Maren

4/29/23

You all… my dreams are coming true. I am living the life I love!!

Challenges and obstacles are present. They always will be.

But things are flowing. And I love how I’m living. And this spring weather, OMG!!! It just makes everything look and feel right.

And, I keep meeting amazing people—including via my What Is Your Dream events—whom I’ll write more about below. This is such a big part of my dream life!

But first, some fun photos of what’s been going on around here this past week.

I moved out from Coconut the cat’s peaceful Milwaukie abode yesterday, after a pleasant and restful two weeks there. I moved in for a short stay—just two nights—with this SE Portland supermodel, Toshe. He is regal, and he owns it!

While I was still in Milwaukie, I had a doctor’s appointment in Gresham. Although the early hour wasn’t my cup of tea, it gave me the opportunity to bicycle the whole way—more than an hour—almost entirely on car-free bike paths. And in the morning light with the dazzling dew, too. I loved it.

After the appointment, I took the opportunity to go back to Gresham’s Tsuru Island Japanese Garden and nearby Japanese plaza. The light was beautiful in those places, too.

In the plaza, I sat on a shady bench on a warm sunny day (one of my favorite things to do, as I identified in my past year’s travels) while pale pink cherry petals swirled gently down around me.

Doesn’t get much better than that.

But then on my way back to Milwaukie on the bike path, I decided to visit the Leach Botanical Garden. I hadn’t been since before the pandemic, and during that time they did quite a bit of construction, adding a beautiful tree walk.

The camellias were out in full force, and the light through the trees remained beautiful for my visit there.

Having slogged through yet one more Portland winter, it is such a balm for my soul to reap the rewards of a springtime and summer season here again.

My last evening in Milwaukie, I took an evening bike ride out to the grocery store, and stopped on the way back for a snack in a new-to-me park, to savor the warmth and late pre-sunset hour. Getting back to the house afterward took me through a beautiful short, steep unpaved path. Everything was glowing.

Meanwhile, I have continued my What Is Your Dream/Free Listening events. After my first one last Saturday, I did one on Tuesday, and another today—Saturday—both back in the same spot on the Eastbank Esplanade, alongside the river.

In all cases, I have had one “taker” per two-hour stint… and I’m finding that that suits me just fine. Today I found myself beaming, as I realized that once again I was sitting in a shady seat on a beautiful warm sunny day, with a blossoming magnolia tree right by me. I was physically comfortable, and doing something that feels like contributing my best gifts to the world. I don’t need a lot of takers; the signs speak for themselves, and hopefully spark something within anyone who sees them. And the few conversations I do have feel meaningful.

On Tuesday, I met a Polish artist named Aleks. (Here is an article about some of her work.) She said she could see my event as a sort of performance-art piece: something to provoke a response in onlookers. I could see that perspective once she pointed it out, and it tickled me. We talked about her visions for helping people, especially children, to get connected to tending land, growing food, expressing themselves artistically, and connecting with each other in community.

We added each other on Instagram; I hope we can keep in touch.

Today, I spoke with a man who told me that he is just a few days away from embarking on his longest-ever solo bike tour, which will be for 90 days, and will cover much of the western United States, including a total of 55,000 feet of elevation gain(!!!) My hat is off to him, and I’m so excited for his adventures.

Meanwhile, I’ve had a cool Facebook connection with a woman who is blowing my mind right now, Liz Pomeroy. We had friended each other at some point during my year of travels, because we were both in some Facebook groups for bicycle traveing women.

She has an amazing story, and I won’t detail it all here, but I hope you will click through to her crowdfunding link to read the details. (And send a bit of money her way if you can, and/or consider sharing the link to your networks so that others may be inspired to do so.)

In a nutshell, she is an Irish-born musician based in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) living a zero-waste lifestyle. Despite (or maybe because of?) being in recovery from addiction, she has already once bicycled all the way across Canada, to promote her last album, and she is now is planning to go to Europe and tour by bicycle there! (That top photo is her, of course. Photo credit: Matty McKechnie.)

