What a wild time to be alive, friends! I hope you’re prioritizing your own health and well-being. There’s so much stress and vitriol in the world, and if we let it consume us, it really will.
I read this quote this week and it really resonated with me. It can be really helpful to stop and articulate, with words (out loud or in writing, or even with imagery) how we’re feeling and what we’re fearing. Putting a name to it can make it easier to face.
Here are some of the things I’m fearing right now:
I won’t build my business to the level I dream about
I won’t be able to visit family and friends for a long time
I won’t be able to attend my friend’s wedding
I won’t be able to safely share my views & background and be my authentic self under our next administration
I’m not doing enough to help the causes I care about
My BIPOC and LGBTQIAA+ friends and those with disabilities (basically anyone that isn’t a white male, TBH) won’t be safe in the near future
Putting it down makes it clear that that’s a lot to navigate! No wonder I feel stressed sometimes, despite my healthy habits.
Here are some of the things I’m pursuing to clear my fears:
Daily work on my business & accountability checks with my mastermind & mentors
Weekly calls and video calls with friends and family, plus emails and text check-ins
Daily and weekly work to encourage voting, educate those around me and assist anyone with questions
Supporting the causes I care about, financially and with my time and energy
It’s so, so important to not only articulate what’s on our minds, but, when we’re in the right headspace, make a plan with concrete steps to feel better. If we’re feeling scared of the unknown, what’s one thing that’s within our control that we can make progress on? If we’re frightened that x might happen, what’s one step we can take that will listen the blow if it comes true?
For instance, if we’re afraid that a wildfire could burn our house down, we should pack an emergency bag & create a plan.
If we’re afraid of the outcome of an election, we should vote and encourage our friends to do the same, and lend our support to the causes and people we care about if we’re able to do so.
We can’t eliminate the possibility of the things we fear, in many cases, but we can eliminate the fear by tackling it head on with the pursuit of new things, as Susie Moore says. Taking concrete steps feels good, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Can you relate to any of these? What is one thing you can do today to face your fear?
Today I’m celebrating a huge milestone – I’ve been a yogini (a female practitioner of yoga) for twenty years!!!
I realize this post is going to age me a bit, but I am so stinkin’ proud that twenty years later, I have a consistent yoga practice and continue to feel the effects that yoga has brought to my life.
I first tried yoga at age sixteen. I went to a private day school in middle and high school (founded by hippies, very pricey, super privileged for sure) and we were required to play sports to fulfill the state’s gym requirement. In the fall of my junior year, the nurse offered yoga as a sports elective, and I was thrilled to do that instead of field hockey (which I loved, but which took up far too much of my otherwise available for theater and music time).
I quickly learned that I already had a great deal of flexibility, which would suit me well, and I also found it tough but enjoyable to sit in silence and close my eyes, particularly around my classmates and friends.
When the nurse decided not to offer it the following year, I was pretty devastated. But I was able to design my own sport by taking yoga and aerobics classes at my local gym instead. I was exposed to several different teachers, realizing that there are lots of styles and approaches to yoga, and some of it is much more strenuous than others.
So began my yoga journey! I’d stretch a bit and try poses on my own, but my class consumption varied widely during college. After college, I picked up a yoga video and then found myself gravitating toward other forms of exercise that incorporated some yoga into the mix. (Yes, Yoga Booty Ballet, I’m looking at you!!! My one and only informercial purchase!)
Over the years, I took advantage of free or affordable yoga whenever possible. A class at a retreat I was working. A series of classes at the same church I accompanied services for. And during my one and only corporate-like stint working at a co-op, I took advantage of the once per week, $5 yoga classes.
When we hit the road in late 2016 in our RV, I was armed with my favorite workout series to date (ChaLean Extreme will date me again) which included some yoga in the mix. I also began experimenting with yoga videos on Amazon Prime and Netflix – I’d download them to my phone when we had good wifi.
