Arizona moon

I think it has been quite some time.....now it is time for an update on our adventures...
There is so much joy, happiness, contentment, excitement for what has been happening in our lives recently, I have actually felt overcome in a state of euphoria the past week. The one attempt I had at writing this was quickly abandoned. There is just something so perfect feeling about being in Prescott that I have been needing, or seeking out for so long. It is all coming together here. Not to make anyone think we are going to live here again- at least not this time around. I have always felt Prescott to be a great transition place. It is so good at cradling me when I need the support to make big life decisions, to be still, to enjoy the things that mean so much to me and remind me what those things are. There are so many beautiful memories that I've made here. Going through these mountains and sharing them with Parula and Sorrel is such an incredible experience. Spending time looking at the huge boulders that pop up in the middle of the pine forest- the huge Alligator Junipers, the decaying trees that have been bent and broken by the wind, that lay eaten by terminates, spiders, ants. I spent so many days wandering around these same mountains, inspecting with wonder at similar features and phenomenon. The virga- rain falling from clouds that evaporates before it hits the ground; Bushtits, Granite Creek, the Mountain Mahogany, lichen covered rocks, Aspen Creek, Barred Owls, Lookout sunsets, and crisp mornings and evenings sandwiching warm days. Ah- It's so nice to be here!

Loving life 

 Tomorrow we go forth. I have realized that James has never been to the Grand Canyon. When we moved from Prescott we actually went to Lake Tahoe, California for a family reunion and talked about "stopping" to see this astounding geologic feature. But, we decided not to go. Now we are on no pressing schedule, time is leisurely these days, so we are going to go there tomorrow. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Prescott.

To backtrack a bit- since the last time I wrote we were in Arkansas.... We went to Bryan, Texas to visit the lovely and amazing Leslie and Jeremy and their 9 month old daughter, Matilda. Leslie and Jeremy were friends I made in Prescott, when we all lived here. In fact, they were the first babysitters we ever had to stay with Parula when she was an infant so James and I could go out to dinner together, alone. Needless to say, Parula is a baby loving little girl, and took advantage of any opportunity she could get to hold Matilda and play with her. We had a wonderful time visiting!

Admiring McKinney Falls

McKinney Falls State Park in Austin

Next we went to Austin, Texas to visit with James's friend Geoff, and we also visited with my friend from my NOLS course in 1999, Amy and her husband Kyle and their 3 kids. All 5 of the kids hit it off well, lots of laughter and good times.

Our next stop was on our travels was Marfa, Texas. What is happening in Marfa? Not much. We camped on the outskirts of this dusty, half-abondoned town on the edge of Big Bend National Park. James counted 98 train cars go by on one of the freight trains that passed near our campsite. That was the highlight.

We continued on from Marfa in southeastern Texas and made it all the way to Chiricauha National Monument just after sunset the next day. This feat was really only made possible by the fact that we drove through 2 time zones that day, traveling from Central to Pacific time zones. I last visited Chiricauha National Monument when I was in my Adventure Education class at Prescott College. We went on a 5 day backpacking trip the Chiricauha wilderness, and the night we hiked out, we stayed at the National Monument, soaked in its beauty and educational opportunities and then traveled west to the Dragoon Mountains to climb at Cochise Stronghold for 9 days. It was such a peaceful spot to camp, and a beautiful transition into Arizona and its geologic wonders.

Exploring in the Chiricauhas

After reveling in the stunning formations in the Chiricauhas we drove on the hot Tucson, when temperatures were climbing close to 100. We stayed with my friend and mentor for my senior project, Jennie. It was great to watch the kids light up with excitement at a huge book collection that she kept in her living room, and so sweet to watch them all sit on the couch reading books together.

Next we moved on north to Prescott, driving through 106 degree Phoenix. Despite economic struggles, housing market collapse and lack of water, Phoenix is still sprawling and growing. It takes about 2 hours do drive through the "valley" from south the north- yikes! A place that I will never understand...

We arrived in Prescott last Sunday, and are still here. Tonight we are camping in the Sierra Prieta mountains, on the southwest side of Thumb Butte. The moon will be full tomorrow night, and sure looks close tonight! We have been staying with James's friend (and my new friend) Ross. We have also had some great visits with friends we made from baby days in Prescott- Molly, Moses, Athens (who is only 1 week older than Parula), and their 9 month old Sasha. I reunited with my roomate/ teacher/ friend Jordana and got to meet her kids. I also got to see the always inspirational Carl Tomoff, my mentor and most enthusiastic professor at PC.  We visited our old favorites and discovered some new little treasures in town as well (another health food store !?!)

