"Why do we keep hiding our deepest feelings from each other? We suffer much, but we also have great gifts of healing for each other. The mystery is that by hiding our pain we also hide our ability to heal. . . . we are so terribly afraid of being hurt more than we already are. This fear keeps us prisoners, even when the prison has no walls! I see better every day how radical Jesus' message of love really is."— Henri Nouwen

September 2nd, 2024

Greetings from the wilderness! (Salida, Colorado, USA)

I'm so grateful for this space to share my journey, not just in the logistical sense of my travels but the heartbreaks and joys that have been up and down since leaving our home in Denver. There are many things about living a life abroad as a digital nomad that scares (and excites) me. By far, being vulnerable in sharing my feelings, struggles, and wins across the internet is the scariest.

Thank you all for your love and for holding space for me as I process my resurfaced anger. Just like we talk about in our online and in-person ceremonial experiences, there is powerful healing that occurs when we feel "seen" and held in a place of safety (co-regulation)— which is why there is so much power for healing from living in a community with like-minded people (even virtually).

Thank you for your continued prayers for us as we move forward with our travel plans and growth journeys.

To that point, I have travel updates: Scott's American citizenship interview is this Thursday, the 5th. We're praying for peace beyond understanding for Scott as he sits in the hot seat of this interview, which will decide so much of our future plans.

Not knowing how any of this immigration stuff would turn out or when he could leave the country, I booked a trip to Mexico as my first solo nomadic trip— excited to catch you up on those details next week.

Feeling vulnerable,

Jennifer

PS- Did you miss a part of the journey? Check out the 🌎Notes from the Wilderness blog posts in the Loto Journal to catch up.

PSS- These are pics of the mushrooms and earth alter we created after foraging last week.

A recent op-ed in The Atlantic, cited these statistics about Americans ages 25-54: The percentage of people who say they don’t have close friends has increased fourfold since 1990. More than half of Americans say that no one knows them well.

I’m here to tell you that virtual community can be a lifeline for many of us feeling isolated and lonely. If you are want to feel seen and live in community with like-minded people, consider attending one of our online events or in-person retreats, and join our virtual community, The Collective 🪷, on Facebook and WhatsApp.