In 2018, my husband Ross (with my booking assistance) began improvising music live for yoga classes. This was an incredible gift, because in addition to making money from each of the attendees (shared with the instructor and studio), I got to attend the classes for free! That meant that for a long stretch, I got to take about one yoga class per month, each with a new instructor. The project even inspired Ross to record an ambient music album perfect for relaxation, meditation and yoga. (Link here)
With COVID-19, we have had to put our in-person yoga efforts aside, but the incredible gift of the pandemic for me (if I can say that) has been developing a more consistent yoga practice. My instructor, Tracy, was one of my favorite instructors from almost ten years back at that church job. Nowadays she teaches lessons remotely, so her Vermont location is no problem for me, and her suggested fees are extremely reasonable (and there’s no charge if it’s a hardship for you). (Link to her)
Being in a tiny RV, I can’t do yoga unless my husband is awake and about, but I’ve nevertheless gotten into a routine of yoga and meditation three nights per week, and it has been essential to my stress management, particularly over the last several months as tensions have heightened, from racial justice issues to politics and more. I’ve also tried a few other instructors when my schedule allows, and I’ve experimented a bit with free meditations too.
Previous to the pandemic, I struggled to make yoga a consistent part of my routine. I had no problem doing some stretches before bed, and I always loved the time I gave it, but since it doesn’t feel like “exercise” in the same way that some other forms of movement do, I always made it an extra, if I have time sort of thing.
What I’ve realized this year is that I am much more prepared to face the world when yoga is a mandatory part of my routine. And I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to set that time aside, and that Tracy has made it so affordable. (I even do yoga on those days when she takes time off! It’s now that much of a habit.)
So today I celebrate twenty years of yoga, but not just that – I celebrate twenty years of continuing to fine-tune my practice and develop consistency in my health habits. Habits are a cornerstone of my life and work, and I’m so thankful to have realized how essential yoga is to that for me.
Have you tried yoga? How did/do you like it?
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
It’s already Day # 1 of the Make Money & RV Summit! Ross and I are speaking on October 4th, but you won’t want to miss today’s speakers & actionable tips and advice on how you can make money and RV full-time, part-time or seasonally!
Each session is FREE to attend for the first 24 hours, but I totally understand not being available to catch all the sessions- after all there’s seminars, interviews and bonus sessions!
If that’s the case, right now the best thing you can do for yourself would be to grab a VIP pass and lock in your behind the scenes access to this powerful information, regardless of if you can attend live or just want to watch them later.
Here’s why most people end up upgrading to VIP: *They didn’t get to watch all the sessions. *They want to re-watch some of the session *They aren’t ready to use the info, and want to refer back once they are ready for action! *They also want all the freebies our speakers are offering! (Free courses, eBooks, one-on-one coaching sessions, printables and more!) *The VIP passes are currently on sale with an early bird discounted price!
Grab one now and get yours for the lowest price available. Just head here to check them out and choose the one that’s best for you!
Happy Friday, and we can’t wait to hear what you thought of the presentations!
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
The full bundle of “Essential Work From Home Essentials Training Bundle” includes not only our course on “Navigating Relationships When You’re Both Working From Home”, but 25+ other courses from experts across 10+ fields, all who work at home already.
Please let us know if you have any questions! We’ve been working really hard on this to ensure the content is top tier, and I know the rest of the experts have as well.
Watch the preview here or below, and thanks for reading! As always, we really appreciate your support of our work. Let us know if this is helpful for you.
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
I’ve been dealing with some challenging situations in my work lately. One of my clients has been particularly disorganized, and for the first time in a long time I’m finding it hard not to carry their own stress into my life.
It’s not the scenario I hoped for when I took on this client, but it’s a scenario that many aspiring adventurers know well.
Do you find yourself carrying the stress of your 9 to 5 into your nights and weekends?
Do you find it tough to turn off the worry when you turn off the laptop?
Is it hard for you to devote time to working on your goals and dreams because you’re too stressed about the here and now?
I can certainly relate, and my best piece of advice is this: use your frustration as fuel for the future.
