Wanna see me and Justin act like goofballs, sing, dance and give the Grand Tour?

And All That Jazz! from Tara Wagner on Vimeo.

Yup, pretty much inspiring the dignity out of me.

Some other inspirational stuff I want to share:

• It was warm and breezy and inspired me to write about Spring Cleaning Tips
• Which also lead me to do some research on whether or not Oxiclean is safe.
• I’ve been absorbing this message all week. It’s not quite sunk in yet.
• Fun little personality test that is So. Right. On.
• Every woman should be singing this song to herself!
• And this song too!
• I think we’ve all fallen victim to the I’ll-be-happy-when kinda thinking.
• I loved her in Beaches and I love her more here.
• Love road trips? You’ll love this site!
• Oh. My. Goodness. Gorgeous!
• I need to write Be In A Flash Mob on my life list.
• Have I shared this powerful video before? If so, it deserves another share.

Justin and I have a busy week(s) ahead of us. We’re finishing up the last minute details of getting back on the road AND we’re co-writing an e-book for Sustainable Baby Steps!

So, I might be sparse on the blog and time sucks Facebook and Twitter for a tiny bit. But I’m still available by email and still scheduling a few coaching sessions.

And I’ll be back soon with more awesome sauce for you gorgeous people. In the meantime….

What’s inspiring YOU?

Meet Jazz. Also know as Jazzy Jeff or Spazzy Jazz or any other combination of Jazzy words.

Jazz is our new home, a 31 foot 2007 Thor Jazz 5th wheel. You can see all the Before photos here.

Yes, Jazz is solar-powered. And the truck, which Zeb has named The Black Pearl, is running on waste veggie oil. We have more storage and more space and I’m going to have a dedicated desk again! It’s heaven.

There are no After photos yet. That’s because we’re not done. This week we’re hoping to finish up the details, such as removing those horrendous window valances and painting all that tan. We’ll be in Las Vegas as we finish that up with hopes of heading out in just a few sort weeks.

Right now I’m heading off to shop (oh dear Gd, help me) with Justin for the last components of our new home. And then we have some work to do!

It’ll be a busy week, so I’ll leave you with some inspiration:

• My interview on unschooling high school is up at Idzie’s place.
• And a podcast with my passionate friend Darlene.
• And one more on Untie the Ribbons!
• Have you seen the SBS article on cast iron cookware?
• And of course, I have to mention something about green Valentine’s!
• Dear, sweet Benny has moved onto a new family in Florida.
• Powerful, emotional song. Watch with care.
• What do you think of a motto like this?
• Oh yeah, I’m totally uncool about nearly everything I do.
• If you haven’t seen this heart-wrenching photo, you need too.
• This makes me giggle. I don’t want one but I do want to see someone with their own.
• Have some time to kill? I’ve been stuck on level 49 for weeks.
• This is so cool! I want to make my own!
• So touching and thought-provoking.
• Love what this sweet mama is doing for others!
• A must watch. For real.

I should note that I have every intention of continuing these Inspiration Monday posts. But I doubt I’ll do them every single Monday and I hope you’ll continue to carry on when I miss a week.

So, what’s been inspiring you lately?

Share your inspiration on your own blog post or in the comments below!

Yes, it’s that time. Time to say goodbye to our beloved Benny the Brave.

We love him and although it’s hard to let go of our first Big Dream-Maker, we’re ready to upgrade. We’ve decided to travel long-term, still in search of a new place to land, but with the idea of making our new rig our long-term home, even once we’re settled.

Benny is an amazing RV, perfect for small families, part-timers, full-timers or weekenders!

But the most amazing part:

Benny runs on both regular diesel AND waste veggie oil, found for free from restaurants and kitchens around the nation. Don’t know what that’s awesome? We traveled almost 9k miles on about $200 for fuel and fuel-related expenses! Don’t know anything about veggie conversions? We’ll walk you through it.

