 Another travel day as I returned to Idaho. No major happenings along the journey. I stopped to see my aunt and Grandpa in Marsing, then stopped at my daughter's house in Kuna. I plan to stay in Kuna - at the Reynolds farm - until October 10th (or until they're tired of me). Then I'll head to Tennessee for the Unstoppable Influence Summit.
My internet and phone connection is going to be an issue if I don't invest in a signal booster and mifi. I had problems getting the last 2 days of blog posts to actually post but they FINALLY did just now at 5:30 am on the start of day 7 of my new life. Gotta love technology. There's a lot to get used to. There are the noises of the water heater kicking on. Noises of the different places I stop to park. Creaks and pops of things as I drive. Not knowing what the location will be like when I stop. Trusting the work is going to keep flowing to me. Getting a routine figured out. SO much to figure out. But, all is well ... except now my check engine light came on. 🤦 I seriously would love for things to just go smoothly. Yesterday, I had words flow through me on the drive that I shared with my social media fans and feel compelled to share here as well. The road may not reach the destination you had planned... I never thought I'd be driving a 3/4 ton diesel pulling a nearly 34' trailer - by myself. I never thought I'd sell, or give away, most of my belongings and live on the road. I definitely never thought I'd be single again at 41... after 20 years with someone. I didn't think my sister and I would jump from a perfectly good plane at 15000 feet to release the past. But, here I am. On the road. Just me and my cats. I have people to call if I get lonely - and I make friends easily. So, while it isn't the same as sharing a life with someone, I still can get a hug when I need one. This life is SO GOOD if you'll focus on the good instead of what you're missing. Remember that you are EXACTLY where you are supposed to be in this moment. Look for the beauty, even through the pain. You never know what amazing things are in store for you just around the next corner. It is National Suicide Awareness month. Please share. Please tell someone they matter. Please be kind - you never know if your words will be the saving grace or the final push for someone who is struggling. Call 1-800-273-8255 if you're struggling. Having been there, I KNOW that there is life beyond the darkness. And, oh my friend, it can be beautiful! I hope you all can find hope and beauty in your day. I love you all! Never forget that YOU MATTER!
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 Had to ask for protection from crazy truck divers last night. One starts flashing his lights and honking at me. The other nearly side swipes me. Not cool man, not cool.
Besides that, day 5 was a lovely day. Got all loaded up by checkout time, even dumped my tanks and filled my fresh water tank (I knew I'd be dry camping somewhere for the night). It would be better gas mileage to drive without my water tanks full but, gotta have that water when I stop for the night. My first "pack up" took 3 hours. I was very diligent about every little thing. I am sure I'll get faster as i get a routine down. The cool part though, I got hooked back up to my truck very quickly. Only jumping out to check the location of my hitch in relation to the trailer 4 times...I felt like a pro. 🤣 There is not a ton to talk about for day 5. I take it easy when driving. The CA roads are horribly bumpy so it's nice to be off those. I did stop for dinner at a lovely restaurant in Truckee called Cottonwood. While there, a great big black bear began wandering about. She was even near the front entrance when I left. That was a surprise. We both stopped, looked at each other wondering what the other was going to do... then she started walking towards me so I got out of her way. I have never been that close to such a large bear in the wild. Dinner and entertainment. Today, I will get back to ID. I slept in Lovelock again. FYI, the Conoco has a perfect spot for RVs (or cars) to stop and sleep. Just in case you're traveling through this area. Yesterday's blog post won't publish... so I'll have bothtop publish now. I guess I do need to invest in a mifi and signal booster. So much to think about. Oh well, I better get rolling. I'll likely have more to say tomorrow. Have a lovely day! I love you all!  I was warned that San Francisco was dirty and unsafe. "The traffic is terrible," multiple people said. Well, to be honest, there were a lot of homeless on my way out at 12 am after the concert (a few blocks from the Chase Center) but, if you go to the North Beach (Pier 39) it seemed perfectly fine since that's the tourist area.