When you catch yourself dwelling on anger or frustration, reframe the situation by saying (out loud, in a journal or in your head) “I’m so thankful for work that allows me to pay my bills. I’m so thankful for work that allows me to save for my future goals. This situation is helping me to build my future dream life.”
Remember that this frustration is fueling your future in multiple ways:
Financially – this money supports you while you dream and scheme and plan, and it may let you save enough for funding future too.
Emotionally – this experience is giving you visceral lessons that will stick with you moving forward. You’ll remember this feeling and when you lose momentum or focus on the work of dream life creation, remembering how much you don’t want to experience this again will get you that fire under your butt that’s needed for change.
Rewriting our stories is truly important for growth. It’s essential that I keep rewriting my frustration so that instead of a thing that’s happening to me, I put myself in a position of power.
I choose to do this job to support my future life.
I do this work to feed my family.
I’m learning lessons that will help me in the future.
Choose a story of empowerment. Choose to use your frustration as future fuel.
Have you been in this situation?
How did you handle it?
How are you rewriting your story today?
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com
Well, we’ve lived in our RV for four years, traveling for almost four, and it finally happened – we had a blowout!
Ross was about forty minutes away from our destination (staying at a winery, where I was already waiting for him) when he felt an immediate change while driving, realizing there was a ton of resistance. He immediately pulled over to the side of the highway. Turns out he’d blown two tires.
It was scary, of course, but thankfully it happened during daylight on a clear day, Good Sam got there before dark and while the cost wasn’t cheap, we had plenty of space on our credit card for it. Not to mention that Ross, Squeak (our cat) and our house/RV were all okay!
It’s been interesting traveling during COVID-19. Where normally we’d be getting coffee or ice cream along the way, instead there’s a much more serious cost/benefit analysis happening before we consider takeout of any kind, and we certainly aren’t dining in anywhere! Getting out of Florida means less virus exposure, but we’re also traveling through areas that don’t have mask mandates or even potentially norms around mask-wearing, so we are treading carefully. We also don’t want to potentially infect the people that we bump into!
I think the big lesson learned for us was that doing the work pays off when you hit a time of crisis. If I hadn’t been so well-read on tires, I wouldn’t have known to tell Ross to get all four of the back tires replaced when two of them went, and financially getting them all replaced turned out to be the best decision (they only added another $100 when they added 2 tires to our order!) by far.
For Ross, all of his prior work learning to drive the RV like a pro with great care meant he knew exactly what to do, and trusted his gut, when the tires blew out.
How are you doing the work now to set yourself up for success later?
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
It’s the definition of a first world problem: we had Disney World passes, we used them for many months, and then COVID-19 hit. First they closed the parks indefinitely; when they finally reopened last month, they were opening despite Florida’s skyrocketing rates of infection.
Wilderness Lodge has a beautiful bridge with water running underneath it – inside!
Waterfall at Wilderness Lodge, Walt Disney World
Royal chair at Port Orleans: RIverside
Jamie and Danny at the Magic Kingdom
Ryan, Emily, Ross and Jamie at Animal Kingdom Lodge
As much as Disney is our absolute love, we just didn’t feel safe/couldn’t justify the risk of going into the parks, even with all the precautions. So, in a move we never thought would be an option or a need, we cancelled our Disney passes.
Being a Disney World passholder in normal times is pretty awesome, especially when you live nearby (as we do when our RV is parked in central Florida). We usually visited the parks at least once or twice a week, sometimes for a quick ice cream treat or a ride, and other times to spend most of the day or close out the evening there.
Much to our surprise, during this new era we’ve had no lack of things to do while staying in our RV. In many ways, we’ve been more productive in our businesses than we would have otherwise, despite the feelings of overwhelm and helplessness sometimes. And we’ve indulged in watching new TV shows and of course our new favorite thing, mystery boxes!
