We traveled as a family, as a tribe with Running Buffalo Journeys though the Mayan Heartland--Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico

Beloved,

Something has happened to me in the last few months.  I’ve flown galactic and I’ve trudged through the underworld.  I shapeshifted into a jaguar with an angel’s heart–an uncommon creature.  I interpret this metamorphosis as a marriage of heaven and earth deep inside my soul.

It was triggered by a not-so-ordinary journey.

I AM integrating!  And this is why I’ve been away awhile.  I’ve missed you and I’ve needed you.  But I’ve been too catatonic to reach out.

I stumbled across this deceased hawk grasping a squirrel shortly after my journey. Hawks are the messengers of heaven, symbolic of angels. Squirrels are the short-legged creatures of the earth and trees. This gift is animal "medicine" symbolizing heaven and earth and validating my journey.

 Shapeshifted

–it was a delicious way of being during my recent journey to Central America.  There I roamed free without concerns about finances or family; I operated in an altered state of high play and deep ceremony with a supportive group of souls.

And we definitely played!

It may have been a glimpse into the next dimension of our spiritual evolution–one of instant manifestation and perceived oneness, but still grounded through the eyes of a girl with a family to tend to back “home”.

Embracing Milena, my longtime friend, on a Swinging Bridge in the Guatemalan Jungles

Regardless, this journey has left a grand imprint on every facet of my being, and I am not sure how to be this new creature in the context of my sweet nomadic little family…Every day is a deep breath of courage before the dive.

Here we were filming a scene for the documentary

Writing you is a sign of a long awaited emergence.  I bring this expanded awareness into the new year–2012!

The Mayan Heartland Trip with Running Buffalo Journeys:

I fell in love with a collective the way I fall in love with a man, or you.  See these people?  I love them.  I experienced the highest of highs on a journey through the Mayan Heartlands with Running Buffalo Journeys in October 2011.  I bonded with a tribe.  I soared free.  I indulged in uninterrupted heartspace.  I sat present with Now.

I filmed.  I played.  I prayed.  For 18 days…

Our route through Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico was in the shape of a heart, touching on various Mayan sacred sites.

The first night the eight of us gathered in a crystal ceremony in Antigua, Guatemala.  Along the heart-shaped path, and as each was called, we tossed our crystals into different sacred bodies of water.  We created a crystalline heart grid forever holding space for our Love.

Holding Space…

After the Journey

I crawled into my own inner cave conveniently located at my parent’s home.  I was there almost 2 months, cozy but idle!  Now in the mountains of New Mexico, I peek out feeling bright but a bit dazed.  It is no different than our arduous journey into the Crystal Cave in Belize for 10 hours! It is like waking up from a deep sleep and forgetting where you are.

The Crystal Cave in Belize tour was one of the most exhilarating and physically challenging days of my entire life--10 hours of gestation inside Mother Earth to emerge transformed!

It is easy to remember when everyone around you is consciously holding space for greatness.  At home it is my job to hold that space for the next generation.  This particular journey is now my touchstone for guiding me to my more evolved self.  Through this reflection I am able to manifest positive change.

Tikal in Guatemala

I would not have consciously chosen to spend this much time in either cave (real or metaphorical)…but for some reason I’ve been led deep within, and it’s taken me a bit of effort to climb out.

It’s been almost three months and I am just emerging potent from this new breed of chrysalis that was woven by eight co-creators:  Aaron El Leon Boyd, Chad “Quetzalcoatl” Carson, Milena Worsham, Patty Yuniverse, J Quest Ionz Pullano, Erica Lee, Reyna Ambrose, and myself.

The Queens of the Mayan Heartlands:

Me (Irene), Patty, Reyna, Milena, Erica: First Day in Guatemala, Mayan Heartlands Tour with Running Buffalo Journeys

The Kings of The Mayan Heartlands:

Chad, J, and Aaron in Guatemala

Many thanks to these angels for their great influence on my life.  I love you forever!

This trip was documented through photos and video as a co-creative project.  Patty Yuniverse (from the viral Youtube video “Shit New Age Girls Say”) and J Quest Ionz Pullano work with Elevate Films and are working on the footage for a project called Sacred Geography.  They just put together this awesome trailer that features highlights from this very trip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can find Aaron Boyd and Chad Carson and Milena Worsham at Running Buffalo Journey’s Facebook Page or Website.  There will be more Mayan Heartland Journeys to come, including one in March 2012!  I support this project 100%.

I’m glad to be writing and sharing again!  Right now we are camping in New Mexico and on our way to Sedona, AZ.  We will be making our way to the Arizona Renaissance Festival in Feb/March 2012 to continue our gig with Tartanic.  Blessings on your path.  Thanks for reading. Hugs!

Darling, you’ve been on my mind…

…especially as I wade through my embarrassing existential crisis and try to make sense of my life.

It’s humbling to notice how challenging it is to admit that sometimes difficulties can be experienced in the midst of a blessing-filled life.

Picture this:  a life filled with flexibility, freedom, time, travel, family, creativity, and passion.  Sounds great, right?

Well, it is.  I look around, and everything in this life now appears exactly how, for so many years prior, I wished it to become.  Of course, I never could have imagined these particular (circus-like) circumstances of ren faires and such, but the sense of liberation and satisfaction they offer is present.

Despite the gifts, I find myself trudging through the dark night lately.  Being here, sharing with you, is a sign that I’m finally getting a grasp of the fullness of the light again.  This post is a celebration of getting one’s groove back.  It’s the mojo rising in us all.

A Trailer Portrait

 Under the Influence of the Hawaiian High

June’s Hawaii experience of shooting a documentary on traditional lei making and filming a Jean Houston tour was truly epic for me energetically.  Each moment spoke to me powerfully and sent me off each day buzzing from my heart and attracting pure magic.  I found my muse and felt directed.

Here is the dashboard wisdom I’ve come to enjoy:  “If you love the life you live you will live a life of love”.  I can attest that this statement is true.  It just doesn’t mention that we’re emotional beings that can sometimes think too much and repeat dysfunctional patterns thereby causing internal conflict and irrational fears rooted in illusion.  Sigh…but, yes, for the most part I am living a life of love.  ;)

I find Hawaii literally “enchanting” in even the esoteric sense and suggest it as an excellent location to recharge your spiritual batteries. (It would be preferable to experience a longer, non-touristy visit.)  The ancient Hawaiian paradigm and tradition of personifying every element of land and existence has breathed a life into the islands that is palpable. You will notice this if your heart is open and you spend a bit of time in Hawaii.

And here I was on top of the world, entirely in the flow.

