From Don: I don’t know what to say, I hardly know where to begin. We got back to Vancouver from our latest travels to Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba on March 2nd. We felt travel-weary and made a decision to stop travelling for twelve months to give Alison time to find ways to heal her chronic aches and pains. We rented a basement suite from a friend and began looking for more permanent rental accommodation. Housing in Vancouver is expensive, and little is available at a price we can afford. Initially all I could find were basement apartments in people’s homes for CAN$1,200 a month or more. Then I saw an ad for a one-bedroom apartment in a seniors-only building on the east side of Vancouver for $650 a month! There was a means test – an upper allowable limit to our guaranteed income from government pensions. No problem with that, so we applied and were accepted relatively quickly. We began buying furniture and furnishings to be delivered after we moved in on May 8.
So now we’ve been living here for three months. We’re settling in but not yet fully settled. We have a home of our own for as long as we want it. I enjoy the convenience of having everything we need close to hand. I like having the time to exercise for 45 minutes every morning. I’m happy to be back in Vancouver with time to visit with friends once more. I am grateful for the opportunity to rest deeply.
I continue to send thanks to The Mystery for making this place available for us. I’m profoundly grateful that we have a home and can still afford to travel.
I look forward to being able to travel again once Alison is well enough. We still have a long bucket list: Portugal, Morocco, Eastern Europe, Japan, China, and the game parks of Africa are all high on that list.
Is there anything I would change if I could? Never look a gift horse in the mouth is my motto. We’ve been gifted with affordable accommodation in the only city we want to live in. How good is that?
From Alison: Five and a half years ago we sold our apartment and car, and sold or gave away all our furniture and other possessions. We reduced down to an 8×10 storage locker to hold file boxes, winter clothing, and a few precious items, and then, as homeless nomads, we set off to see the world.
We travelled more than a million miles, visited over twenty countries, and stayed in more “homes” than we can count – hotels, hostels, Airbnb apartments, with friends and family, and housesitting. There was a night in a tent in the Jordanian desert, several nights in our own tent in Washington State, three nights on a Nile cruise boat, eight nights on a Galapagos cruise boat, a night on a train in Turkey, a night on a train in Egypt, and a few nights on those brutal redeye flights. Even back in our hometown of Vancouver we were nomads moving from one housesitting gig to the next and making numerous trips to our storage locker for a myriad of bits and pieces.
Now it has all ended. For the first time in 5.5 years we have a car, and furniture, and our own home.
It’s been a curious adjustment for me, perhaps a little bewildering. It’s not what I would have chosen, but given my issues with mobility there was no choice, and a sweet place at an even sweeter price became available for us. What a blessing!
It continually amazes me the way we create our reality without even being aware of it. During all the years of travelling whenever I thought of settling again in Vancouver I assumed, given soaring rents and our limited budget, that it would have to be a small place on the far eastern side of the city. And that’s exactly what became available – never mind that we would have been eligible for an apartment with the same organisation in a much more central location with a water view. I never caught the thought that locked us into where we are, and so never opened up my vision to different possibilities.
We are however in a lovely and convenient location. There’s a small mall with a supermarket, a farmers’ market, a pharmacy, a great sushi restaurant, and many other services directly across the road. And we’re a five-minute walk from a lovely forested walk around a golf course, and a five-minute drive from the walking path along the Fraser River that forms the southern boundary of the city. We walk there at sunset some evenings, and watch the tugs dragging their long log booms with the splendor of Mount Baker off in the distance.
Of course getting all our things from the storage locker was like Christmas. There were so many beautiful things that we’d saved but had forgotten about. At first they were all piled up in the corner until furniture arrived. At this point all we had were mattresses.
This is the “couch” I built myself from one of the large mattress boxes and other smaller boxes. It was good enough for a few days.
Moving in was a big focus for the first several weeks. We unpacked boxes and bought furniture. I retrieved my sewing machine from a friend. I made curtains and cushion covers, and repurposed our king-size bedspread to fit two twins.
I made a tablecloth from the sarong Don wore in Bali, and napkins from some Balinese fabric I picked up at a thrift store. I hung pictures on the walls, and found a home everything, and the right place to display all our precious objects.
