Getting back to the Basics! Janet Louise is NOW living her true American dream!

So here is a follow up. My good friend Janet has joined me adventuring a while. She has been in need of good adventure, and in need of getting back to her own basics.


I don't know about you, but when I first heard about Zachy's adventure, I felt a pang of envy course through me. I've often secretly fantasized about leaving behind all of the expectations of the world, longing to float through the ebb and flow of life, guided by my intuition and desires.

Fast forward a couple of months, and here I am, joining up with The Wonderer on our own series of adventures. I am very well aware that mainstream culture perceives these choices as eccentric and bizarre, however, I obviously don't care much how others judge or criticize me. I lived my life attempting to please others for far too many years to ever step back into that nightmare, (though my fear of judgment still rears its ugly head sometimes).

When I let go of the traditional role I am expected to fill as a woman, a mother, an American, and a human being, I embrace that new found opportunity to define my own role. In my new version, it is very easy to walk away from the rat race - from the obligation to buy into the chaos that has become so common in every day life. I've spent years longing for simplicity, without ever having the courage to take purposeful steps towards that end.

And now, as I've packed up 99% of all of my belongings and put them in storage, I put myself in a situation where I had to choose what my most prized possessions are - what is essential for living and survival. I've got the opportunity in my hands right now to re-evaluate my lifestyle, from top to bottom, scale back to the absolute bare minimum, and then move forward with my new convictions.

What a fantastic opportunity! It is so freeing to let go of my attachment to THINGS, to escape from the labels and identifications that come from material possessions.

As a mother, I've been looking at what it is that I ought to be providing for my little family. Traditional paradigms suggest that I need to provide a 3-4 bedroom home for them, with lots of storage space for toys, electronics, clothes, and all manner of material possessions. Because I'm divorced, their lifestyle should be duplicated at both households, and they should never want for anything.....

I've had to dig deep lately to reveal to myself how I really feel about what a mother should provide for her family. And I disagree with the modern, traditional paradigm. I want to provide my children with the example of a mother who chooses to live her authentic life rather than playing the people's game. I want to provide them with an environment of unconditional love and acceptance - the feeling that they belong, that they are 'home'. And I wholeheartedly believe I can provide this for them, without buying into a 3 level townhouse that comes with 2 1/2 bathrooms.

My goal is to simplify and become a practicing minimalist. Fortunately, my children will have the chance to grow up seeing what life looks like on both sides of the coin - from a household where all the typical Americanized amenities are available, and a household where love, simplicity, and presence are the highest of priorities.

Getting back to the basics brings my heart such joy, it's ridiculous! I long for simple days where twilight signals bedtime, and we rise with the sun every morning - where we re-align ourselves with the rhythm of Mother Nature. I yearn to eat what nourishes the body, not what can be re-heated in a microwave. I seek to withdraw from the media, from that influence, and settle into a cycle of harmony with myself and my surroundings.

Stepping away from life-as-we-know-it may be the single most important step I've taken in the past few years. My time spent 'wondering' with Zachy is helping me dig deep to my core beliefs and bring them into manifestation. Simplicity. Alignment. Natural. Authentic. These are the words I choose to define my role, my life.

Janet Louise