This summer, we joined a group for traveling families that I came across online called Fulltime Families (FTF), in hopes to find other families on the road to connect our kiddos. The Facebook group online community has been great, full of information and support, with every living situation and family dynamics you can think of. From families Rving stationary for work, to those of us moving every week or two. From those hopping from RV park to RV park to those boondocking and everyone in between.
We’ve recently started our 3rd year on the road but have only been boondocking for a little less than a year…we have much to learn but heck there is always something new to learn about Rv living in general. This Winter we finally caught up with the Boondocking community of FTF. We met up on a BLM piece of land by Lake Havasu. Though we were planning on bouncing between CRA parks, we decided to cut our 2 week stay or “docking” as I’ve fondly started calling it, so we could make our first meet up.
Our arrival day was rainy…
and though there were like 12 rigs here, it wasn’t until the next day that everyone came out and we were able to connect. In the end I believe there were like 17 rigs at one point, with some kept coming and going. It was great to put faces to names we had been connecting with on Facebook. My kiddo was beside himself the first day claiming how epic it was to connect with other kids who live a similar lifestyle. But on the next day he was over the top excited…come to find out that one of the friends he had connected with over a month ago on Messenger Kids…who he thought was traveling out East…was right there, a few trailers away! It was sweet to hear one of the Moms describing how priceless the look on their faces was when they realized who they were.
Since then, we’ve continued to follow some families throughout the desert. Enjoyed hanging out, learning from the seasoned RVers and encouraging and applauding those newer than us to this nomadic life. It’s been about sharing stories around the fire circle, connecting with kindred spirits and making new friends. An organic mobile village with kiddos of all ages.
At our first hangout we spent a day at the local park. I believe the park was full with just OUR kids! Keagan and I got a hair cut, yes we met a family who travels from Florida and back. We had a live concert by a traveling musician.
We even met another family of three from Canada, @OurAdventuringLife, that have the same make, year and model RV as we do. Got some great remodeling tips and organizing ideas that we plan to implement. We meant so many families, it was great connecting and we are looking forward to crossing paths again.
On a personal note…
I have to admit for me it was challenging connecting and being around others, but it did shine so much light on my healing path. I realized how the social anxiety and introvertness that I thought had been part of my life for years, actually hadn’t been. With all the deep digging and shadow work I’ve been doing…I’ve been very present to the emotions that run through me. Connecting them to memories, traumas etc. Watching my kiddo be this social butterfly I said out loud…”Where does he get that? Doug and I are so introverted.” I then realized that yeah, my anxiety and introvertness started as a child and though it did “shown up” again later in life, there was a time, my young adult years, where I was that social butterfly I see in my kiddo.
What happened?
Well, I grew up fast, helping my emigrant parents navigate a whole new world, in a new country. I grew up seeing how adults treated and spoke about my non-American family, saw their frustration with the language barrier…and how all of that made me different. I’ve come to realized how ashamed I was as a child…for being different in so many ways…my ethnicity, being bilingual, a wild child, my HSP, you name it…all the things that made me different enough to stand out, be teased, bullied, and traumatized in many ways, on many levels.
My unhealthy ways of dealing with all the pain and sadness led to not very healthy behaviors…that little frightened girl got brave…learned to stuff it down, protect herself. Leaving home for the Military, I’m sure just added to the having to be tough attitude too. My young adult life was spent doing, doing, doing, as a single mom I had to put myself out there, taking risks. My life had been full of challenges, so I took them on and said bring it on and so the Universe did. I ended up as a medical professional and then into medical case management, my reputation proceeded me, I was good at my job. But looking back…I never really felt I was thriving. In the end the rough spots in life, every disappointment, every hurtle, every broken heart, every betrayal, the sh*t that happens in life, cause well, life happens, that’s how we learn the lessons we are here to learn; all of it, stirred up the anger and rage that I had held deep inside as a child. That lead to choosing a life of solitude than that of community, despite my yearnings for connection. In my heart all I ever wanted was to fit in…I yearned for community, my tribe, sisterhood…of course back than I didn’t call it that, but the energy of that community called to me. My social anxiety had come back…stronger then ever, it held me back…thinking I was protecting myself when in turn I was shutting out the world.
But as I move into this next phase of my life, I realize, experiencing this community, came at the right time…helping me learn more about myself, discovering who I really am, seeing how I show up, what triggers me and why. As I continue to walk the Way of the Hero and use the oils to support me I find how invaluable these precious plant allies are. The way of the Hero is about exploring the stories we carry (we all carry stories), that are so powerful and convincing, that these stories become internalized and get stuck in our body as cellular memories. Already this year I’ve been Guided (my word of the year) to face my stories by way of community. The Universe is good that way…if you pay attention, your lessons are unfolding before you all the time. All of this, helps unfurl yet another petal as my healing spirals ever so softly towards my center…with each discovery more light shines in, more emotions surface, inviting growth and expansion. Uncovering the scripts I created…the stories we tell ourselves, all the while clearing the space for a new epic story to be told…
Moonlight Musings…
What I’m reading…reading Soul Signature by Penache Desai…daily lessons and meditations, a 33 day journey to purpose.
What I’m listening to…a mix of Rising Appalachia, Trevor Hall, Nahko Bear…some of my favorites!
What my ARTual practice has been…a 30 day Joy Palette hosted by one of my inspiring Creative Spiritual Teacher, Whitney Freya.
What I’m diffusing…between my new and full moon blends I’ve been loving this combo…Arborvitae and Breathe…perfect blend for this time of year, since there’s been some curd going around.