Tanner's family hosted a reunion last weekend (as they do every 2 years). This time it was at a campground in the foothills of the Rockies just outside of Calgary. We arrived in time to help set up and enjoy the sunny summer weather. My favorite thing about this reunion was that there was no cell phone service unless you hiked a few kilometers up a hill. This created a forced visiting scenario where people actually talked and laughed and got to know each other a little better (which is kind of the point of reunions!).
Bath in the river at the reunion.
We took hikes, had a group yoga class one morning, and bathed in the trickle-of-a-river a couple of times. Tanner and I were asked one question over and over and over again during the 4 days that we camped with the extended family tribe: "What are you doing next and where and when are you going to settle down?". The first couple of times, I tried to formulate some sort of intelligent response and then when that still wasn't satisfactory for some folks, I decided to start responding with "I have no idea what's around the corner for us. Do any of us really know for sure? We don't know how much time we each have on earth, so we may as well live the life we dream of." That seemed to change the conversation back to politics or some other "normal" topic that was less unsettling for everyone.
Some creative artwork someone in the family drew on the trunk.
We ate a lot more than we normally do that weekend, and we were grateful that the organizers were kind enough to offer vegan options at all meals. We still indulged in some things that we normally don't, but regardless we had a lot of fun with aunts, uncles, siblings cousins and little nieces and nephews. We look forward to the next reunion in 2017.
The day the reunion ended we began a week of mostly liquids to cleanse our digestive systems and bloodstreams of some of the excess stuff that we indulged in over that long weekend event. We have discovered how simple it is to consume liquids on the road. We enjoy lemon honey teas in the morning and many mornings we also have a dose of a warm cacao drink, which helps with the cleansing process. In the afternoons our favorite thing to have is coconut water. The stuff in containers isn't quite like what comes from a fresh coconut but some brands almost have it right. Yummy.
We then returned to the West Coast and arrived on Whidbey Island, Washington to retrieve our stash of cacao and have a visit at the home of Tanner's aunt and uncle. They also own a vegan and mostly gluten-free and organic cafe called THRIVE on Whidbey in the village of Freeland. We were able to continue with mostly liquids there and enjoyed some fresh greens smoothies and hearty soups while we were visiting for two days. Tanner's mom had also just arrived there for a visit, so we had a mini reunion there.
Just down the road from Thrive, there is a 72 acre park called the Earth Sanctuary. It has been created as a natural preserve with wetlands and forests and also as a space where one can meditate, walk a mandala or hold a sacred ceremony. We enjoyed it with Cori, Tanner's mom, one morning. We sang and drummed and played our singing bowl and enjoyed the birds and insects and nature's sounds and energy. I would love to return again, as we only had enough time to see part of this special place.
We ferried off of Whidbey back onto mainland Washington. A billboard caught our eye that had a picture of the iconic Uncle Sam and it read "Greece is broke. Are we next?" Interesting. A while later, along the Oregon Trail highway we passed a group of protestors holding signs that read "More War Means More Debt" and "Honk for PEACE". Of course, we honked and waved some peace fingers. They smiled and waved. It felt like a a scene from the late 60's. At least that's what I imagined.
We arrived near Bend, Oregon at the home of a Couchsurfing host, who I will call Kelly. We had stayed with Kelly about two months ago just for one night and got along great. So we retuned for a second visit. When we had arrived there the first time, she informed us that she is epileptic. She told us what to do if a seizure were to happen and we shrugged, smiled and said no problem. We were all happy to see each other again this week. She and her little doggy welcomed us into their humble home in the forest with open arms and happy paws. We did a lot of catching up. Kelly has been trying out medical marijuana in a CBD paste form to help ease the epilepsy and lessen the seizures. She believes it has helped and continues with the Rx medications from her doctors as well. She is 29 years old, an only child, and has really been struggling to find the balance between relying on her family for support and spreading her wings into adulthood.
The next morning Tanner and I were on day 6 of almost completely liquids. We had some lemon tea and a mug of cacao each. We piled into our car with Kelly and her pup and drove into the Cascade Mountains just to the west of Bend. We proceeded to complete a 10 mile (17kms) hike together. Tanner and I decided to attempt a barefoot trek. I made it through the first 8 miles and then put my shoes on so that I could pick up the pace and return to the car before the sun set. Tanner went the whole 10 mile loop barefoot (which the guide book led us to believe would only be a 7 mile loop). At the end, our feet and legs were dirty and hobbit-like, but we both made it out without a blister or cut or scrape. It's amazing what we can achieve when we have our minds in the right place. Kelly was so proud that she completed the 10 miles, which was by far the longest she has ever done. Back in the car, we enjoyed coconut water and some watermelon scooped out by spoon. The little dog slept all the way home. It was quite an adventure for all of us.
Throughout our visits with Kelly, she reiterated how well she felt in mind, body and spirit having us around her. We shared our knowledge of healthier food shopping with her. We told her about how to avoid additives and chemicals that she suspected may trigger some of the seizures. She basked in the sounds of our singing bowl, drumming, and songs. Tanner's mom just passed on a Love Tuner to us the morning that we drove to Kelly's place. It's a small whistle that sounds like a single note on a harmonica. It's tuned to a C note at 528Hz, which creates a sense of love and peace. ( www.lovetuner.com ) It is extremely soothing and the player receives the greatest benefit, as the vibrations carry throughout your head and body. We played it numerous times throughout the visit, several times in which Kelly felt the precursors for a seizure coming on. She was so happy and relieved when she felt like herself again! Before we departed, she told us how grateful she was that somehow our energy and intuition helped her to remain seizure-free. She later texted us and said she would like to have a Love Tuner of her own so that she can calm herself at all times. She knows that anxiety and stress increases the frequency of the seizures, so anything that is calming is helpful to her. She thanked us again and told us we were her spirit doctors. So beautiful!
We are seeking funding through Indiegogo to assist us in gifting items such as the Love Tuner, which has a price tag of about $60. We would like to continue to give freely without leaving ourselves penniless in the meantime. Please consider donating at the bottom of this blog post. Any amount will help to shift someone's life for the better.
As we drove away into the wildfire smoke in the badlands of eastern Oregon, we opened the sunroof and offered some Chiapas organic tobacco in gratitude for the experience and the people and the earth. We do this whenever we leave a place or take food from the earth. We often do it with our feet on the earth, but in a way, the tobacco is more spread out from the sunroof. We have learned this offering from several native friends throughout our travels. From what we have seen just this week, this American land can use some serious love and gratitude.
Here is the link to the One World Wellness Indiegogo campaign...
