Where ever you go… There you are.

Maybe because I have been such complete crap at keeping up my blog, or maybe because I have spent far too many weekends in fields with pikies listening to the most amazing grimey dub step this side of the pond, maybe it is just to teach this overly enthusiastic smiling squirrel a hard life lesson about planning, keeping hopes up and expecting all to turn out as planned, well it doesn’t matter because the universe in the last two days has completely shite all over my lap, and I am left in a state of bewilderment, and awe at the ability for everthing to come crashing down in a matter of 24 hours.. What is there left to do but smile about it and get on with it, plan B I would like to call it..

So what are these detremental goings on that have occured, well lend me your ear.

I know now that my good bike karma has been used up, funny after six years working for the man at a bike shop you’d think you’d have enough good bike karma to last you at least two years, but offically and unfortunatley mine has gone full circle and I am left with nothing more than a crumpled, squashed top tube on my lovely lass, and a basket full of parts. I left my bike locked up on a railing for the past few days and when I brought her down to get safely inside for my extened absence I noticed some damn rude boys had tried to theft her, not sucessfully but those persistant buggers did such a great job at trying to get her, that they indeed destroyed her beyond use, the top tube is crunched like a stomped on soda can, oh kind of the way my heart felt when I saw what had happened to my baby. No worries though right?! She served me well, and I can hopefully get the frame replaced from the lovely folks at Cannondale when I rock back to Chicago, did I mention how much I Love my Cannondale?!

The new color of the ’08 cyclocross frames are Brown right?!

Oh dear and if that just didn’t poop on my day it gets better!

Today is/was departure day for the Fantastic Gladys, the Green Goddess that was converted into a fire spitting beast, We were to drive her down to Plymouth and take a 36 hour ferry ride into Bilbao Spain. Everything was going smoothly, I even got over to the meeting place at Doubles the night before just to be chipper and ready for a day of loading and preperation before heading on the road. We were to be first on site at Nowhere, setting up the first camp, unloading impossible amounts of gear, dancing around in a rockstar fashion by the slowly waxing moon, but alas, the ol’ Universe had/has other plans for me.

On a mission for the last groceries and money changing I some how managed to Lose or get thefted my wallet which contained 200 pounds, my Drivers license, Passport and all my chances of leaving as planned on the ferry. OH POOP! of all times for this to happen,
I am gutted, screwed, and at the mercy of the American Embassy to get me and emergency replacement.

Please, please, please.

I promise I like America, and I promise to be happy to be back in the states at least for a little while if the Embassy will grant me such a favor.

peeps wish me luck.

it can’t get any worse,

by the way, big count down to the re-emergance into the home of the free, Is anyone going to be in Chicago when I get back on the 17th?

would like to arrange some $1.00 bottles of PBR at the L & L or some other equally seedy pub..

love you everyone, and see you soon.

Hopefully I will be going to Nowhere on Friday but should have ample time to keep ya’ll updated on this little fiasco..

xxoo

sister squirrell

LOOK AT ME

Oh dear, if London were a fairy cake,(a cup cake to you americans) then my friends would be the icing, the parties would be the sprinkles, and my brothers Goat, Duck and Hare would be the cherries. Yet another few weeks have been gobbled up dearies, I see myself counting down once again at unemployment.. In 4 weeks it will be time to take good ol’ gladys the green goddess down to spain and It is time for NoWhere.

Last weekend was the fun raiser for Nowhrere, the pics are thanks to Axel, now that my poor little camera was finally put to rest.. I do believe I was having a bit a too much fun to be taking photos anyway. I would like to thank Brother Goat and Brother Duck for letting me do some fancy dancing to their lovely music.. I still want to try to busk in Brighton before I go home.. (hint hint)

So yes the fun raiser was a hit, a success, a sparkly spangly, hott diggity good time….