I found this great website (of course they have an app too) that you can reserve a parking space. The one I used is called SpotHero. Since I went down there at about 3 on a weekday, finding a spot wasn't an issue BUT, I saved $ using the app. The garage I parked in (Pier 39 Garage) is $10 per hour. If I hadn't reserved and paid $25 for parking through SpotHero, it would've been $40. Dang cool! I wandered around, checked out a few stores, then sat down to have some Fish and Chips (and a top shelf Margherita - it was happy hour afterall) at Lou's. It was all delicious. I sat, watching people go by, listening to all the languages. It was lovely. Such a mix of people and everyone was enjoying themselves (well, except one man and woman - the man was following quickly behind. He said something in his language, she stopped, turned around, scolded him in their language then stormed off again with him trying to keep up). I enjoyed walking through the ZK Gallery. There were several pieces sold. THAT'S the kind of Gallery to be in. A $20k painting was headed to France. Way cool. I'm following them on IG now. It definitely made me want to get to work! But alas, I must drive today. I sat at the end of the pier, listening to the birds and sea lions. The sound of the waves hitting the pilings was rhythmic. The sun was just a few hours from setting. The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz both visible, I watched as the final tour boats sailed away. No one bothered me. Everyone was enjoying their own space. Sitting here, nearly an hour, I decided I had to go to a beach to watch the sunset. I did a quick search and found a few nearby (one had a lot of nudity according to the site - I went to the other instead 🤣 I love the human body but wasn't in the mood...I just wanted the sunset). Gollum travels with me. He was given to me by a former student who spent hours in my classroom after school (if you're reading this, hello Hannah). She knew I love the Lord of the Rings but was totally creeped out by Gollum. She gave him to me because I had the innate ability to creep her out as well. 🤣 I typically walk softly so I could appear next to students without them even knowing (I scared many over the years). One particular time, after school, Hannah was sitting in my yearbook room with a friend on the floor as I worked on editing yearbook pages that students had submitted (don't miss the hours of editing but I miss my "kids"). She was talking about her boyfriend and how needy he was. Hanging off her, always needing to be around her, and it made me think of Gollum. So, in my spontaneous nature, I jump out of my seat and do a Gollum crawl toward her saying "my precious" as I go. FREAKED her out, the friend (hi Stephanie) and I laughed - eventually Hannah laughed. From then on, she found or drew me Gollum. So, he rides along in my truck and I take pictures of him in different locations and send them to her (and my Bri - hi Bri). So don't be surprised when you see pictures of Gollum. He's my travel companion. 🤣 As I sat on the beach, there's a young man with a professional camera. He's snapping pictures and I ask if I just stepped in front of him. I'd already taken my Gollum picture. He says "no, I just was getting my little prop out." His was much more spiritual (a little Hindi sculpture). I laugh and say "hey I have one too... well, not the same as yours but a little prop." It was nice to have another creative to sit near as the sun set. The sun has set on my stay here. I must start the preparation for my drive. I'll be back in Boise on Friday for sure. But, I'll talk to you again before then. Love you all! Have a beautiful day! Go do something spontaneous today! OH...btw - I didn't think traffic was bad at all. Just go with the flow and all is well. Granted, the cars squeeze in from lane to lane; but, as long as you're paying attention, it's just fine.  I had grand plans of all the things I would do. I was going to paint, sight see, catch up on my online teaching job, pay bills, call utility companies...ALL the things. But, I fell asleep. And slept most of the day.
