Our 4 Year Nomadiversary

As we wait for our beloved Eco Womb to get all fixed up, and we are without our home on the road, we have had a whirl of emotions this week. Mainly stemming from not knowing if we would have enough to fix her, what that would mean for our time on the road, where we would land, what our future looked like. But, the more we thought and the more hubby and I talked, we decided we really had no choice, we just had to get her fixed, we had to get back on the road. We are not done our travel, we are not done our work out here on the road, we are not done seeing the beauty of the world while spreading peace and love and education along the way. So we manifested with all of our hearts that we would raise enough funds and make it happen. We opened ourselves to be vulnerable and share the raw truth, while opening our hearts to receive so that ultimately we have more to give. We recognized our empty tanks needed filling, and that we were not done giving, so we had to fill up and keep going.

We had some doubters, some loved ones that asked if we would take this bump in the road to reassess our lifestyle and settle down, that we couldn't possibly do this forever. While at first it saddened us that they didn't really consider our best interest, we realized some may never understand why we have chosen this life, and that's ok. It's our life, not theirs, and their questioning just strengthened our resolve to really tune into what was best for our family, and this nomadic life for us right now is what's best. We love traveling, we love our nomadic Village, we love working events and educating and standing up and speaking out for the change we want for our kids and their future. They are why we do what we do, and when we asked them what they wanted next, there was no doubt we would fix the Eco Womb and keep going. So, that's what we set our mind to do.

She's still at the shop and we are still without our home, but we know we are close to getting her back. And, tonight as we sat down to have a meal together as a family, tired from our emotionally stressful week, drained from all the highs and lows that it brought, we realized that today on this very day four years ago we were in a similar place. We were taking the leap for the very first time, leaving behind our house in a cul de sac, for life on the road. Four years ago today, we handed the keys to our 'sticks and bricks' home over to new owners and became the new owners of the original Live Lightly Tour Bus (which was to become the Eco Womb Tour Bus). We said goodbye to our home and neighborhood and that settled down image of the American dream. Truth has it that it was never our dream, and we became engulfed in the mortgage and work to pay the mortgage and busy busy of a packed schedule of activities. We took a giant leap to chase our dream of seeing the world, making our work our passion (and our passion our work), and the freedom to make our own way. We were questioned then as we have been questioned along the way, but leading the unconventional has never felt better. It's what suits us, because really who gets to say what is 'normal' and 'alternative' or 'conventional' and 'unconventional'--- isn't it all just perspective anyway? I mean there are cultures and places and times in history where nomads were the norm, and still are today. Besides, our normal is an ever evolving beautiful tribe of fellow nomadic families, and road family activists, and our beautiful traveling Village, and those spots in between where the community welcomes you with hugs and fresh eggs from the farm and library books no matter how often you come through or stop by, because home is truly where the heart is and our hearts are wherever we are on our journey.

So, we sat around the table tonight in our little cabin we are renting for the week at a local campground, with our Village in their camper across the street, and we talked about all the memories we have made in the past four years. The amazing places we have been, the beautiful forests we have hiked, the delicious food we have tried, and our friends across the country. From ocean to mountains and back again, and everything in between. We expressed how it felt weird to not be in our home on the road while celebrating our four years on the road, but that this, too, would be a fond memory in our string of adventures. No one mentioned the hardships endured during our breakdowns, they just had love and excitement for all of the memories held close because of our nomadic journey. And, when we get to pick up the Eco Womb from the shop and head back out on the road, we will celebrate the adventures as they unfold, because really, shouldn't we celebrate life every day? Life on the road has taught us to go with the flow, lean into trust, open our hearts, count our gratitudes daily, and live as fully in the moments as we can, embracing the now and breathing in the beauty of it all. Because you truly never know what tomorrow will bring, so we fill our hearts with peace and love in the present. I mean with these precious children, how can you not?

Some previous posts on our journey to the road...

http://ecowomb.com/blog/2010/8/11/time.html

http://ecowomb.com/blog/2013/1/24/two-year-nomadiversary.html

http://ecowomb.com/blog/2014/1/21/our-3-year-nomadiversary.html