The Best Week of My Life (S)

The Tuesday after leaving New Mexico we pulled up to Sonic Bloom. The festival didn't start until Thursday, but we were helping set up. It was on a ranch sitting at the front range of the rockies; the east was flat, expansive horizon, the west was rock. I could chronicle the entire festival, and every moment after it as it has all frozen in my memory, but instead I will tell a few stories and let your imagination fill in the rest of the best week of my life.

I learned the value of giving. I have been making jewelry out of rocks that I find on my adventure, and I decided that I wanted to craft pieces at Sonic Bloom to give as gifts to strangers. The first was a piece that looked like half of a heart. As I wrapped the rock, I stabbed my finger a few times and my blood absorbed into the rock. I sat that morning for almost 2 hours waiting for my job assignment with the festival, and a girl came up to the check in who had been lost all morning looking for her job assignment. I gave her the rock and told her that it would help her find her way. I'm not really sure if it did, but I saw her holding it in her hand the whole time she was sorting through the mysteries... I think it helped her. The second rock was wrapped to symbolize continuity, and interdependence. I used multiple pieces of string, and not one piece was knotted at both ends. Each piece was wrapped in with another piece, or with itself, and the other end was tied into the necklace. This necklace I gave to my supervisor for the day. He worked with the trash company, and I must say I was not thrilled to be picking up trash when I learned it was my assignment. But my supervisor for the day quickly became my friend for the day, and when we parted ways I gave him the necklace. When I explained its meaning he became very present and remarked that this was a sign for his life. Giving gifts is the greatest gift to myself.

I also learned the value of being a true hippy. At first I was surprised that everyone I met gave me a hug immediately. Then I realized that this was simply the evolution of our species. As we break down walls that separate us, one of the things we will do more is hug each other. This, among many other loving gestures will allow us to love ourselves and each other. Hug someone you don't know today. It's amazing.

I learned that I am already there. For some time now I have been in love with this rabbit I am writing this blog with. But love often stings, because we build up anxieties about the what if questions. We want so badly to preserve something that feels so good, but preservation isn't real. What is real, however, is the fact that everything that is yet to happen has already happened. I have told many people that I truly hope that my love and I will spend the rest of our lives together. Early in the morning of our summer solstice, I realized the silly quality that hopes like these are. Holding onto hope is holding onto something that may or may not be real, but that which is real has already happened. Letting go of this hope, I realized that I am already there. I have already spent my life with this rabbit, and upon this realization we decided to get married.

Death Grips. If you know, you know. If you don't, you don't. But you should.

Here's to the best week of my life. And here's to many more to come.

Namaste

Around the World In a Tea Daze (R)

This last week has been unreal. We left New Mexico late one night after a show down with a mysterious creature in the forest, we think it was a bear, but we're not entirely sure. All I really know is that it was big, loud, and seemed to be pretty pissed off at us for setting up camp in his territory.
So we drove back to Colorado and spent a solid week in Rye, where we found a nice group of old ladies to practice water aerobics with and finally landed at Sonic Bloom.

Sonic Bloom was incredible. Free camping, free yoga, free concerts, and lots of new friends. It was really cool getting to work at the festival, we got there early and saw the ranch come to life. I'm thoroughly impressed with the people who organize these festivals and grateful for the opportunity to work along side some of them.

Saturday night was the best... we kicked it off with The Trancedent, followed by the one and only Shpongle. Then we caught a few songs of Thriftworks and part of Bluetech's set. Eventually, we found ourselves a nice hammock in the trees and layed in awe of the magic unfolding around us. It was the night of the Summer Solstice and the night Squirrel asked me to marry him.

We've been back in Denver for the last few days, getting some work done on the car, spending time with my family, and laying down some foundational plans for our wedding, which we hope to have this November in Mexico. The main reason we came back however, was to see my favorite band, Death Grips. It was the cherry on top; they absolutely blew my mind. It was so good, one guy actually walked out with a raging boner. Never seen anything like it!

Now, we take our leave again, back to the hills we go! More in love and awe of one another and the lives we lead than ever before.

-R

Living with trees. (R)

R.I.P to the trees in Sante Fe National Forrest devoured by the sneaky bastards below.

The fallen make for excellent balancing beams.

Vamos a la playa. (R)

The Sand Dunes were magnificent. I've lived in Colorado my whole life, longing for a beach. Little did I know there was one just down the road.. well 4 hours down the road.

-R

Learning, Letting Go, and Opening Up (S)

Well, I am sitting in Iconic Coffee Roasters in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There is a band playing some honky tonk country music, and the smells of micro-roasting all around me. Santa Fe was actually an accident, but many things happened before New Mexico. We began by driving out to Crestone. On the way we stopped for a hike outside of Salida. These mountain towns are growing on me more and more... but they all still have a strange feeling about them. It's as if there is a secret being kept. After our hike we walked through the town, stopped for ice cream and sat at the river to dip our feet. Dip our feet. Yes, that is what we did in Salida. Then we dove into Crestone.