My Dashboard Wisdom

Texas Time

High on Hawaii, I spent the next three weeks with my parents and children in mid-summer Texas heat juggling logistics, video editing, massaging clients, and gearing up for 2011′s next phase:  8 weeks at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.  First things first, though… I spend a weekend in Austin, Texas with my dear friend, Anne.  We sipped Oaxacan coffee at Curra’s, my favorite place for a last rockin’ Tex Mex breakfast before I head off to Yankee-land.  Some cultural aspects of the North (like *the near absence of a good breakfast taco) are like a whole other country. *Or the Amish culture…

Irene, Jaya, and Anne at Curra's Tex Mex, Austin, TX

From Texas to Pennsylvania

I skipped out on two weeks of Tartanic (the rocknroll bagpipe band in which my guy performs) at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Wisconsin and opted instead to meet the band in Pennsylvania. The travel trailer got hitched, I packed, and loaded the kids in the Suburban beast required to haul our home.  Despite an insane tire blow-out in Virginia, we made it to Pennsylvania in four days of country store visits and listening to (my tween) Rain’s Pandora of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Kesha.  Yeah, I’m recovering from that repetitiveness…

Facing the Beauty of Creepy Cornfields

I have a condition called cinephilia.  I realize it’s totally preventable and impairs my judgement.  But like any “philia”, I sort of love it. Here is an example of how excessive film watching can affect one’s perception of innocent (Monsanto) cornfields which define the southern PA region, my current place of residence.

The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire is near Manheim, PA in the vicinity of Amish Country and surrounded by cornfields.  This strikingly green and beautiful landscape both inspires and haunts me (through no fault of its own).

The inspiration radiates through the simple display of growing “food”.  Coming from a world of processed food (and trying to reform) this comforts me.

The haunting aspect is a nasty side effect I blame on Hollywood clouding my sensibilities, brainwashing me to see this corn land through the lenses of “Children of the Corn“, “The Village“, and “The Happening“, etc.  I feel the same kind of respect for the cornfields that I do for the ocean…yet I’m not sure that is warranted.  These darker movies have influenced me to deem the cornfields “creepy” and label them “mysterious”.  I’m sorry, cornfields.  I really do love you.

Note:  I’m happy to report that eating sweet corn is pleasant and not adversely affected by movie watching addictions.

I do notice that many of my travels and experiences are interpreted through such cinephilic filters.  It amuses me to make parallels between reality and cinema.  Last year in the Ohio countryside, we spent a whole afternoon looking for the Shawshank Redemption’s lone oak tree where “Andy Dufresne” buried the box for Morgan Freeman’s character.  We weren’t able to find the tree before dark.  I’m crushed now to discover that the Shawshank tree was wounded in a storm last month!  I really wanted to photograph the tree…but I digress to illustrate a point.

In a nutshell, traveling on quiet dirt roads with tall green cornstalks on either side is memorable and stimulates the imagination.

 And Daisy Haunts the Mansion…

As darker thoughts flirt with me, possibly jealous of my Hawaiian high, the universe now has me living on a haunted estate.

The Pennsylvania Ren Faire is located at the Mount Hope Estate and Winery marked by a charming mansion built in the early 1800′s. One of the mansion’s previous occupants, the late Daisy Grubb and her kin, Uncle Charles, are said to continue their poltergeist-ish shenanigans to this day by stealing cigarettes of unsuspecting visitors to the mansion.  Daily I stroll through the estate’s garden and fairground sneaking a peek in the windows to try and get a glimpse of Daisy.  Her portrait is visible above the flash in the photo below.

Tours of the Mount Hope mansion are not really available anymore, but I was lucky to get a brief tour of the home with some of the Tartanic gang.  No sign of Daisy this day.  We should have brought some cigarettes to test the claim…apparently she was particular about not smoking in certain rooms. So if you’d like to see Daisy I suggest you find a way to smoke a cigarette in this historic Lancaster County home.

Transmissions from the Pleiadians and such…

I must admit with hesitation, that a major catalyst for my being thrown into a state of anxiety recently was a series of transmissions or channelings (from other-dimensional sources, I’ll leave it at that) that one of my best friends has been receiving, recording, and sending to me and a few other friends.  These messages have triggered a spectrum of reactions from my close circle of friends.  As if right in alignment with the timing of 2012 conversations, she reported the urgency of our need to prepare for upcoming chaos and earth changes by stocking up on non-perishable food, water, and supplies.  Things would be changing rapidly in the next few months.  Something would happen in about four days…

Enter Virginia Earthquake…

On this “fourth” day I’m filled with an anxiety that is so potent it’s pissing me off. It is challenging my preference to stay positive with my inability to do so now.  The family is hanging out in our trailer which suddenly begins to shake.  ”WAS THAT JUST AN EARTHQUAKE??”

It just so happened that the night before I loaded the “Earthquake Alert” app on my Android phone.  I didn’t ever expect to find it so handy so soon (or did I??).  Sure enough, the little app worked like a champ listing the 5.8 magnitude quake as 180 miles away and occurring “4 minutes ago”.  I felt great relief after the quake–sort of like I sensed it’s arrival from a deep level yet didn’t know why I was feeling so crazy.  It was one of those things that make you go “hmmmmm”.

Under those circumstances, it was an even more profound event.

Enter My Namesake, Hurricane Irene…

The infamous hurricane with my name causes a national commotion for the next week, further perpetuating my fear factor triggered by the “transmissions” which are coming now at a fascinating regularity.  Being from the Texas Gulf Coast I have a respect for hurricanes and usually take some type of precaution–especially while living in a small box on wheels at a fabricated Medieval village.  Saturday night we sleep in a hotel, Sunday the faire was cancelled, and by Sunday afternoon the sun’s shining glow basks the creepy/beautiful cornfields once again.

Trailer Life at the Tartanic Camp

And Around Here, Cornfields lead to Amish

Thankfully, all is well in my neck of the cornfield thus far.  Our apocalyptic shopping trip has supplied us with plenty of non-perishable food that we’re begrudgingly attempting to incorporate into our diet.  Fortunately, as the world keeps turning in its usual way, we are still able to check out one of the many Amish farmer’s markets.  And farmer’s markets, as you might know, are one of my favorite things on the planet.

Getting our Amish Farmer's Market On

Roots Market and Auction

Roots Farmer’s Market has been our Tuesday savior providing us with a wellspring of local apples, kale, cherries, spinach, beets, herbs, and of course corn.  A bit of Amish-made butter and farmer’s cheese has become our indulgence.  There is the temptation of far too many sweets around here. Seriously, the sugar content is extreme in Amish Country.  I’m shown here attacking a loaf of zucchini/pineapple bread that was one day old and $2.50.  Aside from that first visit, I’m refraining from blatant sugar foods as I am picking up produce for juicing. I do enjoy looking at the bakery cases of sugar porn, though!  Not quite French, but still appealing.

