However the challenge of a body that tends to be in pain for no good reason, and doing all you can to mitigate that while stuck in the car for 7.5 hours is really tricky. At rest stops I was the strange woman walking laps around the informational display, and with by butt up in the air as I was stretching my back out in a "downward facing dog" position. I really think that the lack of bad weather (barometric pressure changes hurt!) helped make the eternal drive more tolerable.
I made it to my lovely AirBnB room around 5:30pm. That gave me just enough time to unload my car and gaze wistfully at the bed, then scamper down to the Meditation and Retreat Center for volunteer orientation. A quick glimpse around my home away from home shows me a lovely, peaceful home. It is situated high up on a hill above Joshua Tree, with a view that is pretty impressive. I can sit on a couch under the back porch and watch the stars if I wanted to stay here. It is a lovely place to be. There are 3 other "guests", one couple attending CITD and a woman from Holland here for a Music Festival.
I had originally signed up to volunteer every day of the conference in exchange for a free pass. Then as my trip evolved, and I was working so hard to make it do able for my body, I woke up to the fact that committing 4 hours each day to "working" could really impact the rest of my experience. Some days that could be all I would be up to doing, and I would spend all of my precious "spoons" on working with nothing left over. So I resigned that position, bought my own pass, but am still scheduled to help with one workshop on Monday as a volunteer.
I really enjoyed connecting with a few people at the training, and having great conversations over the meal we were provided, and am glad that I am still volunteering in a tiny way. I just enjoy being a part of things, and helping with the event I am participating in. It helps me experience it more deeply I realize.
 |
| My retreat, at El Corazon del Desierto. |
 |
| Sitting in my bed, this is what I see. How can this stay not be transforming? |
After the drive, and the training, I returned to my room and really REALLY wanted to crawl into that bed!
However my motivation for driving 1100 miles was not just to attend a conference. I was coming to meet my people! I am part of a community around a podcast called Fade to Black. (Check out www.JimmyChurchRadio.com ) and this serves as their gathering point each year. I had "friends" messaging me from the bar, telling me that the party would not start until I got there. Well THAT is a new experience for this homebody.
So I bravely drove down to the Joshua Tree Saloon, and walked into a busy bar, hoping I would find my people. I have to say that I had so much fun, stayed much longer than I anticipated, and I hugged a whole lot of people I was quite happy to be meeting! I was really touched when Rita, sort of the mama bird to the Fadernauts, pulled me aside and told me that she has read my blog.
While sitting in the bar I started chatting with a young couple across from me, who were just traveling through and not attending the conference. When I started telling them about CITD, and another person told them his abduction experience, it was so much fun to watch them discover that not only are there really cool, energetically awesome people all gathered to learn about the UFO phenomenon, but that there is so much to learn about it. Unless you have watched videos, read books and listened to speakers, you are probably quite conditioned to roll your eyes at the mention of UFO's and silly little green men.
They were both really excited, and considering staying in town to attend at least one day of the conference.
I slept the sleep of the exhausted, and let myself sleep in knowing tonight will be a late night too. I am going to get dressed, and go down to the venue to see what the day holds for me!
Today is a good day. A very very good day. I am open to receiving what it brings!
No comments:
Post a Comment