ALTERNATE ROUTES

ON THE WING

Voice journal recording July 10, 2016
11:37 AM

I've always taken the road less traveled... I've always searched for alternate routes on foot and in thought and in  life. When I was little I was intrigued by Amelia Earhart and her brave explorer spirit, and not so interested in Barbie who frankly scared the heck out of me with her unrealistic waist combined with Dolly Parton tatas. I've learned to embrace being an adventurer and wanderer at heart. And I can settle for a little bit but then my restless spirit pushes me to journey and explore again.

Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries? -Amelia Earhart

There is more to life than being a passenger. - Amelia Earhart

You can find this fine art photography print ON THE WING in my ETSY SHOP.

A PIECE OF PAPER

“I've always felt there is something sacred in a piece of paper that travels the earth from hand to hand, head to head, heart to heart.” 

― Robert Michael Pyle, Sky Time in Gray's River: Living for Keeps in a Forgotten Place

WANDERLUST

Each day, a common routine and ritual for many of us, is going to check for mail... I mean paper mail. It has been a ritual I miss so very much and took for granted. Since becoming a traveling gypsy for over 500 days, receiving mail has become a special sacred occurrence. People always ask me how I receive mail while on the road traveling so many places.

Before I began this current adventure, a traveling nurse friend told me about a thing called a traveling mailbox. These are companies where you can have a mailing address to receive things that need to be sent to you while on the road - bills, checks, cards... things that can't be done via internet. These companies scan the mail for you to view online and then download and print if you like. They also deposit checks for you. It has been a lifesaver! The company I use is actually called Traveling Mailbox! I picked an address in Florida because I liked the idea of it, being an Ohio girl!

Many traveling nurses, RVers, digital nomads and other wanderers use services that have sprung up for a new population of people who have taken to the road most or all of the time. Since I've been seeking longer stays, I have gotten PO Boxes to actually receive cards and real mail! I have a PO Box in Maine and just got one in Georgia which is my current stop for a while. And for stays of shorter duration, I discovered you can receive mail general delivery at the post office where you are staying.

It's so nice to be able to have an address to give out and look forward to getting mail!

Find my WANDERLUST fine art print from my recent Florida adventure in MY SHOP.

BLAZING TRAILS

COASTAL LANDSCAPE ABSTRACT

Soon I will be moving again. There isn’t much to move, just what fits in my car. But it’s become a process where I lay down my roots deeply,  then sever them and move on. Wherever I land, I immerse myself there completely, knowing my time is limited. It is a rich and authentic way of being. I'm so very thankful for the incredible friends I've made along the way and beautiful places I've explored and hiked. Parts of me are always left behind... like a trail of breadcrumbs or trail blazes through a wilderness showing where I’ve been and the way back should I want to return.  You get to know where all the gas stations and overnight stops are along the interstates. I try not to look back, keeping my eyes and focus forward… I take everything I need with me in my car, and tucked away in my heart and my memories. For a year and a half, home has been wherever my feet are... which lends itself to a very present and mindful way of living. It is simplicity and minimalism at its best. Much of my year plus gypsy life has been spent along the sea, and the sound of waves and water have become as familiar as my own breath. And as necessary...  A friend joked with me that I'm creating millions of new neural pathways in my brain with my everchanging new surroundings and routines I must learn. That thought makes me smile! With all the constant changes and new landscapes, I began meditating to ground myself. It has become a life changing daily habit and way of life. Often, I'm asked if I get tired of wandering and living like this. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I desperately miss my garden, and the wonderful ordinary sameness of each day and a routine so deep it becomes a rut. But those moments are fleeting and they pass. And I realize the highway has become a well known friend. I know I will settle down and nest again… But there will always be a wanderer within waiting to see what’s around the next turn.

SEA SPRITES

SUNSET ABSTRACT

ADVENTURES ALONG THE COAST

If you would like to see more of my long exposure photography created during my time exploring coastal Maine, stop by HERE.