Old Fashioned “Rides”

Happy Birthday to all August babies!  If this applies to you, I hope you had a beautiful one.  In August John turned 37.  To celebrate I took him on an Amish buggy ride through some farms followed by lunch on a steam engine train through the Strasburg Rail Road.

Strasburg Rail Road, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

 Village of Bird-In-Hand, PA

Bird-In-Hand, PA appears to be the mecca of all things Amish.  After our rides, we visited shops and markets, picking up more of those fabulous apples, apple cider, and apple cider donuts that smelled too good to pass up.  I find the Amish just as novel and fascinating as I would the Mayans in Guatemala.  Cultures that value the earth and hold onto traditions are a precious commodity these days.  I love learning from them other ways of existing in harmony with the land.

We found ourselves pricing buggies on this day.  I would totally own a horse and buggy if I lived in the country, if I had a stationary home. I would make it an art-buggy and weave beads in my horses’s mane.

Family Glamping at the Faire

Brief family update:  the kids are enjoying this life of glamping at renaissance festivals.  (putting the “glam” into camping…)  The pace is relaxing during the week and festive on the weekends.  On weekdays the fairground is our playground for walks and socializing.  The surrounding area is filled with hiking trails. Rain begins her homeschooling this week as a 7th grader.  Jaya is enamored with Cinderella.  Hershey, PA is a few miles away.  We did the free chocolate tour which was one big fat commercial.  Jaya loved the ride, and Rain loved the 2 free kisses at the end of it.

John has been working hard on his first solo album, assisting with a new Tartanic album, and performing on the weekends…

…which leaves me to spend time with the kids all day.  I love that I can.  So what gives?  How can I heal myself?

I came off three weeks of personally rewarding independent travel, discovery, and work and threw myself into six weeks of responsibilities, change, uncertainties…and those cornfields.  

Corn Woman Rising

This got me wondering…what is the significance of corn?

In several Native American and Latin American indigenous tribes, corn is a powerful symbology of life, nourishment, and fertility. Many Goddesses spring forth from numerous mythologies spanning many cultures.

Selu is a Cherokee Goddess and Chicomecoatl is an Aztec Goddess of the Corn, for example. This archetype of the female corn deity is often known as “Corn Woman.”

It is a common Native American practice to use cornmeal as a blessing for protection, forgiveness, and understanding.

How about I re-write this story of creepy corn and turn it into blessing corn?  

Perhaps I can write my own “Field of Dreams” rather than a dark mystery?

How about a little protection, forgiveness, and understanding?  

So I call upon Corn Woman to be my ally in this time of anxiety, change, and uncertainty.

Like the Hawaiians, I am personifying the land around me, honoring her, and learning from her.

A Goddess approaches uncertainties with wisdom and understanding…rather than fear and anxiety.

Corn Reverence in Chiapas, Mexico. The Mayans...

I walk through the rows of corn today and re-write the script to transform the anxiety-ridden horror movie into something nurturing and inspirational.  I re-claim my power with bare feet in the dirt and cornstalks in my hand.

Corn Woman

Field of Dreams

I’ll continue editing my documentary, writing this blog, and embodying the domestic goddess of the trailer.  I’ll plant some seeds for my upcoming journey to the Mayan pyramids in October.  And there, in the presence of major Corn Woman energy who is so prelevant in the Mayan culture, I will thank her for the clarity I’ve gained from re-writing my story of the cornfields of Pennsylvania.

Radiance, not darkness.

Understanding, not ignorance.

Protection, not harm.

Nourishment, not starvation.

Forgiveness, not resentment.

Friendship, not enemies.

Love, not hate.

A Gift, not a curse.

A Mystery that leads to wonder, not anxiety.

Corny Drive By Shooting

How about re-writing your own story?  Take something challenging, stare it straight in the eyes, and re-do the script to transform the outcome into something that is more life-affirming.  What do you think?

Thank you for reading this far.  It’s nice to connect.  I’m thinking good thoughts of you.

Hello Darling!

This is a love letter to Hawaii and other muses.

Bear with a note of self indulgences, would you?

Fragrant plumerias around my neck, Kona sunsets, and a shiny new ukelele have nudged me to find my voice. The magical presence that blows through the palms, azure waters that fill my heart, and your Aloha songs are music to my spirit.  Thank you, Hawaii, for bringing me home again!

'scuse me while I kiss the sky

I have found my muse on a beautiful island in the Pacific.  The Hamakua coast beckons me to return.  I’m certain I’ll return to you one day…if only in my dreams.

After our two months at the Georgia Renaissance Festival I was perplexed as to what I would do with myself on our family’s six week break from touring with Tartanic.  I found myself attempting to force an exotic trip to keep The Travel Creatives juicy and alive.  Sitting around in Corpus Christi, Texas did not feel interesting enough for the insatiable drive I have to travel.

Hello, Magical Fairy Tree

I soon realized that I only wished to travel if some greater purpose was involved.  A project is essential if I am to give my energy to traveling.  I yearn to synthesize my desire to document (through video) with my mission to grow and share.

A declaration was made after the Georgia experience that I would only travel if something meaningful arose.  Listen here!  Make your own declaration and clarify your own intentions because it really works!

As an answer to my prayers, two days later I received an interesting email from Leilehua Yuen, a lovely Hawaiian cultural practitioner that I had interviewed in Hawaii in early 2010.

Leilehua and I greeting each other with a traditional Polynesian "honi"

“Would you be interested in making a documentary on traditional Hawaiian lei making??”  Why YES, I certainly would.  ”Would you like to be my personal assistant and documentarian for the ‘Sacred Journey into Sacred Hawaii’ tour led by the famous thought leader on the human potential movement, Jean Houston?”

Uh, yah…Sign me up, Sister!

Without hesitation I flew into Hawaii for three weeks of hard work and mind blasting awakening–on every level of my being.

I thank you, Leilehua Yuen for hearing my call over the seas!  The last three weeks have been nothing short of phenomenal.  I have learned so much about traditional Hawaiian spirituality. This experience has only left me in awe and with keen awareness that I really knew very little about the details of the Hawaiian’s perspective of the sacredness of their land.  My respect for this culture has grown tenfold.  I now consider myself friends and sisters with you, a great and dedicated teacher.

Leilehua Yuen and her Husband Manu Josiah perform ceremony at KAHO

I also thank Jean Houston for her sheer genius and ability to activate the potential we all hold within ourselves.  I have much to say about this experience, but today’s post I’m keeping light and general (as any good love letter should be).  I was in the presence of a true master mind who was buddies with the likes of U.S. Presidents, Margaret Mead, Alan Watts, and Joseph Campbell…to name a few.  What a trip!