Prescott camping in the Pines

James has decided to sign up for a 13 day workshop at Cal-Earth, in Hesperia, CA on the edge of the Mojave desert. He will be learning how to build "super adobe" houses using earth and barbed wire. He will also be spending half of the time learning all about permaculture, and how to implement it with the cal-earth structures. I am really excited for him, he is really excited as well. Our plan until then (the course doesn't begin until October 8) is to make our way to the central California coast, visit with friends and family, and before we know it, it will be time to take James to his workshop! I am not exactly sure what I am going to do with the kids during the 2 weeks while James will be in his learning state. I am thinking maybe we will go visit some huge trees in amazing mountains (Sequio and Yosemite), or go to the beach.....maybe both! Regardless of what we do, I know we will have a good time!

So, here's to the adventure continuing and keeping us motivated, inspired and loved. Thanks for following us through this crazy life!

West of the Miss

Ah technology! I am typing on my laptop as James drives the van. The charger is plugged into the 10v (the outlet that looks like a lighter), which is attached to a power strip for plugging in USB and 3 pronged plugs. It is incredible all the things that can be done while on the road! Sorrel is exclaiming about all the cool trucks that go by us (we travel at about 65 mph on average, even slow for the tractor trailers!) We are currently on I-30 in Arkansas, on our way to Bryan, Texas to visit with our friends Lesley and Jeremy and their 9 month old daughter Matilda. Last time we saw them they were not pregnant- it will be great to meet their new addition, and hang out with friends!

Our last friends stop was with Alison, in Bethesda, Maryland. We have been friends for 13 years now (that just sounds crazy, but it is wonderfully so!) She and her new son Gabriel and husband Sean were great hosts, and it was so beautiful to see a new mamma at work. We had a lovely fish dinner with them, and made Alison pancakes and fruit salad the next morning, hung out on her porch, went for a walk and enjoyed the quiet morning before heading back out on the road. Parula proved her self to be an enthusiastic big "cousin" to Gabriel, eagerly helping Alison with any task she was able to complete. We left Bethesda and camped that night just outside of Charlottesville, VA. It was our first official night back in a campground (as opposed to a driveway or guest room), and we came to realize that set up and breakdown of camp is much like riding a bike- it takes a while to get the hang of it, but once you get it you don't forget. So, since we've done this lots before, even though its been a while, it was pretty quick to set up and then pack up to leave. We are eating mostly raw while we travel and feed ourselves. I didn't bring a stove, pots, pans, etc. The only exception is when we visit friends and family, and occasionally eat out, we are definitely deviating from this plan, but that is fine with me. We have a wonderful book called "Healthy Highways", which was published in 2004- there is a more recent edition, and an even more current book of the like that came out in 2011. Many places are nonexistent, "Wild Oats" was bought up by Whole Foods, etc. We have learned to call a place before getting off  the highway to make sure they exist. One of every 2 places has moved or gone out of business. Non the less, the book is extremely helpful and we have been getting by just fine on good fresh produce (and Kombucha) everywhere we go.

After our stay near Charlottesville our next night was in northeastern Tennessee. I realized once again that TN is a very long state to drive across. The following night we were again in TN, this time just west of Nashville near the Buffalo River. We were staying at a KOA just off of I-40, where we had to shout to each other to be heard over the noise of the interstate. At least there were not many people there. Then we get to last night. It started POURING rain just after we crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas. There were crazy clouds, and the skies opened up and dumped. There was really no end in sight. We decided it would be best (and sane) for us to forgo a campground and stay in a hotel. Two big wet dogs in a small space with 4 people is extremely undesirable. We used another outdated but very useful book we've had since our Prescott days called "Traveling with your Pet" published by AAA. The book lists hotels in every state, most cities, that except dogs, with ratings and fees, etc. Another good reference, but another resource we've used and learned that its still good to call first, as there is some mis-information in the book. We stayed at a hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas last night, where there was a dental conference going on as well. Lots of men with southern accents and big smiles were sharing the hotel with us.

One question that keeps coming up throughout our travels, and encounters in life about our choice- "Aren't you worried about your safety in Mexico?" To this I have an answer that is another question that always stops people to think- "Have you ever heard of a child going into a school in Mexico and shooting up their classmates, or an adult into a shopping mall or movie theater and shooting innocent people around them?" These are the realities of the United States, not Mexico. The U.S. media chooses to focus the news from Mexico on the drug cartel related violence. I don't want to downplay the gruesome crimes that occur, but if you look at them, please understand that the people involved in the violence have relations to the cartels. It is actually illegal for a citizen to own a gun in Mexico- or course people do, but not in abundance as in the U.S. `There are certainly innocent people whose lives are taken, but how many innocent people's lives are taken by racism, bigotry, and pure ignorance here? I could go on and on, but this is where I will stop. What matters most to me is to be in a place where me and my family can be happy, content, and at home. So onward we go- to Todos Santos!

Tour de Northeast!