We went shopping. It’s incredible the number of small things you need to acquire to equip a home when you’re starting from scratch, from a cheese grater, to a broom, a laundry basket, a toilet brush and plunger, to a waste bin for the bathroom, to pots, pans, dishes and cutlery, lamps and a vacuum cleaner. And this is not even the half of it.
The most fun project was thrift store shopping for dishes. We went to a high-end restaurant in Havana. I’ll write about it in another post. Anyway I noticed in the restaurant that none of the glasses or dishes or cutlery matched. Buying complete sets of the numbers needed for a restaurant of that size in Cuba would have been impossible, so in true Cuban fashion they worked with what they had. It inspired me. I scoured thrift stores for plates and bowls, cutlery and glasses. They didn’t have to match; they just had to go together. I was looking for colour, and quality, and whatever fitted into the theme, which quickly presented itself as soon as I found the first brightly coloured Italian-style plate.
We still would like to get another chair and a rug to complete the sitting area, a chair for the desk, and a television, but after having bought a car and furniture, and all the bits and pieces needed to make our home functional our budget has run off screaming in despair and may not be seen again for months.
Settling in took time, but some things took longer than others. Although we have a home we are still partway in travel mode. We hung our travel bathroom bags on the back of the bathroom door and continued to use them. Finally after six weeks we emptied them and put them into storage along with our other travel gear. I have a couple of beautiful bags. I noticed one in particular every time I opened the wardrobe; a colourful hand-made bag I’d bought in Mexico several years ago. Now and then I’d think Oh I should use that bag. But then, no, I’d go back to using what I’ve used for the past 5.5 years – my old black daypack that has served me so well. It took three months before I finally traded the daypack for the Mexican bag. I’m still not sure about it.
And clothing: we had quite a lot in storage which now hangs in our wardrobe, but I still tend to wear the same clothes I’ve travelled with. They’re looking a bit faded, but they’re comfortable and easy. I have actually branched out and worn some different jewellery during the past week or so. I used to be really interested in clothes and fashion, and always tried to look “put together”, but now not so much. Perhaps I will again eventually, but not yet. It doesn’t interest me as much as it used to. Many things from that pre-nomadic time in my life don’t interest me as much as they used to.
All this is to say I love having all our things around us. And I love not having to move every two or three weeks. But I’m not quite home yet. And I’m not sure who I am now at home. I’m different than I was six years ago and this new me hasn’t quite emerged yet. Who am I now? What do I want? Something is gestating but I have no clue what it is, and that’s okay. Feeling fully at home has not arrived yet, and that’s okay too.
Possibly the biggest reason for this is “The Project”. The project is all about healing. I’ve had worsening issues with mobility for three years now so I’m focused on healing that. I do a lot of stretching and strengthening exercises, meditations, visualisations, developing stamina, walking. It takes time, and more importantly than that it takes commitment to routine. I’ll write about the healing journey eventually, but for now I just want to say that it’s not leaving much psychological space for anything else.
So in between all these activities that will get me mobile again, and various social activities with our friends, I sit on the couch. I write and edit photos, and read, and watch Netflix, and appreciate the quiet and stability and peace of our own home, be it ever so humble.
Next post: a horse and buggy ride around the tobacco fields, and other explorations of Viñales, Cuba.
All words and images by Alison Louise Armstrong unless otherwise noted
© Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2017.
Your place looks fantastic!!!
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Thanks Fiona. It’s small and simple, but we’re pretty cosy here.
Alison
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Great post this is !
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Thanks so much Lee. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Alison
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I did, thanks. & your welcome Alison
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An inspirational post….thanks so much.
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Thank you Michael. It’s always good to hear that.
Alison
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When I read your posts, I feel like I am right there with you. God Bless both of you and we’ll be praying and thinking good thoughts for Alison’s speedy physical restoration.
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Thanks so much Jonathan, that’s the best compliment. I am on the mend though not quite there yet. Thanks for your prayers and good vibes!
