An average day: the best kind of day // Vanlifer: Shasta, CA.

Journal entry from April 4th, 2020: Adventures.

Today, I had big plans to do a long hike but met an Astrologer instead. I got some groceries in town today. I usually buy food every 2-3 days, I could probably go longer than that if I were planning to be really off the grid. 

I cleaned out my kitchen area before loading my new food in my Dometic.

After I cleaned out my kitchen in the parking lot, totally felt comfortable leaving my sliding door open while cleaning and my groceries just outside the door. I love Weed, California. Sorry, Bay. =)

After getting all set with my groceries and cleaning; my garbage bag was barely filled up and I wanted to throw it away so that I had more room in my home. I kept noticing a large garbage build-up on the land near that parking lot, it kept bothering me, so I decided to fill the rest of my garbage bag with that garbage cluttering up my beautiful Mother Nature.

I ended up catching up on the phone with two friends while picking up garbage. I love to pick up the garbage and I love to talk (and listen!). Even when I was little I used to spend hours on the phone. (That’s what happens when you have Mercury and Venus conjunct both in Gemini).

As I was tidying up Mother Nature: I kept thinking how picking up the litter on this planet is a metaphor for the condition of the human mind/psyche. Stay with me here: some garbage was really easy to get: just like those thoughts that are super easy to catch, be aware of, and discard as needed. Some garbage was so hard to reach – I had to do an advanced yoga move to get it: it’s like those thoughts in the mind that are so blinding and hard to reach in a sense, hard to get to or understand how it even got there in the first place and why it’s still there: just like those pieces of garbage that literally have been there for years it seemed: I was so confused. Outdated thoughts and beliefs cause so much confusion sometimes. Like these huge plastic things that nature was trying to break down and man, did it do a good job – when I lifted it, tiny tiny pieces of plastic fell apart everywhere. Or, those pieces of garbage that I would kind of need an extra hand to get: they were deep in the bushes, like, really “in” there, I would have to trim the bushes to really get in there and on top of that, I’d need to scrub off the branch, that’s how embedded some of this garbage was in those branches. Like garbage tattooed branches. 

The mindful act of picking up litter can help clean your mind of clutter. 

I felt a sense of injustice for the earth, but then I felt how resilient she is, too.

I try to be like her.

I saw all these little animal homes – like boxes with some cat food and fresh water. They were everywhere, and so cute and sweet. I think someone is feeding some stray cats, maybe. It reminded me of my childhood and attempting to take care of every stray cat on the farm I grew up on as a child. These little homes looked way better with all the litter around them picked up.

Then, all of a sudden I met this sweet man who told me he hoped I was getting paid to do this and we laughed. Eventually, I filled up the whole bag with garbage and my phone died in a mid-convo so I finished up. The man was still there and we got chatting. I love to talk to people. Actually, I could talk to a park bench and enjoy every minute of it. It turned out he lives a similar lifestyle as me and he is also an Astrologer. I so enjoyed talking with him and I loved hearing his outlook on Astrology. It was very similar to my outlook. He spoke my language. That was a blessing to meet him. He even showed me where a dumpster was and helped me throw away the big bag of garbage. Double score.

He told me about some cool gems in the area. This lifestyle feels so underground in ways: mysterious and even elusive and strange at times; but mostly I think it helps me grow in different ways. I hope I see him again so we can talk stars again one day. 

It was almost nighttime, I couldn’t believe it. I found this beautiful quiet spot by the lake and watched the sunset from my True North. I have been dying for a chance to do that. I had so much to get done but, I dropped everything and put my bed down and soaked it in, just watching the water glisten and listening to the frogs croaking.

I could be here forever.

Sweet dreams.

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.

Theodore Roosevelt

All media © Rachel Nova

Let the adventures continue, 

Rachel Nova (Howard), Vanlifer, Humanitarian, & Adventurer