Like me, she prefers to keep her carbon footprint as low as possible by minimizing flying and auto travel, and she also—clearly—enjoys challenging herself in dramatic ways. I so admire her courage, and can’t wait to see her succeed. One excerpt from her bio:

“On Earth Day 2022, I embarked on an epic cycling tour across Canada to promote Freefall, the first mini album from Pendulum State. I carried all of my gear, including my guitar, tent and solar panel, on a rig that weighed 192 lbs and cycled 5,400 km over the course of 5.5 months.”

WOW.

These are the kinds of people I love connecting with. That—and traveling, and living in beautiful spaces in beautiful climates—is my dream. And I’m living it!!

Heartfelt thanks, again, to all of you for following along, and cheering me on!

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

4/24/23

I am happy to report that my on-the-street (well, on-the-bike-path!) empathy and encouragement event went well!

I set up “camp” next to the Vera Katz statue on the Eastbank Esplanade, just north of the Hawthorne Bridge. I sat there for about two hours, from 3:00 to 5:00.

I’m mildly disappointed to share that I didn’t get many “takers,” in terms of people stopping to sit and talk. But I still consider the event to have been a success, and I’m looking forward to doing it again soon—possibly even tomorrow, since the forecast is looking lovely, with sunny skies and a high of 65F (18C).

Although I only had two people stop by to talk, a third guy walked by and looked wistful. He glanced at the “free listening” sign and said, “Where to start??” I smiled encouragingly, and the woman who was already sitting in the other chair talking with me got up to offer him her seat, since “this gentleman clearly needs to talk more than I do!” But he demurred, shaking his head and saying, “Ugh, no, I’d be here for three days! But thanks for doing this.”

He walked on.

There is a need for this.

I also saw a number of smiles when people saw the signs, and a few people commented to me that they thought it was a kind and valuable thing I was doing.

Although I had hoped for more interaction, I could really see and feel the value of simply having a sign publicly visible that says “What is your dream?” I could see people looking at it, perhaps thinking of their own dreams, or wondering what their dreams might be.

I’ve been talking with some Cambly students lately about their dreams, too, and several students have mentioned that they used to have dreams, but those fell by the wayside over time. I suspected that some of the people who walked or cycled by my sign may have felt the same. I hope the sign helped to inspire, or re-inspire, some people to connect with their own dreams.

Toward the end of my time there, my second visitor arrived: an awesome guy named Tim Davis, whom I had met via a mutual friend on Facebook just about a week ago. We had agreed that he would swing by (on his Brompton!) after participating in an Earth Day celebration at Kailash, a nearby ecovillage where we both know some people.

Sure enough, he came by, and we started talking about Bromptons, bicycling, traveling, how cool Portland (still!) is, and many other topics. His mind was encyclopedic; I’m always inspired and awed when I meet people like that.

He waxed rhapsodic about Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, where he will be moving soon for a few years.

We finished up the talk at the downtown Veggie Grill, where we shared an Earth Day buy-one-get-one-free entrée special: Santa Fe chik’n wraps!

On the way home, I enjoyed all the industrial and natural sights of the Springwater-on-the-Willamette bike path.

I’m really proud of myself for following my own dream—and overcoming some jitters—to bring this event together. I’m happy with how it went, and I hope to do it again tomorrow or very soon!

p.s. Dear reader, what is your dream?

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

4/21/23

Wow, it’s been quite a week! Thanks to those of you who sent supportive messages after my last post, in which I shared some of my recent struggles. I appreciated your witnessing and encouragement. This week, I feel more excitement, joy, and forward motion in my life.

For one thing, get a load of this forecast!

I should really know better, by now, than to trust it—and those three rainy days were showing as not rainy until about an hour ago, argh!—but it seems like a break from the rain and clouds is on its way. Those first three days reflect how the past few months have been, with very few breaks. But it appears some sun and warmth are on the horizon, and that makes a world of difference in my mood.