More of Benny’s Specs:

• 1982 Winnebago Brave – 22 feet (Class A)
• Sleeps up to 4 (or more depending)
• Under 77,000 miles
• Chevy 6.2L diesel engine
• Propane generator
• Complete & installed veg conversion from Green Eye Auto, with filtration system
• Runs on both diesel and straight veggie oil, which is found for free all around the nation
• Average mileage fully loaded (with our trailer): 11mpg
• Completely remodeled interior: wood flooring, counters, paint, shower walls, toilet, dinette, cushions, mattress, cupboards, chalkboard doors, storage above cab and more.
• Ready for solar panels
• Lots of new or upgraded parts: Batteries (two deep cycle and two regular), alternator and wiring, shocks, power steering pump, master cylinder, fuel pump and more.
• Tires have less than 9k miles
• Optional: Two 80-watt solar panels, with a 600-watt inverter
• Pickup from Las Vegas, NV with shipping/delivering options available.
• Price: $8,000 ($9,000 with solar panels)
  

View all photos of our Winnebago Brave for sale here.

If you’re interested in knowing more about our dear Benny, send me an email directly: theorganicsister at gmail dot com.

I know myself. I know that I will be stuck until I have two things: a platform to express and the validation that Where I Am is okay. This blog gives me the first; my husband and all of your deep, thoughtful and soul-dripping comments give me the second.

There are times when we need to mope and be in the thick of it (we can’t get through it without going through it). It’s where I’ve been the past few days. Then there are times when Life snorts at your experience and throws another into the mix and you have little choice but to roll with it.

Yes, just less than 24 hours after the first blow, we were dealt another. And again, in reality, it’s not a really big deal. But when you’re already neck-deep in yuck, it sure feels like a kick in the teeth.

Yesterday we got a notice that we are not allowed to park Benny in front of my parent’s house. We had 72 hours to move. 72 hours to do what we wanted another two weeks to accomplish.

Oh trust me, I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry and throw a fit and curse the neighbor who complained. But I kept my composure…there were people present after all. Instead, I acquiesced to the moment, scraped my heart off the floor and allowed the experience to propel me.

Movement through madness is a healing salve.

As your kind words poured in, we packed up our household and moved it all into my parent’s garage. As your comments brought me to tears, we moved our clothing into their spare room. As I absorbed your love and your Truth, we got Benny ready to move - without us.

I felt a little like a person getting ready to take her dog to the pound. Guilty and apologetic and tearful. We are attached after all, Benny and I. He’s my Dream-maker, my first liberator, and moving on from that grips at my chest.

Last night, with Zeb at a sleepover with his Gramma, Justin and I slept in Benny for the last time. And as we laughed and reminisced, in my heart I started to let go of my fear.

With the threat of entrapment still lingering over my dreams, watching Benny lumbering behind me down the road and leaving him behind at my father-in-law’s home for the time being took a lot of deep breaths. It was scary. On one hand it’s a necessary step. In order to get the new rig, we have to let the old one go.

But in letting Benny go I was relinquishing my freedom. For awhile at least, I have no means of escape. He’s my last tangible tie to life on the road. And that, my friends, takes a large heaping of Trust.

I’m breathing deep. I’m trusting my dreams are real and valid and happening. I’m trusting our perseverance and ingenuity to keep us from stagnancy in this place we so badly don’t want to be. I’m (just barely, mostly unwillingly, hardly contentedly) trusting the timing of it all. And I’m trusting we are loved and not alone in this, too. I’m not alone in this.

Alone is a scary place to be. But I know it’s a place I choose. I push companionship away when I hurt. I hurt myself deeper, really. But I am loved and blessed. Justin knows me. He knows to hold me when I tell him I want to be alone. He gives me the space to Be and the space to grow, a space that just happens to be within his arms. And my once battered heart is reminded again that it’s a safe place to be.

Life is challenging me, offering a long-avoided opportunity to heal. It’s requesting I stretch in order to grow. These are my growing pains. This is my growth spurt. As hard as it is to say at times, I know this place is good.

Yesterday we were dealt a nasty blow to our dreams. The possibility of leaving Las Vegas by January has ended. The idea of two or three extra months here shouldn’t leave me in tears on the floor, but it did.

