6/16/2014
Today marked a huge page being turned in my life, Velma’s life, and in the unfoldment of the vision of Operation: Wanderlust.
Today, she was passed on to a fellow adventurer for another rebirth.
A lot has transpired since I last put this blog down. Too much to cover like this, but basically, my understanding of what I need to do out here in this Big, Beautiful, Crazy world has radically shifted in the past year, or maybe not so much shifted, but became clear… in either case, this has resulted in several significant changes to what Operation: Wanderlust will look like:
#1. Velma will not be a part of this vision unfoldment
#2. I will be wanderlusting alone.
Today, I’ll share a story about #1.
So, I have been trying to sell Velma for awhile now. Last winter, Velma’s second winter as a resident in our friend’s yard, it became clear to me that this particular camper was not going to be the way Operation: Wanderlust was going to be going down, for a lot of reasons… and it was time to just own up to the changes that had occurred and to begin the process of seeing her off to a new family.
Unfortunately, the value and vision that I saw in her was not shared by many who found themselves on the market for a camper.
Over and over, I experienced the high of hope as a potential buyer would come along, and then the crash of disappointment when they would no call, no show. I watched myself lower the price, over and over, to depths that I absolutely would have scoffed at when I began this process. I promised my friends I would get her off their property before summer, and I was fearfully watching the days come faster and faster toward summer, with still no buyers. Two weeks ago, I made a promise to get her off by today, with still no plan on how I was going to do that. As I lowered the price drastically and begged Craigslisters all over to wave their pitiful offers at me, there was a flurry of interest from several directions… but by Friday last week, I was not feeling confident at all that I was going to be able to sell her, which would mean that I needed to find a way to transport her to somewhere that I still wasn’t entirely concrete about. I’d like to think that my lack of concrete Plan B was a reflection of the still there, but thin thread of faith that I had, that SOMETHING… any. thing. Would pull through.
I’m a sucker for a miraculous ending.
Well, I got it.
A photographer who lives in the NH & NC areas both, Shawn Tomkinson (http://www.shawntphoto.com/#) replied to my ad Friday night. She told me that her mother, Irene would reach out to me the next day to facilitate a conversation about setting up a showing because she was to be away photographing a wedding.
I expected to have a conversation about setting up a showing. What I had was a conversation that I will tell this story about forevermore.
At some point during the conversation, I say “It is my hope that my abandoned dream can be someone else’s new adventure.” To which she tells me how this is their dream too, and that they are planning on keeping her name Velma, having a blog about the experience of her rebirth, and carrying her legacy forward. Needless to say, I was just vibrating with excitement. This is EXACTLY what I would have wanted for her!!
So, this prompts Irene to ask me, “So what’s your dream?”
I tell her about how I feel it in my bones that I am meant to roam, that I still don’t know how I’m going to do it, but that I have to stop just talking about it, I have to do it. I tell her how sometimes I want to drive, sometimes a train, sometimes walk… that I haven’t pinned down the how, but it’s coming together. I tell her how this pull has gotten so strong, I’ve done drastic things to pursue it. I tell her a tremendous amount more than I would tell most anybody else who would respond to a Craigslist ad, but it felt right.
Today marked a huge page being turned in my life, Velma’s life, and in the unfoldment of the vision of Operation: Wanderlust.
Today, she was passed on to a fellow adventurer for another rebirth.
A lot has transpired since I last put this blog down. Too much to cover like this, but basically, my understanding of what I need to do out here in this Big, Beautiful, Crazy world has radically shifted in the past year, or maybe not so much shifted, but became clear… in either case, this has resulted in several significant changes to what Operation: Wanderlust will look like:
#1. Velma will not be a part of this vision unfoldment
#2. I will be wanderlusting alone.
Today, I’ll share a story about #1.
So, I have been trying to sell Velma for awhile now. Last winter, Velma’s second winter as a resident in our friend’s yard, it became clear to me that this particular camper was not going to be the way Operation: Wanderlust was going to be going down, for a lot of reasons… and it was time to just own up to the changes that had occurred and to begin the process of seeing her off to a new family.
Unfortunately, the value and vision that I saw in her was not shared by many who found themselves on the market for a camper.