YAY! to everyone who helped out and everyone who stayed late and Of course thanks to those who made the Pub after party one to remember or forget depending on your state of things.. a big hug from London town.

see all you yankies soon

love jess

aka

sister squirrell

PS!!! I found a pottery studio and have been throwing pots! Oh happy day! watch out Ninjas I see some gifting your way…

PPS.. Adam is taking me to Built to Spill tonight! The best Indie rock band that ever was.. WHOOPIE!

cant seem to get the smiles off my face

smooches
SS

Tomorrow, April 20th, is exactly one year ago that I left America,

So much has happend, I have changed so much, and whoo-hoo, can say that It didn’t work out the way I had planned but you just have to go with the flow, all the time. Plans change situations become unnerving or unhealthy, far away destinations beckon. And I must say that the best thing I ever did in my life was quit my job after saving almost 2 and 1/2 years and buy a one way ticket out of America, I may be sound harsh on the old home land these days, but the view from the outside is quite different from being in, there is alot out here in this big world, and too often friends or relatives say that they wish they could do what I am doing, but dont have the time, money. ect. It is a commitment, but wholly possible for anyone to travel, and I encourage anyone thinking of doing it, to just buy the ticket and sort the rest out later.

Love hugs and wander lust

miss jess

Well I didn’t forget, but seem to think that not much has been going on, in fact that isn’t the case much has been going on.

Solemn fact one. I have purchased a ticket back to America for July 17th, please spread the word that I do demand a party and fan fair at my return to Chicago Ohare. Afraid to say it had to be done, my folks are missing me, and I have a niece to play with.

SO with all that solemnness aside, I have lots to look forward to and have been getting down to much scrumptousness and planning for Nowhere here in London. The sanwiching gig is going as well as it could be and with the pound now doubling the dollar I can look forward to padding my travel fund for late this year for yet another adventure out side of America, (you see how I am? not even back and already planning and plotting an escape)

Last weekend I attended a wonderful cabert show in Brighton to fundraise for the Burrows at Nowhere, there was stapiling 5, and 10 pound notes to bodies, nails being hammererd into noses, granny striptreasing, fancy fan dancing, ukelele playing by the fantastic Brother Goat, exotic women doing perilious costume changes in cardboard boxes whist avoiding being stabbed by sharpened stakes, and of course the flight of the bumblebee interpertations. Oh no that wasn’t all, but I guess you just had to be there. Followed by a night in the park with skanky drum and bass on a portable PA. And when the Brighton police arrived they said

“Keep it Tidy” and left like a whisper in the night.

Oh goodness just another reason the UK is superior to America.

In America we would have all been hauled off or had guns shoved in our faces, not that this has happened to me before in America, but I just imagine that is how it would go down.

Another project that I am currently working on is getting a Old army fire truck out fitted with a PA system and propane throwers on either side, I will be helping to get this baby down to Spain for Nowhere, I must get it from my pops when it comes to liking big trucks.

So besides that it has been relatively calm.. HA! just kidding, I forgot to mention the Hoe-down in Brockely a few weeks back where we had a warming fire with corn bread and baked beans on toast, I taught clogging to a few speical ones and felt for a moment like I was in the hills in North Carolina not in a park in central London.

so kids the good times keep on coming, there is talk of a cycle down to Brighton (50 miles one way eek!) in a few weeks time and of course more good times in the city, so I am sigining off. with love hugs and smiles from a fantastic spring time in London

big hugs

miss jess

ps if anyone knows of some potters in london who would graciously give me studio space for a pennance let me know, I am desperate.

xxoo

Hello my lovelies,

So most of you know that I made it back safe and sound in good old London town, It has been a busy week indeed. I have succeeded in participating in a fantastic party this past weekend at Ninja Adams house, reunited with many old friends, met some lovely new friends too, started training for my new route at my old job delievering sandwiches AND, yes And folks secured a new place to live, a little place I can call my own. I even have a white picket fence.

I can’t believe it was me laying on a beach in Goa a little more than a week ago, indeed I have jumped right back into the swing of things, getting involved with Nowhere, looking for a new pottery studio, and volunteering as a costumed bartender at my friend’s performance next weekend.

I feel busy, involved and loved here in London, Actually Like I could forgive this city for its terrible weather. So for the next few months this blog won’t so much be about me travelling long distances, but about a little insight into my life here, and a beautiful life it is..

I will be posting my India photos soon, keep an eye out for the next post,

until next time
**hugs**
miss jessica

Back to London.

