Tearing down Castles and Settting up Teepees -- Buckinghamshire, England

Every person, every race, every nation has its own particular keynote which it brings to the general chord of life and of humanity.

~Annie Besant

It's seven forty on a Sunday morning and my English family is still in bed. Rain pitter-patters softly outside the window and Oscar whines not so softly outside the door.

I know you are inside, sitting on za soft black couches wisout me. I can smell za coffee on your breath and hear za typing of your glowing machine. 

Oscar is just as grouchily affectionate as I remember, but slightly less Russian.

The last few days have been grounding for me.

"Do you remember when --?"

Is always a grounding question to ask. And it's a question I very seldom have the opportunity to ask.

The last few days have been full of bacon, crafts, ponies, dogs, curry and "remember when?"

This is one way you find your energy. Meeting up with supportive people with whom you've stayed before. Relishing the sense of familiarity before venturing into the unknown. 

My future has never been so full of unknowns before -- and I've never been so happy to live in the land of not knowing. Plans for the summer have once again undergone significant alterations. In fact, most of my chimerical castles in the sky have either been taken apart and reconstructed/redecorated or have gone and vanished altogether.

Working in the Austrian Alps?

Nope.

Volunteering in Greece, Albania, France and Spain?

Nah.

Spending ten days in Holland before flying back to Colorado for the month of October?

No.

Strategically hitchhiking and Couchsurfing from Italy to Holland in two months (traveling between 75 and 125 km every day)?

Too damn structured.

I've learned to soften the edges of my dreams. I've learned to let go of this whole castle business and go with teepees instead (as they are quite a bit easier to set up and take down).

Aimee's got teepees in the clouds these days. They're far more comfortable than castles and look something like this:

• April 10th = Fly to Split. Teach yoga at a gorgeous retreat on Vis Island for about six weeks
• May 17th = Volunteer with a sculptor in Solin
• June 1st = Meet with Martin and explore a few islands off the coast of Croatia
• June 7th = Volunteer at a clothing optional campsite in Montenegro (more on this later)
• June 14th = Meet with Tessa. Hitch/walk to Greece. Take a ferry to Trieste. Hitch/walk to Bratislava
• July 12th = Elemental Acro Yoga immersion in Bratislava
• July 17th = Hitch/walk to Barcelona
• August 10th = Tessa heads south to Morocco and I head north to meet with Michael at the border of France and Spain
• August 15th = Hike the Pyrenees mountains and as much of the Camino de Santiago as possible before I need to -- 
• September 28th = fly back to Colorado for Janet's wedding

I love the freedom I feel when I look at this plan.

I will have my sleeping bag, my bivvy bag, a good friend, a sarong and enough money in the bank support a very modest food budget. What more do I need? 

I love the freedom I feel when I realize how light my backpack will be (relative to how heavy it's been, anyway). Jack and Charlotte have considerately offered to let me leave a few of my belongings at their house in Buckinghamshire over the summer. Once I finish my epic trek, they'll post the discarded possessions to Amsterdam and I'll pick them up from there.

My camcorder, podcasting microphone, red jacket, a few chargers and random electronic paraphernalia will stay in Lacey Green.

Lightening my load not only gives me freedom of movement... it gives me focus. Instead of thinking about videos and recordings, I can direct that energy towards photography. And craft. Yes. This will be a summer of photography, yoga, massage, writing and craft.

Meeting Michael helped teach me to view every interaction with every person as a gift. A gift with meaning.

Meeting up with Charlotte and Jack again has been an extraordinary gift. Charlotte has started a very successful children's club where students learn how to take tossed out material and make beautiful crafts. What she creates is as playfully inventive as her excitement is contagious.

Sarah and Libby taught me that living out of a basket of handmade goodies is possible. Charlotte is giving me the inspiration I need to get myself started. I've always been good with my hands... knitting, painting, braiding, jewelry making... now I just need to learn how to do this on a budget. Working with found objects. Painting on stone. Making baskets out of newspaper. God, I'm becoming such a hobo. I love it. 

Visiting the ponies. India is trimmer this time, but every bit as ornery.

Nothing has changed between Charlotte and horses. She still glows with life and love whenever she's around them. A feeling they seem to reciprocate.

Lucy has made an old man out of Oscar

All of Charlotte's chickens were eaten up. So. That's a change.

 

 Jack requested sirloin steak for dinner on Friday night, so Charlotte, Violet, a classmate and I scrambled into the car and drove off to a local farmshop to purchase some good quality meat.

Violet is still as classy as ever. Sporting glasses on a cloudy English day whilst chasing chickens.

This makes me sad to be celiac

YES. This makes me happy to not be vegetarian.

I liked that as I watched the children jump over each other, my thoughts weren't, sheesh, that's so immature, but, man... I wanna play too.

We took the dogs on a quick walk down some dirt roads before the craft fair yesterday morning. On this walk, Charlotte pointed out and picked edible plants for me to try.

Another gift. Another moment of inspiration. Another way for me to become healthier and more independent. Learn to forage, Bourget. 
 

The craft fair was another source of inspiration. Knitted sacks filled with lavender, necklaces made with pressed flowers, flower pots made out of old teacups.

Adorable children are always running around at craft fairs. I was particularly fond of this one.

Violet. I'm starting a dandelion revolution.

See?

Three more days with my English family. I'm disappointed to leave the comfort of their home and their supportive company so soon after arriving, but I'll soak in as much familiarity as I can whilst here.

And perhaps give a few more thai massages while I'm at it.