It is about time I post something to update our goings on, lots of questions about what we have been doing, what we are currently doing, and where we are going next. Answers to those questions can be found here!

We left Maine on August 12. It was fantastic!!!! (this is Emily saying that). A large combined family is moving into our house, soon to be theirs- I am thrilled! We became better friends with them before we left, and I feel so good knowing they will love and cherish the space and use it to its fullest potential!

I have been dreaming of my departure from Maine since about 9 months after we moved there- and leaving was everything and then some, it felt so good. Don't get me wrong about Maine- I am so grateful for the friends I have made, the amazing lessons I have learned, and the challenges I have had (the lowest low in life, birth of my second child, first experience with home ownership, schooling, etc). There are too many wonderful things I learned and grew from in the past 5 years living in Maine to write about. I just always knew it was not the place for me for the long term, and am so thrilled to be moving on to the place that makes my heart soar- where the desert meets the sea!

So I drove with the kids to Manchester, Connecticut, to the Pierson's house in the van. It poured rain on our way- true to our history of weather on our trip to CT- rain! James arrived late that night in the UHaul that was full of our belongings from Maine. We had sold our VW TDI Jetta (the kids had named it "Twinkleberry") to my friend Sara in NH the previous week. Monday morning we unloaded our belongings into a storage unit in Manchester, and James and the kids rushed me off to the train station in New Haven so I could get to NYC for my Yamuna Body Rolling training. Everything happened very quickly, and I was in a constant state of motion for about 6 weeks until about 4 pm on August 13th, when I landed on my bed at the Jane hotel- body still, mind spinning, city life outside, and complete calm around me. This was a new feeling. I liked it! That was the beginning of a life-changing week of healing crisis, a-ha moments, and amazing breakthroughs in my body, mind, spirit (thanks to my great teacher Elizabeth, and thanks to my amazing teacher and mentor in Maine, Marianna!). I had an amazing 8 days of training- learning how parts of my body relate to each other, how my body connects, and how I can help other people return to their bodies and feel. There were several a-ha moments for me- connecting past injury to sensations in various parts of my body, had an intense alchemical shift- whew! It was revolutionary, and I'm so excited about sharing this work in the future!

In the middle of my training Sorrel turned 4 years old. James and both kids took the train from CT to NYC the afternoon before his birthday, came to the studio to meet me after that day of training, and we got to have dinner together with James's Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, as well as an old friend (we figured its been 13 years!) Mike Yoken- who happens to share a birthday with Parula! It was a really nice night, and Sorrel got to eat chocolate cake with candles and "eat out" all day, which was one of his birthday wishes. They left the next morning, and it was really great to have them with me in NYC.

Playing in the pool with Nancy and Lian

Sorrel watching his Great-Grandpa grilling

I returned to CT after an amazing morning of practical tests at the end of my training, it felt great to get that done, and I felt like it was done well! I returned to Manchester after almost 8 days of no kids. It was quite an adjustment to get used to my family life again, even though I missed them like crazy and talked to them everyday while I was gone, it was actually really amazing to have a break (the longest time away yet), and really an amazing treat to be able to work so deeply into my being (which was more than I had ever imagined it could be).

Sam and Phyllis watching by the pool

River about to swim

Pia doing what she does best ...."STICK!"

Piersons- 3 generations

We spent another 2 1/2 weeks in Manchester with James's grandparents and his mom. The kids swam several times every day, really had a blast in the pool! The dogs also loved swimming in the pool, the pool filter seemed to handle the fur too! (Thanks Sam). It was such a sweet time to spend with family. We also had some kinks worked out with the Van (new alarm system, repair the A/C, James finishing some caulking and painting externally). There are still some bits and pieces here and there to be done before our "long" journey begins. We left Manchester last night, September 1, arriving in Malvern, PA at my mom's house just before midnight. It was difficult saying goodbye to family knowing it could be a decent amount of time before we see them again.

Parula in action

 Today we had most of the day to spend time with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. It is so beautiful to watch the 3 kids all playing together so nicely- Paige is just 3 months older than Sorrel, 16 months younger than Parula, and they all get along together so well! We had a great time visiting with them.

So our plan is to be in PA until next weekend, with a quick trip to the shore (NJ) with my mom late in the week. We will then continue on our way.....west? South? West? The direction will be southwest- Baja- with visits to more friends and family along the way. Please let me know if you want to or can visit with us, or if you know anyone who would be open to our brief presence! We are self-sufficient sleeping, eating travelers (including 2 dogs and 2 kids), just needing a driveway or yard to park in for the night (or 2), and maybe a bathroom and shower to use. We can contribute good conversation, great food, smiles, and perhaps a quick handy-man fix here and there. We will be rambling around in the U.S. until about mid-October, and then we will head south of the border! Thanks and hope we can keep you entertained along the way!!!