We totally did it.
Right before we crossed the state line, we pulled over to use the restroom and the wifi, and suddenly it all hit me.
What I had done.
I had left my fears and my excuses, and ventured outside of my comfort and familiarity. I had left the people and place I had called home for the past 20 years.
I was going somewhere (I didn't even know where!) where I knew like 2 people in the whole state.
I can't believe how brave I was.
And all it took was some expired tags to momentum us out of there as planned this time :) There was no waiting this time, no changing our minds. We just had to go. Or pay for registration twice.
I will be honest. The journey up here was incredible. The driving, the people, the views, the fun, the music, the views :)) Not the heat. Lol
I look forward to more travel.
We do plan to travel around Oregon and decide where we want to grow home, and I look forward to a more slow paced kind of travel, an ease that opens us up to the kind of movement that is based on what interests us in the moment.
I look forward to pausing at rest stops and view sites, and partaking in town cultures and quirky shops and exploring a beautiful lake we saw from the road.
I am grateful to set the blinders aside. We made it. We are in Oregon.
Besides oohing and ahhhhing over all the green and soul-delicious details here in Ashland, we headed straight over to a locally-owned and operated storage unit facility and found the perfect unit for us at an incredible price!
We unloaded the van, and it gave a giant sigh, as did we when the back looked more like home than like a moving truck.
And we set out in search of wifi.
We stopped at a gas station to ask for directions, and I decided it was a good time to ask about customary tipping to the gas pumping attendants - it is illegal in Oregon to pump your own gas. The usual tip is a buck or two, I was told. But you can tip more if they clean your windows or check your oil, etc. Or you can not tip, I was told, and it's not going to ruin their day (lol - that is what he said :)) So sweet.
At Starbucks I learned that although there is no sales tax in the state of Oregon, there is a prepared food and beverage tax in the city/town of Ashland, and it is only a hair less than the sales tax in California.
I was really looking forward to buying something with no sales tax. So, I guess that is my next mission.
Wait! I bought incense at the grocery store, and it WAS $4.99. Wow. I did it :))
Haha, and I love that the first no-tax-item I bought in Oregon was a big box of Nag Champa :))
So, we located a few stops (like the DMV) and bought some groceries, and then we headed off for the lake, to meet up with an incredible fulltime family who travel in the Ecowomb and happened to be in Ashland, too.
As soon as we got to the lake, we knew we were going to need a day to just ground ourselves, before we were going to be ready to start diving into our Ashland to do list.
Even just thinking those last 4 words were exhausting. So, I was on strike from anything that did not make me feel peace and grounded deeply.
That meant sushi, kombucha, and chocolate for dinner, a lake to awe over the beauty of and imagine swimming in on the hot next day, and soul-nourishing togetherness with a kindred family.
Life feels so much less like you are alone when you have a life learning family to connect with and enjoy life with :)
I soaked and basked in our shared values and the beauty of their family in motion. Interactions in connected, compassionate, loving, life learning families always captivates me. It's so seductive. I just soak it in and find myself BEing the mama I love most to be.
We talked about the deliciousness of a gypsy tribe (they were one of the families in the Conscious Caravan) and of the usefulness of non-profit status for donations, sponsorship, and funding.
It sure was getting me thinking about this tribe I am growing ♥
Our children had a blast and quite adored each other last night, and even more so this morning.
We spent the day at the lake, swimming for like 5 hours. It was incredible.
And just what we needed.
Now, we are back in town running a few errands (like getting more food and using the wifi to locate more services).
Until tomorrow, Loves ♥
V
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