Alison
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Welcome home, Alison and Don! I especially love your dinnerware – looks like you’re all ready for a celebratory party with friends. Your statement, “Many things from that pre-nomadic time in my life don’t interest me as much as they used to” sums up my feelings exactly on living our post-nomadic life. Our interests and tastes have changed, we’re more mindful of what we buy and we have a much better definition of what we need versus what we want. Even now, after a year-and-a-half of having a home base again, I find myself still delighted in having my own special tea cup, sharp knives and small things that make my life comfortable. It takes a lot of energy to travel full-time and the fun side of looking forward to new experiences and places is offset sometimes by the stress of living in make-do accommodations, finding your way around a new city for groceries, the ATM, etc. and the inability to establish a routine that works best for you. Isn’t it amazing how little it takes to make you feel like you’re living luxuriously? That said, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that Portugal is number one on your list. Our paths may yet cross! Anita
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Thanks Anita. Getting the dinnerware was so much fun. I have more than I’ve shown here, and probably more than I’ll ever use, but it’s so hard to resist buying when I see a beautiful dish. I want another table that I can fold away. We have enough room (and dishes) to have 8, but the table’s not big enough.
We too are much more mindful of what we buy, and are aware of needing much less. And I agree, the fun side of travel can definitely be offset by the stress. The lack of a routine was very wearying at times that’s for sure. So it’s lovely to be in one place for a while with the joy of sharp knives, my own special mug, and routine to help me heal. But I still have great hopes that we will meet in Portugal one day! Can’t wait!
Alison
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Hey guys i love this post from the very bottom to the top of my soul! I too have moved (April 8) recently involving some rather amazing circumstances which Kelly & Jay can deliver to you straight from the horses mouth …. maybe she already has! Anyway i love the way you are nesting and i especially adore your table settings! I believe that moving and settling in somewhere you love is the most enlightening and renewing things a person can do to encourage health and happiness and life inspiration – i have moved ( major moves that often involved traveling across country ) about 26 times or more in my life and each time i gained much more than if i had opted not to relocate. I learned so much about myself and i like what it all made of me! Be happy and get healthy and love the place where you have arrived. As the saying goes, “Bloom where you are planted” love & hugs, jo
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Oh thanks so much Jo. It was a good post to put together. Creating the table settings was so much fun. I’m not sure I saved any money shopping at thrift stores. I could have bought a plain white set from Ikea for 79 cents per plate, but this was so much more enjoyable and beautiful.
We never could imagine living anywhere but Vancouver – it’s a beautiful city and all our long-time friends are here. I too have moved many many times and like you every time has been inspirational, and changed me, but Vancouver has definitely become my hometown.
Kelly mentioned your move but not the amazing circumstances. Curious now!
hugs, Alison
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You’ve certainly created a beautiful home. It’s a pleasure to look at how you’ve used all your treasures. Now to the healing. Hope it comes quickly so you can appreciate physical relief in your new surroundings.
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Thanks so much Peggy. I love doing the home decorating thing, and used to do a lot of craft projects. Maybe I’ll do more in the future but I’m content for now with what I’ve created here until we’re ready to throw more money at it. Healing is happening. Some good days, some not so good days, but I am at least able most days to walk for 40 minutes to an hour which is a good improvement. I’m healed enough to have a life in Vancouver. I’m definitely not healed enough to travel, so I continue working at it, and looking into different possibilities. Thanks for your good wishes.
Alison
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All looks great! Love your dishes. So glad you’ve found a place you like so well.
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Thanks so much Leigh. I love the dishes too – so much fun putting it together. We feel very blessed to have found this place.
Alison
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Your home looks lovely! So light and full of space to appreciate what you did keep.
I hear you about your clothes – I finally pulled my stuff out of storage after 3 years and I still wore the same 6 t-shirts I’d been traveling around with. Eventually I made a game of wearing new outfits from my own wardrobe, and that helped.
Unpacking my travel duffel was a big deal too. I never unpack it fully when I’m traveling, and it felt weird to put things on hangers and not just grab them out of a duffel. I was never “put together,” though, so maybe this was a natural evolution. I have decided I don’t much like closets, and I loathe drawers. If it’s worth owning, it’s worth being seen.
I hope all this healing routine gets you feeling mobile again! I’d love to read about your bucket list items. 😉
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Thanks so much Felicity. We do gets lots of light having windows on two sides. It’s a small space, but we’ve lived mostly in one room all the time we were travelling so it feels plenty big enough. I’ll start wearing other clothes eventually, and even buy new ones I’m sure. Just not quite ready to yet, but I do like having all my clothes in a closet and drawers all neat and tidy. At least I can find them now. I hope all this healing gets me mobile again too!