I have written and rewritten this silly entry almost five times, nothing I want to say is coming out easily in words, but I must before the last six months fade away as I touch down into another reality and I am consumed (by our mad western ways) once again, hopefully I will not forget the lessons I have learned on this ramble.. The people I have met, the growth that has occured. The question of why I ended up in these parts and colided with others on the same path.

Oh indeed time to ponder these things out.

The epic stiuatons, adventures and cultivation of new ideas,

see random list of memories:::

Rani Ghat trek in Tansen
Foraging with the local women in Palpa
Koras in Tibet
Crossing the Himalaya
Ram daiis place in Kathmandu
smoky Yak chip teahouses in Tibet
seeing the Ganga cystal blue in Rishekesh
Train rides in Inida
The backalleys of Varanasi
The ardh Mela (YAY ninga adam and drunken nurse!)
Sunsets on the volcanic mountains in gorkana
learning to drive a motorbike
meeting giant Kiwis

See little poem about mumbai::

Colonial Decay
in gothic trainstations
the Massive cathedrals and Mosques
share the skyline
bright saris
counteract
the grime
choking and congested in the roundabouts
8 deep
uncannily like london
Highrises next to corrugated iron shacks
The masses
co- existing
in this chaotic harmony

Thank you India, Nepal and Tibet….. Bye bye for now

Hello UK>

miss jessica

A big Happy Holi from Mumbai!

Holi is the festival that marks the end of winter. It is celebrated by throwing lots of tikka powder and water on everyone. Lots of Colured Powder, lots of sweets, lots of cows in the streets and last night heaps of fireworks and loud music and festivities. But I wasn’t there celebrating. I just happened to be in a place where I could hear all the merriment taking place.

This morning I was released from a ten day meditation course, that I voluntary took. I say released because for ten days there is no speaking, no dancing or singing, no eye contact, no reading or writing, nothing but meditation. Kind of remincent of Jail. Closed eyes meditation for that matter. Nothing to do but observe the sensations in the body. Actually first observing the breathe and then the sensations in the body.

So for the last ten days from 4am in the morning to 9 pm at night I meditated. and sat. and meditated and sat. meditated and sat some more of course I meditated some more too.

So the question is how do I feel?

I feel the best I have ever felt in my life.

The mad thing is that It wasn’t me who decided to do the course, my subconscious did the work, got the ticket out of Gorkana, got on the train, made my way to some far out destination in Mumbai and completed the course.

I had even written a blog entry saying I was going to do Vipassana but decided to delete it at the last moment because I felt I was not going to complete it. But here is to showing myself up. I did want to quit. I did cry and pout a few times, I did have to sneak doing handstands in my room to burn off some energy because I could just not take sitting still any longer.

But everytime I wanted to quit, I just tried that much harder, and I came out successful. Thanks to the teaching I came out successful.

My goodness how good it feels.

I am so blessed to be on this beautiful earth, with such loving friends, relatives, and stranges whom I come into contact with everyday. I am so blessed to have the strength to overcome my weaknesses, and Indeed I am so blessed to have 10 more days to enjoy India. Ten more days…

Then back to London town

the good news is I have a job when I get back and a huge family of friends who can’t wait to see me (and an enchanted forest party to attend on st. patties day)

After these ten days in mediation, I can feel so much love in myself, I feel the bliss and compassion that I generate that comes out in waves to the world. And I can see it is already working. I see nothing but smiles from the people I meet. Nothing but laughter in the streets.

May all beings be happy.

Love jessica

Oh goodness, seems like there has been much going on in my life these days, too much in fact that I am a neglector in my own bloggy, not to mention calling home not as much (sorry mom and dad) the truth is that I was blessed enough for a travelling friend of mine from Nepal to suprise me and meet up with me. The more I am alone the more I write, so you guessed it, Alone again I bee. All for the better though, I guess….

After Hampi, we headed to Gorkana on the Arabian sea, I love saying that. The Arabian Sea. Even if I was the bittiiest bit sad about being solo again all I would have to do is remind myself that it is freaking winter for all of my loved ones in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning if I had never quit my job at Kozy’s like I did about a year ago, I’d be biking through snow and ice to get to work, sub zero temps, long johns under jeans, I mean really…

Life isn’t so bad, Winter is one of those things I do not miss, and as I sit on the beach and watch the sunset again over the sea, I can’t almost believe it was me a year ago riding my bike through the snow in Chicago. I have changed, so much has changed and I am realizing that I could never go back to what I was doing there, so the good news is that there is no where to go but UP!