Next, look at this amazing collage that my new friend Zen Achilles made for me! It’s made from imagery I had recently posted on Facebook. That pic of me is ten years old—in Washington, DC on my East Coast Empathy Tour—but I love how the collage combines many of my recent cat-sitting pics with some recent flower photos… as well as me doing my on-the-street empathy!

Because…

Today I’ve made up a couple of new signs, and if the rain holds off tomorrow, I plan to tow them in my bike trailer to a public place with some folding chairs, and set up camp for a few hours in the afternoon, talking to people about their dreams and whatever else may be on their minds.

It’s been ten years since I’ve done this—and back then it was just empathy, without the dream focus that I’m especially excited about these days—and I think it’s time again. As I recently wrote about my dream for my life’s work, I think this is it. I love supporting people all over the world via video chats, but when the weather is pleasant, I like the idea of offering this support in person as well. If things go well tomorrow, I hope to continue these events throughout the summer here in Oregon, and then possibly “take the show on the road” as I travel elsewhere in the US and overseas, following the magic of beautiful weather.

Wish me luck!!

Speaking of life magic, the other day I was out bicycling to the store in the rain, when what should I suddenly spot but a brilliant rainbow seemingly springing directly from a set of train tracks.

How perfect is that for me?? I’ve been recently self-identifying as an “enchanted rainbow zillionaire” (maybe I’ll explain more of what I mean by that in a future post) and here was the perfect visual for it, railroad and all!

I’ll leave you with a few more cute pics of my latest feline charge, Coconut. And if you know of anyone who may need cat sitting—especially in Oregon for the coming months—please feel free to send them to my Rover profile, which contains my rates, availability, and references.

(Oh, and if you’d like a cool collage of yourself or someone else, Zen takes commissions—let me know if you’re interested, and I can put you in touch!)

Here’s to spring, cats, rainbows, empathy, and inspiration!

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

4/17/23

I feel like I’m getting a little later every week on these “Friday” blog posts, and I’m a bit chagrined about that. To be honest, life feels surreal and challenging these days. I am wholesale changing my way of life. I believe it’s right that I’m doing so, but it’s not easy. I don’t have a steady home space (though this is my choice, and has its benefits too); my finances are precarious; and this spring continues to be mostly cold and wet, feeling rather like an extended winter.

Where is my dream life of traveling through continuously sunny 70-degree weather??

I do believe it’s coming. I’m working toward it. I’m manifesting it. I’ve made lots of progress over the past few years.

But it can be hard, and lonely, and scary at times. And the weather doesn’t always cooperate.

Feels good to get that off my chest. Thanks for “listening.” That said, though, I’d like to share a bit from the past week, mostly fun stuff!

I’ve started a new cat sit in Milwaukie, just south of Portland, for my friend Melora’s cat Coconut. What a character!

This location has also allowed me to visit my close friend Johnny again at the prison in Salem, including the opportunity to take an Amtrak train each way; experience a new-to-me Amtrak station (Oregon City); meet and talk with some really cool women there while we waited nearly an hour during the train’s delay; and bike a total of 27 miles to and from the station on each end.

This in turn allowed for some beautiful bike trails, and some sightseeing in Salem, including probably my favorite shot I’ve ever taken of the Oregon capitol building. (Look at those cherry blossoms!)

I also took the opportunity to visit Salem’s waterfront park, with its iconic acid-ball-turned-globe.

Then I meandered through the Willamette University campus on the way back to the train station, and stopped by the tiny Japanese Garden there. What a little hidden gem.

On the way back to Milwaukie, I got to enjoy the falls in Oregon City from the train window. I have heard that this is the second-largest waterfall in the United States, surpassed only by Niagara Falls! I always enjoy seeing it from the train.

