Four years ago, 2016, was a major transition period in my life. It was post-cancer-treatment and a year before taking a giant leap of faith to sell everything and live in an RV with my family.
2015 was “cancer year”. Treatment was from January to August. By February 2016 I was six-months post-treatment and feeling better, but still recovering from the brutal regime that is chemotherapy (ABVD) and radiation. During cancer treatment, my soul-mate Lily and I decided to quit our full-time jobs, sell the house and live in an RV with our teen son – for as long as we could stand it. Which turned out to be about one and half years.
I was way out of my comfort zone and many friends and family believed it to be too risky but everything ended up working out just fine. In fact the lessons I learned about myself are still with me and I’ll never be the same. **
Stats from the last four years:
- Full-time jobs quit: yes
- Full-time jobs started: yes, recently
- Houses sold: 1
- Houses bought: 0, renting and probably won’t buy again
- RV built: 1
- Trailer bought and stuffed with crap we didn’t need: 1
- Trailer sold: 1
- Days in ketosis: many
- Days drinking wine and whisky: too many
- Days eating paleo/carnivore/keto: many, not enough
- Days meditating: barely any
- Days exercising: 50% at best
- Days journaling: a handful
- Personal growth: immeasurable
- Family time: immeasurable
- Freedom: unlimited
It’s February 2020 and we are in the “post-RVlife” period, settled back down, and getting our teenager through high school. He’s thriving, we’re surviving. Lily and I really want to be on the road. Or at least not staying as still as it seems we are.
Maybe constantly moving is really just a distraction and stillness is what I need. That’s what I’m starting to believe and as of January, I’m using this period of stillness to work on myself:
- Nutrition – doing a carnivore reset, no alcohol, since Jan 6, probably carnivore-ish later. Will continue with no alcohol indefinitely. Intermittent fast every day. Three-day fast once per month.
- Exercise – everyday movement, lots of standing, walking. A few days a week are for lifting heavy things (mostly my body, in the form of push-ups, pull-ups, etc). Moderation and recovery are key.
- Sleep – paying a lot of attention to it and trying to get enough with good quality. Bedtime and waking routines are key.
- Mind – meditation, gratitude, affirmations, journaling, family, friends, community and breaking bad habits.
These Four Foundations of Self-Care are so intertwined that neglecting one notably affects another. They are the means, not the end. The real goal is contentment – no matter where I am, what I have, what I don’t have or who I’m with.
So I’m not seeking happiness or joy or another fleeting emotion that isn’t sustainable. Contentment is the bliss and peace I seek.
I wonder if there will be a February 29, 2024 blog post? What will it reveal? Who knows. Maybe I’ll be slowly turning to dust by then.
I’ll focus on living moment to moment and see how it goes.
** The RVLife period is chronicled on the blissordie.com blog and @blissordie on IG.
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