When Disney presented us with the option of cancelling our passes, we were torn. Giving them up meant if things were to change in the future, we’d be out of luck. And there’s always the risk that Disney will let annual passes expire and then won’t let new people purchase them. But honestly, our long-term plans don’t include living in Florida. A short-term visit regularly? Yes, please! But for the long term? We’ve got other priorities right now. A little extra money in our pockets doesn’t hurt either.
What ultimately sold us was the feeling that by opening up the parks in the middle of an incredible spike in cases with no sign of state or federal oversight, Disney dropped the ball. We felt that keeping our Disney passes would implictly be an endorsement of Disney’s behavior right now. And we strongly feel that Disney, as one of the largest and perhaps the most prestigious employer in Florida, was uniquely in a position to convince the state government to do more to stop the spread of COVID-19. By opening up the parks, they lost that bargaining chip and opportunity.
So we’re no longer Disney World passholders. We’re still big Disney fans, and we’ve still got our Disney World for RVers as a hub for conversation, but for now, we’ll be sitting on the sidelines.
Thanks for reading. Stay safe, and take care.
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
It’s one of those weeks where it’s a carefully calculated balancing act. We’re hoping to head out of Florida within the next couple of weeks. We managed to avoid damage in last week’s hurricane, but we know we are unlikely to be so luckily if we stick around longer.
That means we need to stock up on provisions (our goal is to avoid stopping for anything but gas and a place to sleep for the night – fingers crossed!), make sure all of our online orders have been delivered, clean up and organize after getting “comfortable” for many months, and remind ourselves what “travel mode” looks like.
Oh, and work! The trickiest thing about all of this is that we still have to keep up with, if not traditional day jobs, all of our clients, and in fact we need to do extra work to make sure we’re ready to depart safely and successfully.
I’m also wrapping up week one of a coaching program, where I’m learning how to be a coach! I’m something I’ve dabbled in the past, and I absolutely love supporting people and helping them find the confidence, strategy and skills to create the life of their dreams. So, suffice to say, it’s been a busy week here in the RV!
Lots of people say that full-time RVing has higher highs and lower lows than the average life. I think that can be true. There’s less consistency, more surprises to deal with, but there’s so much joy from traveling and living life at a different pace. And honestly, so much of it is truly what you make of it.
We know we’re truly spoiled and privileged to live this lifestyle. We always appreciate your good wishes, but we especially love those thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks as we pack up and head out across the country.
Wishing you all a wonderful week. Take care.
P.S. We’ll be taking advantage of our Harvest Hosts membership when we travel. Free space to park in exchange for buying wine and other goodies? Sign us up! Get yours at a 15% discount and support our blog when you sign up!
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
It’s been more than four years of being full-time RVers (with vacations along the way, but always returning to our home), and with all of the uncertainty in the world, I’m feeling especially grateful that we followed our dreams and made this adventure happen.
There were so many things that we didn’t know when we started out. If I’d known then that we’d burn through our savings, that we’d have to spend so much money on repairs, that we’d clean toilets or nasty equipment or even experience a few truly horrendous things along the journey, would we have done it?
But, of course, if I knew the bad stuff that would come, then I’d likely know the good stuff, and how could I have passed that up? Getting to meet extraordinary people, visiting gardens and museums and animals and the ocean….eating extraordinary gluten-free food, amazing ice cream, the freshest Mexican and New Mexican cuisine and meeting up with family and friends (some we hadn’t seen in ages) along the way.
(Just a few photos from the past year or so below!)
We’ve worked full-time and part-time jobs, built businesses, checked off bucket list items and built new dreams. We’ve found communities that feel like home and places we look forward to returning to, and we’ve gotten clarity on what is and isn’t important in our lives.
And when I created the tagline for this website (Making The Lives We Want: A Practice In Living), I didn’t have any idea just how much we’d be leaning into it. I’m so glad we have.
I hope that whatever you’re going through, you’re okay. And if you can, take one small step today to make the life you want. Even if it’s just taking time for a cup of tea or a short walk. You deserve it.
Take care, and be well. Thanks for reading.
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
Crafting The Life You Want: A Practice in Living 