It’s back to rain today, but that one day of partly sunny weather was a balm for my soul. It got me to thinking about summer, which it’s looking like I will spend here in the Northwest. I’ll be seeking cat sits around the region, and enjoying the beautiful weather we are (I think??) pretty much guaranteed from July through September, with some beautiful peeks of it between April and June.

I’m thinking of possibly reprising a version of my 2013 East Coast Empathy Tour, going out on the street to ask people about their life dreams. We’ll see…!

I’d also like to share a video my documentary-filmmaker friend Aurelie recently made (you may recall Aurelie from the time she hosted me in Montreal last summer) about her Brompton bicycle travels in the Netherlands this past September. She even visited the headquarters of the small, 8-person company—Radical Design—that makes the trailers that she and I both use with our Bromptons. I invite you to watch the whole 30-minute video—it’s delightful—but if you want to skip ahead to the trailer factory part, it’s at about the 26:00 mark. (There is even a fun parrot tie-in!)

Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy my English tutoring on Cambly. I do it for a few hours each day, and talk to people all over the world. I’ve been trying to think of exactly how I can write about that here. I may write more later, but for now I’ll just include a few “factoids” that I have learned by video chatting with people from more than 15 countries.

First, the countries. I have talked with people from Saudi Arabia (probably about 40% of my students), Japan, South Korea, Brazil, China, Taiwan, Turkey, and Mexico. I would estimate that these countries—roughly in the order I listed them—make up about 85-90% of my students. But I have also spoken to at least one person each from Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, Peru, Belarus, India, Vietnam, and Venezuela (though he was in Colombia when he called). A number of these folks have been in the US when they called; they call Cambly tutors to practice their English once they have arrived here, either temporarily or long-term. Two were calling from military bases: a Saudi Arabian guy in San Antonio, and a Taiwanese guy in Biloxi, Mississippi.

A few things I have learned:

Korean music, drama, food, and culture is very popular with young people all around the world, including Saudi Arabia.

There is a city in Brazil called Gramado, with classical German-style architecture.

Overall, I have probably had the most interesting and philosophical conversations with Koreans. (Interestingly, two of them were living in Manhattan, including a fellow vegan woman around my age who is an artist, and a man just a bit older, who had done some backpack traveling around Asia and Europe for six months in his youth.)

In the city of Azumino, Japan, there is a place called Wasabi Park, which is a big tourist attraction, and you can get wasabi ice cream there! (I’m assuming no vegan options, but who knows?)

English is very important for international business, the tech field, and university education. (I have learned that in Saudi Arabia, university courses in many, if not most, subjects are taught in English, not Arabic. I’m really noticing my privilege to have been born into an English-speaking country. And, I’m enjoying teaching and helping people with their English. It’s fun!)

That’s my update for the week! I’ll leave you with a sleepy shot of Coconut.

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

4/9/23

This has felt like the longest winter ever.

Last year I “opted out” of Portland’s winter, in what I hoped was the beginning of a new pattern. It felt so satisfying to be traveling through warm and sunny Arizona, Georgia, and Florida during Portland’s winter weather.

Alas, I’m back here this year, and this particular winter has stretched on seemingly forever, with temps still not ever having reached 60, I don’t think… and rain, rain, rain alongside the chill.

Fortunately, at least the blossoms have begun making their appearance, and that is always delightful.

I left Silverton a couple of weeks ago on an extremely rainy day. Fortunately, the homeowner whose cats I looked after was willing and able to drive me and my rig to the Salem train station; I would have been continuously drenched during the hour-and-a-half pedal if not.

Once I arrived at the train station, whom should I spy but a fellow Bromptoneer! Sadly, the volunteer photographer I hastily pressed into service as our bus pulled up was not the most skillful at framing, but I wanted to at least commemorate the occasion with a photo. This fellow cyclist lives in Portland and works in Salem, and he told me that his wife and daughters also each have Bromptons. It’s always fun for me to run into such others “in the wild.”