I have learned to listen to my body. This meat suit is here for us... its the only one we have in this lifetime... so you must take care of it. That's never been a priority for me. I have hated this body. Mistreated and abused it. Thought and said mean things about it. Until now. In January of this year, I received confirmation through a guided meditation of something awful that happened to me at age three. Age three was when I separated from my body. It wasn't safe to be in it, so I always daydreamed and ventured into the world of imagination instead of staying grounded in this "damaged" body. I still do not know who the old man was who took advantage of a little girl who just didn't understand what was happening - I don't need to know. In that meditation, I was able to heal. To tell the three year old me that it wasn't her fault. I grieved for her. I held her. I comforted her. And I convinced her that it is safe to be in her body. And I forgave that man and myself. I healed that day. Tremendously. Learning the truth - no matter how difficult - is often what we need to get to a place of peace. That's what the last year, since June 6, 2018 was for me. My ex, who I was married to for 18 years at that point, came home in between work and practice and devastated me with news. It's funny, looking back, because when he told me he wasn't sure he wanted to be married anymore ... I SMILED. I couldn't stop and had to leave the room. I went in the bathroom and grabbed some tissue to pretend I was crying. It was a strange experience! Why was I smiling? I felt betrayed by my body, it wasn't doing what i thought it should (cry, get angry, be upset... don't smile as your world falls apart... come on now). The truth is, my body knew before my mind did that this was the beginning of me coming home... back into my body. Grounded, protected and at peace. Since that day, I've definitely awakened to the truth of this life and I no longer despise this form that carries me. I know there is still so much to learn and do... and that's what this adventure is going to allow. Having slept most of the day and then going to bed early (11 pm) and waking up late (7 am), there isn't much travel adventure to share. I did run into town to see if I could get a second sewer hose... my connection is at the front-ish of the camper and the campground's connection is at the back. Finding all sorts of things out on this trip. I also had the GPS take me down a road I wouldn't have been able to pull my home down (seriously, I think my GPS is twisted - see picture above). There's also a camper that put some pool noodle floaties on the corners of the slideouts. BRILLIANT! I will have to do that as I've cracked my head multiple times. Hmmm... perhaps the sleepiness is a concussion...I wonder, can you do a concussion test on yourself? 🤦 Another minor issue that arose, I discovered a drip where there shouldn't be one while connected to city water - and yes I have a pressure regulator on. So I am in a full hookup campground, only connected to power. The universe enjoys challenging us. That is why we came to this soul playground called Earth. To learn. To heal. To grow. To explore. To love. The greatest love is yourself. I have to make calls today to turn off utilities at the Boise house because it officially closed yesterday! I am officially a nomad! Well, I am going to site see today after calls and catching up on my teaching job so, TTFN (ta ta for now). Love you all! Have a beautiful day and be kind to your body. It does so much for you.  Today was another travel day to get the rest of the way to my very first KOA campsite. As I'm driving, I hear "GPS signal lost" - sometimes as frequent as every 5 minutes. It makes me laugh. Why is she always lost? It's no big deal EXCEPT when she doesn't tell me I need to turn. I realized I will have to have written as well as GPS directions - thankfully I only had one missed turn as I pulled into Petaluma. The voice on the phone said "make a u-turn" once she caught up with me. Ha ha. Funny. No u-turns for me when I'm hauling my home. 🤦
My phone does strange things. Actually...I do strange things to electronics. Those of you who know me well know this. But, for those who don't... I actually have medically documented evidence that I manipulate electronics. There's a lot of people who do this according to my old doctor who hooked me up to a heart monitor when I first started teaching (stress was causing all sorts of strange things to happen to me). It's caused by extra electrical currents from the heart - these kind are not a medical concern... just extra currents flowing about. He asked me - after the results came back - "do you do strange things to electronics?" FINALLY I had proof that it wasn't something I did wrong - it's just a useless superpower I have. Anyway, I think that's why my GPS is so glitchy in my phone (I'm also a time traveler, my phone clock - set to the same satellite as everyone else's is currently running almost eleven minutes ahead. It started a few years ago when I said "I'm tired of being late." Next thing I knew, my phone got ahead of time). I did make it eventually (just as I eventually get to my point) to Petaluma and pulled into my campsite. The two nights I was supposed to be here (I had hoped to arrive Friday, not Sunday) were just switched to the trail end of my stay instead. So now I am here until Wednesday! YAY! Setting up is quite a process. Wow. For those who've never RV'd ... there's a whole list of things to do before you're set. Speaking of lists, I must get mine made before leaving -along the drive, I would crawl in my home at stops (to check things) then forget to put the big handle back flat. I even forgot the stairs once because this little girl walked up as I was leaving - I was next to the sidewalk checking my tire pressure and she says "what's wrong" and crouches down to look under my rig. She had to be about 5 years old but she was looking at things as if she were a mechanic doing an inspection. Her mom laughed and apologized. It was pretty adorable. I got completely distracted (which happens a lot for me) so I decided there will have to be lists in my home, in my truck ... wherever I need a reminder. I kept saying to myself "rookie mistake." It certainly didn't help that the cats didn't let me sleep. Sleep deprivation + anything requiring thought is not a good combo. Our first night, I found a great spot to park at a truck stop in Lovelock. I wrote the blog day 1 and then quickly fell asleep. After about an hour, there's meowing at my door. Grrrrrrr. It's Swan I'm sure (btw, the sisters are named after Pirates of the Caribbean...Sparrow and Swan). I stay silent, maybe she'll stop if I don't respond. She does, after about half an hour so I try to fall back asleep. As soon as I do, she starts again. 