Behind the front seats:

• shoes, rain coats, umbrella, book, notebook, tiny watercolor kit
• clothing + toiletries
• small towels (which dried hanging over our headrests)
• fanny packs hanging behind our headrests to hold our phones + keys at night
• extra water

Our set up each night is quick + easy. We move our seats forward, put the screens on the windows, move our clothing + toiletries to the front seats, put the jackary on the armrest, set out our stools, assemble the back portion of the platform, fold the mattress down, move our pillows + put the sunshield in the windshield. It takes less than five minutes.

In the future, we may decide to get a one burner stove, but for now we are happy to eat things like yogurt + bananas, deli potato salad, chicken or sushi. We had a stash of bobo bites (our go-to hunger buster) + never stressed about food. Grocery stores were always close by and a good breakfast burrito, wood fired pizza + goat's milk ice cream are part of the adventure too.

Regarding cost: we bought these things little by little over time. We first camped like this overnight with a pair of window screens + the mattress. Once we knew we liked that (we were so stoked!), we invested in the platform. A year later, we discovered that fans + another pair of screens would keep us more comfortable. We took advantage of sales + spread out the cost. The cost of Airbnb's would probably pay for this in a couple trips. It's also a lot cheaper than a mobile home or van. 

One of my favorite things is realizing how little I need. That is adventure to me, and it is incredibly freeing!  :)

Love,
Jane

The shapes + colors of J. Marin clothing reminds me of living in Los Angeles in the 90s. We loved driving to Manhattan Beach for the sand + up the coast to Santa Monica for an always inspiring walk through Shabby Chic's flagship on Montana Avenue. Across the street was another favorite shop of mine, Subtle Tones, filled with the softest cotton + lightweight linen clothing in soft pastels. 

J. Marin takes me right back. These sweet pieces are made with carefully sourced fabrics like 100% organic cotton fleece milled in the USA. Each piece is designed, sewn + dyed in Los Angeles. I'd very happily wear any + every piece from this collection with thoughts of golden sunshine + warm sand.

I don't draw a card from the deck on my bedside table every morning, but sometimes it feels like a good idea. Lately, it's been coming up "monkey" every time. It makes me laugh, because it's true. My tangled, busy, monkey mind is too often running the show. Transformation is on my to-do list, and I've been noticing the practices that help.

Riding my bike:

• feels like a physical representation of moving forward + leaving things behind
• makes me focus on the present moment 
• gets me into nature under the trees, under the sky, feeling the breeze
• is zooming, coasting play 
• feels cooler moving through the air on these hot days
• is a fun way of getting somewhere like a coffee shop at the other side of the park
• is a slow way of doing things like picking up dish soap + a cookie after dinner
• makes me spread my arms with unbridled joy
• connects my partner + I because we both love it
• lets me notice the comings + goings of the dragonflies, the snakes, the milkweed
• gives me space to think + to not think
• allows me to push hard + expel negative energy
• lets me stop + listen to birds + water lapping the shore softly

Riding my bike for enjoyment + connection, for movement + wellness...well, it makes me smile every time.  :)

Love,
Jane

The power we're born into
+ the power we gain throughout our lives
is a mirage.
​
In the really real, 
power can only be shared.
When we let go of the power we hoard,
power grows wide enough to share.

When the few in power release their hold on the land,
everyone has space to spread out + flourish.
Gentleness is the way toward an earth where we live in peace,
where resources are shared,
where everyone has enough.
~Micha Boyett