When our bus pulled into the Portland station, I happened to see my sister briefly; she was arriving in Portland on the train from Seattle! She got to meet my friend Greg, who picked me up at the station on our way to enjoy a delicious meal at the all-vegan (and queer- and Mexican-owned) taqueria Mis Tacones. Their tacos are amazing.

Before I met up with those two at the station, though, I briefly stole away on my bike—stashing the trailer in the first-class lounge, as is my perk as an Amtrak Select Plus member this year—to photograph the nearby cherry blossoms in the Japanese American Historical Plaza along the Willamette River waterfront. The blossoms were nearing peak bloom, so I was glad to be able to capture my (nearly) annual photos. Being in Portland does have its benefits.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been sitting a total of three adorable cats, including nearly identical littermates Dora and Acorn, as well as my old friend Simba, whose humans will sadly be moving away soon, so I may not see him again. (The last photo is of him, peeking out from under the leaves.)

I’ve also been out doing various errands and such, and have taken advantage of the opportunities to enjoy bicycle paths and spring blooms. The camellias are gorgeous this time of year.

I did get caught in a wicked downpour a few days ago. Wow! Reminded me of my ride from Niagara Falls to Buffalo last summer, when I could barely see through the driving rain. Thank goodness for Gore-Tex!

My other primary activity, for the past month, has been talking with people all over the world via Cambly. I’ll have to write more about those experiences in a future post, but I’ve spoken with people from about 20 countries, on multiple continents, and it has been very interesting and rewarding. I’m glad I’ve added this new activity to my life.

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

4/2/23

One of my biggest motivations, in my travels and human connections, has always been to meet amazing people doing wonderful work in the world.

As I had hoped, my year of travels around the US and Canada introduced me to a wealth of these folks, and I’m so grateful for that. I have always intended to profile certain people here on the blog, and highlight some of their great work. An important part of my own life’s mission is to amplify others’ good work, and to help to connect people with each other, building a sort of network around the globe.

One of the most amazing people I met during that year of travel was Mimi Torres. I had been looking for people to stay with in the East Bay, and I was introduced to Mimi, in Berkeley, by our mutual friend Dave Wheitner (an amazing person in his own right). Mimi not only hosted me for a couple of nights, but then continued to introduce me to many more wonderful people—in Berkeley and around the US—whom I also met up with and/or stayed with as I traveled.

Mimi—a fellow vegan and avid cyclist—loves to travel, and recently she traveled to Botswana for a vegan safari, during which she saw many amazing and beautiful animals and plant life. While on the safari, she got to know the tour guide, Eddie Monnaaphuthego, and now the two of them are collaborating on a wonderful nonprofit to help rural people in Botswana to gain access to solar electricity and clean drinking water.

I sent Mimi some interview questions to learn more about their venture and share it with you. Please enjoy reading about Okavango Community Aid:

Q: In a few words, can you describe the nonprofit?

Mimi: Okavango Communtiy Aid (OCA) works to connect very rural Batswana (the people to Botswana) to light and clean water through solar.

What is your background in solar energy and nonprofit work?

I’ve worked with nonprofits for pretty much all my adult life. For four and a half years I worked at GRID Alternatives Bay Area in fundraising and communications. GRID Alternatives is the nation’s largest solar installation nonprofit, working exclusively with economic and environmental justice communities. In the US, GRID operates across California, Colorado, the Maryland/Virginia/DC area, and on Tribal lands. GRID also has an international program that works in Nicaragua, Nepal, and Mexico.

How did Okavango Community Aid begin?

I met Eddie Monnaaphuthego while on vacation in Botswana.

