BALANCE – We all search for it in our lives. The ancient Indian principles of Ayurveda focuses on finding it. In Eat,Pray,Love, Liz Gilbert travels to three continents in search for it. Most of the time, I feel relatively balanced, but the last couple of months I’ve been struggling.
As the woman in front of us at Costco talked to Jim about her love of the memory foam pillows we were purchasing, I was fading in and out, thinking of what needed to be done when we arrived home and what to make for dinner. My fragmented mind suddenly heard the words “in my Roadtrek camper” and my attention returned to her like a laser beam.
On our way into the store, Jim and I had stopped outside to admire the gorgeous Roadtrek camper in the parking lot. Along with Tiger campers, Roadtreks are our top choice of “dream camper we can never afford without winning the lotto”. Now, in the checkout line, our exuberant pillow lady, turned out to be the owner of that amazing ride. I congratulated her on her beautiful camper and she proceeded to tell us how she sold everything several years ago and became a nomad. As we enthusiastically took in this news she said “the price of stuff is your freedom”, and we literally were frozen in our tracks.
It’s been three months since we left and I miss it. There is something about this place that always draws me back. We’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, but the appeal never fades. In spite of the growing pains that have come with expansion, the vivid spirit of Puerto Vallarta remains true. 
A short time ago my friend Kim, from So-Many-Places, wrote a beautiful piece on what she was grateful for and invited others to share their thoughts. In this time of negative news, it is more important than ever to remember that the majority of us have many, many things to be grateful for every single day. This weekend, Jim was enjoying a night away on a guys camping trip and I found myself home alone for the first time in a long time and thought about all of the many things I’m grateful for.
“Knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair, only worry in the world is the tide going to reach my chair” – Zac Brown Band with Jimmy Buffet
It’s not news to anyone that we love the beach. Not only do we camp there regularly here in the Pacific Northwest, but we’ve made a point of visiting great beaches wherever we travel around the world. This week, in honor of our upcoming vacation to the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, we bring you some of our favorites from near and far.
We started February off with our first camping trip of 2013. We needed to get away, clear our heads, and remind ourselves of all the things in our life to be grateful for. A forecast of mid-50’s and sunny didn’t hurt, but we were determined to make our escape no matter what.
Happy New Year!!! We spent our long weekend camping at the Oregon Coast. Crazy you ask? Well, perhaps, or, as our friend Ron says… we’re freaks! Our 4 nights proved to be exactly what we expected for the coast in late December; just a little bit of everything.
**** Warning – this post contains some graphic photos and disturbing text. It’s an incredibly important history lesson but be warned, the story isn’t pretty ***
Cambodia, a country that touched my heart for many reasons. Much of our time in the country was spent feeling disturbed but the history and modern reality of this little country in SE Asia is an important lesson to all of us about how power can corrupt with terrifying results. In other posts I’ll cover the good of the country, the gorgeous beaches, friendly people and, of course, the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat but this is about the horror that was the Pol Pot Regime and the destruction it brought to the country over three short years.
On our quest for a life less ordinary, we are always searching out those who inspire us, whether it be fellow travelers, authors, or even movies. We thrive on others who are CHOOSING their life, rather than following the path of least resistance.
Over the course of our journey we have received a great deal of support from friends and family, even when they didn’t understand our motivations.
We have just as often dealt with the cynicism of the majority. The naysayers who said we were crazy. The critics who “knew” all would end in tragedy. The negative voices who whispered phrases such as “this must be a mid-life crisis”. Continue reading