In my last posting I wrote about leaving my Florida home in November 2022 and moving to a new place I’d never lived before, North Carolina. That was the beginning of my Caregiver GAP year. My commitment to spend 12 months learning and cultivating who I want to be… not just continuing to live as I am. I was re-booting. If we can reboot our phones and computers and the cable box, why not re-boot a whole bunch of stuff we don’t really want to carry on with anymore?
Just because I was a caregiver for my parents, didn’t mean I always had to do that. My eye cancer diagnosis made sure I woke up to that. I am blessed to have a family that could “see” what I was facing and they jumped in to make a path for me to heal, without me worrying about day-to-day caregiving for my mother. And you know? They didn’t stop loving me. They didn’t think less of me. They are being supportive and checking in on me. That feels good!
For the first time in 30 years, I’m not taking care of someone else’s home. I’m not pet sitting. I’m not renting. I’m not living in mom and dad’s condos and taking care of the property for them. I’ve sold off or donated or trashed everything that wasn’t essential (a little help from feng shui and Marie Kondo’s philosophy) and I now can fit my 63 years of possessions into a 10′ x 5′ storage unit. WOW that felt amazing. I only have things that mean something to me, that bring me joy, that are useful. Next on my list is putting all this in a tiny house. What? Oh yes!! I am working towards acquiring a tiny house.
Crazy Idea you might say. But as I share this idea with others, I now have six other people that want to plant their own tiny houses next to mine! So my friend Denise and I are looking at creating our own Urban Villa and we’ll have enough parcels of land that others who want to live alone but not be alone, will join us. Mostly – all former caregivers looking for the next BEST in life. Relief washes over me every time I think that I will have a home that is mine, affordable and simple that will enable me to be able to travel and work and live sustainably! I will have my support network 100 feet away. Plus a dog curled at my feet. Not to mention the goat and a bunch of chickens that will get me up and out several times a day. Fresh veggies and herbs and fruit. A year from now, I will write these posts from there. I am manifesting this by putting it out in the world for you to witness.
Meanwhile, I’ve committed to trying new things every month. At least one new thing a month. Simple or complex… doesn’t matter. Just keeping the energy alive by stimulating my senses. So what have I done from November to now? It’s July. In no particular order:
- Tried green tea cheesecake. I liked it!!! Hey Mikey!
- Discovered Haloumi cheese and love it!
- Ate my first and second chicken and waffles! Learning about southern cuisine. Tried some great ribs. Found bourbon infused ice cream.
- Attended an RV trade show and conference and picked out the dream RV I want to use to travel on a book tour.
- Hosted BBQ outdoor parties (2) – I haven’t had permission to BBQ in years and I love to entertain and haven’t had the space! Also hosted indoor dinners which I haven’t been able to do in years due to caregiving.
- Completed a Whole 30 Challenge for 30 days. Eating all whole foods and trying so many new recipes! No preservatives, no packaged goods. No dairy. No grains. No sugar.
- Completed a prolon fast mimicking plan to re-boot my energy and kick cancer fighting cells into action.
- Signed up and went through 16 weeks of personal training sessions.
- Stayed in a friends house in Stonington, CT for a few weeks and got to explore Mystic, CT and eat vegan food.
- Took the ferry from Orient Point to CT and back so I could spend time on the water.
- Explored local Neighborhoods: NoDa, Matthews, Fort Mill, Southpark, Ballantyne, Pineville, Baxter, Myers Park, Plaza Midwood. More to come.
- Spoke to a medium about my father passing to put my mind at ease that dad is okay and was okay with how he passed. That covid situation and hospice haunted me.
- Found the local library and have been going there for private space and time to write. LOVE it!
- Visited Raleigh-Durham area for a few days
- Visited Hilton Head Island for a few days with new client
- Spent time in the mountains of Southern California on a ranch with horses and a vineyard, dogs, citrus fruit trees. Spent a day at a spa treating myself to a massage. Went into San Diego for a conference event.
- Spent time in Savannah exploring a new side of town and visited with friends, tried new foods and restaurants
- Began a hypnosis program for weight loss
- Went hiking on local trails in Charlotte area
- Spoke to an astrologer about my life chart and where to live for optimizing my best life and attracting abundance.
I am not done! I plan on continuing to enjoy every opportunity I have to stimulate my senses, push my comfort boundaries and challenge my mind. During all of the above I also finished writing the Caregiver Gap Year manual and I’m currently turning it into a 12 week virtual program that will be launched on my website this fall. I’m creating a membership for people that would like my support to find their own best life, stimulating and prosperous career, most energy, optimal health, harmonious family, passionate romance, etc. WHY SHOULDN’T WE LIVE OUR BEST LIFE?