Over and over, I experienced the high of hope as a potential buyer would come along, and then the crash of disappointment when they would no call, no show. I watched myself lower the price, over and over, to depths that I absolutely would have scoffed at when I began this process. I promised my friends I would get her off their property before summer, and I was fearfully watching the days come faster and faster toward summer, with still no buyers. Two weeks ago, I made a promise to get her off by today, with still no plan on how I was going to do that. As I lowered the price drastically and begged Craigslisters all over to wave their pitiful offers at me, there was a flurry of interest from several directions… but by Friday last week, I was not feeling confident at all that I was going to be able to sell her, which would mean that I needed to find a way to transport her to somewhere that I still wasn’t entirely concrete about. I’d like to think that my lack of concrete Plan B was a reflection of the still there, but thin thread of faith that I had, that SOMETHING… any. thing. Would pull through.
I’m a sucker for a miraculous ending.
Well, I got it.
A photographer who lives in the NH & NC areas both, Shawn Tomkinson (http://www.shawntphoto.com/#) replied to my ad Friday night. She told me that her mother, Irene would reach out to me the next day to facilitate a conversation about setting up a showing because she was to be away photographing a wedding.
I expected to have a conversation about setting up a showing. What I had was a conversation that I will tell this story about forevermore.
At some point during the conversation, I say “It is my hope that my abandoned dream can be someone else’s new adventure.” To which she tells me how this is their dream too, and that they are planning on keeping her name Velma, having a blog about the experience of her rebirth, and carrying her legacy forward. Needless to say, I was just vibrating with excitement. This is EXACTLY what I would have wanted for her!!
So, this prompts Irene to ask me, “So what’s your dream?”
I tell her about how I feel it in my bones that I am meant to roam, that I still don’t know how I’m going to do it, but that I have to stop just talking about it, I have to do it. I tell her how sometimes I want to drive, sometimes a train, sometimes walk… that I haven’t pinned down the how, but it’s coming together. I tell her how this pull has gotten so strong, I’ve done drastic things to pursue it. I tell her a tremendous amount more than I would tell most anybody else who would respond to a Craigslist ad, but it felt right.
I know.
I am a Writer/Therapist/Presenter (http://www.irenetomkinson.com). Part of what I do is coach writers. You have a story that you need to express from your soul. I can hear it calling. Start it now! ... Use all of the< travel> methods you described… the whole combination at one time or other. Just begin… one step at a time… one line at a time… and know both journeys… the one by foot and the one by pen, are going to take you home to yourself. I look forward to hearing about your journey…. Velma brought us together.”
I about dropped my phone.
The conversation went back and forth, and I quickly realized what a powerful alliance this is going to be. What a valuable mentor that I know I just met. I know it in my bones. You heard of auspicious moments? This was an auspicious moment. The whole conversation practically sizzled with magic. My heart was beating, tears were flowing… My whole being knew this was going to be big. Every word she said resonated with me as if I were saying it myself. It was if I were meeting someone who already knew where I was going to go. I don’t know how to explain it, but it was awesome.
So…
She came to see Velma on Saturday, and within minutes agreed to buy her and pick her up today – my deadline.
Saved!
She responds. “You are a writer. I am a Writer/Therapist/Presenter (http://www.irenetomkinson.com). Part of what I do is coach writers. You have a story that you need to express from your soul. I can hear it calling. Start it now! ... Use all of the< travel> methods you described… the whole combination at one time or other. Just begin… one step at a time… one line at a time… and know both journeys… the one by foot and the one by pen, are going to take you home to yourself. I look forward to hearing about your journey…. Velma brought us together.”
I about dropped my phone.
The conversation went back and forth, and I quickly realized what a powerful alliance this is going to be. What a valuable mentor that I know I just met. I know it in my bones. You heard of auspicious moments? This was an auspicious moment. The whole conversation practically sizzled with magic. My heart was beating, tears were flowing… My whole being knew this was going to be big. Every word she said resonated with me as if I were saying it myself. It was if I were meeting someone who already knew where I was going to go. I don’t know how to explain it, but it was awesome.
So…
She came to see Velma on Saturday, and within minutes agreed to buy her and pick her up today – my deadline.
Saved!
Fast forward to 6/19…
…It has become exhilaratingly clear to me that Velma truly is going to live on in the hearts and minds of many for some time to come. The wonderfully synchronistic coming together of the Tomkinson family, Velma and I is truly a wonderful new beginning for all of us. Velma’s new family has been sending me photos and updates, and we’ve connected on Facebook so that I can watch as she develops a whole new fanbase.
