It's having a dream goal in mind AND staying very open to how that dream life may unfold.  Here's to all of us, following that majestic bird above, let's open our wings, I mean minds, to the soaring possibilities on our collective horizons.