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Solar Plexus, Third Chakra
My own inner source of energy is strong.
I have a purpose on this earth, and I have the ability to fulfill it.
My inner light burns brightly. |
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. - HDThoreau
I have been wanting to create this post for about two months now. Just now getting around to it- just a month after it was DUE---(and now still a month more still).
(after writing this I am seeing this should probably be a few different posts but I am know how rare it is that I actually write and it all comes out when it does)
I returned with Rebecca a year ago as of February 2, 2012. I believe this anniversary is a moment for me to step back and see what this year has created after separation from total BLISS. Upon arrival we were greeted with Snowmageddon of '11. Allowing for the ability to ease back into the world. Spending time with friends snowed in. Great moment of blissful talking.
The next week and half I was toiling over how my living situation would look like after now being a gypsy for 14 months. (as a child I moved my bed around the room about once every month). I had several options. None of the options provided the one thing I desired - having no static place of residence. I had almost given up hope for my dream when I realized the road trips I had been in Pipi (the Prius that lets me live in her). I had been able to sustain multiple trips over the last five years with each trip being 4 weeks or longer. It dawned on me. If I can do a road trip and feel rested why can't I do a city trip and be rested.
So I went to REI and bought a
Therm-a-rest Dreamtime . A PLUSH inflatable that I have -no joke- filled only once! In fact every month or so I check to make sure I am not lying to myself and just open up the valve and see if air comes out. freaking LOVE LOVE LOVE this 'mattress of the gods'. I will repeat that incase you might have missed the importance of this. an air mattress that has been filled only once in a year ... while IN a car in the TEXAS HEAT!
mattress of the gods. o yeah and it is uber comfy. Durable air mattress with a memory type foam covered in protective fabric. You really won't wanna go back to any other option. I take it inside when I sleep over at other peoples houses.
The transformative powers of vibration - intention
I believe in the power of intention has a MASSIVE amount of influence on the outcome of any endeavor (
see Dr. Emoto ). Just as I believe in the stabilizing force that is Boarhead. So I went to Boarhead and had him infuse his energy in to my new temple by helping me put together my extension of the back seat. It is a piece of plywood that extends past the seat as it is folded down. Allowing for the back seat to accommodate a 6 foot tall person/entity/being. I could have easily created it myself but having had the help of a friend it now has some gifted intention. Also more recently cut out some foam (found at Joans fabric) to fill in the side of the Dreamtime mattress to allow for a FULL back seat bed. two people can sleep without encroaching on each others space. Really quite amazing.
As for sleeping arrangements I put a piece of comfy fabric over the Dreamtime. Then I use the amazingly positively energy infused comforter originally acquired for room 909 at South Side on Lamar for the Emperors Bed( good times). It is a king size comforter that I fold up in half and it covers the whole thing almost perfectly( about 8 inches to long. Makes for a great toe warmer when I want to get really cozy). I get under that most nights unless it is warm and then I sleep on top. If it is cold I take my sleeping bag and create a bivy sack inside my car ( by using
Irwin Quick grips that are having from my Oh-shit-bars. Then laying the sleeping bag over the head rests creates a LARGE bivy sack of warmth- if I really want to it can be warmed with my laptop :-) especially if the sucker is on my lap.) Or I can always turn on my car for an instant electrical heater with the defrost - greg on cold mornings -hot in 5 minutes.
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| An example of colors |
I had already tapered down my clothes to three shirts , 2 pants , 6 socks, (got ride of underwear awhile ago). overt the previous year traveling with Rebecca. I use
travel cubes to organize the different aspects of my constant travel life.
I have one for my:
- Toiletries - toothbrush,toothpaste,nail clippers,tweezers(I tweeze my beard since it has only a few on the sides- saves me to ever have to shave), floss
- My shirts and pants - three shirts, 1 pair of long pants,1 pair of shorts, 1set of overalls,
- Socks - 8 pair
- Dirty laundry( it is plastic lined to keep any smell contained- I can only tolerate a certain amount of smell - I am a princess camper)
- Toy Bag- Fire poi/flags/external flash
Another thing I really enjoy is my hobby body painting travels so very well. I fit them all right behind the passenger seat. Yes!
Now to learn all of the more portable hobbies/passions !!
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| Great for tea or dehydrated food |
Food
Is everywhere you go.I actually have extra dried backpacking foodI have not touched in months. I have about 10 days of dehydrated food with a Jet Boil behind the drivers seat. I only seem to ever use those when I am at a burn or camping out. Food is everywhere all the time overwise. I do need to go through the other food stores I originally put in the cupboard(the space be hind the driver seat). Just don't need anywhere near as much as stuff as i originally thought. (update after having gone through the stuff i took out 70 percent of it and replaced it with Nice teas graciously donated by Gary Zimneys while working on The Ball of Light. I put them in a nice wooden box and take them out when at a place where people want to talk( since i can boil water on site anywhere--teehee).
