Back in Ballard...

Hola my friends. I have returned from 5 days of rest on the peninsula. Most of it was spent in Port Townsend. What a great little seaside town that is! I definitely needed a break, and have returned to my work very invigorated. It may sound strange to say that, since I've only been full time with Jackdaw for a month, but I hit it a bit furiously and between that and my first month of true vanlife, I overheated a bit! It reminds me of the first afternoon of my first day ever at Burning Man. I arrived at noon that day, found Temple Guardian camp and got my rig all set up. I couldn't wait to get out and explore the city! I charged off with no snacks and only a 220z bottle of water. I was completely enamored with the people, art and scope of the place, and before you know it I was on the other side of the city. That's when I went to get a much needed drink of water and realized I had drank it all already. A complete rookie playa mistake! And being brand new to Black Rock City, I was shy to ask for a drink from anybody because I had yet to truly experience the community there other than in sightseeing mode. So, I made my way back to camp. It was nearly two miles back and by the time I arrived I had heat exhaustion. I plopped down in a chair at Guardian camp and they immediately knew what they were looking at. With a smile and good humor, I was given water and the full compliment of jokes about being an excitable virgin Burner! I was fine within an hour and I learned a valuable lesson that day about pacing myself in the desert.

And so, I've learned a valuable lesson about pacing myself with Jackdaw. From the outside it may appear that I am living a permanent vacation. Nothing could be further from the truth. While I don't punch a clock anymore, the demands of living out of a vehicle full time while building a philanthropic operation from scratch are very intense. Add to that my family commitments, and the reality is that I'm working harder than I did in my previous life in Ellensburg as the photographer for Central Washington University. The big difference with my new life is passion. I am deeply inspired and passionate about what I'm doing with Jackdaw. And despite the workload, that makes this a joyful and exciting experience, just like my first day in Black Rock City in 2014! The lesson is, feel the joy, but pace yourself too. Take time to breathe. That's not always easy for me since I am building patron support and feel a deep responsibility to make good on their faith in me and the work I'm doing. I have to remind myself that I am human and it's okay to take some time for myself every day. Isn't it funny the lessons we learn and then have to re-learn? Life is quite the journey!