Febuary 27, 2015 was the last day I had a permanent residence. In that time, I’ve been in North GA, traveled around Turkey, and I’m now on a small organic farm in North Carolina, in the midst of the Nantahala Forest.
It’s beautiful. All of it.
I’m sitting on a covered porch right now listening to a chorus of… something. A mixture of birds and insects, I suppose. I’m no nature expert just yet. Rain is falling. Fog is shrouding the mountains. Idyllic, yes, you could call it that. Even sitting here, though, I have to remind myself to pause and take it all in. Notice. Feel. Be.
I’m learning to slow down. Still. It’s an on-going endeavor! But it’s a heck of a lot easier to do that from where I now sit.
We were too distracted – we had too many bills, too much stuff, too many things to do and places to go. We’ve cut SO much of that down. Now our days begin slowly – no rushing off anywhere. No place we have to be. We eat breakfast, step outside to check the weather, and pick a place to go hiking. Or we just get in the car and drive. We usually pack a lunch to bring with us. Some days it’s just me and Jonah, because Mark has to work, but all three of us go out together at least 2-3 times a week. Mark gets to work less now that we don’t have so many bills.
I’m still figuring out my own schedule, carving out time for my Soul Sessions and writing. We’ve had weddings and babies happening in the family, so I’ve been heading in town more than I originally expected, so I still haven’t found a good rhythm for my own work time… but I’m grabbing unexpected moments here and there and now. Being flexible. Trusting the flow.
The past 6 weeks have been invaluable for me personally. All of this time in nature has reconnected me to the earth, to my body, and to even more of my spirit. The lightness and deep sense of contentment from living an unconventional yet perfectly ME lifestyle brings a grin to my face on the regular. This is possible, this is happening, I can spend my days in beautiful places all over the world, I can sink into each day without rushing, without a to-do list. I can explore the world with my family at a leisurely pace, not crammed into 2-week vacations or planned around a school calendar.
The mountains and rivers and backwoods of Appalachia are magical. So beautiful. So many hidden spots I never knew about… and just as I’m finding those beautiful hidden places in my surroundings, I’m finding similar spots within myself. Little whispers that I couldn’t hear before. Little glimmers and flickers that I never noticed. I’m noticing now.
And we continue to get rid of stuff! Even after our massive downsize, we still had too much. Continuing to pare down our clothes and items as we see what we’re actually using and what just sits in the box. We’ve also made some purchases – as we get rid of stuff we DON’T need, we’re making room for new items we didn’t know we’d need, but that are coming in quite handy! Nice new rain jackets, hiking boots, and a new bike for Jonah since he’s growing like a weed and outgrew his other bike already. We’ll also be getting camping stuff for our upcoming roadtrip out west this summer.
Out with the old, in the with new! I find myself thinking much harder about purchases – really trying stuff out and making sure it’s something I’ll use before buying it. I tried on sooooo many pairs of hiking boots before finding my new pair (Ahnu Montara, if you’re wondering!)
So, life goes on. A lot has changed, but it feels so in tune with who/what/where we want to be, that the change doesn’t feel that huge. It’s more of a sigh of relief, an “of course!” – a sinking into comfy pants after wearing too-tight jeans all day, or just stripping down to your birthday suit and enjoying the feel of your skin.
Adventure on, lovers. <3
Leah
Latest posts by Leah (see all)
- Own Your Life - July 1, 2015
- For My Mom on Her Retirement - May 27, 2015
- How To Sell All of Your Stuff - May 20, 2015