Yakama Nation, July 2021*
I spent the few weeks after Solstice on a unplug-from-everythaaaang and toodled around the backroads of Oregon and Washington in my van. The beauty of solitude was mine. Cruising around the mountains, sleeping on BLM land, talking to the trees… living the proverbial dream.
One day it got obscenely hot. Like, hot-as-hell, literally. The heat dome came in fast. Moving through it was a visceral experience as I left the high desert, and beelined it to the coast to find some cool air. I fully panicked when it hit 112 on route 126 while crossing Oregon. I was in an old Ford van that could barely whisper its a/c system. My feet and hands started to get buzzy, I was tired. I counted breaths (like a good yogi: longer on the exhale for nervous system, lips in the shape of an “o” for cooling) across the entire state of Oregon to the coastal town of Reedsport. It was the longest four-hour drive I've ever taken. And I was alone.**
There is this thing about being alone. On the magical tip, it can be mastered into a kaleidoscope of effervescent is-ness. The other edge of that sword stands at the ready to slice you up with loneliness. Going it alone can be wonderful, much of the time, ecstatic. It's that other 15% that threatens the spirit: the real and true fact (yes, we still need to discern that these days) that we need people. For entrepreneurs, it's real. Feel me? Read on.
In this society, we celebrate the going-it-alone. Hey ma! I did it all by myself! But, from time to time, even the most proud solitary riders benefit from a little company along the journey.
I love rolling solo. But sometimes, it can get a little tight in there all by yourself, a little hot and constricting, and sometimes you need a break. Having a project partner to collaborate with can make a really big difference in the quality of online presence, your bottom line, and also inspire you to keep on with your keepin' on. I'm here to support you.
In good company,
Nica
*AND OTHER THOUGHTS…*
*As I mentioned before, I am still prepping for fire season. I live on unceded Coastal Miwok land, and had the privilege to drive through the Yakama Nation, what is known now as Central Washington State just this last week. If you don't know why folks do land acknowledgements, please allow me to invite you into a conversation about this. It is no longer a brief performance, but a real embodiment of understanding where the United States comes from, built on essentially, stolen land and labor. And now, we are lucky if there are a few souls who can understand how to manage these forests with respect before we all burn down to the ground. I bow at their feet.
** Truth be told, I was meeting up with my friend Mandy Scott - she was my talisman, our second proper hang since the pandemic started. We were mutually relieved to be in each other's company, and it made the trip so much better, proving to myself aforementioned points. She also make beautiful stained glass. We'll be sure to share her work soon enough.
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