Irene, Kahuna Uncle Kimo, and Jean Houston in Hawaii 2011

And you, my muses: the little ones like my new ukelele and the big ones like Mother Hawaii Aina and the others that I keep personal, I thank you for helping me on the path to find my voice.  I’m glad you’re by my side.

On a hill in Hilo I sat for hours struggling to play chords seamlessly on my new uke.  I sang and sang until in an instant my inside, my heart, and my voice merged.  I have always held the belief that I couldn’t sing.  But all of a sudden, there it was…a voice that mattered.  I couldn’t believe my ears.  And I actually cried and laughed at the same time–a bit embarrassed by my reaction.

And you, dear friend, I know I am the sappiest of sorts, but thanks for reading and thanks for sticking with me.  I encourage you to find your own muse.  This is the key to keeping the creativity flowing and navigating through life to unveil one’s own truth.  This was one of the greatest gifts I received from this journey.  I know these muses will keep me going and will keep this travel, blog and video project fruitful and hopefully useful to some.

Waipio Valley so good I eat you up, yum!

I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again, Hawaii, but my life has been richer with your presence.  I’m glad I had a chance to speak to you in person.  I can feel your love embrace me over oceans.  Maybe some day we will meet again?  If we don’t, just know that I love you anyway and wish you well.

For now, I fly back to Texas and edit like a fired-up warrior to complete this documentary, prepare for the two month Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival geekery with my family and my Tartanic family in August, and set the ground work for a Journey into the Mayan Heartlands with Running Buffalo Journeys in October.  And that is a whole other story.

What is your muse?  Try writing that story and maybe you’ll find that you have a good friend in your heart to help you blaze your own path.

Thanks for connecting!

This is quite a surprise for us both, my love…but today I write you from the Big Island of Hawaii, channeling some juicy Aloha Spirit and sipping a cozy mug of Kona coffee.

A great dream has manifested Hawaii style:  1.  I have been specifically requested for my video work from afar, and 2.  my travel expenses have been gifted to me.  I will be waking up to this beautiful tropical garden each morning for the next 3 weeks!  Not too bad, universal forces that be…

A remarkable and passionate woman named Leilehua Yuen has asked me to direct a documentary on traditional Hawaiian culture and mythology through lei making.  Leilehua is a storyteller, cultural ambassador, musician, writer, biker, go-getter, and all around groovy lady.

On one of our first shoots we awoke at 3:30 A.M. and drove an hour inland to a special lookout.  I filmed the peaceful sunrise over Mauna Kea while I stood at 7,000 ft above sea level.  Getting to the location included a short hike in surprisingly chilly Hawaiian weather, but we found the perfect spot to see the sun greet the native birdsong.  After an hour of shooting the sun, I filmed Leilehua and her husband Manu in a variety of chants, slack key guitar playing and traditional Hawaiian nose flute demonstrations.

On Friday we spent the day at a very cool cultural festival at the national park, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, also known as the City of Refuge.

The Cultural Festival was a celebration that marked the 50th anniversary of the park as a unit of the National Park Service.  There were free canoe rides in paradise…

A spiritual precession of Hawaiian elders and holy men initiated the event.  The sound of the conch echoed throughout the palm trees…

There were hula demonstrations and chanting, including a group of hula dancers from Portland, Oregon.

Many cultural and traditional Hawaiian crafts were demonstrated.  Here was a woman demonstrating the cleaning of a gourd.

Since our documentary is on the history and crafting of leis, I am finding many uses for leis…including on the front of canoes.

The precession makes its way to make the offering or ho-okupu.

Leilehua sits with two other Auntys who are some last keepers of the ancient art of making fabric from plants.

Examples of beautiful leis…

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch of kimchee shrimp, seaweed salad, and a can of Hawaiian coffee!  This is my kind of Hilo cuisine.

I couldn’t leave the festival without partaking in a little awa, or kava kava, to get me grooving on Hawaiian time.  This powdered root is made into a tea that relaxes the muscles and calms the body.  This is a must-have when trying to recover from jetlag!

This post might be a bit brief, but I’ve got some living to do.  Thanks for following as I keep you posted on what gifts come from a little “Big Island Love”.  This happens to be a popular bumper sticker around these parts.  Send me a note and I’ll pick one up for you.  Thanks for reading, darling.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Today I unveil a much anticipated creative project:  MY FIRST TARTANIC VIDEO!!!!!  (click above)

On St. Patrick’s Day (March 17, 2011) while stationed at the Arizona Renaissance Festival for two months, Adrian, the ringleader of Tartanic, got the wise idea to guerilla crash/perform at various places around town and show a little Tartanic love to the world. This process consisted of half naked men without pants (ie. kilts) and sexy dancing girls, two bagpipes, and three enormous drums.  Every aspect of these performances was turned on full blast.  Some places (like a Circle K) were told they had a bagpipe-o-gram.  Before they had a chance to ask about it, the drums would start banging and the pipes would begin screeching the melodious way that they do.

The day went on arrest-free.  The band proceeded to perform in downtown Phoenix at a Seamus McCaffery’s Pub for Happy Hour and The Turf into the wee hours of the night.  I was there filming the whole day which required some massages the following few days.  Everyone in the band really had a blast.

In addition to those shenanigans, we filmed some footage of Adrian and Jill in the Arizona desert to create an intro to a new project called Tartanic TV.  I am excited to help the band put out some cool videos for their fans.  Tonight the band plays at The Boiler Room in Duluth, Georgia which is the first Steampunk Emporium in the U.S.A.  The goal is to get a quickie, short video out within the next few days to promote the band’s performance at next week’s World Steam Expo in Dearborn, Michigan.

Needless to say, this week, the band is taking off for a long roadtrip from Atlanta to Detroit for some awesome steampunk geekery. I will certainly be writing about these events very soon.  Now I must piece together my costume for tonight’s show, which is my shoot.

The backside of Tartanic frolics at the falls in the Georgia pines

BACK AT THE CAMP…

Another slow, dreamy month has passed since I saw you last.  I don’t know why…since I think of you every single day…

This has been the first month of trailer living at the Georgia Renaissance Festival as our family tours with Tartanic.  Large pine trees surround our gypsy camp which is far quieter than I would have ever imagined.  I’m grateful for that, really.  Living with a family, notably children, just insures that our little corner of the camp emanates an aura of wholesomeness.  There is no way around that family vibe…otherwise the faire’s behind-the-scenes lining of hedonism or the hue of mega-nerd could infiltrate our little box of a home.  Strangely, it keeps away from us.  I’m both glad and disappointed at the same time.  :)

I am happy to report that we feel totally at home with this new life.  My only real complaint is time management which is totally within my control.  A whole day can easily consist of meal making, cleaning, and one major outing which could be as tame as the grocery store or the laundromat.  But this was the same story in Ecuador.  It is just important to commit to making time for creative endeavors.

