Hello beautiful souls,
I'd like to share a bit about my current project with you. I am converting a box van into my home on wheels. This project brings me to Priest Lake, Idaho, a 20 mile long lake in the middle of nowhere in some mountains near the boarder of Canada and Washington.
The nearest town, Priest River is defined by Urban Dictionary as
"A town in northern Idaho, manly noted for its failing lumber industry, streets with no sidewalks, and its hate for people from California. It is also known as the shithole between the annoying assholes from Spokane Washington and the gorgeous haven of Priest Lake.The best place to eat is Mac's, a local gas station. If you don't own an ATV or a gun, there isn't much to do. and the internet is slow as fuck. the people who drive through often say "hey, that looks like a town, only smaller"
Priest River passed a law outlawing education, liberalism, and black people."
...And I'd say that Urban Dictionary captures it with decent accuracy.
I was born and raised in these parts, had parents who lived in separate houses and weren't around much, who mandated that I attend a southern baptist church Sunday mornings while living under their roof, and meanwhile I was drunk most nights parting with wild redneck boys out breaking the law. With pressures to work, get married, pay taxes, and die, I was determined to find something more, leaving home at age 15.
At Priest Lake, hunting and fishing for your food is the way we do it. We wear camo and flannels, and have raging bonfires every night. Alcohol is the new water. Big trucks, chainsaws, atvs, beer, chew, whiskey are a must, as well as spanking children, yelling, and fighting.
This was the culture I grew up in, and it is very different than the culture I have created and surrounded myself with now after 10 years of wandering and self discovery.
Here in idaho, someone might see me and say, "You're not from around here, are ya." and my answer would surely surprise them. Maybe its the dreadlocks, or the occult symbols on my hands. A free spirited anarchist hippie like myself stands out a bit in this right wing white Trump loving rural logging community.
Last year I visited Idaho in October, and now I have returned again in this season. While I was here, a local community and family friend here was shot and killed by the police. The local tavern shut down this year for his memorial and asked for support in questioning the law for the injustice of what had happened.
Many of the people here have a deep yearning for freedom, just like anywhere else where there is a still a spark of life left in people. I hear and see it in their rebellious spirits at night when they drive drunk of ATVs down the middle of the road, or crank out their chainsaw at 1am to cut up furniture to keep the bonfire ripping, though that cry for freedom is often dissonant and muffled by thin blue line flags.
From the Washington coast to North Idaho I have traveled through time and space, experiencing major culture shift, though as usual, I am that strange one percent wierdo in a world I am not of, but this time, I remember a little more from before I was born and declared a corpse, and I know myself a little deeper than when I was a scared child being spanked and yelled at, or a heart broken teen wasted at a party attempting to escape this place that I always questioned thinking "This can't be all that there is. This doesn't seem right.".
I know why I am here, for Truth, Love, and Freedom.
Enough about this place... lets get on to my box van conversion!
The night before I decided to come to Idaho to work on this project, I had a very vivid dream about this box van the night before I found it was for sale, and took that as a good sign, along with the symbols that were on the box van: A red caduceus and a green (sacred trinity) recycling symbol.
This box van was previously used for fire, flood, and trauma scene clean up. So far in the 2 and a half weeks I have been here, i have gutted the inside, cleaned the walls, put in insulation and some wiring for AC and DC outlets and lights, added 2 windows, and have cleaned up the outside and old lettering. I still have quite a bit to do before it is to a livable self sustaining state. My father is helping me with the conversion, and we are working on building a wood stove ourselves. Another post will come with the progress.
As winter is on its way, I create this box van as a sovereign and self sustaining space to be, to know myself more, to grow, and explore the Great Work. In creating this box van home for freedom, I will be somewhat self sustaining, with the ability to go where ever I need to be to collaborate, learn, and share with others, and offering what I can, including my experience with permaculture gardens and homesteading, living in intentional community, nvc, psychology, tarot, palmistry, astrotheology, cooking, wild foraging, seed saving, etc and creating freedom.
Everywhere I go in my box van I will plant seeds of Truth, beauty, and abundance for the future generations.
Thanks for following my story. May your journey be blessed!