Changing Gears

I’m back in Canada. I’ve decided to try and extend my journey with a longer stop-over in Victoria in order to focus on writing something I could sell. I’ve been apartment hunting this week, for something small where I can hole up and do some serious writing. I have not been able to focus much on my writing while traveling, and I found I couldn’t keep both journeys going simultaneously. This doesn’t mean I won’t be continuing to travel, as I will be on the road again in a few weeks. Bob Dylan calls my name. My good friends here and I are heading to Seattle for Bumbershoot in early September. I’ll come back to Canada again for a while before heading south again in late September to meet up with my gal in Vegas for a few days. I also have two concerts in early October in California so will make a trip of it. I have a travel partner for that journey, as she has also decided to extend her stay in Victoria to build her own small pottery business. I’ll spend the winter here, and then likely head to Mexico to volunteer for a month or two, and traveling on from there through Central America for a while.

I will continue to post here, as the journey is ongoing, and I reckon I’ll have a few shorter road trips. Karma isn’t being retired, she is simply being given some time off. I am sending for Stormy as soon as I secure a place to live, hopefully later this week. I have missed him a great deal, and am looking forward to reconnecting with him. He had always been my sounding board, so now I don’t have to feel foolish for talking to myself, instead I’m talking to the cat. I believe I may have posted about conversations with Stormy some time ago on another blog. Stormy has evolved into a very vocal cat, and my daughter has been keeping the conversations going.

The weather in Victoria has been outright stunning. Only 2 days of rain since Canada Day, and such gorgeous temperatures at 22C-26C and sunny every single day, with very little humidity and a cool breeze most of the time. The evenings are perfect for sleeping, when the temps drop to about 13C or so. No more tossing and turning in a sweaty room. My asthma has been quite good during my time in Victoria as well as my fibromyalgia. I’ve been walking every single day, even if it is just to the supermarket a few blocks away, and often all the way downtown. There is much to be seen on these Victoria streets. The neighborhoods are eclectic and beautiful. The trees overhang the sidewalks much of the time, providing beautiful shade for pedestrians. I’m going to see a place this evening, described as “cozy” …we shall see. I am looking for the smallest place possible, and I am not looking to buy any new furniture. I reckon all I need are a bed, desk, sofa and television, second hand all the way. The apartment needs only to have a separate bathroom, a separate entrance, and windows for Stormy to look through, as that is his favourite activity. I want to be able to put my desk in front of a window, to sit and write. I will have to be disciplined if I am to succeed. I’ll need to structure my day in that each morning, for at least 4 hours, I’m at my desk, writing or doing research. I need steady internet access and phone access that isn’t going to break my wallet in order to work on much of my writing, and I found traveling was making that difficult, hindering the process.

So, I’m hoping that the creative juices will flow once I’m settled into a cozy apartment with my own bathroom, and not some filthy truck stop or state park…I’ve spent 18 weeks living in the van so far and while it has been remarkably comfortable, I am looking forward to having a night at home on a real sofa, watching Survivor with the rest of the world, curled up with Stormy. It will be wonderful not to have to move shit around to do nearly anything in the van. Cozy also meant cramped. Moving shit around has never been a desired activity of mine. Let the writing begin…