I’ll post a few photos of our camp before we leave in a short two weeks from now!  The next 2 months are pure 100% uncertainty.  I’m holding my nose and just jumping in.  Please, something good happen!

Our family’s ’round the world odyssey was side swiped by a gang of men without pants and seduced by cute dancing girls.

Tartanic at the Arizona Renaissance Festival

In the blink of an eye, we find ourselves part of a bona fide gypsy caravan across the U.S.A.–renaissance festival hopping and discovering a whole new paradigm of living.  A community of creatives, a cluster of travel trailers, a common area tent,  and a porta potty has become part of our family’s daily life.  And you’ll never guess what??  I absolutely love it!  (as do John and the kids!)

Here is the musical act Tartanic in its last incarnation at the Arizona Renaissance Festival.  I have taken on the role of photographer/videographer and am enjoying the costumes, characters, and high creative energy.  Just look at these beautiful people who I now call family… (such a sharp looking bunch of super cool freaks, huh?).

Despite 12 years of competitive piano and years of drum circle jamming I do not consider myself a musician.  Yet, that’s me sitting up on the truck in the “band” photo of Tartanic.  Very funny.  How kind they are to include me when my role is happily behind the scenes.  They’ve let me into their world to live like a Renaissance Rock Star for a moment–porta potty and all.  How glamorous.

The Arizona Renaissance Festival ended in early April and we made the long haul to Georgia pulling our new/borrowed travel trailer.  After a quick and necessary stop at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans for a beignet and cafe au lait, we hurried off to Fairburn, Georgia, just East of Atlanta and home of the Georgia Renaissance Festival.  We will be settling here at the faire campground for 2 months.  Then we will caravan to the next show…

Life is generally good and surely interesting as it reveals surprises almost daily–some wonderful and inspiring like a new video project with Tartanic, some heartbreaking like a recent close death in the family.  Needless to say, I have found it challenging to manage my time with my beloved blog!  ”Do I live it or do I write it?”  This is one of those silly things I say to myself as I lounge with a cup of strong coffee on a camping chair while looking wistfully at my laptop.

There are other challenges that come with a family living in a shoebox.  We’ve had our share of ridiculous marital explosions (the most recent regarding french fries), toddler meltdowns, and tween attitudes.  Think rainstorm, middle of the night, and a handy dandy pee bucket.  Thank goodness the weekends are reserved for costumed fantasies and oversized turkey legs that are really legs of emus. shhhh…don’t tell.

Speaking of fantasy outlets, last night I had a dream that Johnny Depp was my love interest and he lived around the corner from my parents.  I would sneak over to his house at night (like the olden days) and he would fly me around in a tiny airplane.  That was generally the whole dream, but we did go on several romantic plane rides.  It was one of those dreams that I didn’t want to leave.  These days in reality, I’m finding solace behind my telephoto lens every weekend being a Renaissance Faire paparazzi.  But that’s a story for another day!

My apologies for being gone for so long…Been distracted…I have so much to tell you.  Thanks so much for reading!

Tartanic at the Arizona Renaissance Festival 2011

The Arizona Renaissance Festival is like The Magical Land of OZ

Two weeks ago we experienced something like that tornado dropping us in the land of OZ.

Landing in the Land of OZ

After an extended road trip (and in a sickly stupor) we landed smack-dab in the middle of a bizarro carnival oasis nestled in a harsh and beautiful southwestern desert. East of Phoenix, near Apache Junction, we made our new temporary nomadic shelter in a cozy (but cruddy) trailer in the “performers’ camp” of the Arizona Renaissance Festival.

John and Jaya at base camp outside of OZ, ie. Arizona Renaissance Festival

The not-so-glam side of living near OZ, ie. Arizona Renaissance Festival

Riddled with illness, I slept for a week.  Like it or not, upon awakening on Saturday morning faire day, I had been metamorphosed into a RENNIE.

What is a Rennie??

The Urban Dictionary defines a “rennie” as a performer or artisan of a renaissance festival or faire. OK.  I am neither, but by being a performer’s wife I become part of an entourage of sorts, the clan of Tartanic, putting me in the “rennie” box by proxy.  We’re living in the faires, we’re touring with the faires.  A Rennie is kind of like a creative (sometimes nerdy) carnie, except usually with a full set of teeth.  How odd and interesting that my life has come to this?

Tartanic at the Arizona Renaissance Festival 2011

The landscape around the festival is wild as the majestic Superstition Mountains tower above and deceptively friendly saguaro cacti seem to lure you into a painful hand-shake with their whimsical spikey arms.  This is a far cry from the Texas-based Ren Faires with which I am familiar.  Those fairgrounds actually resemble Sherwood Forest rather than a spaghetti western.  Regardless, the organizers have managed to create a colorful ren faire world in the middle of a hostile environment.  I am impressed with how well the renaissance village has been integrated into the landscape.  Dust and heat aside, there’s a tendency to forget you’re in tumbleweed land once the faire is in full force. Costumed performers and mega-talented artisans are in constant interaction with patrons.  The architecture of the shops and stands is extremely creative and cohesive to the faire.  The fairgrounds are immaculately kept.

The Mountains outside the Festival

Rennies are the Ex-Pats of ‘Living like the Joneses’

One of the best parts of this journey thus far is discovering new ways of living one’s life.  When we were living in Ecuador late last year, I found myself fascinated with ex-pats who uprooted themselves from their native land to make their home within a distant culture. (Well, actually, I am fascinated with ex-pats everywhere I travel!)  I really get a kick out of noticing how ex-pats form their community by partially integrating with the locals and partially interacting with themselves.  The pace of life was Ecuadorian, was Latin American, and entirely different from the American life I was used to.  There is a slowness and a more nature-centric sensibility that seems to come with being an ex-pat or long-term traveler in Ecuador.  We found it quite delicious.

Rennies can be likened to ex-pats even though they obviously reside in the States.  This little sub-culture may live with the same set of rules but their interpretation of those rules happens in a whole different manner.  There are two main features that distinguish rennies from the masses:  High Creativity and Major Travel (borderline nomadism). How apropo to our project!  Wow, who would have known that The Travel Creatives would temporarily set aside world travel for Ren Fest life?? What can I say?  If the shoe fits…

Creativity and Travel

Creativity is integral to rennies, whether performers or artisans, and this creative spirit inevitably crosses over into their daily lives.  There are tons of Renaissance festivals and similar faires all over the country every month of the year.  Many of the people travel the circuit living their art.  I am amazed to witness this.  I am interested to live it!  What adventures will the future bring?

