I do believe one of the questions I'm asked most often by friends I've made near and far is, "Where are you right now?" It's true, I move around often. I have been loving living nomadically these past 3 or 4 years. April 1st of 2019 I moved full time into my Prius to try my hand at "Prius Life". Go ahead and google that term and you will see I'm not alone!
I'm always down for an adventure. I knew I enjoyed living out of my car while traveling so I figured it was easy to do while living and working in San Diego, specifically Ocean Beach. Prius life would surely save me A LOT of money by not paying rent and that savings would give me the opportunity to use my money on some trainings to make it easier to travel. I was more focused on the easiest way to get from A to B.
After a year and some odd months I have moved on from full time Prius Life. I'm so happy I chose to live in my car. I learned so much about myself and grew immensely as a person. My journey in 2020 has taken me by surprise as I'm sure anyone reading this can relate to in their own life. 2020 has been very memorable and life changing for me personally. I decided to leave California at the end of January because of a deep intuitive feeling that I was meant to head South. My initial destination was Fort Lauderdale, FL. I did not resonate with the hustle and bustle that is much of Florida. After a brief 3 weeks of visiting the East side of Florida I left for Georgia, traveled to South Carolina and unexpectedly landed in Townsend, Tennessee. This my friends is the very edited and short version of a much longer confusing story.
Going with the flow in life requires a focus on what's working and what's not working. Flowing with life means finding the path of least resistance and listening intensely to your intuition, ie, your gut feeling. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes this approach to life is scary and a bit confusing. Trusting in the process is vital to having peace. Believing EVERYTHING that is happening is happening on purpose and is the best possible scenario for your future dreams is the only way to feel true contentment in the midst of also feeling like you have no clue what's happening. HA!! I thought I knew what I liked and where I was heading and then I remembered to let go of my plans.
TENNEESSEE...my home state. I grew up in Memphis and I am proud to say I'm actually a "southerner". Through a dear friend, a connection I initially made from a Costa Rico Facebook group, I found myself living at a beautiful 12 unit Airbnb on The Little River during the entire lockdown, for FREE. I learned ANYTHING really IS possible in life. I felt like Snow White as I watched all the trees and flowers thaw out, bud and bloom into the most amazing summer I've experienced to date. I left for a few weeks to visit Kansas City in May but returned on a trade to my new favorite place in the World, The Strawberry Patch Inn.
Strawberry Patch is located in Townsend, TN and is known as the "Peaceful Side of the Smokey's". It's country ya'll, I mean, really beautiful and charming, country. I fell in LOVE with my entire life there over the summer. When I wasn’t doing all the laundry and helping the cleaning crew for the Inn I was hiking. The Smokey Mountains became my haven, my friend, my refuge, my LOVE. I'm tearing up typing this out at the moment. I never expected to fall in love with the mountains in Tennessee, no less! I left again in September to check out the West side of Florida. I loved Gulfport, FL but I returned again to Townsend with visions of staying there all winter. I was confused when all doors showed signs of closing. It was clear, I was meant to go somewhere else when I couldn't find affordable housing and I was looking to move out of my car.
So I thought it must be Gulfport, FL because, it's warm and sunny and I love the ocean. THIS is when everything got REALLY crazy folks!! I visited KC for the 3rd time this year on October 3rd. I kept ignoring my gut feeling that I was to winter in KC. I mean it's cold friends and far away from the ocean or mountains. After 3 weeks of trying to ignore my gut I surrendered and announced yet another/different plan to stay in Kansas City for the winter AND to RENT an apartment!
I am having so much fun in KC despite the cold. So far it's not been all that cold but it has snowed twice without accumulation!! After living in KC for 20 years, I've spent 4 years and 4 months avoiding anything to do with KC in the winter. I am still planning to return to the Smokey Mountains in the Spring to launch a Meditation Hiking business. We will see how things flow as I continue to move forward with my dreams.
After 3.5 years of not having my own place I am renting a very adorable apartment on the very top of a very old, big mid town house. I've cried tears of gratitude for this new and unexpected opportunity to ground, nest and just embrace all the unexpected things coming my way in life. I jumped right into home life and have enjoyed having many of my friends over in the short 3 weeks I've been renting. It's been so much fun to set up house, to walk through doors and cook in my own kitchen. I'm planning to work on my business plans here until the Springtime. I am taking appointments for all the healing arts I offer.
This year I learned anything is possible if we stay open to our plans changing. I learned problems are not problems rather an opportunity to choose to experience something different on my journey. Freedom comes from letting go of our expectations and allowing the Universe to work magic in everything and everyway imaginable or unimaginable.
Wanna see my apartment?? Go to my Yoga Hippie channel and see it for yourself! Curious about my exciting plans for 2021? You can check out my Meditation Hikes page on my website to learn more about that endeavor as it also evolves into whatever magic the Universe has planned for me! Until my next blog I wish you peace as we all ring in 2021 and close out one of the most bizarre years in history. Scroll down for some pictures of The Smokey’s and Strawberry Patch! Much love to you!