After passing through mountain passes for hours there was a sudden opening into a massive valley. A bowl that stretched for miles with mountains on either side. Our side of the valley was the eastern side, and as we approached the town of Crestone we also drew nearer to Sand Dunes National Park. We set up camp at Crestone, and fell asleep before two of our friends came to join us. The next day began with yoga, then a hike up the mountain. The sun setting that night over the valley was a sight that is in league with the greatest to be seen.

After a good hike, and many laughs with friends we packed up camp the next day. We made our way down to Crestone. Beware of the spiral. Crestone was a cool town, but again something was a little off. Our waitress for coffee was very sweet and let us refill our water jugs, and we found the most amazing little bookshop, but beware of the spiral. On about half of the buildings in Crestone there was a small sign with a yellow spiral. We asked a lady in an art store about them, and she became rather defensive, pointing out that she did not have any spirals on her building before suggesting, "maybe pay it forward?" She did not have any spiral sign on her building, but she did have the spiral incorporated in her sign.

Next was the sand dunes. As diverse a setting as I have ever seen: from dessert to mountain, with a stream running through that created a muddy marsh. Sand blew everywhere as we scaled the dunes, and when you crested one hill there was a score of hills taller. At one point a giant cloud of sand blew through the dunes, and whipped at our skin and clothes. Our stay was short, and we drove into Alamosa for dinner in a Walmart parking lot and the most awe inspiring sunset I think I have ever seen. As the sun finished setting we set out for New Mexico.

It was dark, and we were tired so we stopped off at the first national forest we could find to sleep in the car. The next day we woke to find ourselves in a flat land with tall trees all around. They say that New Mexico is the land of enchantment, and this land certainly was. However, it was not our destination. So we took to the road after lunch.

Rabbit was driving, and Geogaddi was blaring, but we did not realize we had driven about an hour past our planned stop. So we decided to continue on the road and visit Santa Fe. We toured the city a bit before heading to Santa Fe National Forest to set up camp before dark. Yesterday was our first day spent just the two of us, camping all day with no destination and no distractions... save for the storm all night, and the rain that lasted until about 5 pm. Distraction or no, we found plenty of ways to enjoy ourselves.

The time has been spent learning, letting go, and opening up. Up next is Ghost Ranch, then we head back to Colorado for Sonic Bloom.

Namaste,

Squirrel

A Vision 8 Years Past (S)

I sat in the sanctuary at Mars Hill bible church 8 years ago when a powerful vision flooded my mind. I saw myself amidst the trees, wearing a backpack, dirty and traveled. I latched onto that vision, for it was more than a day dream. It felt more like I was seeing through my own eyes, but seeing a moment that had not yet happened on this linear progression we call time.

I struggled to realize that vision. First I tried planning a walk across America. The trip was canceled when I decided that I did not want to take that time apart from my girlfriend at the time. I stayed where I was and studied music instead. I tried to find that adventure through an internship with XXX church in Las Vegas, but once again the adventure eluded me. Then once more I tried to find that adventure by moving to Denver. But I gave up on the adventure and began to settle into a job and other obligations in Denver.

I knew Rabbit for some time before I allowed myself to love Rabbit. After all, how could a squirrel love a rabbit? Timing, I told myself it was timing that was not in my favor. Then one day I decided that I did not care about timing. That I did not care about the risk, and that I needed to follow my heart. My heart lead me to loving Rabbit, and my heart lead me to removing all obstacles of my happiness. 

I followed my heart, and I listened to Rabbit's, and this journey began unfolding before us. Any effort to make this journey happen would lead to frustration and defeat. However, when I let go and allowed this journey to unfold, I realized that there were no obstacles, and that the path truly was as simple as one foot in front of the other. 

I had forgotten the vision of 8 years past until this journey was beginning. It must have been about a week ago that I remembered the vision. It seems there are parallel lines of Squirrel and Rabbit, and now that these parallels have connected they are unstoppable. 

I am free. We are free. So are you, if you choose to be.

Namaste, Squirrel.

Eight Years (R)

That's how long I've been talking about packing up my car and living life on the road. I've been dreaming of the day for far longer.
 People always ask, "What exactly are you looking for or hoping to find?" Truth is, I have absolutely no idea. The solitude is appealing to me, the proximity with nature, and the freedom of living outside of societal rules, distractions, and obligations, but I can't necessarily say these things are my motives or desires, just added bonuses.
Truth is, there's just always been this gnawing feeling that I don't belong here. I'm not sure where I belong, or if I do in fact belong anywhere at all, but I know that I have to take the time to look around.

 Up until a few months ago I thought this journey was one I had to make on my own. I've just been waiting for the right moment. It's funny how everything started aligning in my own life as Squirrel came into the picture. It's pretty surreal to find another being with this same strange compulsion to roam, and it's even more surreal to see how perfectly both of our lives have aligned to make this dream a reality. Now I see why it never felt quite right to leave Denver until now, I had to wait for Squirrel.

Tonight we rest at the float studio I intern at, a place we plan to return to throughout the summer. Tomorrow we head to Crestone, Colorado where we will meet up with two other magical beings who recently stumbled into my life.

 We embark expectation free and grateful for this opportunity.

 Namaste, Rabbit