Getting ready

Getting ready to go…The last couple of weeks before leaving and there is a huge list of things to do, every day things get ticked off and each time I do so 5 more things get added...There are so many people to see and speak to for organizing essential factors, Visa Agency, Sponsors, Guides and Interpreters, Stickers shop for advertising, and all the various bits of equipment that still needs buying or borrowing.Thomas Mauritz and Andre offered to make some of the modifications on the truck; somehow time had to be made to have this work done inbetween all the other busy things going on.It feels like we will never be ready on time, yet there is a momentum of movement and energy now that feels unstoppable, somehow I know we will be leaving and even if everything is’nt done as planned, we will still leave Holland on our given date.For the past two years ideas for Nomadslife have been circulating around and trying to make their way into the real world.The idea has always been a great one, and together with the old website and trailer films from Skip at Liquid Film a network has been established that has grown steadily to a point where enough people now know and believe in the project for it to actually happen.Now, just days away from leaving as I look at all the components there are in place, I find it amazing that what tools and factors involved in the actual process of moving have almost all been supplied within the last few weeks. Since Marc arrived a month ago and Ana a week later, then Jose Joining the team as our invaluable marketing manager (and much much more) an explosion of creative energy has brought all the components together for our wheels to start turning and head off in the direction of the Nomads. 7000 Euro in Sponsor money was raised and paid into the foundation bank account in the last week before departure.My old bus finally went to a couple in Breda after they made a large donation to the project just 10 days before leaving; this enabled me to make the final payment for our Truck which incredibly the previous owner Philip had let me take into my possession and start re-building it since January, having full trust that the rest of his money would come at the right time.I was completely humbled by Philips gesture of trust because he was also leaving Holland in July to move out to India with his family and start a new life there.His belief in the Nomadslife project was another big inspiration for me. All the help we received from friends and businesses that warmed to our project was incredible,,,I can only refer to all these syncronised events like the fixing of our exhaust system, the making of our back terrace and water supply holder, the donation of a film camera by Oliver, Michal gave us bags of horse riding equipment and even a saddle to inturn give as presents to the Nomads, and so many more of these happenings as ‘small miracles’ because for them all to happen within the same 2 weeks, our last time before having to leave, and for them all to be essential factors in being able to leave is truly astonishing.I caught a look at myself in a mirror one morning a couple of days before going and wondered for a moment who was the person I was looking at.Grease and oil marks on my cheek, silicon and glue on my arms and hands, paint on my clothes, black bags under my wide busy eyes and a face full of hair that was starting to sport a few white friends on either cheek…One deep breath and a self made promise to adhere to a morning meditation everyday after departure and it was back to ticking things off the list again…We found out that all our visas would be stamped and our passports returned to us on Friday the 13th June…Auspicious or not, we then played with the idea of jumping straight in the truck and driving off there and then.Because of a few (million) other things that needed to be arranged we finally agreed on a Saturday morning departure from the Nomadome in West Amsterdam where the truck had been standing for the past few months.We had been so busy with everything that any idea of a send off party had dissolved into the running around of each day. On Friday night just as I was filling the jerry cans with water some friends started to trickle in by surprise to say goodbye.I was overwhelmed, over 30 people came to wish us luck, give their love and say farewell…I never expected such a send off and was touched to my heart,,, I still don’t think anyone really believed that this mad hairbrained scheme was ever going to happen,,,I had been planning and conniving for two years and my imaginary trip had now become very real indeed,,, this final gesture of support was beautifull and I shall never forget it…With all this encouragment I was feeling swept along with the current.Only one thing was eating away at me that I had no real answer as to how to resolve its nagging presence.Thursday was going to be the last time I saw Skye my daughter for at least 4 months.The previous weekend which was our last weekend together had been tough for both me and Skye.I had been telling her that I was going on a long trip, but the understanding of perception for a 5 year old child is not encompassing a time frame of months.She knew that I was going to be away for some time and it was obviously upsetting her at a certain level.The whole weekend she was very difficult to connect with, and when we did connect with eachother she was quick to get frustrated and angry with me, even biting and hitting me for small incidents like not liking her sandwich or not wanting to come inside.She was making me pay already for leaving her and this was the only way she knew how to communicate her feelings to me.The Thursday before departure I went to pick her up from school and say goodbye properly.She kept asking how long I would be gone for and repeated over ‘a hundred hundred days ??? so many ???’ “No, only a hundred and twenty” I told her…This time she was stuck to me like a piece of chewing gum, and after a thousand kisses and hugs she ran after me in the car all the way to the bottom of the road before I dissapeared out of sight for a hundred twenty days…This whole life in Amsterdam, one seemingly long chapter was coming to a close and my present reality bubble about to burst…Amongst all the feelings, emotions and thoughts that were flying around I knew that it was also time to get focused on our goal.It was time to set off and go to find the Nomads.The reason for this whole happening was still very much apparent, we are going to visit the Nomads and share for a while in their way of life.Making our own Nomadic journey across the Steppes to witness an ancient way of living and share our findings with those from the very different world that we had set off from…I was searching for a way to emphasise the connection that everyone has with their environment, looking for a way to show the importance of everyones awareness of their relationship they have with Nature.These people are still living a simple self sustained lifestyle,,,maybe there is something in the spiritual connection they still have with the Earth and their animals that will inspire others to find their way back to our most basic living fact.‘Our Earth, the Nature, our Environment, is the giver of all, the source of all sustenance, the reason we have this blessing of life in our bodies”…Is it so difficult to remember this and then act respectfully in accordance with such understanding ??? I’m sure many more questions will be asked en-route,,, right now the excitement of going is consuming everything…There is a superb high that comes from getting up against the flow to follow your dreams.This is the light and airy state I now find myself in, brought down to Earth by the oil stains on my hands and list of things still yet to be achieved…Our journey is just beginning…