Although my life has always been more oriented towards the creative, I have met so many people here who are fully embodying a creative life similar to the one I am pursuing.  No doubt I will have plenty of interesting people to interview!  No doubt I will be blessed with meeting many more spectacular folk.

I don’t know where this lifestyle is going.  I don’t know where the path leads to at all.  Currently, much energy is focused on the weekend faire days.  The week is about recuperating and gearing up for the next weekend.  Travel, writing, and filmmaking will be scattered around all of that.  This journey will truly be an unveiling of a great and interesting mystery.

Thanks for following us on this journey.  What do you think of this crazy ren faire life??

Travel Creatives Quickie Roadtrip Review

Forgive me for not writing you in two whole weeks.  I was busy roadtripping and having a first taste of living nomadically for the first time (really).  Those elements have brought me sparse internet, couchsurfing, and Motel 6 marathons.  There was some hardcore driving through the Southwest in a dirty Suburban strewn with fast food wrappers and two happy, but raggedy kids. Five dollar footlongs and Taco Bell burritos have been part of the mealtime soundtrack of our lives as I’ve endured hours of tween music pumping through half blown speakers. Bieber in the desert just isn’t cool to me, sorry!  There was a bit of couchsurfing with old friends and multiple couchsurfing rejections from strangers (which is why we never made it to Santa Fe or Taos).

I am proud to say that I did manage to successfully travel from Corpus Christi, Texas through El Paso and up and around through Albuquerque, Flagstaff, and Sedona.  Sick as a dog from dry climate shock, I put the pedal to the metal all the way down to Phoenix, Arizona 3 days early…with a baby and a tween. I surprised my hubby at Tartanic’s last show on Sunday night at the Arizona Renaissance Festival with a little help from some of his bandmates.  These photos mark the show at which I hid behind a small tree until John spotted his happy family smiling with our unexpected early reunion.

Cooped up in a cozy, little trailer at the Arizona Renaissance Festival I am nursing myself to health and orienting myself to our newfound “renny” life.  The following is a chronological photo story of the past two weeks…When I am better, I will write thoughtful prose with more details!

Southwest Roadtrip in Photos

San Antonio, Texas, reconnecting with friends

We visited some great old friends Macie and Pat who I met in 1998 at my shop, Yin Yang Fandango, in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Macie used to come around to our drum circles back in the day when the drum circles were rockin’ in CC.  When I arrived in San Antonio, Macie had agreed to drum for a group of kiddos at a church who were performing a play for Black History Month. No other drummers showed up so I jumped in and drummed with her for old time’s sake.  It was one of those “full circle” moments.  I enjoyed sharing it and reminiscing with old friends.

The next day we went to a great Native Amercian PowWow before we rolled on into Austin.

Rain had a blast with Aladie, Macie’s daughter and couldn’t get enough of her new arrow.

Austin, Texas, friends and Sherwood Forest Faire

One of my dearest friends, Anne, had us over for a few nights and made us a rockin’ Philipino dinner.

Another night we spent with another dear friend, Seema, who treated us to pasta and wine!

I couldn’t miss opening weekend of the Sherwood Forest Faire outside of Austin, Texas on Sunday!

Rain bought a bow for her arrow.  Here’s Anne giving it a whirl.  I took a million photos.

El Paso, Texas was for a little baby time

Little Jaya hung out with the handsome Adonis. In El Paso I was able to reconnect with my friend Heather who I met at my old shop, Yin Yang Fandango, (in probably 2000) when she was a young, 18 year old free-spirited lass. Now our little ones are just about the same age.  El Paso was definitely all about babies.

Albuquerque, friends and Pueblo Indians

In Albuquerque I hung out with Peg and Kelly, again, more friends I knew from my shop back in Corpus Christi.  Peg painted this amazing portrait of me many years ago playing a native American drum.  It currently hangs in my parent’s living room so I’m always reminded of her. Kelly is a successful chiropractor who is planning her Costa Rican escape into the world of a nomadic life of travel. We had an awesome homemade, healthy dinner, fabulous wine, and great conversation.  The next day we went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to check out the museum.  Luckily, we arrived during an event celebrating African American culture and Native American culture.  We were more than happy to get a free lunch of soul food and New Mexican cuisine–for free!

The Acoma Pueblo aka Sky City

We spent the next day touring the Acoma Pueblo (or “Sky City”) west of Albuquerque which has been built upon a 350+ feet sandstone mesa. This Native American pueblo was settled around 1100 A. D. and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the U.S.A. We happened to arrive at a very special feast day which was cool because there was a load of happy revelers and traditional dances.  What wasn’t so great is that all photography was banned that day to protect the spiritual ceremonies.  This was a bit of torture for me, but I took the opportunity to be very “in the moment” and visually take in the intricacies of this ancient village that is fully inhabited yet still rolling without electricity or running water.  Here is a photo of Acoma/Sky City from a distance.  It is a stunning vista and the pueblo is absolutely worth the trip.  Even Rain, my 11 year old, enjoyed the guided tour.

Acoma Pueblo or "Sky City" on the mesa

Rain with Sky City in the Background

Flagstaff, some snow and a visit to my old nightmarish employer

By the time we get to Flagstaff, the dry climate is starting to get to all of us!  We treat ourselves to Denny’s which is a bona fide oxymoron.  Our organic diet has flown out of our Suburban window (along with our “sustainable” sensibilities).  We are on the strictest of budgets which only allows for bean burritos and Subway sandwiches. But, in honor of Flagstaff, a place that holds special memories for me, I take my kids to eat at the exact Denny’s that I used to work at 14 years ago. That happens to be the last time I got rid of everything I owned and went nomadic for awhile.  This is also commemorative of a time in my history where my life changed for the better. (Despite working for Denny’s)  Arriving in Flagstaff was another moment of my life coming full circle. I could dedicate a whole post on this topic!

And, to Rain’s delight, it snowed that night!

Sedona in Snow

The next morning I decided that my allergies were kicking my ass and I couldn’t stick around a few more days in this snowy weather. I decided to surprise John at the Arizona Renaissance Festival while he is performing with Tartanic. As I zoomed down to Apache Junction outside of Phoenix, I darted over to Sedona to take some photos of its snowy landscape.

Our New Home at the Arizona Renaissance Festival

We’re home for now.  We’ll be here through early April.  I’ll write more when I’m well.  Thanks for keeping up with us!