I am staying in gorkana for about a week then I am off to hippy bootcamp, I will explain more on that later 🙂 just wanted to send my love and let you all know I am well, I have been thinking of everyone alot lately, mainly my friends Pete in La La land and also Gina from chi-town, where are you?! let me know you are okay..

big love from the sandy depths of my heart

jessica

Greetings again my lovelies,

I am in a state of complete bliss these days. Funny how sickness can rob you of all the light out of your life for that moment and make everything a complete challenge. Then when unburdened and full again of energy the light comes pouring in and all is good.

I have been following my heart, going when it feels right and staying until I feel fullfilled from a place, it has been good. letting intuition take over for awhile. Lots of my time has been really meditating on life and what I want to become of the next year. Manifesting good thoughts and soaking in this world around me. To be in a place with so much history, and soul has an effect that will never cease to amaze me.

This morning crossing the river, on a short cut.. ended up falling in and swimming with an elephant. Just jumping in when you meant to amble across is sometimes a delightful way to enjoy yet another day in paradise. I am staying here in Hampi for a few more days and then on to Gokarna, a beach with cheap huts on the beach and from what I hear amazing thali, I have more adventures to tell, but internet is crazy expensive and to tell you the real truth sometimes there are better things to do than hang out on the internet all day…..

So with big love I send off,

Om shiva Ray!

jessica

When we last left off I was all fired up for a mission to the Ardh Mela, the biggest religious gathering in the world.. Well I started all fired up only to be a little shot down by the 100km train ride that took 9 hours, a interesting (read freezing) night in the park, and a bout of dysentery, yes folks this can all happen within the span of 24 hours, Ahh the lovely joys of travelling. Despite the cold and sickness the Mela was a sight to behold. Millions of pilgrims camped out awaiting the most auspiscious time to bathe in the Ganges, At day break we headed down to the bank, swathed in blankets sniffling, looking like some badly mistreated western refugees, I think we fit right in. Thousands of people took the plunge with more and more arriving by the bus load, With our health deterioating by the second, we made the move to get back to Varanasi.

I thought I was Little Miss Iron stomach, eating all the 15 rupee thali, and street food any Daba could throw my way, well I have been defeated. I am not little miss Iron stomach. I have been renamed little miss poopie pants, I would love to spare you all the details of this foray, but really it is quite funny that little “stomach problems” in addition to a head cold can lead to the demise of a week. I haven’t had Thali, or a beer in over a week now, good for the clarity of mind, but not so much for entertainment now that Nurse is on his way to Pakastin and Ninja Adam is wooing all the hoimies in London with his monkieness.

Saying so long to my travelling buddies from London, I find myself alone for the first time in weeks. A whole room to myself, I can tweak out everything I own and have it strewn about, I can dance in front of the mirror in my panties, and I can even read a book until 3am if I choose, sometime this solidarity thing has alot going for it. Not that I am really ever alone, I am making new friends every time I step out the door. I don’t like so much the tales I have to tell these lovely Indian people like my “husband” is waiting for me at the next town, or yes my four children are with their grandmother, Here in India I wouldn’t say you have to lie, but it does make life alot easier. I have a good story that I stick to and if I happen to have a man around he is my husband…

I am in Puri now, I made it to the Ocean, well the Bay of bengal to be exact. The air is salty, the fish is fresh and the town itself is Shanti (peaceful) I spent the day riding a old clunker of a bike around town, getting lost and wooing electric fix it men into repairing my water heater for free YAY Grrrl power!

Also I am happy I met a Pharmacist that actually has the cure for my dysentery. WHoopie, Thali and a beer even maybe in the not too distant future, Heading south to Chennai (madras) by the end of the week, I have 52 more days in India, got to make them count.

and for all my homies in Chicago who give one poo about them

Go Bears!!

don’t blow it..

love, hugs, and sunshiney days
jessica