Versión en español aquí
I was thinking about whether I should get solar panels or not here in the forest shelter, and the implications of that decision. I’ve been turning off my phone for longer and longer intervals and it’s been affecting me positively, mentally, physically, and spiritually. One of the problems for me would be that having access to electric power at the reach of my hands I might be tempted to keep the phone turned on since there is no worry of battery running out.
That led me to thinking that I would like to have electric energy mainly to keep sharing content on HIVE, as well as keeping in touch with other people around the world that are on similar journeys in one way or another. Then I looked around and felt depressed that everything was so messy, that it seemed non of it was worth sharing.
But since I've been focusing on self-love these last months I thought: "hey, why do I have to be so hard on myself? Why not share this messy moment as well? Why does it all have to be about the beautiful finished products of the hard work and not also show those parts we tend to hide all the time?"
I started to take pictures of what my life really looks like beyond the romantic imagery of the forest. And you know what happened? I started realizing that there was more going on around me than I had actually noticed! I saw that all the supposed mess was nothing but evidence of how much action I was taking. So, here you have it, some pictures of an ordinary and messy day of my life in the forest:
This has become my official place to wash the dishes, I use the big tin bowl to fill it with hot water and wash everything there.
Right next to it I throw some of the wastes, those that are less likely to attract the attention of mice, such as yerba mate. Once it's composted a bit I'll move it elsewhere.
I guess it's understandable that you'll find earth, sand, and gravel sitting in containers around the place since I'm using all that to build the refuge.
Ok, this isn't really justified...
I had this inside the shelter but took it out to make some space. It's managed to stay there for way longer than I wanted. I think it was what bothered me the most, but it was taken care of after the picture hehe.
See the thing of recycling is that you get obsessive and start taking care of other people's trash to the point where you can't even handle the amount of garbage you hodl. This was also taken care of after the picture.
Not a very welcoming sight - sigh.
This is the good part of the mess. That's all dry wood I've been gathering to prepare for rainy days so I patted myself on the back for this one.
Another disturbing part... again me taking care of other people's trash. Sometimes I think about this and hate humanity, but then I realize that hating only hurts myself and I let go. Still, pretty sad how most humans treat our planet.
Not really a mess, but I have some of these lying around in many places. I love them, they are a beautiful sight.
I hope I find a suitable location for those chairs before they rot away with the rain 😅
Messy mind, messy bed haha. Oh, you were looking at the fire? Should of kept silent...
Now, this? This isn't acceptable. But it does tell a story since these were used as shooting targets when a neighbor came to show me his new rifle. When the rounds ran out we tried throwing an axe at the targets which was pretty fun. Took care of it after the picture too.
This looks really bad but there is something really good inside. I won't reveal it yet though!
So I keep walking around and things get nicer... Lemon balm doing very nice.
Basil surviving, hopefully, it adapts better in time.
Thyme doing great.
Kalanchoe sprouts doing ok as well.
This kalanchoe is a half that was ripped apart by a friend's son... hoping it roots into the soil and survives.
I helped my neighbor with his grass cutting and received all the grass as payment. Soon I'll show you how I'm using it on my construction. For now this picture of it covered in case it rains as I need it dry.
Here are some of my food jars that I use to keep inside the shelter but I've realized it's more comfortable to keep them outside near the fireplace.
More senseless messiness, took care of it too.
Hope this post didn't stress your senses too much hahaha, I think some people might be a bit offended by this. Nonetheless, it was a useful exercise for me and I'm trying to bring as much harmony as I can into the place, though it gets hard because I mess things up while I build. More forest shelter updates coming up soon!
