Blog
Arriving at the Castle-event | Day 105 of my 2023 Journal
The place itself is simple and beautiful, very rural. The landscape of marsh, trees, birds singing, and storks. Green beautiful springtime. The castle is cozy and welcoming. And the people were, for some part, people we had already met, some of them new to us.
I was, in many ways, a strange child | Day 104 of my 2023 Journal
When I met the community of homeschoolers, it was like walking through the closet in the first Narnia book (the darkness and Insecurity of the radical choice) to find myself in a sparking and beautiful social world of what I today call Real People.
The French Alpes - Sometimes van life is just perfect | Day 103 of my 2023 Journal
We ARE willing to go far outside our comfort zone, yet we also want to focus on what matters the most in the given situation.
We realize finding peace is very much about being ready. Ready to be ready.
We realize finding peace is very much about being ready. Ready to be ready.
Home Sweet Roadtrip | Day 102 of my 2023 Journal
Viareggio was a lovely rest; oh, did we enjoy sleeping in our own beds. We chose this spot because there was some street art at the harbor and some sculptures on the mole.
The privilege of documents | Day 101 of my 2023 Journal
Five years on the roads, and I see the pattern. The marketplaces are worked by the same products and same people; more or less, the landmarks and main evening hangout places worked by the same group, selling the same products, just as the white blankets with sneakers and bags are worked by the same people. People without documents. Good people without options.
One hundred | Day 100 of my 2023 Journal
In the silent chapel, one message came clearly to me: Let peace fall upon you. In my life, it was my grandmother's words, and now God did a replay for me, reminding me of peace. I always pray for clarity, for help to find my way through life, and the message was to let peace enter.
Hope is not an illusion | Day 99 of my 2023 Journal
Hope is not an illusion. Hope lifts us out of what is; hope is how we transcend. Not just spiritually but on all levels of life. When we dare to hope, we lift out of the gravity of what is and move into becoming.
The same boat | Day 98 of my 2023 Journal
It is so easy to be annoyed with other people, and it is a common trap to believe your perspective is proper and that others got it wrong. I sometimes talk with other radical people, and even in these conversations, it is easy to condemn those inside the box. Feeling smarter and better. Let us not forget we all have a journey, and we are all worthy.
Just hanging out | Day 97 of my 2023 Journal
Just hanging out is a great luxury. In the morning, we all did our thing: The teenagers went for a walk and a croissant at the vegan, gluten-free bakery they had found, I did some morning shopping for the family, my husband did his yoga, and the youngest caught up with some sleep.
The memories | Day 96 of my 2023 Journal
Why do we travel to see churches we might forget? Why do we read books that might fade from our memory? Well. Because we are alive. Because the process of living, of leaning into the universe, touching the people we meet, absorbing from what is, adjusting to the immediate changes, or initiating them is what we do as humans.
Slow down | Day 95 of my 2023 Journal
Work is when we engage and take part. But the concept has become hollow, focused only on the monetary outcome. This is part of the suppression of women, of artists, and of freedom. When work became measurable by money and with the invention of the concept of BNP, the understanding of value changed, and we lost the awe of the very important work done by especially women.
Steepest decent | Day 94 of my 2023 Journal
Sometimes I feel like a sheep when in big crowds of tourists. Yet at the same time, I am happy for all the other people who get to visit epic places and enjoy the cultural history or the wonders of nature as long as I can find the steepest decent fast when I need it.
Pantheon and Trastevere | Day 93 of my 2023 Journal
I am not particularly focused on my children learning world history. It is one of the many things that happen by itself while living a life with enough time. Whatever puzzles us, we can dive into it. We have time.
The things we learn | Day 92 of my 2023 Journal
Every week, write down the things we learned that week. I am sure I would gain a lot of peace of mind from doing such an exercise regularly. All loose ends tied in my mind. Anchoring of decisions, knowledge, and new info.
Pisa and Lucca | Day 91 of my 2023 Journal
The leaning tower of Pisa truly is a must. So we went. To take the pictures, all the stupid ones and some extra stupid ones. Like everyone else. The vibe of these places is quite enjoyable. Everyone is having fun.
The importance of time | Day 90 of my 2023 Journal
We have to ask ourselves why we have an epidemic of depression and of stress reactions. Both of these psychological states are about not being aligned with time, happy to be present in life.
Florence | Day 89 of my 2023 Journal
Visiting the David is garnished with masterpieces of Florentine art from the 15th and 16th centuries. We have seen a lot in this genre before, and it could have been a replay. It was not. This museum truly holds masterpiece after masterpiece. We moved slowly.
My minimalist wardrobe | Day 88 of my 2023 Journal
We have to face our modern society and how consumerism is consuming us. And our world. It is extremely hard to stop. We keep buying stuff, we keep accumulating, and we find new things to want all the time.
Playing games | Day 87 of my 2023 Journal
Playing games with each other creates a space for confirming our codependence, our ethical stand, and in the end, our love for each other. It also creates a space where we all agree on following the same rules for a while.
Florence American Cemetery | Day 86 of my 2023 Journal
Walking the graveyard and memorial yesterday with my husband and children and with my sister and her children sparked good conversations and deep thoughts. My oldest son just read a book where war is a deadly sin as it is an extreme waste of resources, the most valuable resources of all. I am reading Dante and on a similar thought pattern. So, we had an interesting conversation.
Where are we now?
Want to stay up to date with our travels and podcast? Then sign up for our weekly newsletter
We hate spam too. Unsubscribe at any time.
Hi, I'm Cecilie Conrad
Cancer-surviving psychologist, former single-parent; co-sleeping, yogi, gluten-free, primarily plant-eating; happily married, stay-at-home, organic barefooted hippie and mother of four, living in a bus, knitting teddy bears and learning languages, counseling and enjoying sunsets.
Coaching: Do You Need My Help?
I advise personally and from the heart, present and releasing. I know the way out of the darkness and the frustrations, the way to your true self, the way you must go to live an amazing life.
Listen To Our Weekly Podcast
Conversations about Unschooling, Traveling, Parenting, Money, Freedom, and what it means to live a self-directed life.