2 hours of this...I should've gotten up and locked her up... but I didn't want to get her in the habit of meowing = mom gets out of bed. 2 am is too early! At the planted house in Boise, I had to lock the girls in the laundry room before going to sleep. Swan would literally reach up and hang from the doorknob when I would occasionally try to nap. They just have to know where I am... but I don't like pets in my bed. So...I should've known. But I was so tired when I stopped, I wasn't sure they'd let me lock them in the studio so I didn't want to fight them. (Side note ... it's actually morning of day 3 when I write this - Metallica was last night - so I did lock them up, no problem.) Every night, I herd cats. I say "girls, let's go to bed" and off they run to their room, looking back at me as we go. It's pretty funny. They get to their food bowl and meow at me like "look at us, we're so good, we're eating our dinner." Ok, I may attribute too many human qualities to them... but I spend a lot of time alone with them. Needless to say, they'll still have to be locked up every night so I can sleep. And sleep I DID after yesterday... although I'm still in need of a giant cup of coffee - or two. I didn't get back home until around 2 (2 am is too late). The hour drive after the concert was rough. I had to call on all my protection to stay awake. I was going to stop for coffee, but my GPS was taking me to questionable places - San Francisco is not as safe as Boise... so I drove very tired. I started just yelling and making strange noises just to get home. It was not safe for me to be on the road but I wasn't sure it was safe to stop either. Anyway - the Metallica concert. HOLY SHIT it was SOOOOOOOO GOOD! I cried, several times, because I was just SO HAPPY that I was there. I left my home at the campground and drove in to San Francisco. The traffic was no worse than anywhere else but the roads.. Holy cow - they are the bounciest, bumpiest, roughest roads EVER. Which is one thing in a regular vehicle - a whole other thing when you're pulling a trailer. Oops, once again, I digress. The performance was with the San Francisco Symphony. I have never experienced such a soul moving concert. I was in heaven and could've listened all night long. My seat was at the VERY top of the Chase Center. I arrived late (the 1 hour drive was actually two) but the concert started late. So I arrived with the first song. It was empty outside and in the halls... kind of a cool experience - I recorded a video and posted it on FB...I think. The seat was awesome. I've NEVER had what some would consider such a bad seat. I've never gotten tickets so far away from the stage. I was so far away... seriously THE LAST row - and the tickets were still VERY expensive. From this viewpoint, I could see everyone and everything. There was a light show that the people lower down could not experience. My senses were overflowing with joy at what I was able to see and hear (the were a few times where I closed my eyes to really FEEL the music but, for the most part, I SAW a great show too). I have wanted to see Metallica since I was in the third grade. I never went because of a "lack mentality". I used to think "oh, those tickets are too expensive... if I spend that money on those, I won't have it for something I need." Let me tell you... My SOUL NEEDED this concert. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I had many deja vu moments on the drive in, as a matter of fact. I must've been tapping in to another timeline (I'll leave that here for another blog). Then, the young man sitting next to me struck up a conversation during intermission. He is from the UK and made a perfect point - which is my point in life now (you have seen me LIVING ALL OUT all summer if you've been following me a while) - you never know if you'll lose the chance to do the thing, go to the place, see the people (he said he skipped Lincoln Park's concert and thought "I'll go next year" well that was the last concert there) ...so when you see an opportunity, take it. He's 23 (we're FB friends now so I stalked to see his age) and he has the greatest part of life figured out. He is living. Doing the things he wants to do. Going the places he wants to go. It's really a wonderful way to live. That's what this concert was for both of us (we both went alone and ended up sitting next to each other... what're the odds). My seat was perfect. Thank you universe. I am following my intuition, allowing it to guide me and put me exactly where I'm supposed to be. Keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunities - and going for them when they come into my consciousness. The GPS signal may be lost but I have so much more that is guiding me. You do too if you'll just get out of your head, and into your heart. Well, I seriously need to go get creamer so I can have my coffee. I love you all! Go do something you've always wanted - something that will do your soul, and maybe someone else, some good. Talk again tomorrow!  Guess what... I did it! I packed everything I "need" into my truck and a 29 foot RV... well, toy hauler actually... and hit the road. This was MUCH more difficult than it sounds though.