Bathrooms
Are everywhere you go. I do make sure I go to the restroom before I leave the place I am last before going to bed. I also do not drink alcohol after about 6pm. Otherwise I would have to either get up in the night to pee or I would not sleep well... and I like my sleep.
Intention on my recharge space
My foray into intention has revealed that I have not spent much effort on putting positive energy in my recharge space in the past. I have now placed the sacred items in my life not only inside my mobile temple but under my bed. I am getting into the habit of actually taking these items out during the positive energy infusing moments. Paint (body paint) is the first place I have noticed my desire to have my temple present. I would like to devise a more slick way of getting my temple in and out from under my bed. It takes about a minute right now and I would prefer about a quarter of that time. The items will adapt over time the way I see it.
The main elements are:
- A male and female metal figurine my sister Kimberly gave me when she made her first trip over to Thailand to start expanding her company GlobeAware there. The company I am happy to say I helped to create and is changing the world through cross cultural sharing.
- a singing bowl I purchased from a an adventure with Rebecca in Crestone Colorado upon a suggestion from my real-estate agent. I have been told it is a heart chakra tone. I could see it represent any and all.
- a glass paper weight in the shape of the world which I received from my grandmother upon her death
- wooden instrument I made while creating my first fine wood working project. proving to me that I had the talent just not the patience of focus to do anything.
- a chinese sugar like bowl that I like to think of as a incense burner - I just like this one
- a few other memoried items
- I am more aware of the smells in Pipi. I have a container that was provided about five years ago from Claire (who also introduced me to body paint) that contains a scent that I keep in the glove box to help provide a more intentional space.
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MAN I
Love ambigrams |
Privacy
Gotta have it. I am still trying to determine how much. At this point privacy means to me to be able to rest without being disturbed from my sleep ( which now I can do anywhere). A place where I can feel secure and private to recharge in my slumber. I put a sunshade in the front window - recently I have covered the shiny metal with black fabric (this will change over time). For curtains I use two pieces of fabric that pinches in the hatchback (with the creative use of a fabric glue and two plastic pencils) And extend that fabric to the front and pinch the fabric in the visors. This allows for no extra parts for sleeping other than the fabric and sunshade. no extra securing items needed( me like!). With this set up I am pretty private many would say that the hatchback is still visible but if I park near a street light at all it beats out any light that will come from my laptop. NOW if I want to have absolute privacy where no one will know if someone is inside or see any lights at all and have the interior lights on - I simply use the same Quick grips to holdup the comforter up and that blocks the hatchback window. Actually quite fantastic how much the car blends in with no inkling there is someone living in the car. I can turn on the interior lights and you would not know it from the outside.
SO...where do you park?
That is the number one question people ask.
Anywhere
No one pays attention to a car parked there for one night.
I do prefer to park sometimes near someone house that has an internet connection. This allows for a leisurely wakeup/work time. I enjoy looking at my calendar at night and seeing what is on the agenda for tomorrow morning and driving close to there and parking. I can get up later if I desire ( I don't sleep in past 7am anymore and go to bed about 12 at the latest). I feel it has increased my productivity.
How do you shower?
- for the past year I have had a Bikram Yoga membership ( (wow another post -short version-) allowed me to realize self-discipline and patience with taking care of myself through diet,rest ,exercise. If practice twice a week I stay the same physical shape if I practice three times a week I improve). The two main downsides of using a yoga studio for my shower is I HAVE to work out in order to take a shower. That can eat up some time. So I got better at time management. I recently have switched to 24 Hours Fitness and am taking what I learned in the last year of yoga to practice on my own. I know it will take a bit to get the motivation to have the same level of productivity i can get a from a group led class. I feel i have it within me to realize the further benefits of paying attention to my needs and wants on my own - rather than being instructed to do so. The first step has been to have a Bikram audio playing on my iPhone. I have done this a three times now and I am liking the results. I can see how this will easily expand my practice.
- When not able to get to yoga practice in the time allotted I resort to taking a shower at the place i am at ...where ever that maybe. I usually take in my towel (microfiber travel towel--dries quick) but it IS nice when get to feel the towels of the house and the different soaps and smells of another home. It is a reminder of the things I miss from having a static home.
- When I can not get to either of these I take a baby wipe shower. Many times I do this before I go to bed. It keeps my bed in a more cared for state.
Laundry/cleaning
Two loads ( comforter and clothes) 8$ at a laundromat. Sometimes people offer their laundry machine which is one of the best time savers. It also creates a wonderful moment to share someones laundry machine. Further being introduced to how this particular person does this regenerative cleaning process. I clean the front seats more often than I ever did in the past.
Why
I like to spend time with people and enjoy doing things.
