We're nearing the end of our stay here in our little Cage Free Cabin in the Woods.
I feel as though I'm expanding in all directions.
I feel so strongly tied not just to this cabin and the beautiful acreage that comes with it, but also to Taos and the community we've become a part of.
There has definitely been a part of me that has been digging in my heals, refusing to fully let go and have faith in the path, and man is that a painful thing.
The closer we get to the move out date though the more excited I am becoming at the myriad of possibilities for us. Once again, we could go anywhere, do anything. It's one of those impossible to answer questions -- "If you could go anywhere, do anything right now, what would you do???"
Ummm... do I get three wishes? Can I wish for more wishes??
One of the things that has been coming to me as the back of my mind chews on this idea is Florida. It is not a state that was ever on my short list of places to visit. We wound up there totally by chance, maybe even a little by force, as we ran from the deep freeze that was sweeping the whole country in Jan of 2009. I had no real idea of what it would be like.
We wound up staying at every east coast beach we could from Tybee Island (outside of Savannah, GA) to central Florida and then across and through Orlando (AMAZING friends we made there!) and back up via the Western Florida coast. The beaches were so incredible. I have always wanted to spend winter on the beach and boy did I!
In this moment I lack the words to express how moved I was by the fine white sand, the turquoise and green wave, pelicans, sunsets and very sound of it all.
So when I think on where I'd like to go if I could go anywhere I can't help but remember how much I loved those quiet winter beaches.
The lurch in my stomach isn't far behind those memories now as I get hit by another kind of wave -- that drowning, mourning feeling, that inability to integrate what has happened in the Gulf. I am then awed by how truly fortunate I feel for having gotten to experience it before the devestation.
I then wonder what else in this life I would like to experience while I still can... what I would like to share with my children...
And the ability to free fall into the competent waiting arms of the Universe... to not try so hard to dictate, know or understand-- just to be and let be and love it all for what it is... comes back over me and lifts me back up.
We have friends with whom we could share land or even a house, others to build a community with, a place to build our own cabin, a community of travelers to park with, friends to travel the country with, an invitation to a family focused community in Oaxaca, Mexico and some discussion of Costa Rica and New Zealand with still other friends, just to name a few.
It's exciting, it's incredible, it's like standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon trying to comprehend the vastness...
So. Many. Possibilities.
I'm working on willing my white knuckled fingers to let go of the cliff and discover that falling feels an awful lot like flying...
Weeeeee....
Coming up: Our first guest blogger has sent me her post and I'm working on a little intro about two of our very best friends... you're going to love it!
xoxo
14 comments:
Exciting!
wow...... and you write it so well too.
Good luck on your transition. Just one side note, I noticed you listed Costa Rica as a possible destination. Be aware that in Costa Rica it is illegal to home school. Unfortunately we found this out the hard way :)
Wow, Florida? That's where we are from and we have no desire to go back. Visiting the beaches in winter is lovely and quiet. The rest of the year is overcrowded and expensive. Nobody can actually afford to live close to them and they are lined with condos and overdevelopment because of few regulations. It is sad really.
I miss the beach but honestly my whole life there I didn't get to go very often. Rv parks there are expensive. There is virtually no boondocking outside of a Walmart.
Now North Florida/panhandle is rural and beautiful. We desperately miss the music festivals at Spirit of Suwannee music park. Just beautiful. Can't afford land there though and building codes are atrocious.
Visiting is great but I can't imagine going back to live there. We just had so few choices other than living in the ghetto...and that was even with an upper middle class income at the time. You can't just squat. Homeless are arrested all the time for trying to put up their tents in the woods. Seriously.
that is exciting. our family had a similar situation this winter and we chose the southern coast of maine. it's been a charmed, beautiful life ever since.
xo on your journey,
nell
I wish I was in Baja California, Mexico... it is soooo awesome. It is where whales go to have their babies. Among many other wonderful qualities. And living their is affordable, plus San Diego is just across the border, and it is just as beautiful. Maybe I'm a little bias as I would consider it all my 'hometown'.
Should you venture back down this way, we live about 45 minutes from St. Simon's Island! Savannah is about an hour and a half away.
I am so excited to come here and read about your new journey!
Spread those wings, Mama!
Well...it is an honor to make the list ;)
If not to stay...then to visit hopefully the Universe will send you our way again or at least close so that we might adventure your way!
We've more places to sit and less "stuff" than the last time you were here (big, very comfortable grin) and as you know, nothing but love for you here in our little patch of the sunshine state :)
Hugs and blessings for your fantastical journey of wonder and awe!
xo
I was going to mention Spirit of the Suwanee, too!! I'm about 20 minutes from there (in Georgia, near where I-75 hits the state line). The music festivals are awesome and they have a free, weekend long kids music camp 4 times (I think) a year. So far this year it has been rediculously hot, hitting near 100 with the heat index well above for the past week! Beware!!
@Chris - It is isn't it?
@ GSD -
@Roblynn - Thanks for the heads up. Does it matter if we maintain US Residency?
@LHOW - Totally get where you're coming from. People flock to Austin, TX and I don't have a lot of good things to say about it. There are a couple of things that I miss, but not enough to go back to the things that I don't.
Also, beaches in the summer are too hot and crowded for me.
@Nell - I have ALWAYS wanted to go to New England - especially the coast. I've thought about trying to find a winter vacation rental this year. Any tips?
@ Kirsten - Would love to talk to you about Mexico. There is a lot of fear being passed along about the safety of Mexico, but whenever I talk to someone who is still at least a part time resident they tell me that they feel that it is safer than the US.
@Cam - Savannah was another of my very favorite spots. It managed to hold onto us for a whole week that winter. I would really like to check out the whole state a bit more.
@ Babs - Sista' you are SO on the list ;-) xoxo I hope we get to spend some time together very soon.
@Jenna - You had me at 'Free Kids Music Camp' ;-) We've been having some pretty out of the norm hot weather here in Taos as well. It was over 90 degrees for 5 days straight. Waaay unusual for this area. The 90 degree days are usually infrequent and tempered by the Monsoon season.
We live in Miami- and we are just about to take our voyage as well, so I can totally relate.
If your heading this way there are lot of amazing place even further south. You should head down to Key West and make your way up through the everglades.
Lol about Austin. It's funny because when we barely got into our travels I thought Austin was amazing (before we were there for a whole month). I joked to my friend back home that even the artsiest places in Florida (there aren't many) looked like a cesspool compared to Austin...and Austin does have a lot of family friendly things going on with Zilker park and free events. Florida doesn't have much of that. Riki and I agreed that even though we weren't altogether wowed by Austin in the end that we would much rather live there than go back to Florida given the choice.
As for your question about Costa Rica.We are U.S. citizens and do not have residency here. We have been perpetual touristas for the past four years and they are trying to do away with that.
The law is all children from 6-16 are required to be in school, for their socialization you know :) Someone from the school became concerned because baby was not in school. So long story short does not matter as we were told in their country you obey their law. We will be moving on soon, too sad.
The next Kid's camp is August 13-15 and then one November 5-7. I can't pull any info about it from their website, www.musicliveshere.com, but I did find an article about one they had last year http://www.bluegrassjournal.com/2009/06/11/spirit-kids-music-camp-draws-65-budding-musicians/ Of course you can always call! The festivals are kid friendly, too. My 5 year old neice hung out with us for a day at The Wanee Festival and LOVED it! Under 6 have free admittance, too :)
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