I don’t want to be here. I resist it with every fiber of my being. I make it clear to everyone I speak with that I’m only visiting. That this is not my home. I don’t feel good here, I don’t feel whole or fed or at peace here. I feel needy and desperate and lonely and empty. It took me 28 years to escape this the first time and seven months later I’m here again.

I don’t want to hear that there is a reason, that there is a message or a lesson in all this. I don’t want to hear that I need to let go, that I need to trust. I know it, but I resist it anyway.

Why? Because I’m afraid. I’m afraid of feeling trapped. I’m afraid of some giant cosmic hand telling me I’m “supposed to” be somewhere that makes me unhappy. I’m afraid of losing what I’ve found or finding that I didn’t deserve it in the first place.

In this past year I’ve wholeheartedly embraced a fear that has had me paralyzed for decades. I’ve lived in fear of Too Good Too Last, and I carefully kept my life and my joy at bay. I kept myself from loving or living unconditionally to protect myself from the pain that follows loss. Does that even make sense? I’ve felt that anything good will be taken from me, so I keep things two degrees off Good just to play it safe.

I thought through this amazing journey that I had conquered all of that. But as soon as Justin broke the news yesterday I felt that crushing fear, that desperate grasp for safety, those fortress walls springing back around me, my chest tightening and my joy slipping through my fingers. I heard that old familiar voice, “See? I told you it couldn’t last. Something was bound to come along and tear our dreams apart. This is it. It’s going to fall apart and you’re going to be trapped. You don’t deserve anything more.”

Ouch. I know it doesn’t even sound rational. It doesn’t feel rational either. It hurts. And it’s scary. It’s rubbing up against beliefs and thoughts I’m not ready to examine and it’s not accepting my attempt to put it off. It’s challenging me and it’s forcing me to stretch and grow. And all of that is good. I know it’s good. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I want to face this. I want to push through it. I want to be handed a challenge and fly over it. I want to feel energized and more determined by it. I want to keep smiling, keep holding onto my joy. I want to embrace my fear with compassion.

I want to say I’m not in tears, hiding my face in my pillow and guarding myself against anything that feels good. I want to say I’m not pushing away the love I’m handed, letting go of the dreams I have for fear of more pain. I want to say I’m not questioning my spirituality, questioning whether Gd really is the bully with the magnifying glass burning holes in my heart.

But I can’t say any of that right now. It wouldn’t be real, authentic.

In this moment, right now, I hurt. In this moment, I feel a suffocating fear. This moment is messy and ugly and demanding tears. This moment is not allowing me to move.

So I’m doing the only thing this moment is asking me to do: I’m sitting in it. I’m allowing myself to cry or feel afraid or guarded. I’m allowing myself to resist. I’m embracing the messy and the vulnerable and the whiney. I’m playing the victim, and the Blame Game, and the big baby. I’m wallowing and hurting and questioning. I’m distracting myself. I’m wavering between sobs and angry outbursts.

No, it doesn’t really make sense. No, the details aren’t really that big of a deal. But this is what Life has handed my heart: not another three months, but a giant serving of Here’s Your Opportunity with a side of It’s Time To Face This Already.

It’s never about the details. It’s never about what happened or what’s going to happen. It’s about the messages we have hidden in our hearts, the stories we listen to, how they affect us, what we feel and what’s happening inside of us. It’s the bigger picture, when we can see it…and when we can’t.

I can’t see it. I can say it, but I’m too deep in it to really know it to be true. I can look at the words and reread them and still I hear that cynical, biting voice in my mind. So I’m holding onto the only two things I really do know to be true: I can be nothing but authentic. And life will ebb and flow, all things will pass.

This is me, authentic. Waiting for the fear to pass, for my ability to let it go.

Where We Began

I told you I’d tell you my current location later. That’s because it comes with a rather lengthy explanation.

We’re back where we began, in Las Vegas.

And we’ll be here for a little bit. No, not “home” because it has a distinct “not home anymore” feel to it. Which feels really good to me, I might add.

