Mystical Van Ventures
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Most Beautiful Place
I sit here, perched above the rushing river, at sunset, my feet soaking in a tub of hot water. I heated river water on my Coleman stove. I just hiked with my friend Doc up to 13,000 ft elevation where we met with the Continental Divide Trail. We took Doc’s 4wd miles up a pretty rugged road leading us up the side of the mountain, until it opened up into a heavenly expanse of mountains and meadows, filled with wild flowers, including the state flower, the Columbine.I was in complete awe of the beauty. We were in such a remote area. We climbed the trail taking us straight up the side of the mountain. There were beautiful fairy glens, where streams were coming down the mountains and wild flowers of deep, rich colors were growing in abundance.
We had to take it slow and take plenty of breaks because the altitude was so high. At the top we reached temperatures of 42 degrees. I was grateful I brought my heavy windbreaker as the wind was very strong.
After a beautiful day of hiking we came back to my amazing new camp right on the river. Across the river was a very tall waterfall falling from the mountains above. I still had cell service, my hotspot worked great and I could work from this beautiful spot in nature.In so many ways this is the experience I had been seeking; getting away from the commercial campgrounds and out in nature with no disturbances other than the Off Road Vehicle traffic that seemed to like the side gravel road running by my camp.
Being only a couple miles from town, I could easily drive to the coffee shop every morning, charge up my electronics and visit with the locals.It is nearing the end of June now and I must say time seems to have slowed down. It is hard to believe it has been only a month on the road. Sometimes it feels I’ve been out here so much longer. The first day of summer was last week and I still have the whole summer ahead of me.
A friend asked me about the concept of “time going slow” and asked “doesn’t this mean you aren’t having fun?” This is because it is said “time flies when you are having fun.” I asked him “wouldn’t you rather time slowed down when you were having fun so you can savor every moment?”Time is a gift right now and I am embracing the slow paced van life I am living. I don’t know when I will move on. Right now, I am loving where I am at and won’t “move on” until I feel the call. After all, isn’t this what my trip is all about? Following the call of spirit? I say YES!
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Video Memories
Google put together this video for me with photos and videos from my trip. Thank you Mario for sending me your smiling face, cuz you made the cut….
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The Feathers
Several years ago, I came to Silverton for six weeks in July and August to do some healing. My neighbor had suggested I contact her daughter’s Father who lived in Silverton and owned an art gallery. The Gallery owner and I became good friends and he offered me the apartment above the gallery in exchange for working in the gallery one day a week. While working in the gallery, I fell in love with these feather earrings. There was a whole variety of beautiful earrings made of various types of feathers of so many beautiful colors. I hadn’t been able to wear earrings for years because the weight of them irritated my ears, so I stopped wearing them, but these earrings were so beautiful, I had to try them. I found that these were the perfect earrings. Light as a feather! Oh, wait! They were feathers. So, I bought about five pair during the course of my stay there.Over the years, I never found earrings quite like these, and I wanted more; especially since I lost one of the pure white one’s that I loved so much. Even in Costa Rica with all the colorful birds dropping their feathers, there were still none as beautiful as the one’s I had.
When returning to Silverton, I fully intended on finding out if I could get more of these earrings. My friend, the Gallery owner, had moved from the area and a woman had taken over the space. I ran into another old friend in the local coffee house who told me that the woman who made the earrings died and the remaining supply were across the street at the “White Eyes Gallery.” I went over to the Gallery the next day and connected with the woman who owned the Gallery. She was nearly in tears telling me about how honored she was that the feather artists husband, had chosen her gallery to carry the remainder of her earrings and he was just in this morning to say hi.
There they were! All the beautiful earrings. How does one choose. I picked out four pair, and fortunately was able to replace the pair of white earrings I so loved. I talked to the shop owner about her relationship with the artist and how sad it was to lose her. Although I probably only met the artist and her husband once or twice while working in the gallery years ago, I felt the pain and loss of the woman who sold me the earrings. We had exchanged stories about the earrings and how I discovered them. She carefully wrapped them up in a box and said our goodbyes.
Several days later I attended an outdoor music concert in Silverton. I got my little folding chair and sat right up front, decked out in my hair feathers and new earrings and an older gentleman came up to say hi to me. We talked a bit and he asked if he could sit down. We talked more and he said “I make feathers.” I then understood why he was drawn to me. It was my feathers. I showed him my feather earrings and he said “those are mine.” I put two and two together and said “Oh, your wife just died.” He said “yes.” It had been a year, but they had been married for forty years and I could see he was still sad and grieving the loss of his life partner.It was such a powerful coincidence around these feathers. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with the husband of the artist who brought me these beautiful works of art. Another full circle experience.