Maintenance of any kind creates problems for me getting things done. Maintenance of room, clothes, kitchen,bathroom, yard,house...
I would prefer to spend my time experiencing just the new situations. (oddly found myself in a bit of a loop right now since I am in the process of building a 25'x25'x'25 structure...with no place to build it. It is making me more resourceful and getting to know more people more in-depth in the process--THAT is enjoying the process as I see it/Life being the journey). My rent and transportation are the same. It allows me to spoil Pipi - nice tires! synthetic oil! Washing my car takes on a who new meaning to me.
Also I enjoy the fact that this life can be replicated anywhere in the world most likely for less (might have to take the mattress).
Broader concept that I wanted to squeeze in here but just didn't see how - and since i am all over the map -- why not!
It is a belief system for me. We as humans are all one really big family. (certainly the family is bigger when you take in the countless offshoots). To think you love one cousin more than another is mostly situational. We all come and go in each others lives and learning to create a more open communication system to allow for a mobile loving lifestyle is a pretty huge tenant in my life. I have yet been able to talk to anyone about how to go about that process - kinda bumbling through it as I go. Earnestness & Honesty have been my only guides. I love both men and women. As most will tell you not all women/men turn them on. Learning what the turn on means seems to be a critical unknown.
This ability to replicate a mobile recharge space is just another aspect of that open communication system I believe the world is working towards.
I do find my life needs somethings.
- I would like a more permanent mobile internet solution. (hopefully it will be here by the time my one year Verizon contract is up) I find myself needing about one full day of dedicated computer time with no distractions and bathroom nearby a week. I can most things via my iPhone. It has been suggested to have a mobile hotspot and have it plugged into Pipi at all times.( possible still the bandwidth limitations seem 5G and I think the more useful amounts are about 10G+ I can drain 5G just listening to Soundcloud as focusing music.)
- I would like to have the balls to ask someone to come watch a movie over at my place. I mean really it is quite cozy I just still have some shame associated with it. Not sure where it is coming from. Since I am learning that those who matter don't mind and those that mind don't matter. True it does not mean they would need to be cuddling with me but it makes it more fun (I think this might actually be helped by the Pipi Warming as noted below - knowing others feel comfortable in my space would go far to alleviate the shame I feel- and I might stop saying to people that I live in the lakewood area ...I think I would prefer to say when they ask where do you live- "My car" and be proud.)
A good old fashioned Pipi Warming!
I have had an idea recently of having a "House Warming party at Pipi". I am guessing it would take place at a park of some kind. I mean she would be parked near by to provide music and a place to sit and be around. not quite sure on the details.
I guess the idea of a house warming party is to announce to those you know this space desires your love for a moment to share in and around. To remind the people that live in it that a regenerative presence can be found here. Fellowship creates this regenerative force. Really my life has changed so dramatically since realizing the many items I have been carrying around with me from birth till now are not the things that make me happy. I am learning to be aware of my emotions and that my reactions to any situation are all that I can control. Pipi is the largest leap yet in my personal understanding of the difference between my needs and wants.
Needs
Yoga Twice a week - Check
Mostly a fruit diet - Check
6-7 hours sleep - Check
Wants
To accept what is given and have it be enough.
To make something, to grow something, to cook something.
I see this to begin in full swing as of November of 2012.
Productivity in a year
So I have been living in Pipi for almost 13(...15) months now. WOW ! who knew it could be done AND feel productive. Still on a path to finish the project started two and a half years ago The Ball of Light
I will not say I feel completely stable (not sure I even know what that looks like) but I will say my only worries in my life are financial- and none of that is real anyway. Thanks to
Daniel Dadara for creating yet another exceptionally timely project
The Art of Turning Art Into Money (and back into art again) - who will be visiting the playa again this year (fingers crossed)
I really enjoy the concept of Walden 2.0 - A LOT!
Henry David Thoreau wanted to spend more time experiencing life so he '
rout all that was not life'. He wrote Walden while living on a neighbors land, in the town he grew up in. While only 1 1/2 miles from his parents house in Concord,Ma. I will not equate the things I produce with Thoreau's writings but I will admit WE are all the same. We just need the room to grow. Time allows for an amazing amount of growth.
I have an idea I would love to see occur
( BAM just won all the money I ever wanted)
I would sponsor people that applied to me to live in a vehicle of their choosing(I am sure there would be limitations on the type of vehicle- mainly cost). The car is bought for them. They wold also get a mobile internet connection and a bed provided inside the vehicle. They would be obligated to live in it for a year and document their life- blog/Facbook/other. I would love to see this with as many people as possible. I mean what would happen if an entire city's worth of people were sleeping in the places we all park our cars and go about their daily lives comfortably.
By the way it could be a
Prius Conversion or other if you like. Though much less inconspicuous. I really like that no one has -much- of a clue I am sleeping in there.
This one sleeps four!