Those of you that have been reading this blog for any length of time probably remember how I feel about my hometown. That is to say I’m less than crazy about being here. In fact, I’m pretty sure when I signed up for birth, I thought it was going to happen in some other place. I’ve been a wee bit resentful ever since. Las Vegas has some great things about it, but it’s just not for me.

So what, you may be asking, are we doing back here? Well, I’m going to tell, complete with headlines, because that’s how I roll:

The Story

About a month ago began a really bumpy ride. A long, seemingly endless string of frustrations. The kind that force you to stop and ask “What the f*ck is going on here??”

No joke, it was insane. First, a major water leak that ruined some of our things and soaked our beds. Then the injector pump stranded us at the side of the road. Then it was the alternator, then the batteries, then a strange wire that runs between the two, then the glow plugs, then the shocks, then the driveline, then a timing belt, then the veggie oil’s fuel pump. It was a domino effect and each time we fixed one thing, something else would break the very next day.

Nearly four weeks of this people!

If it hadn’t been for friends meeting us in Albuquerque and traveling with us, keeping us sane and safe should anything happen, I’m pretty sure we would have ended up killing each other. I’ll spare you the ugly details. Because having friends nearby makes all the difference. But through the experience, one really cool thing happened:

We suddenly became really clear on what we wanted.

As thoughts of “settling in” long-term in New Mexico were dancing in our minds, we knew we were not ready to settle down. We aren’t ready to stop yet.

And the more we sat stranded in New Mexico, the more we felt it was time to put up or shut up, make the decision, commit, one way or the other. And so we did. We talked, the three of us, about what we wanted. And we all came to the same decision.

The Decision

We’ve decided to stay on the road for as long as we can.

The world and the economy are changing: peak oil, climate change, recession/depression, war and corruption. While some people see that as a sign to play it safe, we’re feeling pretty damn good about taking more risks. We’ve taken advantage of a huge opportunity, one that may not always present itself.

Life and circumstances may not always allow us to travel, to meet such amazing people, see such rich and diverse things. Life is uncertain and sometimes volatile and it’s all the more reason for us to enjoy what we can while we have it. For some that means loving fully the place they are, or the people they’re with.

For us it means loving fully not having a place yet and enjoying  the road with each other. We want to give Zeb the opportunity to explore and experience. We want to explore and experience with him. We don’t want to put this off until Someday because we all know life never guarantees us a Someday.

Neither of our dreams is without sacrifices. We can sacrifice Now for the security of a permaculture, off-grid home or we can sacrifice a home for the adventure of a lifetime.

Not exactly an easy decision. But I’ve learned something about my sense of security. It’s a myth. It’s a false sense of something being there that doesn’t even exist.

The world is a dangerous place to be. Life is inherently messy. It’s full of hairpin turns and steep drop-offs and unexpected landslides. And we can sit far from the edge and feel secure but the risk is still there, maybe even greater, since we’ve made ourselves sitting ducks dependent on something outside our own daring ingenuity.

There is no protecting ourselves from danger; there’s only missing out on opportunity.

Ironically, as soon as we all made the decision to commit to this life, as soon as we got clear and cohesive on what we wanted,  Ol’ Benny stopped giving us trouble. I guess sometimes decisions we’re avoiding will just demand our attention.

Where We Are Now

So that brings me back to Las Vegas.

After committing, the pieces fell into place smoothly and effortlessly. Benny is a great RV, but he’s not cut out for full-timing. So we need to upgrade and we needed a place to crash while we work out the details. My parents not only had a place for us to park, they have a handful of projects custom fit for us.

Justin is going to be installing a pergola, building a tool shed and probably helping to landscape a yard. After that he might be doing their crown molding and maybe a few other home improvements for them. I’m also helping my mom transition into a Real Foods, gluten-free diet.

And we’ll be using the time to sell Justin’s gasoline truck, sell Benny the Brave and various other things and purchase a diesel truck and a 5th wheel. The 5th wheel has been Zeb’s idea for awhile and he’s finally sold us on it. What can I say; he’s a persuasive kid.

