Thanksgiving in San Francisco with Aja

Last week was so sweet. I got to step away from all I'm doing and just be with my daughter for a few days. It was much needed time with her! She's been living and going to school in San Francisco since the Fall of 2016. It's amazing how much she has grown since taking the leap to move there. And what an amazing fit SF has been for her! There's no doubt in my mind that she is exactly where she should be right now. I love it there too and look forward to spending more time there so long as she lives there. What a blessing that flights are so affordable from Seattle to SF!

I hope you all had as blessed a Thanksgiving as I did, and that you live in gratitude every day. I am back on the Jackdaw clock in Seattle now! Shooting for Sacred Heart and Mary's Place families this week and next!

A bit messy and inconvenient, but so worth it.

This is my second time to live in a vehicle. I'm only four months in this time, but definitely in the groove of it now. Instagram is loaded with inspiring pics of #vanlife glamorizing the live aboard lifestyle of those who have chosen to live this way just as I have. There are amazing moments and experiences that come with this path that would be hard to come by any other way. But they are exactly that, 'moments'. While I enjoy this lifestyle and it suits me, it is not endless adventure and glorious vistas out the windows. In my case, it is allowing me to follow my purpose,which is the reason I chose it.

Living in a vehicle is hard when it comes to the practicalities of life. It can be isolating if you aren't careful. It's a bummer in the winter when you can't just have the doors open. Sticking freezing cold deodorant in your warm armpits in the morning is breathtaking. Cooking on a hot plate that takes up half your 2.5' counter can get old. Washing dishes outside afterward is kind of a pain. Crawling into a 40 degree bed is always a treat. Having a tiny wardrobe has an odd effect on how you see yourself. All of this experience inspires self examination in ways one likely wouldn't think of whilst living in a regular home. I love that.

I have gained an odd affection for brushing my teeth outside, especially before bed on a starry night. While it is often messy and frustrating to live out of such a small space, it has a wonderfully grounding effect on me. My tiny Hellahouse has fostered deep gratitude in me for the simplest of blessings in life. Health, food and shelter.

The moments in between...

I just returned to Seattle and Jackdaw mode. I've been in Olympia the last 8 days taking care of mom and helping out my sister with some handyman tasks on her house. It's always surreal returning to this world. My monthly week with mom is very special, and getting more so every time. It's also very challenging. After a week of focused caregiver mode, it's not easy returning to my individual life. It's like stepping between worlds. My ritual upon return is to take a long walk and just be. Let all I experienced with mom during the week settle in and release. Look around and get reacquainted with what I'm doing here. Funny, I've always been a caregiver of sorts. Even Jackdaw has elements of that. Giving is good, and I am blessed to be a giver.

Be well my friends