Seeing the photos of her set up in her new spot and getting a bath (power wash) was akin to seeing my first born settled into her first room in college. Nervous, excited, proud… sad to see her go, but so happy to know that we did everything we could to set her up for success. She’s going to do so well out there.
Seeing the photos just confirmed that all the waiting, all of the price reducing, and all of the drama was all in perfect alignment. In humbling myself to the financial realities of the market, I finally just gave it all up. I stopped holding on to how I wanted this to turn out, I gave up any ideas I had about how I would manage to get her onto her next adventure…. and Friday afternoon, while I was awaiting some other potential buyers, I just sat quietly on Velma’s couch … and I surrendered the outcome. I spoke out loud as I handed over this situation as I had been handling it and asked the Universe, the Great Mystery, the Spirit of All Things (insert your preferred deity name here) to take it and do with it what is meant to be done. I stated clearly that I no longer had any expectations of how I thought it should be done. I was open to whatever resolution came forward. I gave thanks for the outcome that I already knew would arrive and I affirmed that I was ready for the outcome.
Within a few hours I had a text from Shawn, making an offer.
This – surrender - is important for me to have learned right now, as I have big dreams for the future… and not all of them are going to turn out as I envision them today. It doesn’t mean that I failed or don’t have control… it just may mean that something even better is on the horizon… and I just can’t see it yet.
Well, bring it on…
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to ALL of YOU who supported Operation: Wanderlust through supporting Jen and I with Velma. Your generosity will never be forgotten and will go down in history... just like Velma will!!!
Jon & Leah - Thank You to the moon and back for lending us your side yard for so long. We ALL appreciate it!
Jen - Endless gratitude for helping me so instrumentally in chasing my dream. Without your love, support, generosity of spirit, time, and energy, Velma, Operation: Wanderlust, nor I would be as healthy as we are today. Thank You Dearly.
Friends, Family, New Friends, and New Family, may all of our blood, sweat, and tears, go down with the legacy of Velma.
PS. Please stay tuned for updates to this website and another post to share Velma’s new blog with her new family!
…It has become exhilaratingly clear to me that Velma truly is going to live on in the hearts and minds of many for some time to come. The wonderfully synchronistic coming together of the Tomkinson family, Velma and I is truly a wonderful new beginning for all of us. Velma’s new family has been sending me photos and updates, and we’ve connected on Facebook so that I can watch as she develops a whole new fanbase.
Seeing the photos of her set up in her new spot and getting a bath (power wash) was akin to seeing my first born settled into her first room in college. Nervous, excited, proud… sad to see her go, but so happy to know that we did everything we could to set her up for success. She’s going to do so well out there.
Seeing the photos just confirmed that all the waiting, all of the price reducing, and all of the drama was all in perfect alignment. In humbling myself to the financial realities of the market, I finally just gave it all up. I stopped holding on to how I wanted this to turn out, I gave up any ideas I had about how I would manage to get her onto her next adventure…. and Friday afternoon, while I was awaiting some other potential buyers, I just sat quietly on Velma’s couch … and I surrendered the outcome. I spoke out loud as I handed over this situation as I had been handling it and asked the Universe, the Great Mystery, the Spirit of All Things (insert your preferred deity name here) to take it and do with it what is meant to be done. I stated clearly that I no longer had any expectations of how I thought it should be done. I was open to whatever resolution came forward. I gave thanks for the outcome that I already knew would arrive and I affirmed that I was ready for the outcome.
Within a few hours I had a text from Shawn, making an offer.
This – surrender - is important for me to have learned right now, as I have big dreams for the future… and not all of them are going to turn out as I envision them today. It doesn’t mean that I failed or don’t have control… it just may mean that something even better is on the horizon… and I just can’t see it yet.
Well, bring it on…
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to ALL of YOU who supported Operation: Wanderlust through supporting Jen and I with Velma. Your generosity will never be forgotten and will go down in history... just like Velma will!!!
Jon & Leah - Thank You to the moon and back for lending us your side yard for so long. We ALL appreciate it!
Jen - Endless gratitude for helping me so instrumentally in chasing my dream. Without your love, support, generosity of spirit, time, and energy, Velma, Operation: Wanderlust, nor I would be as healthy as we are today. Thank You Dearly.
Friends, Family, New Friends, and New Family, may all of our blood, sweat, and tears, go down with the legacy of Velma.
PS. Please stay tuned for updates to this website and another post to share Velma’s new blog with her new family!