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Three Weeks on the Road
It has now been three weeks of my four month “Flying Solo” Journey and let me tell you, it feels like it has been three months. So much has happened on so many levels. Friends ask me how I am liking it and if I am ready to go back home yet. The answer is, “I love it” and “no, I’m not ready to go back home.I find myself in the mountains of Colorado, getting to know the people and I even met a man that I am having fun with. In fact, I have met several men. I never meet men in the Sedona area that I resonate with. There is something about the outdoorsy, mountain life that fits me. All I need to do is walk down the street and people will strike up conversations with me.
I went to a “trance dance” on the Summer Solstice and already knew four people there, I had met in the past week, not including the man I went with. I was already beginning to feel a part of the community and the community seems to embrace me.
My desire to “move on” too far out of the area I am in is non-existent. Perhaps one day I will feel differently, but now, I feel “at home” here in the mountains. I am not flying too fast, or too far, nor am I going at it completely alone.We all need to make peace with ourselves and find that “self-love” that allows our inner light to shine brightly. Our “inner light” is our most attractive quality. I feel the more “free spirited” and happy I am, the more people magnetize into my orbit.
The true “flying solo” journey is really about nurturing my relationship with “Self.” It is about embracing life single and when we can truly embrace our “single self” we my find that being single becomes a choice rather than a circumstance.
We are all “single” in the deepest sense of the word. We call come into this world alone and we leave this world alone. We all have to make our own decisions, even if we are coupled, and we have to make the decision to do what is in our highest and best interest. Sometimes that might mean staying in a relationship, and sometimes it might mean letting go of one.
Many people won’t leave unhealthy, unfulfilling, or toxic relationships because of a fear of being alone. What I have found is that “alone” is a choice. When we can truly nurture our relationship with ourselves, we can more easily nurture relationships with others and enjoy the company of many people. We may not have someone in our life that we share a bed with at night, but for some of us, crawling into our own bed at night can be the most delicious part of our solo journey.I love my van bed! Just as I love my bed at home. Crawling into bed alone at night is my time of deep meditation. It is the time when I connect fully with the divine and process the events of the day. It has been a long time since I felt I missed having someone to share that space with. It would take a very special person to give that up.
Where I find myself today, the hiking is great! The temperature is in the seventies and the air is fresh and clean. The mountain peaks reach high into the sky and the waters are pouring down from the mountains from every crevasse. There are an abundance of streams, creeks and rivers, tall pine trees, aspens and other beautiful trees. In June the wild flowers are in bloom. I feel I am in bloom as well; fully alive; fully embracing the journey.And so the journey continues……
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Technology Dependency
One of the most frustrating aspects of my journey has been technology. Since I am still working and seeing clients, I am dependent upon technology and on the road, there are some real challenges.
I purchased a solar charging unit for my phone but it only actually worked once. So that was a waste of money. I have my car phone charger as a backup, but for some reason this is not working either. So I become dependent upon Cafe’s and Campground lounges to charge my phone and my laptop.
When I am in session for five plus hours a day, I run the risk of my laptop battery draining. I have a new Asus Zenbook which is supposed to have a good twelve hour battery, but I find I am lucky to get a solid six hours from it. I find myself having to book a “charging break” in my day and go have a cup of coffee or tea in a place with outlets.
My morning coffee charging time is mandatory. I begin each day with fully charged electronics and do what I can to conserve.Now I understand why having solar panels installed on the top of one’s rig is important. As I was watching all the youtube video’s of people who live in their Van’s or Rv’s, most will have a couple solar panels installed that keep not only their electronics charged but also their fridge. I would have to choose between my roof cargo rack or solar panels. It would make sense to pair down the amount of “stuff” I think I need to have, lose the cargo rack and install the solar panels. That would be next trip. I’ve already managed to get three weeks in and even with the electronics issue, I am managing.
Many travelers depend upon campground electronics. Campgrounds charge very good money for “hookups.” It is typical to pay anywhere from $40.00 to $60.00 per night for an RV hookup spot. Even if one spent $45.00 per night, plus tax, on camping, they would be investing roughly$1500.00 per month on parking. For some, this is simply factored into their budget, but for me, it doesn’t make financial sense.
What I have found about most RV parks and commercial campgrounds is they make the most of their real estate and don’t give a lot of space between units.
For me the whole idea of camping is to get out in nature. Not to be so close the camper next to me that I can hear every word they say, smell their cooking, hear their music and in some cases, even hear them snoring at night. To me, this is not my idea of a good time.
I understand that people with big camping rigs, just shut themselves in at night, like they would their homes, and turn on their television sets, their air conditioning and all the comforts of home. They really don’t hear their neighbors.
The night I had to put in ear plugs because I could hear the camper next door snoring, was the night I decided I needed more space around me.
Fortunately today, the summer solstice, the San Juan National Forests are opening back up, and so I get to retreat back into the forest, where there is a lot more open space. I also only take clients Monday through Wednesday, so I have some days free of electronical worries.
Overall I am so very grateful for our electronics, because it allows me to be “FREE!” I can go anywhere and still work, as long as I can get a signal. And this is why I am able to be on this “Flying Solo” journey.
Happy Summer Solstice!