We travelled a lot over the last month and lived in our van. This photo was taken on one of the few days we'd actually been able to stay put without having to drive to our next destination (the east coast is SO big).
We'd just finished a swim and I'd practiced yoga, decided to capture the moment and ran back to the mat after setting up the timer. As I sat down, I ripped the crotch of my pants all the way around from front to back - hence my laughter!
Early last month when we moved into our van to hit the road, I packed way too much, including a handful of magazines, books, games, note pads and pens, yoga lessons, study, a tripod and my gopro to make a few yoga vids so you could practice with me at home. As well as my laptop. I find myself living in a world where I believe I have an unlimited amount of time and space on my hands. And no matter how often reality shows me that my time isn't in as much abundance as I think I have, I still have this glass half full level of optimism and still think 'I can achieve SO much'.
I had this intention that I would complete everything I had set out to do. I left my Red Paddle Co. SUP at home because my logical mind told me that if I'm surrounded by wild seas, then there was no chance I'd be SUP'ing. Which I can now thank my logical mind - because there would be no time to SUP on this trip sadly!
I thought each day would look something like this:
wake up with the sun
yoga and workout at camp/on the beach
ocean swim
coffee and breaky
a bit of work
read several chapters of my book or study
lunch
create a yoga video
find a yoga or pilates studio nearby and join in on a class
swim
dinner
bed time
All while including time with loved ones and getting from one camp to the next.
This expected 'day' didn't happen once! Not once! It was lucky if I was able to fit in half of those things!! Our trip was segmented with plans and then no plans whatsoever. So we had a few days here and there free, then timeframes to get to certain destinations.
Most of our time with 'no plans' was spent driving and exploring. The planned time was spent with friends and family; we enjoyed a family holiday, catching up with more family, seeing old friends, a gorgeous wedding and finished it off with Bluesfest in Byron Bay. So turns out, I had less time than I thought I would.
A 'no plan day' ended up looking mostly like this:
woke up once I realised the sun had been up long before me
morning yoga at our camp or on the beach and/or a workout if we weren't on a tight schedule
ocean swim
coffee and breaky
clean and pack up the van
drive to the next town
toilet break
play passenger DJ
coffee break
continue driving, sightseeing and admiring our beautiful country - opting for the scenic route where we can
find a new camp, unpack and realise there's no reception, no power... hm no opportunity to make a yoga vid
ocean swim
dinner by moonlight
mozzie attacks, head to the van to escape the mozzies
bed time!
oh look mozzies are in the van... fight the mozzies and try to get some sleep.
(Side note... mosquitos absolutely love me. A camping trip isn't complete without a few bites on the eyelids. This was the first time I've ever been bitten on the lips! Who needs lip fillers when you have natural enhancements like mosquito bites).
I really did think I'd be able to find time to get to particular studios though. I'd put together a list of desired yoga and pilates studios before I left, which was as long as my arm, so I suppose it's only fair that getting to all of them wasn't exactly possible! I did however get to check out Plank HQ on the Gold Coast for a high intensity reformer class. I could hardly walk the next day, talk about a great peach workout!
There were a couple of other places that I was desperately wanting to visit but one of the studios was constantly booked out (*sigh, that's what happens when they have a gazillion Instagram followers, everyone wants in*) and the other just didn't marry up with my own schedule. But I snuck in a few classes here and there, wherever I could.
This is where I found that my own practice on the road was really important. Not only did I need it to stretch out my stiff hips, legs, back from being in a seated position for several hours while travelling in the van each day, but it also allowed me to enjoy practicing yoga in the fresh air, with gorgeous scenery, getting dirty or sandy while I practice. My yoga mat was very well used. I had to borrow a mat at the studio in Umina that we visited as I'd taken both mine and Brendan's mat down to the beach after a storm. There was no chance of cleaning those!
What I didn't expect was to be so MIA from my Joga world. So I'm sorry if you were counting on a little more love from me during my absence. I have missed my regular faces, that's for sure!
At times, part of me was feeling torn as I wanted to create Joga content, make vids, write blogs, post regularly. But then the other part of me was completely okay with not doing any of that, just happy to enjoy each moment and allow myself to be utterly exhausted and incapable to create because my energy was spent elsewhere.
Fortunately yoga has taught me how to find acceptance, be present and to let go of expectation. There was never a time where I felt I was living in the past or the future. I allowed myself to be fully present to keep enjoying my break away from Canberra.
It was surreal returning home, it was as if the entire holiday was a distant memory. We loved living in our van for the last month. It was an incredibly fun time. But we now get to plan our next adventure, which I know won't be too far away.
Until then, we are now back and I'm ready to sink my teeth back into Joga, being a teacher and a student. And I'm really looking forward to catching up with everyone soon.
Here are some of my favourite photos from our trip if you aren't following me on my personal insta @jojoflynnflynn...
The sunrises and sunsets
The stops along the way
The actual journey, seeing cool places and playing DJ (along with the constant battle of who had better taste in music... it was me by the way)
Quiet and isolated beaches
Celebrating dear friend's gorgeous wedding at Figtree in Byron
Bluesfest Byron Bay (So good to have ran into a couple of my yogi peeps too - hey Holly!)
And of course, getting to practice at beautiful places like this...
Now to get back into the swing of things! See you at a class soon.
Namaste x