Alison
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wawooo nice one.
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Thank you Stan.
Alison
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how wonderful having
a place to call home
with many of the colors
of your memorable adventures 🙂
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Thank you David
Our home feels
warm and comfortable
colourful and easy.
We are blessed.
Alison
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Awesome job on making your new space into a homey home!
I believe you will find healing in simply having your carefully-selected-and-stored treasures surrounding you, along with the lovely new treasures you’ve chosen… AND in the simple concept of “home”, which is a word and a place I myself find very healing. “There’s no place like home” rings true about almost everything, and what a wonderful place home is for seeking and finding healing!
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Thanks so much Kate. It’s nice having all our treasures around us again. And this is the best place for me to be to find healing. The peace and stability is much needed. I’m not used to the idea that it’s my home, rather than another place of many that we’re staying in that I call home. Feeling at home will come with time, but the feeling of peace and stability is here already and that’s probably the most important at the moment.
Alison
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Ironic, as you grapple with discovering who “home Alison” is, I am preparing to learn who “travelling Donnae” will be.
Your place looks like it will be the perfect nest to come home to when you decide to go off exploring again.
Welcome home.
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Thanks Donnae. I do love the idea that when we start travelling again we’ll have a place to come home too. We’ll probably only go in short bursts too rather than being on the road for months at a time like we used to. And now you’re off travelling soon! When do you leave? And where to?
Alison
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Sorry guys, missed you reply! I am leaving the end of Jan. and returning to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. I do have some logistical questions about travelling full time. Would you prefer here or email?
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We can email – it’s easier. I’ll send you the address.
A.
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Your home looks lovely and warm, Alison. Your body knows what is best for itself at this time.
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Thank you so much. It’s a sweet comfortable place. We feel very blessed. And yes, my body knows. I’m paying close attention to it. Hopefully with time it will heal itself. I’m already much better than I was.
Alison
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Thank you for continuing to share your story.
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Oh you’re so welcome! Thank you for your continued interest. There’s more to come for sure. More posts about Cuba, and I’ll also post about the whole journey with pain which has been a real eye-opener. Then hopefully in the not to distant future we’ll be able to travel again.
Alison
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Love your new home and especially your dinnerware! Sending wishes for restored health!
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Thank you so much Debi. Collecting the dinnerware was so much fun! Thank you for your good wishes. In most cases the body heals it self so it’s just a matter of time I think.
Alison
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It looks lovely! Especially those dishes! And I’m impressed. I’ve been home now for two years and I STILL haven’t hung artwork back on the walls I’d emptied for my housesitter/tenant. I’m not sure whether it’s due to some unconscious urge to take off again or just to the fact that I only have so much time/energy and it’s been going to other things like writing and building a new porch! Today, FINALLY, I dropped a sand painting from Bagan and a Vietnamese communist propaganda poster from Hanoi at the framers. There’s hope for my walls yet!
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Thanks Jane. It’s a sweet space, and I loved getting all the dishes – such a satisfying project. I have more than I’ve shown, and more than I need!
Well at least you’ve made a start with getting things for the walls. It’s all about priorities isn’t it? All the things on our walls were in storage and already framed, and almost all only needed a push-pin to hang them on so it was a quick and simple project.
Alison
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It’s lovely Alison. You made it nice and cozy. I love the table cloth and your vases and cutlery, plates and glasses.
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Thanks so much Arlene. It was fun putting it all together. As soon as I unpacked the sarong Don bought to wear in Bali I knew it had to be a table cloth! It was the colour in the dishes that got to me – the more colourful the better! I think I went to 4 or 5 different thrift stores and got pieces 2 or 3 at a time.
Alison
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It looks lovely! Welcoming and cosy and I love the dishes! Funny, we took the same approach when we spent 1.5 years in Chicago, (to be near my elderly parents for a while and two of our sons.) We had fun scavenging at second hand stores, and used craigslist to furnish a loft completely with second hand non matching fun colorfulplates and furniture. Only the mattress was new.
How beautifully it is all falling into place, just the way it does when we create our own reality. The walks and views look beautiful amd seems like you found a good spot to call home once again.
I too lived out of my little suitcase at first, after living out of it for two years I got attached to it and could not face a closet and of course we had to buy clothes for colder weather. Again we hit the second hand stores. Time is a wonderful healer
Happy for you both! Sending you positive healing energy.
