Life Balance: Two Days In A Yurt

I’m sitting here in this yurt, marveling at the fact that I am sleeping in a yurt! Definitely a bucket list thing. And even better, when I booked this place on airbnb, I had no idea it was connected to a whole retreat center called the Isis Oasis, which is a beautiful piece of property dedicated to the Goddess Isis. There are lots of little meditation spots moulded into the landscaping and a wide variety of exotic birds as well as a bobcat and an alpaca. Very cool. I would definitely recommend it if you want a different experience and are hippie friendly. Here's a link to a video I made of my first moments in the yurt. It's really dark and fuzzy because the yurt was really dark and I didn't have much lighting. So it's pretty realistic. Enjoy!

As I go from place to place, I am learning about myself and learning how to travel light, what I thought I would need vs. what I am actually using. Here’s what I have learned so far.

I like to be connected. That means a cell phone signal at the least and wifi if possible. Not only is it important for my online business but I feel safer being able to connect with my friends and family and letting them know where I am and how I am doing. Also, having a computer in this day and age makes travel so easy! I can find an airbnb in my area and send a request in minutes. And when I put the laptop away, I can still continue to make arrangements on my phone, as long as I can get a cell signal. Amazing! So that means wherever I go I don’t want to to be too remote. I want to be close by some sort of civilization where I can plug into the community and give and receive support. Also, I don’t want to be too rustic. I like a structure to stay in with some sort of bathroom facilities. I don’t need a lot of space, but I don’t like having to go to the bathroom outside in the rain like I did last night. It wasn’t terrible, but an inside bathroom facility of some sort is going on my wish list.

Flashlights have become my new best friend. Most places don’t think to put a nightlight or any kind of lighting near the bed where you can reach it. So my options are either to sleep with the lights on, which I have no problem doing but I feel bad wasting the power, or stumble around in the dark. So I carry two flashlights with extra batteries. Why two flashlights? If/when one goes out and I’m in pitch black, how am I going to change the batteries? That thought occurred to me last night as I was walking back to the yurt. So I put an extra flashlight in my purse.

Ziplock bags are also my new best friend. There are so many uses for them I can’t even begin to list them here. Especially out in the boonies where there are lots of critters, I keep all my food sealed in ziplock bags. And when my soap and shampoo are wet from the shower but I have to pack and leave, ziplock bags keep the rest of my stuff dry as well as contain any liquid explosions in transit.

Speaking of food, that has been an eye opener for me. A little background: I’ve always had issues with food. My mom told me that even as an infant I didn’t like to eat. The same mom that I was taken from because, according to what I was told, authorities reported no food in the house. This led to extreme pickiness as a child, hormone issues that caused me to be really scrawny until the doctors decided to give me hormone shots which shot me to the unfortunate position of now being overweight. I still don’t like eating but unlike alcohol and drugs, which I can avoid all together, I have to eat. When I was in my condo, I was exploring farmer’s markets, learning to appreciate veggies and how to cook healthier. A huge part of my goals for this journey of exploring new lifestyles and getting back to nature is getting healthier. Some of that I have been able to do. I am happy to report that I have been eating more greens on this trip than I usually do. I haven’t been drinking soda at all and a lot less coffee, mostly because it’s not always available. So that’s a good thing. But I have discovered an insecurity about food that I didn’t know I had. Even though I have plenty of food packed and easy access to food, I worry about not having food when I am hungry. This has led me to (a couple of times) overeat because I didn’t have access to a refrigerator for the leftovers, and be less clear about whether I am actually hungry or just worried that I won’t be able to eat later. Very strange and new for me. So I am learning how to pack food that I can eat as is, wherever I am, that is healthy and keeps well. It’s all a journey and I am learning new things about myself and challenging myself to observe, change and grow. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!