Notes for the Rainbow Gathering via Chrissy 5/29/2015

RAINBOW GATHERING - Northern Michigan, Back Country Camping

Uptown =- Kids Village
Camp near Kids Village

FOOD
Eat breakfast at Kids Village, dinner at Main Circle
Avoid kitchen drama
Bring personal snacks: (10 apples, 10 oranges, 10 mangoes)
Bring Food to donate (BULK): Bananas, Fresh fruits & veggies, Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes
Hot sauce & seasoning
BLISSWARE: bowl, cup, utensils
Trash bags
Zus Zus
MAGIC HAT - $ to buy food for the community

Water bottle to refill & gallon jugs

WATER
Live water - cleaning only
Triple filtered water - drink supply

CARRY YOUR WEIGHT - Pack Light

Chrissy's Backpack: Osprey Aura G5

Mummy Sleeping Bag
FLASHLIGHT - try the Coleman Companion Flashlight/Lantern found at Target
Tarp
Tapestries
Chair
Pillow
Comforter
Warm Clothes
Shoes, barefoot?
(rope, carpet)
SHARE A TENT! Keep Warm

TOILET PAPER
SANITIZER

*** Joke -Toke- Smoke ***
BE PREPARED - Memorize a Joke

*** Random Pocket Trade ***

*** Trade Circle ***

Bring cool things to trade

DON'T FORGET ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT!
OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS
HIDE EVERYTHING

6 UP/7 UP

Don't be a Drainbow.

Around the World 2015 - Logistics?

KENYA & TANZANIA - GoAheadTours ... yep.

SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg

Pretoria

Durban

Cape Town

Drakensburg


INDONESIA - Bali - Ubud - Sacred Circularities Retreat.... Ananda Cottages

Sierra
Ana Isabel
Jon
Ron

AUSTRALIA
Sydney
Cairns
Melbourne

Helen
Benoy
CS Community

Pre-flight Brain Dump - 20 june 2015

I am utterly exhausted and my struggles are hardly compared to anyone else. I've been shrugging so much off and I'm just really tired of saying everything is good. It's true: Everything is good. It's a fact. I shouldn't have to spend so much energy to remind myself. I need to take a break and be still. Even when I'm still, the world will keep spinning. Even if I am not there. It will all keep going. Thank you so much for thinking of me. You are so awesome! Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy yourself. Be happy and be free



I will have my own art room next year.

There is always so much to learn. I didn't plan on becoming an advanced dancer but I think it goes without saying. It is something that feel very natural for me.

I LOVE DANCE! I always have, ever since I have been a child. My issue, is that I lack discipline. I've always been on my own, doing my own thing. I want to say that I don't understand consistency and seeking/asking for help. I am free and enjoy the music as it pleases me. Friday night I was desperate for some merengue in my life. I haven't had a really great merengue dance so of course I jumped when Semba started.

Thank you for noticing the changes in my body, I don't pay much attention to it and often feel oblivious to many things. Strength is one area where I feel that I am particularly lacking. I have always felt weak - I am never aware of what I eat. I don't exercise. I get frustrated.

*** Priorities. Setting priorities. The excuse that may prevent me is whether I set that as an ultimate goal. I have so many. I scatter myself and stretch myself thin and forget to take care of myself sometimes. I forget that I can't do everything. I do remember that I can do all the things that I decide to do. So things get packed and layered until I decide to disappear and hibernate for a while. Until I return again. Tides, waves, cycles.

GOOD NEWS! I was hired to be the full-time art teacher at one of my schools for the incoming school year. I will finally have my own art room and be at only one school Mon-Fri instead of traveling between multiple schools, between classrooms, un/loading my art cart, riding elevators, working out of my car and home. I WILL HAVE MY OWN ART ROOM. lol it hasn't really hit me yet. I have been sharing the news with people in hopes that the more I say it, the more real it will feel. I am looking forward to moving all my work stuff out of my living room and letting go of the space that it clouded in my person life. I will have more consistency in my work life so that will be one less area in complete chaos.

I want to hoop. I want to learn circus arts. Aerial dance, trapeze, stilts... I want to make my own clothes. I want to be in control of my creative practice. I tend to get distracted by small things or just ultimately decide to runaway and leave things for a while. I want to return to kickboxing. I really enjoyed that.

** My current priorities have been travel, that is what I have been focusing on for the past few years and it has become my excuse for not maintaining a regiment. I figure I will leave - I forget that I will return. Savings for travel is where my time and funds have gone towards. I figure I will work towards my goals once I return, I guess.

As you may have known, I helped Ezri with his classes earlier this year. I gave that up after I injured my wrist and began feeling very stressed.

Initially, I was a little doubtful because I have taken dance classes but I feel like I never fully caught onto the teaching aspect. Dancing is fun and natural for me. I felt like I really needed to study. I felt like I didn't know how to instruct someone else how to dance. I know I can, I have lol. But dancing is difficult to articulate. People are so different and have so many different backgrounds. I never learned how to dance by counting. Choreography has always been a challenge. Routines? The complexity of leading and following.

It was a great experience. I learned to value great teachers. I am thankful for all the teachers in my life.

It was stressful driving to different places after work. It was great practice. Earning extra money was nice. I felt like I wasn't contributing as much. I can be a little thick/slow to catch on sometimes. This is personal reflection/ I KNOW THE OUTSIDERS VIEW IS A DIFFERENT TRUTH.

Typing this, I am remembering my first year of teaching at school and the same (and different) challenges. It could be something I overcome. I am not in the habit of asking for help and I don't devote the time to practice.

What really became my excuse for taking a break from teaching was: 1) I couldn't commit to being there every time - Parking tickets, commute, gas, mileage, time 2) Energy - I worked and I had many deadlines coming up - SCHOOL ART SHOWS to INSTALL, I had 3 this Spring. 3) Travel - my departure date is here. I'll be leaving anyways for 7 weeks. I have so much work still left to do on my travel plans

4) Safety

- Unclear explanations, high expectations and much frustration. It is difficult to pass on knowledge that is so natural. It is part of who you are but it is important to understand and remember that for new dancers, they weren't ingrained with the same cultural knowledge of body movement and rhythm.

They may not know what you mean or what you expect. If you just tell someone to do something without showing them, you can't expect them to do it perfectly.

Those 4 reasons may become my excuses: Commitment, Energy, Travel, and Safety.

Scatter-brained. I'll be back in August. Enjoy this updated past written brain dump. My mind is mush and I will make airplanes and airports my happy places. Life is good. The time is now. Be present. Let go. Live.