Peta
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Thanks Peta. I love the dishes too! The more colour the better. It was a really fun project. I love thrift store shopping! Some of our furniture came from thrift stores, some from craigslist, and some from Ikea. And same for us – the mattresses were new and the best ones we’ve ever had – soooo comfy. I’ll need some new clothes eventually, but I’m content with what I’ve got for now. I too will be looking in the second hand stores 🙂
Healing is happening. Thanks for the good vibes.
Alison
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Interesting to read your post. My husband and I are just where you started five years ago – sold off the house and all our belongings – and have purchased a motorhome to travel in. I have ME/CFS, so mobility and energy is limited, but we both feel optimistic that with “wheels on the bedroom” we can continue to do what we love. Five years seems to be the target goal and then we’d love to end up where you are, in Vancouver.
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How fabulous that you are hitting the road – even with ME/CFS! So impressive and inspirational. Wheels on the bedroom – what a great idea. And Vancouver is the most beautiful city and the perfect place to end up! I wish you well, and much joy on your journeying.
Alison
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Thanks Allison – who knows, maybe we’ll meet up along the way
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This is absolutely wonderful. Such a treat to see your home after hearing about it on Saturday. I can tell that every single thing in your home has meaning. Love your point about creating your own reality. Congrats to you and Don for conjuring and creating exactly what you needed, when you needed it. You are both truly living an inspired life together. xo K.
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Thanks Kelly. I look around and see things I made, or bought on our travels, or had in storage. It’s a nice feeling. Much like your own space I imagine – I love all the beautiful things you have around you. We feel very blessed, and lucky!
Alison
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Sounds like things fell into place nicely for you back in beautiful Vancouver. There are worse places to land, I’m sure you know. I hope you find exactly what you need there, physically, spiritually and emotionally. You guys are inspirational travelers and I have enjoyed your posts. Looking forward to reading more as you digest and edit and write about all the things you experienced on your travel life journey.
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Thanks so much Ilona. We feel so lucky the way things have fallen into place for us here, and yes, there are far worse places to land than beautiful Vancouver. Be assured there will be many more posts to come – several about Cuba for a start, and about the healing journey, and I have a bunch more ideas. It seems there’s never a shortage of things to write about and to photograph!
Thank you so much for your good wishes. I hope I’m mobile enough to start travelling again sometime soonish, but if not I’m already mobile enough to enjoy a good life here in Vancouver.
Alison
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You’ll have finally found a cozy place to live in, once again, in your very own city. Congratulations! Your table with all the crockery and the other adornments looks as colourful as the places that you have visited.And your place, I guess, is located in a reasonably quiet part of the city.May the Good Lord provide you both with a healing touch in your new found home. God bless you both.
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Thank you for your kind wishes for us Neofito. We feel very blessed to have found our a place. It is in a quiet part of the city, with all the services we need close by. It feels colourful and cosy; a place for a long rest.
Alison
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You are making a beautiful spot for yourselves. I too like the point about creating your own reality, and reading this I realise how I have been shaping/limiting my own future without being aware of it. From now on I’m going to think big! Your home looks like a gorgeous healing, nurturing place full of memories and new possibilities -may your recovery continue.
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Thanks Tracey. I’ve been trying to learn to think big most of my adult life. It never ceases to amaze me how we get in our own way, usually with programmed patterns from childhood. Anyway, we feel both blessed and lucky to have found a sweet comfortable place to rest as long as we need, and to still be able to keep it when we start travelling again. Happy thinking big!
Alison
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I am going to try. Have a big challenge coming up. From October I will be taking driving lessons. I am scared! I keep telling myself I can do it.
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Yes you can. You got this!
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Alison – sending positive energy for a speedy recovery! I too share the occassional stress/anxiety of nomadic life and am discovering having self care behaviors as my daily anchor help immensely. Looking forward to buying your book in the near future.
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Thanks so much Toni. Much of my troubles now I’m sure stem from not enough self care when we were nomadic and travelling. I would charge ahead regardless, no matter that my body/mind/soul needed rest. Oh well – I’m getting the rest I need now. Ah the book – one day maybe. It simmers on the back burner 🙂
Alison
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OMG! Its nice to read this blog post.. I get it well..