We’re also using the time to focus on working for ourselves. We have money to raise while we’re here, new ventures to launch and new ideas to investigate. Having this time at my parents’ place to focus on those things is an amazing blessing.

We’ll be here for three months, working, eating, playing with friends and enjoying the things we really do love about Vegas.

And come the beginning of the year, we’ll be back on the road.

Shameless Plug

The next three months are going to be crunch-time for us. Big projects, lots of work and more needed if we want to make this happen.

We would love your help.

Do you have a project you want done? Have you been considering scheduling a coaching session? If there’s something you need that we can help with, we’d love to work with you! You can check out our services here. (Travel may still be an option.)

And if you’ve benefited from this blog and from my writing in any way, if I’ve inspired you or if you just have a crush on my husband (because who doesn’t?), and want to send your support, would you consider donating to the cause?

Our current backyard.

We’re still in New Mexico. And we’re starting to think this state has it in for us. Just a few hours after pulling away from the mechanic, Benny stalled again. Different problem than last week, but not all-together new. Justin has dubbed New Mexico the Land of Entrapment.

*Deep breath*

We’re all feeling like Seattle is just not meant to be. Right now we’re outside Albuquerque, problem-solving an alternator issue that has everyone perplexed and you know what? I’m totally cool with that. The weather is gorgeous, the rv park is very inexpensive. And I’m working on a Really Big Project and all this downtime has been amazingly efficient for me. Another week like this and I may be ready to launch this thing within 2-4 weeks. (There you go, public accountability. Hold me to it, will ya?)

Justin’s not feeling so great about it all. He’s incredibly frustrated that what should work isn’t and no one knows why. No fun. Zeb has been pretty awesome though. He’s been helping out with a lot, even cleaning and cooking, and feels okay about missing the Lego conference (although we’re all still bummed).

I have no idea how long we’ll be here or where we’ll go next and I have no intention of thinking about that until next weekend at the soonest. I’m going to be hanging here in the Land of Enchantment, working on my Really Big Project and enjoying our pretty decent view.

Some inspiration in the meantime:

• Her art makes me smile.
• So do his stories.
• For you Tweeters…can you believe it?
• Very cool!
• A must read.
• Zeb is interested in this and I’m worried for my cutlery.
• Very, very tempting.
• In case you haven’t seen…
• And in case you haven’t read…
• And a few fun tunes for all you hoopers out there!

What’s Been Inspiring You?

To play along, post your own Inspiration Monday blog post about what’s been inspiring you this week – what’s lighting you on fire, filling you up or making you smile. A moment to share, a link, a joke. Add a mention to the post so I know it’s for real, then add you post to the form below.

P.S. This is about personal Inspiration, not just any old post to link up. Please share authentically.

I’m not into food dogma, the “rules” that say if you eat this you’ll be healthy and live longer and if you don’t eat it you’ll live a miserable, disease-ridden life. And sadly, I’ve heard nearly those exact words.

What I am into is “instinctual” eating: tuning into your body and eating what makes you feel best at any given moment. Unfortunately, I think many of us lose those instincts amongst the myriad of fear-based teachings, blatant misinformation and cultural bias (as well as upbringings that taught us tings like The Clean Plate Club and extrinsic control of our bodies). I’ve found it important to research all sides, try things on for size and choose what makes sense to me.

I also feel within the bigger picture of Life there is no “right” or “wrong” and I often wonder if we’re all so determined to find a fountain of youth because we’re really just afraid of death.

All that being said, the three of us instinctively gravitate towards what is commonly referred to as “real foods”. The definition of that is somewhat obvious: no processed or genetically-modified foods, but also lots of fruits and veggies, pastured meats, fermented foods (like sauerkraut) and so on. On top of that, I personally feel fantastic when I avoid gluten the it’s Black Death (which it tends to feel like) and eat enough grass-fed beef to keep my joints feeling fantastic.

We also tend to eat seasonally. Summertime means mostly raw fruits and veggies with a small amount of pastured meats and very little dairy. In the winter I crave heavier meals, more meats and potatoes and lots of raw dairy. Zeb and Justin are fairly similar to me, but their meat consumption stays about the same year-round and Justin’s body never wants dairy.