BEYOND OUR HORIZON

BEACH MEDITATION

My life is drastically different than I had planned, and that is a very good amazing thing. Because I could never have planned let alone imagined the life I’m living now. We keep ourselves safe, walking through our rutted known path. Living vicariously through others instead of truly living our life and stepping out of our comfort zone. .. never stepping to the edge of our borders and glimpsing what might live beyond. There are amazing incredible things just beyond our horizon. This morning I was wondering what keeps people on their mundane path. People have often remarked how brave I am to do what I’m doing now and live how I am living. But I don’t feel brave. I feel fearless. I began thinking about that ... being fearful or full of fear versus fearless and having less fear. Instead of running away or staying where we are perhaps take one step toward what you are fearful of. And then tomorrow take another step. And the next day another. And you’ll be closer to seeing what lies beyond that horizon and being fearless.

STEPPING INTO LIFE

SEASON OF CHANGE

Recently I passed a milestone..... 500 days with home being wherever my feet were that day. It has been that long since I sold my condo and life served up a great adventure. Amelia Earhart, explorer extraordinaire, once said "When life offers a great adventure, you don't refuse it." So when life presented an opportunity, I decided instead of doing the safe thing, to embrace the situation and see what might unfold. So far, my feet have been in the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes regions of New York, a monastery in Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts coast, various points in Maine, New Brunswick Canada, Nova Scotia Canada and back to Ohio. Parts of myself have been left scattered along the way, and I've taken and kept little bits of all those places and people with me. I've kept the journey and the growth and changes that have happened pretty close to my heart. But I feel it's now time to begin sharing the writings and voice journals I've been making during this time of journey. I'm not sure where to begin with them all, so I'll just begin with my thoughts at the beginning of this year and go from there.

I walked out of 2017 giving thanks for such a beautiful year so well lived. My heart was brimming and overflowing with happiness, gratitude, and love. All the people & moments from this past year are wonderfully stitched into my heart and soul. I’m bringing that tapestry into 2018 with a hopeful spirit. I won’t have a word of the year which I will have forgotten six months later, or resolutions that really don’t matter. Instead, I’ll do more of what worked and improve upon that… Yoga every morning, meditation every day, keeping kindness in my heart, living simply but richly, living fully in each wild wonderful riotously beautiful moment, loving deeply and nurturing friendships. My mind will stay open to possibilities and I’ll continue to say yes to life. When I’m in new uncharted territory or fearful or uncertain about the situation, instead of running away I’ll turn and take a step toward it to see what might happen.  I’ll create every day and seek inspiration everywhere. Each morning I will greet the day with a thankful heart for this gift and adventure that if life.

SETTLING

For 8 1/2 months I've been living my dream from my 20s and being a gypsy. It's been exhilarating an life changing. And surprisingly, I've found it hard to blog about because it's been a very personal life changing experience. My inner and outer world has become so much bigger by traveling so many miles, meeting so many amazing new people and having to rely on just myself in many new ways. I've gained inner strength and resiliency and made many new friends. I didn't know if I could do this, but I guess the only thing to do when one is unsure, is to try & in the process grow. We can do many things if we just take action and take the first step. That first step propelled me thousands of miles and has created wonderful memories and relationships. But ironically, as much as I love the wandering and adventure, I find myself longing for the very simple joys of  the spring ritual of planting flowers in pots, having my own constant work space, feeding my birds and walking the same paths each day. I always found new joys in those everyday ordinary surroundings. In many ways, I appreciate those things even more now. But some simple rituals remain... coffee in the morning and tea in the evening, meditation, yoga, a late day walk someplace... and I realize that home is a place I carry inside.

Follow my travels on Instagram HERE and HERE! 

Find art prints from my travels in my ETSY SHOP and my SOCIETY6 SHOP.

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PLAYING FAVORITES

These are my personal favorite nine fine art photographs from this year. Each one has a special meaning or memory for me. Some were taken on travels, some were taken close to home at favorite haunts. It was definitely a colorful year!! ☺ Each of these art prints can be found in my Society6 shop here:

https://society6.com/joystclaire

It was an incredible year of sales,  & I'm thankful & humbled that my art has found a home on so many walls! Thank you for your support!