First: the weekend. Though I had to work at 6am both Saturday and Sunday (typical race manager schedule), I was able to spend the entirety of Saturday afternoon and evening at Nelson's Ledges Quarry Park for a large portion of ClassicFest. I've never been to the Ledges, and honestly hadn't even heard of the park until recently. It's apparently a big camping and festival site here in Ohio that often caters to the "hippie" crowd. Not too long ago, I would have avoided a place like that like the plague, hating to be around drinkers and substance users. I don't do either myself and for ages I felt incredibly uncomfortable in those situations. Lately, though, I've been getting in touch with my "inner hippie" more and more often, through meditation, yoga, spiritual reconnection, and other activities - remember when I started with that drum circle last year? So when the opportunity to see some tribute bands for my favorite groups came up, I was actually intensely curious about being a part of this festival.
Heading out to the Ledges ended up being one of the most fun events I've ever attended. Not only was there excellent music all day (including Rush tribute band Limelight and Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction), there was also hiking and rock climbing and swimming and even a little bit of cave exploring. I took a couple quick photos but for the most part I was too busy enjoying the amazing park to have my phone out! There were tons of people, and many of them were using substances of all sorts, but for the first time, I didn't feel out of place or nervous or uncomfortable. I'm learning that it doesn't matter what those people are doing. I'm there for me, and for the people I choose to spend my time with, not for the people I don't know. And those people are there for themselves. I did interact with other people, but it was always pleasant and respectful, making the experience even more enjoyable.
My Saturday culminated in a fantastic Floyd tribute band performance from Several Species, right on the beach at the Ledges. Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band, and their music was the perfect soundtrack for the evening. So many great songs - and a giant flying pig - kept me moving and grooving all night long. I'm not even sure I have words for the way I felt being a part of that concert... I definitely won't ever forget it! The fire dancing on the shore afterwards kept the streaking lights and driving beats alive in my head and heart even after Several Species left the stage, tattooing the whole venture into my soul.
Then today, I came home to an unexpected surprise: a perfectly-timed package from an old favorite! I've been a huge fan of Sapphire Soul since day one, and it has helped me grow my soulistic side by leaps and bounds over the past months. Now under the even more fitting name "Soulistic Life", this monthly subscription box continues to blow my mind. In fact, every new package speaks even more directly to my own soul and situation that I'm starting to wonder if the Universe created these boxes specifically for ME! Today's surprise is just a small sampler of the May box, which had been called "Go Smudge Yourself With Soul", but even my little taste is amazing and inspirational! I received a handmade smudge fan, some much-needed stress relief incense, and a piece of dumortierite, all of which will help me cleanse some of the tense energy my busy schedule has created in my home. After my festival experience taught me to just chill out a little more, this is such an ideal follow-up ritual to perform to keep those good vibes alive!
I'm way late in posting my review of the April Soulistic Life box "Gypsy Magic" (video unboxing here) AND of the April Ashi Box "Goddess Within" (video unboxing here), but every new box I receive from the inspirational ladies who created them always seems to carry a message specifically written for my heart. Today's Soulistic Life "fortune cookie" was, to use an industry term, "dead-on-balls accurate":
Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.My divorce is finally over, my career track is heading in a direction that I actually enjoy, I'm pushing myself to do things I never imagined possible... My life is coming together so wonderfully as a direct result of things that, at the time, felt like the worst possible situation. All of these constant reminders telling me it's only going to keep getting better? I'm starting to believe them...
What speaks to YOUR soul? How has experience changed your perception of something? How do you live a Soulistic Life of your own?
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