I do feel there are foods that have been created to warp the hell out of our instincts, things like appetite-enhancers, sugars and bad fats can confuse us into wanting more initially. But I’ve found that if we indulge those cravings with both good and bad sources, our bodies will learn from the contrast and naturally desire the best versions for our needs.

Some things that make sense to us:

• We need fat: Kids especially need a lot of fat, but so do adults. It’s good for our brains, our joints, cell production and our reproductive systems. Not all fats are bad.
• Sugar is not the enemy: Sure processed sugar leaves us craving more, but that doesn’t make things like honey bad. And I do think our bodies can tell the difference between real and processed sugars given the opportunity to learn.
• It’s as much in our heads as our stomachs: Things like fear, judgment, and personal issues around food – or gratitude, enjoyment and consciousness – create and prevent more disease than any one way of eating.

Yes, I feel we’re omnivores by nature. Yes, Real Foods make sense to me. Yes, I totally respect when something completely different makes sense to other people. Diversity is beautiful! What I don’t respect (and don’t tolerate on my blog) is the bullshit condemnation thrown around by certain foodie groups. Seriously, that kind of hatred or judgment is going to kill you long before the worst of foods possibly could.

Real Food On The Road

Now on to the topic at hand: Finding real food sources while traveling hasn’t been easy. Sometimes we’re stuck with a local supermarket (or ::gasp:: Walmart Supercenter).

We especially enjoy eating locally, like trying crawfish in Louisiana, eats brats in Wisconsin and Tex-Mex in New Mexico. And we do what we can for the rest:

• Local Harvest hasn’t been as helpful as we had hoped. CSA’s aren’t usually open to transients and farmer’s markets keep falling on the days we’re not passing through. But it’s a resource, regardless.
• Farmer’s markets are our best bet when we can find them. We stock up on things like freezable meat and cheese when we can.
• Green People helps us find local (and sometimes tiny) health food stores, especially useful for resupplying things like gluten-free items.
• Connecting with locals has been key. They know the farms and farmers and neighbors with an abundance of backyard chickens.
• When we have no other option but a nearby Walmart, here’s what we choose:
  • avoid the Dirty Dozen
  • avoid any animal products
  • choose lots of fruits and veggies (occasionally we can find organic items, like greens or tomatoes)
  • choose unprocessed grains, like rice or quinoa
  • Zeb and Justin have found the few loaves of bread free of HFCS (Nature’s Own and Oroweat)
  • comb the aisles for the occasional display of organic or gluten-free “specialty” items

Of course we also have to meet the needs of a very selective 11 year old, a gluten-free eater and, well, Justin will eat whatever. Some examples of our most common meals:

• Rice and veggies (can’t get much more simple than that)
• Salads with pastured chicken
• Gluten-free pasta with either spaghetti sauce and grass-fed beef, or my personal fave, cooked greens, cooked cherry tomatoes and feta cheese.
• Grilled cheese and tomato soup (I tend to just eat the soup)
• Tacos! Everybody loves tacos and they can include beans or pastured meat depending on availability

There are some things we have little option over with such a small space. We obviously don’t grow our own food. We don’t make a lot of soups or stocks, soaked grains or sprouted items. Perhaps if our kitchen space included a real counter we would.

It’s not as though any of these things would be impossible in an RV, even in our tiny RV. It’s that we’ve found we can eat whole, pastured and mostly unprocessed foods without the extra time or energy by keeping things simple. And with so much going on while we travel, we like simple a lot.

Do Real Foods Interest You?

Did you know that certain veggies shouldn’t been eaten raw in excess or things like tomatoes and other veggies can exacerbate joint issues? Are you interested in learning why meat should always be pastured, cholesterol and saturated fats are good for you and what constitutes Living Foods and Superfoods?