Eddie shared with me that he was installing solar for very remote villagers on his own time and money when he had leave from his job in the safari industry. Over the course of a few days I went from “let me connect you to someone” (thinking of GRID International) to “let me crowdfund for you” to “let me help you be legit.” An expert CPA on my trip (shout out to World Vegan Travel—I can’t recommend them highly enough and the amazing experiences they curate) insisted that Eddie’s work needed to be official in both the US and Botswana before fundraising began. As I went to text Eddie to encourage him to register his work as a nonprofit, he shared with me that he had just submitted his paperwork for the same.

It was after this that Eddie asked me to be his co-founder. I feel so lucky that my combination of skills and experiences positioned me to really bring Eddie’s dream of doing only his charity work to life. To that end, Eddie is currently in the same village in the Okavango Delta that he grew up in, handing out solar powered lights to the extremely needy and working with a team of contractors to install a solar powered water well that will serve about half of the community. More funds are needed to dig a second well for the community and to pay Eddie’s salary. Once we raise another $25,000 Eddie can quit his day job and continue his work with Okavango Community Aid full time.

Who else is involved in OCA?

Right now the Batswana players are Eddie, contractors from Natural Bid Pty Ltd, the elders and chiefs in the village we are serving, and a government social worker. For the water well installation there is also a team of volunteers. After we have the funds to hire Eddie full time, we’d like to hire additional staff in Botswana such as an office manager, accountant, and right-hand person or persons to work with Eddie in the villages.

In the US, a number of people are or have been involved helping with logo and branding, marketing/language, website (under development) and more. I feel incredibly lucky that a former co-worker from GRID decided to join me in this venture. We are now OCA co-workers and will apply for grants and corporate funding together.

Do you have specific numeric goals in mind? For example, a target number of people you would like to help, or a target number of solar systems to install?

Our intentional focus area is Botswana’s Okavango Delta where Eddie estimates about 10,000 very remote individuals can use our help and services. He describes the villagers in the Delta as poor to the point that if you gave them a dollar they would think they were rich. There is no economy or economic opportunity in the villages. 

Eddie was lucky and was taken out of the village to the city by an aunt when he was 14. This is what allowed him to receive more education and eventually to begin work in the safari industry. 

The initial focus of our efforts in the Delta are the very needy. There are many elderly individuals that have been left behind by their families who went to the towns and cities for work. Some of these elderly people are also living with disabilities, such as the inability to walk or blindness. For some of these people there is a feeling of waiting to die. 

The homes in the villages are traditional and made out of reeds and grasses. They often lack doors. Without light their homes are transparent at night. With light they are safe from lions and other animals entering their homes while they sleep. Across many villages there is a need for water wells. Without wells, villagers end up drinking from the same watering holes as the elephants, which is unsanitary and can lead to disease.

Eddie’s vision is that once we have served all of the villagers scattered across the Okavango Delta region, we can move on to other areas of Botswana and eventually to neighboring country Namibia.

Botswana is one of the richest countries in Africa, but unfortunately the wealth and government assistance is concentrated in the towns and cities. We are working to change that.

How can people help your efforts?

Folks can help by making a donation to Okavango Community Aid, and/or by spreading the word to folks who may be interested in donating. This can be done by sharing our donation link or by setting up a peer-to-peer fundraiser. (For the latter, on our fundraising page, scroll down to the “I Want To Fundraise For This” button, set up an account, and create your fundraising page. I love chatting peer-to-peer fundraising strategy, and welcome interested folks to email me at mimi@okavangoaid.org. Beyond creating a page, there are so many ways to draw eyes and dollars to your campaign. I’m here to help whether you want someone to review your personalized copy [share with your donors why it’s important to YOU that they give] or to bounce ideas off of.)

In addition, we may also soon be a Climate Ride beneficiary! 100% of funds raised for their Green Fondo rides go to beneficiary organizations this year and there is also a 100% match this year. If you are a cyclist who wants to ride for Okavango Community Aid you could make a big difference this year. And of course, there are also corporate matching gifts. These have to be made via our fiscal sponsor Fiscal Sponsorship Allies with “Okavango Community Aid” in the memo.