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Thank you so much!
Alison
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Your welcome
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I can see a few travel-related items strewn here and there in your beautiful house. I’m glad so far things are working well for you and Don, and all the unsure feeling about one thing or two, it’s good that you embrace it with grace. I’m happy for both of you!
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Thanks so much Bama. Yes, there are a few travel-related items now on display. We didn’t buy much when we were travelling, but the few things we did buy are finally out of storage. We feel so blessed with the way things have worked out for us. Thanks for your kind thoughts.
Alison
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Nesting, what a lovely concept. Save a place at your table as we will be there to visit you next summer. Be kind and gentle to your body. Don, you look at peace in that chair. Casa de Los Suenos is available for Christmas if you need a getaway.
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Thanks you two – Casa de Los Suenos (and La Manz) remains one of our favourite places and I hope we return one day, but not for Christmas which we will spend with family in brrrrrrrrr Montreal. I am finally taking the time to care for my body in the way I need to. There is a place at our table for you both any time! It would be lovely to see you again. Don loves his rocker – he is very much at home there.
Alison xox
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Love your new digs. Especially love your view of Mt. Baker. Down here in Fairhaven, I can’t see it at all but get glimpses when I’m downtown Bellingham and thought of you today as I drove by that view. I had just read your post and am so happy for you settling in.
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Thanks so much Marla. It is lovely to have a home again after being itinerant for so many years. Mt Baker is such a beauty! We only see it here on clear days down by the river, or when we drive down to Whidbey. We often stop in the co-op in Bellingham of for coffee in Fairhaven. Love both places.
Alison
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So pleased to hear that you found a place that you feel comfortable with. Finding a place to live in Vancouver at a reasonable price seems outright daunting. Love your touches with the dishes. Be happy.
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Thank you so much. It feels a bit like a miracle that we found this place. Places at a reasonable price here are pretty much non-existent. The housing market has been going nuts for several years now so even the most modest cottage is worth close to a million. And there are not enough rentals available. We were incredibly lucky.
The dishes was such a fun project! Happiness to you two too. I hope we get to Portugal one day, it’s pretty high on the list, and get to meet in person.
Alison
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Alison, I also have hip and thus mobility issues, and I’ve known all along that incorrect posture — in my case the left hip pulling up — is the main reason for it. But I have learned only very recently that the hip problem does not and never did start in the hip, but in my torso’s tendency to “collapse” slightly on the right side, which pulls the hip up ….. which leads to the torso leaning to the right, neck and shoulders contracting …..in short, all kinds of painful compensations going on, and all because of one postural mistake that has been overlooked for many years!
You probably know all one can know about such things, including everything to do with correct postural alignment, but I thought I’d mention my story, just in case. I plan on exploring fascia release work to learn to lengthen again the muscles and ligaments in question.
I’m glad you have settled down, physically if not quite mentally/emotionally yet. It takes a while to REALLY make a place one’s home.
I wish you good luck on your healing journey.
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It’s amazing isn’t it how we go through life with imbalance/alignment problems without even really knowing, and then it all finally catches up with us. Almost all of my issues are to do with tight knotted muscles and muscle imbalance. I’ve had a slight scoliosis since birth which probably didn’t help, and may be the initial culprit. I’ve been working with a personal trainer for weeks, and more recently with a physio as well to address muscle imbalance and alignment.
It’s nice to be stopped and to have a home again, and much needed, for a while at least anyway.
Good luck to you too on your healing journey.
Alison
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I love your expression “it’s nice to be stopped”! Not sure how exactly you meant it, but I understand it as being stopped in the “traveling nomad mode” by the divine intelligence so that the “new you” can emerge.
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Well it’s kind of like that, but not quite. More like feeling stopped inside and appreciating that.
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That’s great! That’s even better! xo
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Ahhh, the search for the ‘new you’ – and the task of becoming comfortable with that person. Your new home looks like it is inviting you to settle in, for awhile or as long as you need. Even I, who didn’t have the joy of finding your travel mementos, fully enjoy seeing them in their places! What a lovely tale…
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Thanks Susan. It *is* lovely to have all our things our of storage, and to be able to enjoy them. And also lovely to be at home, even if the “new me” hasn’t emerged yet. I can’t see what’s next. Next might be this right now with me healed enough to have a good life in Vancouver but not mobile enough to travel (or at least travel the way I like to!). Or next might be me feeling strong enough to take off – in which case we’ll do that. Or something completely different. For now though we just need to stay put, and enjoy having a home again.
