There is a sweet phrase, ‘hOMe is where the heart is.’
I’ve thought about this recently as my world had turned inward for a month while Austin worked in Tennessee, focusing on my relationship with my own heart and mind, seeking somatic connection. I want to have a healthy relationship with my mind body and soul, and naturally believe that this healthy internal relationship needs an equally healthy outward expression.
What does a healthy relationship look like?
To me, a healthy relationship is one that is motivating, supportive and inspiring. Loving, sure, but perhaps caring is a better word. For instance: You may not love everything about the body you were given, but you should still provide it utmost care and sustenance. You don’t need to love your business partners for it to be a healthy relationship, but you should have a basic human care for their well-being and happiness.
Both participants within a relationship should feel the absolute benefit of the connection.
I have recently been feeling very happy and lucky to be in a romantic relationship that holds this wholesome connection. The positive connectivity and personal growth I have experienced in my two + years with Austin has been very heart-opening. I would never recommend experiencing partnerships in any way that doesn’t hold this sweet supportive love.
Not only do I feel comfortable sharing my heart and soul with him, we are both uniquely supportive of each other, creating a nice wholesome relationship hosting a variety of skills between us.
Recently, Austin was offered a position at Reflection Riding in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After months of searching for an efficient income in Oregon with little luck, the opportunity to work at a nature conservatory + arboretum bloomed with possibilities and promise.
Being able to contribute to a community that is aligned with our general ideals is greatly exciting. Not only can we contribute skills and labor to the conservatory, the connections and knowledge available to us through this job opportunity will help us for years to come.
Our home in Oregon is beautiful, but we can’t outsource our skills and abilities without needing to travel quite far, and it just isn’t a sustainable option in our lives at this moment. If we were able to legally + financially do more with building and gardening on the land to help create a sustainable homestead-- that would be fantastic. For now, this is the opportunity the world has presented us and we are up for the adventure.
Luckily, our time and help at hOMe was quite useful. We were able to bring the yurt to a very liveable state. Before we moved in there was only very simple infrastructure. The yurt itself was built, the floor was painted, and the woodstove was in place.
We built a lovely back porch with curving stairs, set up a compost toilet system, hooked up the spring to the yurt and filtered the entire water system for the land, installed a hot water system into the yurt, fixed up a wifi hotspot and internet connection for the yurt, and left it fully furnished. There are even kitchen utensils and some pantry basics.
I might be barely overstepping here, but it’s honestly the frickin’ jam. Once the warm deluxe days of Oregon arrive, the yurt is a deluxe haven retreat, A soul sanctuary filtered with maple leaf light and sweet river sounds. Not only did we leave the place in better place than we had met it, we were able to leave it with comfort for the next heart to sleep peacefully under the dome.
After chatting with my papa on the phone a few days ago I’ve heard that multiple friends have stayed in the yurt happily since we left it this last saturday. A family friend plans to move in for a while to help my father care for the elderly man who had originally purchased the yurt, and will flourish nicely in the creative circle that is the yurt.
For now, here on the northern border of Georgia, we are staying with my partner’s father in a spare room they have. This house is by far the largest and the most modern house I’ve ever lived in. The house is remodeled by Austin’s father, and has gorgeous wood details + furniture throughout the place-- it’s clear they both have talent in woodworking!
The house is complete with a full kitchen and outdoor screen kitchen, dining room and even a little walk-in closet in our room. I finally have a tub to soak in, if I ever use it during these hot humid days-- It’s only been hot for a few days and I know I’m going to feel like I’m swimming through soup soon here. Best yet? The four acres of Georgia woods behind the house, wild with prime basketry vines, ferns, a massive old walnut tree and wildflowers.
I am definitely looking forward to exploring this gorgeous and very different wilderness. The forests here are so open, you can walk right through them without needing a machete and rain-pants. While I’m a bit nervous about meeting snakes, I’m no longer worried about being stalked by big cats on our backpacking trips.
I was reasonably absent during our road-trip and move-in, and am now able to get back to steeming on the regular. I hope to catch back up with all my steem pals and keep y’all up to date on how we are settling in. Luckily, Austin’s whole family is out here in Tennessee and Georgia, so we have a lot of local support if we are in any kind of need. They have all been so helpful and kind since I’ve met them, I’m looking forward to getting to know his side of the tree a bit better.
I’m ending this with a snap of the pup of the house. His name’s Harley, but I have a hard time not calling him Harvey… He’s an old cutie. He’s earned the nickname wolfpig. While Doogan is and always will be my primo paw pal, Harley and I are becoming good friends.
Till next time,
Be sweet, stay wild
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