Most people I know have the luxury of having a home–sometimes to the point of overlooking the fact that a solid home and all that comes with it are not always a given.


photo credit: sam frederick

I have voluntarily given up a cozy home for awhile in exchange for some sort of freedom and spontaneity that I desperately needed to taste while still alive on this earth.  A nomadic life of adventure has been courting me for years.  ”Voluntarily” is the key word here.  I can only imagine that the lack of a permanent home is tragic and devastating to some when the choice is not intentional.  I’m not here to focus on that right now though. This is a blog of manifesting dreams!

How We Became a Nomadic Family

I’m in a blessed situation, and there’s not a single day that passes where I do not express a little gratitude. I love the current experience of being nomadic–and with kids on top of that! It’s one story to do it solo.  It’s another to experience this grand adventure with your family.  I find that challenge even more exhilarating!  Some people love what we’re doing.  Some folks think we’re crazy.  Others probably find us irresponsible.  How do we do it? We do it because we wanted this dearly for quite some time, and built the foundation bit by bit to create this reality.  We also were able to accomplish this because we have a fantastic network of support from friends and family.  I write these words today because our family and friends rock, we worked hard, got out of debt, earned some money (not as much as one might think), and thought about it long and hard.

So what’s up with the “long and hard”?

When you hold the same dream in your mind and heart for a very long time it gives you the chance to get a little feedback from the universe.  If your dream is not a good fit for your life, it either fizzles out or develops into some gut feelings that urge you to go in another direction.  If your dream is in alignment with your life’s journey then naturally it will feed itself, grow, and always feel warm and fuzzy when you imagine it. If that dream is truly meant for you then it is imperative that you act with fortitude and decide which steps are needed to make it happen.  Every day you must take even the smallest step in the direction of the vision you hold for yourself.

A Manifesting Process from an Unlikely Suspect

My dear friend Stephanie Elizondo Griest (who is a rockstar author) taught me a simple and powerful process many years ago.  She is a person who will proclaim what she wants to achieve, and lo and behold, sometime in the future, I always see her get it.  Time and time again I’ve witnessed her amazing manifesting abilities.  (Being an intellectual, she doesn’t call it by such names, but we all know what it is:))  Her approach is not so woo-woo like mine.  Stephanie is simply a focused, dedicated activist that is passionate about her work.  I admire her innate gumption.

At a time when I was in a very stuck p0sition in life, I turned to Stephanie and she revealed this deceptively simple formula to me:  (1) Write down what you want.  (2) Under that, list every tiny, little step necessary to get to your goal.  (3)  Look at your list and ask yourself what you can do now.  (4) Begin today by taking some action that is on your list.  Sound obvious?  The problem is, some of the actions are so mundane and so far down the list that many people can get discouraged.  Do you want to be a counselor, for instance, so you can write a book in that field and have credibility?  What needs to happen first?  You need to go to grad school.  Crap.  You need to take your G.R.E.  So today, buy a G.R.E. study guide.  Find out the dates of the upcoming tests.  Get information from some schools you’d like to attend.  Today. So, to be that successful author you dream of in the future requires you buying a G.R.E. book today.  No fun?  Perhaps.  The things you do today may seem so far from the goal, but still they are part of the path.  There is little room for discouragement in the manifesting of dreams.  The key is to chip away at the little steps.

The Reality of Manifesting the Life of My Dreams

For example, I wanted to (a) travel with my family full time and (b) make a living in a way that is location independent.  My husband and I owned a shop and a restaurant in Texas that was certainly awesome, but definitely holding us back from a life of full-time travel.  In addition, we had some debt and no savings whatsoever.  I knew that selling the businesses (or just quitting them) would be the ticket to my desired freedom. However, selling the business would bring in the money necessary to get out of debt and jumpstart my goal.  Obviously, the sale would take care of two important agendas:  freedom and money.  I’m no dummy.  I knew this route had to be the focus of my energy.  At the time I knew this plan would require loads of legwork.  And, yes, I felt discouraged. In my case, desire overcame discouragement. This is my life, and I was determined to live it on my own terms.

Reaching for Stars

For 3 or 4 years I marinated on the vision of my dreams and took baby steps toward this goal.  I knew that selling our businesses would be the pivotal event that would really get things rolling.  I had to make that my focus, rather than the nomadic dream (which definitely wasn’t as much fun).  But selling a business requires a million steps.  It requires the organization of years of sales reports, taxes, inventory, policies, and procedures.  To reach my goal, it was essential that my daily reality had to morph into one of getting my butt in gear.  I spent countless hours chomping away at a mountain of figures and paperwork and organizing years of hoarding stuff for the business.  It also required getting the word out there that the business is for sale.  We listed our business with brokers and told everyone we knew.  In the end, this Travel Creatives project and blog was the billboard that attracted the right buyers. My point is that the foundation of our current life as nomadic travelers was built brick by brick over a long period of time.  Realizing your dreams doesn’t have to take as long as it did for us.  Perhaps it could take even longer, though.  Regardless, if you want it bad enough, persistence and action are definitely the magic keys.

When Family and Friends Become Your Rock Stars

Another situation specific to us is that we are blessed to have supportive families and friends.  Now, between travels, we are so grateful to be hosted by our loved ones.  I’ve actually found so many gifts in asking family and friends to host us.  (And I’m one that cringes at imposing!)  Spending more intimate time with those we love has certainly strengthened many bonds.

In December and January we hopped from Alexandria to Annapolis to Ohio and then Texas visiting all of our families.  While in Texas with my folks, our 2 week stay (while we waited to fly to Hawaii) turned into a month and half stay (and no Hawaii) due to John’s new job opportunity to work for the Ren Faire musical act, Tartanic.  This 6 week stay with my parents has been such a huge gift for me.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend such quality time with my mom and dad without having any day job to attend to. I wake up every day with this delicious slowness and make breakfast with them, sip coffee, and talk. They have had the opportunity to spend ample time with their grandchildren, both at such pivotal times of their lives.  Rain is becoming a young woman at almost 12 years old and Jaya’s saying new words every day as her sweet and quirky personality is developing right before our eyes.

I realize not everyone has the luxury of coming home home. I mean the home where mom and dad live, the home where you grew up in, the home with all the comforts and the memories.  I have that, and I am eternally grateful.  So far, our nomadic life is in its infancy.  We lived in Ecuador for a few months and then we house-hopped in the States for a few, too. Now we are off to live a crazy, unexpected festival-filled gypsy life that somehow makes perfect sense. In retrospect, I can see how all the events of my life have led to this lifestyle and new opportunity.

And this, my friends, is definitely the way a dream should feel once realized!