Food Renegade has a phenomenal learning tool for self-education. It was created with homeschooling kids in mind, but I found it useful for myself and learned so much I hadn’t known before. It really reaffirmed a few things I had been feeling, like why my body didn’t seem to like raw spinach. I don’t support it as a curriculum for kids who aren’t interested in learning about it, but I wholeheartedly support it as a resource for anyone wanting to know more about traditional foods, preparation and even how to eat real food on a budget.

Food Renegade is also offering a Fall E-Course for those interested in learning even more. Full of videos, materials and activities to engage you, the course promises to leave a lasting impression in a fun, dynamic way. Here’s a sneak peek:

Again, it was originally designed for homeschooling kids in mind, but it’s open and welcoming to interested adults. Remember, Real Food advocates can be dogmatic, too! Read, research and learn for yourself and apply what fits your body.

And please: If you’re interested in having your kids learn this, but they aren’t interested, don’t force it. We all do what makes sense to our own bodies in any given moment and I find it crucial to validate our children where they are. But I highly recommend learning yourself! Be a life-long learner, soak up the information that is valuable to you and integrate it into your lives in a passionate (but not forceful) way! Be a conduit of information for your kids, bringing knowledge into your home and allowing them to gravitate toward it if it makes sense for them.

*These are affiliate links: resources, products or services I enjoy and recommend based on my personal standards. If you purchase from these links, you will help to support my family and my love for blogging at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Does this look familiar?

Yeah, we’re broke down. This time we were just west of the New Mexico-Texas state line. With the help of a few friends and some prior knowledge, Justin’s pretty sure it’s the injector pump. Unfortunately that’s not something he can fix himself, especially on the side of the road. Thank goodness for roadside assistance! (Yes, we learned that lesson from the last time!)

Now we’re boondocking in a small town in eastern New Mexico, waiting for a service shop to open on Monday.

Overall, we’re taking it in stride. It may compromise our plans to make the BrickCon Lego conference in Seattle at the end of the month and it’s certainly not where we’d prefer to be, but it is what it is. And other than the annoying biting flies, we don’t feel too upset.

What we do feel is perplexed. This past week (since leaving the conference) has been one issue after fiasco after meltdown: torrential rains leading to six leaks and plenty of damage, Justin getting lost on his motorcycle, Zeb having a post-conference meltdown that we didn’t handle very well (feeling pretty meltdown-ish ourselves), and the story goes on. It’s making us all reevaluate our route, wondering if we’re heading in the wrong direction or maybe we just need to s l o w d o w n.

We got to sit in the back…on the driver’s bed. :/

So for now we’re being still, working on that radical acceptance thing and using this opportunity to breath in whatever it is we can from this situation. At least that’s where we are now; we’ll see how we’re all feeling in a few days.

Current Location: small town in eastern New Mexico waiting on a fix.

We stayed with Justin’s gorgeous cousin and her husband and son, enjoyed some homecooked meals in the evenings and several trips to Madison farmer’s markets. It was so incredibly kind of them to open their home to us over the weekend, and I know Justin especially was really grateful for the time spent with them.

I was also able to sneak in a bit of hooping with Denise and her family. I loved it! Being able to ask questions and even answer a few, and just have fun. I can’t wait to find more of these.

We “commuted” during the day to Jennifer and Mark’s home not far away to do some work with them. I had the honor of initiating a brand new dready mama! Jennifer’s long beautiful locks had already been started, so we spent a few hours tightening up the existing and finishing up the rest of her head. Isn’t she just gorgeous with dreads? I can’t wait to see them take shape over the next few months.

Perhaps the most fun was seeing and working on their very own 1982 Winnebago Brave! Look familiar?? Yup, that would be Benny’s big bro, sitting a little longer and with a much different layout. Justin really enjoyed doing repairs, comparing vintage quirks and getting Mark started on the rest of the refurbishing process.

Mark is a baker and they are looking to start a unique and inspiring mobile venture across the US with their four children. I’m super excited to see how their family’s journey unfolds! Hopefully they’ll be starting that blog soon. Hint hint.

Thank you both and good luck to you guys!

Current location: En route from OKC to Dallas for the Rethinking Everything conference!