Once I arrived in California in 2020 I learned the only available parking was on the street in front of the house. And for 2.5 years I parked here without incident. But my luck ran out in early November 2022.
The van that I had traveled around the country in and most of my personal belongings were stolen in the middle of the night. That included a queen-sized bed frame, a mattress, clothing, electronics used for camping, sentimental items that had belonged to my mother who passed away 22 years earlier, and several Native American items gifted to me during my journey of the last 12.5 years. That unfortunate incident left me with a computer, a camera, a painting by an artist in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Joe Ramiro Garcia, and a few items of clothing I had stored in my bedroom. I was down to the bare minimum.
My van was recovered a month later. The only things the thieves left behind were the bed and bed frame, items that belonged to my mother, and the items gifted to me by my Native American friends. I was extremely grateful and mystified as to why these items were not taken. The items appeared to have been protected by forces unseen.
My van was a 2005 model with a lot of miles and needed a lot of repairs. I wasn’t ready to invest any more money so I parked it on the street in front of the house while I contemplated my next move. Meanwhile, my friend and I put the final touches on his house in Oaklands East Hills.
Six months later, in June of 2023, my niece from Wilmington, North Carolina, called to tell me that her son and grandchildren had moved out of her three-bedroom apartment near Greenfield Lake. She offered the apartment to me and I accepted without hesitation. At this point, it had been 7.5 years since I had visited North Carolina.
I sold my van to a gentleman from Oakland in July 2023. As the towing company loaded the van onto the trailer I kissed it goodbye. It broke my heart. I experienced many magical moments and fulfilled many dreams with this vehicle and I hated to see it go. Right before the van was loaded onto the trailer a Crane Fly landed on the front door as if to offer a final message.
The wandering part of my journey had come to an end.
I arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina, on the Autumn Equinox of 2023. I was given a mustard-colored recliner set and I let this set the tone for everything else.
I called the western wall of the living room the Hopi wall. These were the items recovered from my van after it was stolen.
The southern wall became the family wall. I created three pieces of art out of cards covered in flowers. These brightly colored cards covered the walls of my mother’s room when she lived in a nursing home between 1991 and 2000.
I removed the cards from her bedroom walls after her death and carried these cards with me to Washington, DC, Florida, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California. These cards were also recovered from my van after it was stolen.
The small kitchen paid tribute to the places I had visited during my adventures…
and my bedroom walls were covered with feathers, necklaces, bracelets, and rings gathered along the way.
I filled the walls above my bed with photographs from my journey.
I spent the first six months reconnecting with family and experienced tremendous love, something I needed for a long time. Since the cottage was a love offering from my niece I received it in love and did my best to fill it with love. And that’s how it became The Love SHAC (Spiritual Healing Arts Cottage).
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