Thanks, Mimi, for your wonderful work! I wish all the best to you and Eddie and OCA and all the villagers who will be helped by your efforts.

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

3/25/23

Greetings again from Silverton! Feline companions Emma and Marty are continuing to be their cute selves, and I’m enjoying my break from the “big city.” (I’ll be returning to Portland in a few days.)

Spring is underway, and the weather here careens from warm sunshine, to light rain, to heavy rain, to hail (twice now) multiple times per day, it seems.

The crocuses are out, and I’m starting to see blossoms on the trees. It feels good.

This past Wednesday, when we had some sun, I decided to take a jaunt to the nearby Oregon Garden.

Although I skipped the pricey guided tour of the Gordon House—Oregon’s sole Frank Lloyd Wright house—I did get to bicycle past it on my way into the garden, so I could see the distinctive Wright lines from the outside, at least.

Shortly after I entered the garden, I was surprised to encounter one of the largest garter snakes I’ve ever seen! It was out enjoying the warmth and sunshine of the season as well.

This botanical garden is one of the less photogenic ones I’ve visited, if I’m honest, but there is a forested area where I spent some time sitting contemplatively on a bench, and that felt nice.

On the way back home from the garden, I decided to visit the main city park here in Silverton, Coolidge McClaine. It felt almost enchanted, in the late afternoon sun, with all the tree shadows falling on the lush green grass. Past the main area with picnic tables, I found a winding path along Silver Creek that felt like being in the wilderness.

I hope I will get more opportunities to travel within Oregon in the coming months. It is such a beautiful state.

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

3/20/23

Happy equinox, all! For those of us here in the northern hemisphere, I think I can speak for most of us when I say we are ready for spring! For those south of the equator, perhaps you’re ready for a reprieve from the summer’s heat.

I enjoy acknowledging the change of the seasons. As regular readers will know, weather is important to me, and I also value marking the passage of time via the seasonal changes on the earth’s surface. Here in northwest Oregon, this has been a long winter. Blossoms that I would normally expect to see by early February have just recently appeared, in mid-March. And we even had that unusual heavy snowstorm a few weeks ago. But now, I’m seeing signs of spring all over!

On Saturday, I arrived at my newest cat sit, with cutie-pie littermates Marty and Emma. Their house is in Silverton, Oregon (population 10,558) about 40 miles south of Portland.

I traveled here via the train from Portland to Salem—once again, the cool “vintage” Amtrak Cascades train—and then bicycling about 15 miles east to Silverton. Fortunately, Saturday was one of our first spring-like weather days, so I enjoyed the warmth and sunshine for the ride, before the rain and chill returned the next day.

This town is the home of the botanical Oregon Garden, as well as Oregon’s only Frank Lloyd Wright house. My host was kind enough to gift me a couple of tickets to the gardens, so I will probably visit there soon; it has been several years since I last experienced that place. I had also planned to tour the Wright house this time, but I recently learned that the separate admission for the small house is $20, so I think I will forego it.

Silverton also sits 14 miles northwest of the beautiful Silver Falls State Park, which I visited for the first time at the beginning of my bike travels in September of 2021. I may or may not make it back there this time. But I’m enjoying this change of pace from Portland, and considering a future Eugene cat sit. Oregon explorations can be fun, while I await the best timing for my “bigger” travel adventures. This state is so beautiful.

This past week has been rather challenging for me, for reasons I’d rather not detail, but it is strengthening my resolve to offer my gifts to the world as much as I can. I would like to reiterate my offer of free/no-strings “empathy hours,” especially at this equinox time. If you, or anyone you know, would appreciate an hour-long video chat (or phone, if you prefer) for supportive listening on any topic, please feel free to message me to set it up. I’m happy to listen if you are struggling in any area of your life, and also happy to celebrate and/or help with brainstorming or strategizing any ideas or projects you may have, for your own life or for the larger community.

May we begin this new season with renewed commitment to our own and collective thriving!

