Barefoot With Nature

As we experience life and get older we can look back and see that there are certain landmark events that either signifies the beginning or the end of different periods of our lives. Sometimes these can be changes in jobs or career paths, changes in where you live, changes in relationships, some of these periods can be significant landmarks others minor landmarks but all changes.

New beginnings are nearly always started by change, for some these new beginnings pass unnoticed as they drift through life, for others each period in their life has a deeper more spiritual meaning.

Change Is The Only Constant

Change is the only constant; that has to be one of my favourite sayings and it really is so true, everything is changing all the time, nothing ever stands still; nothing, especially Nature.

If we as human beings are to grow then we to must change also, as the world around us changes then we must respond to those changes in our own ways.

My Story

I haven’t shared much of my life story with you up until now but that will be changing over the coming months, but more on that in moment. Let me tell you a little about myself and why it is time for change.

Almost three years ago I split up with my partner of eight years; the separation was relatively amicable, all things considered. At the time I took a lease on a small flat on the edge of town close to the fields and woods, surrounded by trees. For me the perfect location, not only a five minute walk to open countryside but also a ten minute walk to work, this change signified the end of one period of my life and the beginning of another.

My job is nothing taxing or difficult, but it is extremely satisfying for me. I work in a small coffee shop selling hot drinks and snacks at the local train station. What’s even better is that I work the early shift, which means that I am normally finishing work when everyone else is starting! I also get the rest of the day to do as I please.

Everything Seems Perfect

So for the past three years I have been living on my own, in a wonderful location doing a job that I enjoy, I have plenty of free time to develop any ideas that I have and to generally explore life. This past three years have been a period of personal and spiritual exploration and growth for me, a time to discover who I am, what I want to do, where I am going, what my purpose in life is and other such momentous questions. The answer to all of which I have yet to find.

It’s Time For Change

So why is it time to change? Everything seems to be spot on, what more could I ask for?

Many moons ago I wrote in a blog post (for an old blog of mine) how the meaning of life was experience, not just experience but growth and experience.

Well as perfect as everything is I have grown and experienced as much of life as I can where I am, if I am to grow further as a human being and experience life to its fullest then I am going to have to expand my horizons, I have grown almost as much as I can here, doing what I am doing, at this point in time.

What’s The Change?

For some people this may be very difficult to understand for others it’s perfectly normal, I am being guided to up sticks and move, this all started about twelve months ago, when I got the sudden and unexplainable urge to move to Cornwall (a particularly beautiful part of England, an area that I love very much). At the time I did very little to follow this urge, but it never left me, no matter how much I ignored it or pushed it to the back of my mind, it was always there.

The time to move to Cornwall has now past; that was then, this is now, however the urge to move has not past, not at all and it’s been niggling away at me for the past six months or more. So around the end of last year I decided that was it, I WAS going to move, decision made! Where to I didn’t know, doing what I didn’t know that either, but knowing I was going to move, for me that was enough, so I left the Universe to fill in the gaps.

… and Fill In The Gaps It Did!

I had made the decision, admittedly at this point I had not told anyone, but that’s not the point, the decision was made and as far the Universe was concerned it was written in stone! Within about a week of making the decision to move I had four different and totally unconnected and unrelated people tell me that I would like New Zealand! But still no-one knew of my impending move.

New Zealand

I’m no stranger to New Zealand, although I have yet visit. At University I studied geology and wrote a dissertation on New Zealand, which geologically is a fascinating country. Also I dated a New Zealand girl in my late teens. So I am familiar with the country and to some extent the culture and I must say that I do have a fascination with the country.

Over the following weeks, I was spotting more and more references to New Zealand and its culture, in fact it did seem for a while that everywhere I looked there was something about New Zealand or a New Zealander!

Okay I get the message that the Universe is wanting me to go to New Zealand, so it’s off to New Zealand I go!

The Coffee Shop

Remember my little job, well when I took the job I remember my boss (at the time my father-in-law, but that’s another story altogether) saying that he had always struggled to get someone to cover the morning shifts, as nobody liked getting up at 4.30am, having had horses until I was in my twenties, early mornings are definitely no stranger to me, in fact more of a friend. So with this in mind I thought it best that I have a chat with him about my plans so that he can start looking for someone to take over my shifts.

That’s Odd! No That’s Another Sign

So I told him my plans and that I was planning on finishing work mid to late August this year. In truthfulness I didn’t know what to expect, but what I didn’t expect was him to tell me that he too would be making sweeping changes (I can’t say what because it isn’t public knowledge) and these changes would coincide exactly with my plans. Perfect! Everyone was happy, and because everyone was happy it was the right thing to do.

De-Cluttering, Letting Go, New Beginnings

Three years ago when I moved in here, I did just that, I de-cluttered, let go and started a fresh. I moved in with my trusty laptop, a chest of draws, a desk and a small table, my clothes and about 6 boxes of personal items, a massive debt that was it, that was all I owned at the time, everything! Not even a bed!

I completely de-cluttered on the physical level, it took time to let go on the emotional level, but I made a new start, it was a new beginning and I look back on those days, even though they were only three years ago with a glowing warmth, a sense of anticipation and expectation, a not knowing but having trust that everything will work out as it should.

Extreme De-Cluttering – not for the faint hearted!

So this time I am doing the same I am going to be either selling or giving away everything that I own all apart from that which I will be travelling with and a few, very few personal items that I want to keep hold off for now. Extreme De-Cluttering!

I will go carrying everything I own and will most likely return carrying everything I own. What I will return to, I don’t know, where I will live, I don’t know, what I will do, I don’t know, but what I do know is that so long as I follow the path that I am guided to then I will be in the right place at the right time with the right people and for me that is more than enough.

And now I’m sat here about to go travelling again, with a glowing warmth, a sense of anticipation and expectation, a not knowing but having trust that everything will work out as it should.

Change Is The Only Constant

I don’t know if you know about Dreams, Tarots & Spells, another site of mine where I offer Tarot Readings and Dream Interpretations, well that will be undergoing changes in preparation for my travels as will Bare With Nature, this site.

I plan to be sharing more of my story with you from now on, things that are going on, experiences that I have had, walks in the woods etc. Part of the purpose for us all, is for us to share our stories, this is why Social Media is so popular; it’s a way for us to share our stories. This is something that has really only just dawned upon me, so that is why I will be sharing my life story with you, especially as Barefoot With Nature hits the road, the BWN Roadshow!

I also have plans to add much more to this site but that won’t start until I find somewhere to park myself for a couple of months, most likely when I get back. Exactly what I will be adding, well to be honest I have some ideas but I know that those will change and grow as I travel, and I do look forward to where both sites will be going but as I say I don’t know for sure where that is.

I know this is a longer post than normal, and if you’ve got this far then thank you for taking the time to read a little of my life story as it unfolds, exciting times are ahead of us, not just me but all of us. For now very little will change here, I will add a subscribe box for those that don’t use RSS so that those who wish for follow my story can do.

Blessings
Chris