New Chapters, New Places, New Roots

Buen Dia de Pescadero, Baja Sur

Greetings Fam, well sure has been a longtime coming, thanks so much for following along on this journey and for those who have subscribed. Can't believe it's been four years already since I built this travel blog site for Bodhi. I'm writing to you from the newly cleared cactus lined driveway of our new desert homestead in Pescadero, Baja Sur. So stoked the bus made it back safely, and we manifested a long term rental next to some old friends from B.C.

I originally created this website space for documenting the builds, and my experiences and journeys on the road through stories, film and photography. However the pandemic hit just as I finished it and my dreams of travel got put on hold. This led me down another path and life long dream of owning an off-grid property to do some homesteading and permaculture. I was also dealing with some lingering mental health issues (will do a future post on these as well) and the deep rest in nature, slower pace and finding community on the west coast of Vancouver Island was just the medicine I needed. I'm looking forward to writing some blogs that cover some of the stories, projects and insights from those three years living solo and off-grid in two school buses deep in the temperate rainforest. Definitely "Into the Wild' Alexander Supertramp vibes and in the end reached a similar conclusion, that shared experiences and community are the greatest gifts in life. In the end it wasn't the right place or path, but I'm so grateful for everything it taught me along the way.

Once that chapter and weight was lifted I felt a freedom and focus creep in that I hadn't felt years. I moved down the road onto a friends five acres that I shared with two of my best friends. They built a dome to winter in, and I pitched my 20ft car tent and made a temporary shop that housed all my wood and tools. I pulled both buses up, and lived in the Chevy as I spent the fall, winter and spring converting the Ford Bluebird. Felt so good to finally be working towards the dream again that I had started 5 years before when I first bought the bus and gutted it. Had done three small multi-day conversions for festivals but this time would be the final with a bunch of upgrades from the last build. Will do some posts on the latest build this spring. It's not quite done but I'm getting really close, just some epoxy work for the counters, tables and finishing the storage box and exterior paneling. Then I'll be ready for the final phase which is to switch to a veggie oil hybrid.

I also got some really exciting news for this spring when I get back to Vancouver Island. I'll finally be building a recording and art studio. Decided to do this build on a flat deck trailer so I can move it out to Ucluelet and find an acreage closer to town for the warmer months. Looking forward to documenting and recording the whole process since it will be the first structural and mobile build I've ever done.

Down the road I'm hoping to get the new bus ready for a longer trip next winter and explore down through Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Cali, Arizona and New Mexico. Then find a place to leave it in the U.S. and carry on the Baja to work on the property. The dream is to build a shed for storage/water/toilet/shower, and a separate studio for music recording and art.

Hope your all enjoying the new year and spring energy wherever this finds you, pura vida,

Tali