Alison
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Alison – I laughingly tell people my speed of travel is about five years per visit. At my stage of life, there’s a bit of risk in that – but isn’t there always? May you find you speed of travel, and much comfort therein 🙂
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Your story is so inspiring. And how lucky that you’ve found that home with such beautiful scenery! The apartment is small, but so full of personality. I wonder if you ever considered a mobile home park, or an RV if those are a thing in Canada?.. Wishing you recovery and good health.
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Thank you so much Dee. We feel so blessed and lucky to have found this apartment. It feels like a miracle. It *is* small, but since we spent most of the last 5.5 years living in hotels rooms it feels big enough. RV’s are definitely a thing in Canada, but not something we considered. Thanks so much for your good wishes.
Alison
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Funny thing is, when we spend time “home” in Australia we access clothes in storage and yet we still tend to wear the same stuff sever been traveling with. Nice post Alison and Don, I wish you well in your new place and success with the project.
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Thanks so much Sue and Dave. It’s slowly sinking in how healing it is to have a home again, and the project is coming along nicely. I know just what you mean about clothes! Still we’re heading into fall here so I just might have to go out and get some new outfits!
Alison
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Beautiful photos and what an incredible place Vancouver can be. After so much travel and adventure, a body needs time to take it all in, reflect on it all and to simply recuperate…and what a gem of a place you’ve found. A perfect place to begin planning your next adventures 🙂
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Thanks so much Randall. We feel so lucky to have found this place in beautiful, but expensive, Vancouver. It’s definitely time to rest and recuperate, and the days slide softly by with not much happening, but enough to keep life interesting. Sweet. Definitely the perfect place to begin planning our next adventures 🙂
Alison
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Having recently discovered my need for a true home space, I hung on your every word as you wrote about recreating such a place for yourselves. My wanderlust has not dissipated, but my nesting instincts kicked in hard, and I believe the yin of home/stability has made the yang of travel/roaming all the more sweet. Your place looks great and, like many others here, I love the dishes! I also laughed and nodded in understanding of your travel toiletry bags hung over the door and your continuing to wear your travel clothes! Sending good vibes for healing!
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Thanks Lexie. The dishes project was the most fun! And I still look even though I’ve hardly room for anymore. The toiletry bags have gone into hiding at last, and I even occasionally wear different clothes. Healing is happening. I’m so happy for you that you’ve found your true home space. It must feel very grounding. Like you the wanderlust is as strong as ever, and as soon as *I’m* strong as ever we’ll be off again – this time with a home to come home to.
Alison
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You knew I would enjoy this post. And so I did. Welcome home.
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Thank you so much Pam. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was a good post to put together. It’s good to have a home again. The reality is slowly sinking in. Yesterday we bought a mirror, a salad spinner, more food storage containers, some nice sharp knives, and some big storage bags for our spare quilts. All things that a well-equipped home needs 🙂
Alison
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You have made such a beautiful comfortable home, and what a find in Vancouver! I love your thrift store purchases. The dishes are so “happy” looking. Sending you positive thoughts for “The Project”. All the very best to you both, Caroline
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Thank you so much Caroline. Yes, what a find in Vancouver! It feels like a miracle. I loved creating an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable space – it slowly starts to feel like home. The dishes certainly make me happy 🙂
The Project is progressing, healing is happening. Let’s have coffee!
Alison
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I feel the energy of contentment as I read through both of your contributions. I am so happy you found an affordable spot and so close to amenities. Alison I send healing thoughts to you and warm hugs. Your lovely apartment looks like just the place to grow well from. Xo
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Thanks so much for your kind thoughts Sue. We *are* feeling content, and healing is happening. We feel very blessed with our new home.
Alison
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You”ve made your new home into a very special place of comfort in such a short time! The eclectic assortment of plates/dishes would make anyone smile – from afar via cyberspace or in person! Enjoy having a place to call a ‘Timeout’ – you’re now in incubation stage as you also tend to tuneups and R&M!
You two are amazing and are cherished by many!