The beautiful thing is that the journey is far from over.  I still have not manifested a sustainable income through this lifestyle.  No discouragement here, though.  Time to get out my journal ala Stephanie, write out my goals and necessary actions, and put one foot in front of the other.  I am filled with joy from being home home.  My cup (or should I say goblet?) is full.  I leave in a few days.  The Ren Faires are luring me into a new, fascinating life that is certain to offer some unconventional wisdom along with an uncertain, but hopefully, notable destiny.

Here’s An Excerpt of my old 2007 journal toward manifesting dreams:

• Dream:  Adventurous, sustainable nomad with the family
• Today’s Action (circa 2007): Consolidate Excel spreadsheets of itemized sales 1998-2000

Good thing I did it!  What’s your dream?  What’s your action of the day?  Is it as lame as mine was?  Are you gonna do it anyway??  Do you wanna rock your own world?

Creatives Inspiring Creatives

How lovely this thought:  We inspire each other.  This inspiration creates a grid of creativity and potentiality across the globe.  We can contribute to this network.  We can feed off of it, too.  This wave of positive energy ignites the knowing in our hearts that a benevolent universe exists.  It is the reality that I like to play in.

The do-ers and the love-ers rise up each day weaving their magic and emanating the good ju-ju.  We nab it to power our good things.  Those that we affect will undoubtedly use it, expand on it, and pass it on whether consciously or unconsciously.  How grateful I am to all the amazing role models and friends that appear to me on a daily basis.  It may be a person I meet in real life, someone I read about on the internet, or a story on the telly.  Our interconnectedness is undeniable and can be used for the purpose of life-affirming creations.

photo credit: allspice1

Blogosphere Travels

I’ve evolved into an avid blog reader for this very purpose of being inspired.  I revel in the network of people who share and are charged by connecting with others.  I tend to follow mostly travel blogs and motivational/business blogs of which I’m signed up on perhaps 40 different mailing lists at this moment.  I signed up for some because I stumbled upon them and they spoke to me.  Other blogs are followed because some bloggers I respected had them on their “top 10 lists”.  I figured if they recommended them then they must be worthy.  A few I follow because they are just popular and market themselves well.  Perhaps I bought into the hype.  I put forth a concerted effort to read them all.  I study them as if I am engaging in some sort of anthropological experiment.

Following a multitude of blogs offers me not only a pool for inspiration, but a crash course into the blogging world.  Some I love, and a few I have lukewarm feelings about.  Of course, I have the utmost respect for the whole lot.   Here is a strange confession.  I have this tendency to embody the spirit of the great Mother sometimes as I relate to others.  I snap these “lenses” on and see other people as my children.  I may not agree with their approach, but I honor their path and wish them well. For this reason, I have yet to remove myself from any mailing list.  I’m too loyal a mother…:)

photo credit: AlicePopkorn

The blogs that win my heart are the ones that I find personally inspiring and truly authentic.  I need that fire in order to carry on as a writer myself.  It important to have that nudging to pursue a creative life, to continue blogging and sharing, and to strive to be the best version of myself at any given moment.

Blogs That Make Me Happy

For example, just off the top of my head, I’d like to share a few notable blogs with you from my inbox.  Perhaps you’d like to know what other writers are fueling this blog.

• For general motivation I love Karol Gajda’s RidiculouslyExtraordinary.com. When I read his stuff I find myself completely buying into his game of kicking ass in life.  It makes me happy.
• For business motivation I am attracted to Henry Juntilla’s genuine voice at WakeUpCloud.com.  He seems really sweet and passionate about his mission to help others make a living online.
• For spiritual creativity I love my dear friend, Rachel’s blog at CollectingYourself.wordpress.com. She’s the real deal.  Her writing voice is as sincere as she is in person.
• For eloquent travel writing I feel kindred to the sister at NomadicChick.com. A few of her posts have blown me away and sold me on her entirely.
• Fellow family travelers, Jamie and Claude at Abrams Family World Travel inspire me because of their consistency and diversity of content.  I know the difficulties of traveling as a family and appreciate the many updates.

These are some of the blogs that make me want to write more.

For those of you who don’t know the blogosphere too well I love a few of the biggies like Chris Guillebeau’s Art of Nonconformity Blog for his positive motivation, organization, and drive and Seth Godin for his style and wit. It feels cliche to mention these names, but I am clear that not everyone reads blogs all day long.  If you’re just beginning to enter the blogosphere, then most likely you will come across their names.

Again, I’d like to emphasize that these are simply the bloggers who pop into my mind first and foremost.  There are many more that are noteworthy.  It’s only been about four months or so since I’ve dedicated my time to getting to know a group of blogs.  After I get to know this group well I will, little by little, add another cluster of blogs into my inbox.

photo credit: ManojVasanth

Comments on Comments

The inspiration for today’s post came to me in the form of a recent comment on one of my last posts, The Miracle of Changing Direction in Travel. It is from a beautiful young lady who worked for me for a short time before I sold my business in Texas. It made me realize how much we can positively exchange motivation and encouragement.  As she comments on how my blog inspires her, I am validated and excited to continue sharing my own creative journey with the world.

Congratulations!!! I was in complete awe as I was reading this blog. Really, your lives are so incredibly inspiring and living proof that amazing, big things (miracles) can happen at any time from the smallest of occurances ( like meeting someone new, getting in contact with an old friend, going somewhere new, changing your everyday patterns and just the way you think!…) For my life, I couldn’t hope for anything more than to be able to use my creativity and heart’s desires to carry me in life. What a soulful existence! Reading your blogs, has touched my heart. It’s so often that one can feel bogged down from day jobs and routine and feeling like our creativity has no use… this is truthfully one of my greatest internal conflicts. I see from you and your family that there is no reason the heart and soul should feel discontent or a need to settle. I feel set towards a path with heart. Thank you, and blessings to you and your family.
Love, Asia

Much gratitude to Asia and all the other readers!  Through you my passion to carry on with this project that I love grows and expands.  I also am reminded of the value of giving thoughtful comments to others–specifically bloggers .  It is my intention to shower the world with encouraging comments.  By this act I become more mindful of the creations of others, noticing nuances, and engage in an exchange of energy.  How rewarding it is to participate in strengthening that field of inspirational energy that fuels the lives of the creatives all around the globe.  That’s my tribe.

photo credit: lorraine santana

Dig the New Design??

One last shout out of appreciation goes to John and Aly at Hop and Jaunt. I know I haven’t mentioned the pink elephant in the room, but doesn’t this new custom web design KICK ASS?!?!?  We aren’t finished with the details of the newly designed Travel Creatives site, but I’m loving the look and direction.  John and Aly are traveling designers and are extremely creative and great to work with.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thanks for reading!  Comments? Questions?

Top Photo:  ”I hold the galaxy in my hand” photo credit: Mell P