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3/10/23

Wow. September 10th, 2021 is when I embarked on my new bike-focused nomadic lifestyle! I traveled my planned loop around the US and Canada for exactly a year plus one week… which means it has been almost exactly six months since I completed the loop. That feels wild to me. The journey seemed to stretch on forever! Now that I have been in one place, the past six months have flown by.

I’m looking forward to traveling again, and this past week my mind has shifted from my train-to-Montreal, then-possibly-England, then-possibly-continental-Europe dream. At this point I’m feeling strongly drawn to England, so I’m thinking maybe I could head straight there in mid-May. I could see the “Marillion weekend” in Leicester in late May, rather than in Montreal in mid-May. (There’s another prog event in Poland in July—featuring Steve Hackett and IQ, among others—that would be really cool to attend as well… possibly I can?)

I found an outrageously low airfare to London on May 18th. Not sure if I’m ready to take that leap yet, but I’m considering it!

Meanwhile, this past week has been full of activity, from sadly saying goodbye to that little cutie Simba, to attending various medical and plasma appointments around the metro area, to doing a bit of English tutoring on Cambly, to having some wonderful magical meetings with folks around the globe.

Last week I forgot to mention one I had had with my friend Elizabeth in Ajijic, Mexico (Elizabeth, hello if you’re reading this!) who told me what a wonderful place that is, and how much she appreciates the community of local residents as well as US and Canadian visitors and immigrants.

This week, I spoke with my new friend Jo in South Africa, who is living a rather parallel life to mine: 49 years old, vegan, living as a car-free nomadic pet sitter, and and even a life coach! We had a great conversation about our nomadic pet sitting lifestyle and our respective dreams and goals.

I also talked with a new friend, Angela, in Boise, Idaho, who is about to sell her house and take off with her husband in their new RV to live nomadically in their retirement. She is an artist, and she had some cool perspectives on life and human connections that I enjoyed learning about.

Finally, I had a great conversation with a van-lifing friend in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Kathrine has lived—and continues to live—a courageous and fascinating life, and I always feel inspired after talking with her.

Soon I will also write about my amazingly inspiring friend Mimi, in Berkeley, and her startup nonprofit in Botswana.

I’m so blessed to be constantly connecting with such interesting people. I’ve got more magical meetings lined up for the coming week, as well.

I love this life!!

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

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3/3/23

Well, I’m pleased to say that the life I had outlined a few posts ago seems to be unfolding pretty well so far!

I’m still in Portland, and still sitting for “Mr. Simba,” as I like to call him, but between visiting my friend in Salem (on what turned out to be a bit of a “vintage” Amtrak Cascades train set with old-timey windows that tinted and framed my photographic appreciations just so) and donating plasma for some extra cash up in Vancouver (Washington) I’ve been really enjoying the various train and bicycle infrastructure of this region. I hope you enjoy the “photo essay.” I’m still working on manifesting the funds I will need to truly get back out on the road again—like to Montreal, and England!—but in the meantime, I’m doing my best to savor the beauty that is right here, right now.

And I’ve also had some wonderful Magical Meetings this past week, in accordance with my vision! I met with a woman in a sort of enchanted living situation in SW Portland, for whom I might do some cat sitting in the future, but who also, regardless, was right on the same page with me about a lot of my dreams and visions, so I’m happy to help her to hold her own visions, and I’m looking forward to staying in touch as both of our lives continue to unfold.

I also spoke with a retired English gentleman who is four years into a ten-year journey around the world! Like me, he travels car free, mostly by train with occasional buses. He told me about a cool English-language-tutoring app (Cambly, which I had vaguely heard of before) which might offer me an opportunity for a bit of income as well as cultural exchange, talking to adult students around the world who are seeking native English speakers to practice with in conversation.

This world is so full of so many wonderful things!

Including this sleepy cat. Goodnight, from Simba and me both.

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)