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Thank you so much Lisa. It does feel like a kind of incubation, and at the same time a very necessary ‘Timeout’. I had so much fun with the dishes project! I’m glad it brought a smile to your face 🙂
Alison
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Sounds like you have “landed on your feet” and found a lovely, cosy place to call home. It must feel so nice to have all your bits and pieces in one place? I hope you will soon be back to good health 🙂
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Thanks Gilda – healing is definitely happening so I’m confident eventually I’ll be fully mobile again. It is lovely to have all our things out of storage, and in one place – we feel so lucky to have found this place. It feels like a miracle.
Alison
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Sounds like the right kind of welcome ‘home’…. enjoy and all the best with the ‘project’!! 🙂
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Thanks Carissa. More and more it’s feeling good to be settled. And The Project is progressing nicely – every day a little better.
Alison
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It looks lovely Ali 🙂
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Thanks Annie
xo
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Looks like a lovely place for a home and love all your wonderful stuff from your travels. I’m sure it is strange after so long to be in one place but at least you are in an amazing city! Looking forward to the next post! And yes I too love the mismatched plates. Fun!
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Thanks Nicole. It *is* good to be in one place for a while and to have all our things out of storage, and yes, we are in an amazing city – one of the best. Getting the plates was a really fun project. I bought more than I can use, and I still look!
Alison
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I think this was one of my favorite posts. I loved the way you created a sense of home, and describe the little (not so little really) things you guys did to make it yours. Your ability to recognize how you may have created a particular perspective in advance, and missed opportunities as a result, was great to see. It’s so difficult to recognize that. I felt like a little shell broke around me when I read that.
But I think most of all I liked the sense of happiness that came through. The lack of pretense or goal or whatever it is that people have that tells them they’re a certain age, so they should have a certain life, and I just love that flexibility in the way you guys think and live. It’s inspiring. I hope you and the living you’re doing have a nice jam session and settle you into greater ease of movement.
It’s interesting the sense of “settled” that comes out of this piece. Not like compromise, but like resting. It just came through the whole thing. A happy respite. Wishing you much healing and enjoyment of each day’s gift.
Peace
Michael
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Thank you so much Michael. I knew that I expected any accommodation within our budget would be small and on the east side of the city – I was aware of my thinking. It simply didn’t occur to me that anything else would be possible – a perfect example of how we limit ourselves.
Oh we are very happy, but I must admit, when I see the kinds of homes most of our peers have there have been tiny tinges of jealousy, and yet I wouldn’t trade one second of my (very unconventional) life path, or of the inner flexibility that has allowed me to live such a rich full life. With this apartment the universe has demonstrated *once again* how well it takes care of you if you just let go of how you think things *should* be. We feel very blessed. And the jam session is happening – I’m slowly unwinding, settling into deep rest, even at the same time having a million creative ideas re writing and photography chasing each other around in my head. I’m so pleased to read that you picked up on a sense of resting – it’s a good mirror back to me – that I am actually resting despite “The Project” and the nudging of creative ideas.
much love
Alison
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There you sit, surrounded by lovely memories, and with a new neighbourhood to gently explore. Pain aside, life doesn’t seem so bad, Alison. It’s about making the most of what you have, isn’t it, and you’ve certainly done that. 🙂 🙂
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Life is definitely not bad, not bad at all. In fact it’s pretty darn sweet, and we feel very blessed to have been taken care of once again. Gradually I feel more grounded, more at home here. I feel the apartment slowly embracing me, and me resting more and more.
Alison
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I love how you guys focus on the simple, important things. Home and being together. Thanks for the post.
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Thank you so much. We both changed through all the years of being nomadic, and being without things that you normally have when you have a home. Most of the time we lived in hotel rooms and with whatever would fit into our carry-on size cases. So now we’re different; we’re content with far less, and we know how little we need to be content – a certain level of comfort, and each other. We are very blessed.
Alison
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Beautiful and warm ☺️ full of heart and love i adore the table cloth and your dinner ware…sending you joy and cheers to creating new memories Alison and Don …all good things ❤️😀 hedy
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Thank you so much Hedy. The dinner ware project was so much fun. It’s always exciting to be inspired like that and to have it come together.
All good things to you too 🙂
Alison xo
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Yes indeed thank you! Have a fun weekend ☺️☀️😎
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You too! 🙂
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