A little backstory first...oooh, there's a train going by where I stopped to sleep - SQUIRREL 🤣 Ok, before I'm derailed (sorry, couldn't resist) the BRIEF backstory for those of you who don't know me well... 1996, I graduated high school with a 2 week old baby in my arms (well... she was in the stands during the ceremony but I digress). I had multiple bad relationships the first 3 years of her life ... until I THOUGHT I found my forever. After nearly 20 years together - on April 13, 2019, we separated and after a few weeks, I knew it was permanent because I felt the desire to LIVE ... and he made me feel otherwise. I had struggled with suicidal thoughts for as long as I can remember. In February of this year, I came to the realization that if I exited prematurely, I'd have the same shit show over again. But, until I was away from my ex for about 2 weeks, I still struggled. Then, I found ME and for the first time in my life, I am finally pursuing my true life's purpose (at least that's the Divine messages I have been receiving since making the big decision). That big decision is what I'm living now. A nomadic life. A month or so before that day in April, I woke up from a dream where I was traveling. Going wherever I felt called whenever I felt called. No restrictions. Completely free. Sharing my light with everyone I met. When I woke up after that dream I thought, "that was a really cool dream; but, I can't do that... what about my husband, my 4 cats, my 3 dogs, my studio, etc." All the THINGS that were tying me down. Then my ex and I separated. I still thought "what about my cats, and my studio?" So, I continued to think it was just a dream. Nope. Confirmation that this is my path was on its way. In mid-May, I go to the Unstoppable Influence Inner Circle Retreat in Florida (where I got to present a workshop... perhaps one day I'll talk about that). The first session, the amazing Melissa Walsh takes us through a meditation. During that meditation, I see myself traveling again. Once again...I say "but I can't leave my cats." Then, the second session (the also amazing) Angela Hoover took us through a conversation with our higher self. Well, mine asked "is Idaho your home?" Again, the cats come to mind. I'd already paid my dues to participate in the BOSCO Open Studios Weekend... it just didn't seem possible. That evening I sat talking with one of the other gals at the retreat (hi Jina) and I had a revelation. I don't know if she said it first or if it came from me but, it was this... "I can't let my cats dictate my life." So, I opened up to the idea. The next day, we had an hour of time to do whatever we wanted. Noone else wanted to go to the beach, so I went alone, with my journal. I asked all the questions in my writing... "If I sell the house and travel what about this... what about that... what about each and every thing." I wrote it all out plus a request. I asked the universe for a sign. Three to be specific. And then, the magic happened. Now remember, I'm in Florida at the time - and had been for 4 days at that point - I asked to see 3 yellow birds in the next 7 days. I was going to be back in Idaho the last two days of those 7 days so it wasn't a completely crazy request. I hadn't seen a single yellow bird since arriving in FL. The first 24 hours after the request, not one yellow bird. By the end of the next day, however, I saw six. SIX yellow birds. The following day I saw a HUGE yellow bird painted on the side of a semi. "Ok," I say. Then I notice I keep seeing the number 96 over and over - it's on license plates, mile markers, distances, exits, trailers... over and over and OVER again as I drive south to visit my brother. So, I look up what angel number 96 means. This is what sticks out to me... "Angel Number 96 is a message that it is time for you to detach from your material items, particularly if you have had any obsession with any material possession/s or a need to own them. You are encouraged to 'let go and detach' and trust that something in your life is about to be replaced with ‘better’." (Check out "Angel Numbers - Joanne Sacred Scribes" if you see numbers repeated) MESSAGE RECEIVED. I text my daughter (who happens to be a realtor) and tell her I'm selling the house and traveling. I tell her all the signs and she says "the universe is screaming at you to do this." In June, I began prepping the house for sale. Painting walls, repairing cosmetic things, hiring someone to clean up the disaster of a yard, removing a bee hive ... all sorts of "fun" things. My sister helps too... a lot in July -amidst our shenanigans (these WERE actual fun things but that's a whole other post... a couple of highlights were skydiving from 15,000 ft and getting upgraded to front row seats at the Garth Brooks concert). We finally got the house staged (thank you Wilson Homes at Amherst Madison) and listed on the 26th. We received an offer on August 13th. I moved out - officially - today, the 7th of September. Going from 2600ish sq feet to a 29ft toy hauler was not an easy task. I donated several truckloads of items. I put some in storage (mostly keepsakes, heirlooms and my awesome bed frame from Mexico) and kind of look like a hoarder at the moment in my new home. My truck is packed full. This RV is packed full. I am sure I'll purge more as I go but for now, I have the things I need and some things I think I "might" need 🤦 (I'm an artist, I can't help it). That PLUS three cats (my daughter took one back...I had two of hers). I couldn't part with the other three (two are sisters and can't be separated - one of them fetches ... you can't get rid of a cat that fetches. The third is named after my Papa, Hezzie - she even partially amputated her own tail to get his nickname too...Stub). I re-homed 2 of my dogs, I had to put the third- good old Hondo - down in June... the same day I got stranded in a little town called Cottage Grove, OR (again, a whole other post would be required for that story). I have never had an RV so this is all new. Brand - spanking - new. So, I got my 2020 Grand Design Momentum 29g toy hauler one week before closing on the house. One week before I was supposed to be leaving on my first road trip to San Francisco to see Metallica. (That story started the first day my sister and I were supposed to Skydive but got grounded because of the wind. After she went home, Metallica's "Master of Puppets" came on my Pandora and I thought "hey, I should see a Metallica concert during my travels." Well, they're actually on their international tour right now. I was bummed until I saw an anomaly. They're performing in San Francisco with the symphony. So I hit "buy ticket." The first night was sold out but there were tickets for the second night, I see the cost and say, "OH HELL NO!" And put my phone down. The song is still playing... I think to myself, "I've wanted to see these guys in concert since I was in the third grade but never went because tickets were 'too expensive.' They aren't going to be touring forever." The song is STILL playing... "I'm doing it!" I say. "I'll regret it if I don't." So, I did it. I bought the ticket (three times the cost of what I would've seen them at if I had just gone to a show in Boise...🤦). Now, I'm sleeping at a truck stop because it took FOREVER to move everything out of my house and studio. I've had a KOA outside of San Francisco booked for two nights but haven't gotten there yet. Mainly because (besides the fact I have a lot of stuff) there's the whole "contents will shift during travel" issue so loading everything in was a puzzle to be solved. But I did it! Now, I hear the generator humming. Strange pops and creaks. The sound of trucks on the interstate, rain hitting my roof and, that occasional train rolling by. I've had very little sleep in the past week and - to be completely honest - I haven't bathed in many days (I've lost count - gross 🤣). So, I better sign off of this Day 1 of my #travelingartist adventures. Tune in to see what tomorrow brings! Love you all! Go so something that brings YOU joy. |
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