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Corpus Christi and The Islands: Our First Trip as Part-Time Nomads

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Loaded up and ready to hit the road - from Lake Hefner, OKC (our favorite hang spot at home)

Corpus Christi - Padre & Mustang Islands

If you actually know me, you know how fluid I am and how plans can change at the last minute, and actually.. most of the time the “plans” are just ideas without any concrete commitments anyway. This trip was no different. My son finished up his summer basketball league, I completed a photo shoot the day after, and with two weeks ahead without any real commitments, we launched! On the day of the first Lion’s Gate Portal (8/8), we loaded up the Jeep and headed south to do some tent camping. We just weren’t sure how far south we’d be going.

I had three different campgrounds in mind within a 30-40 mile radius in central Texas, and figured we’d snag whichever one was still available. Ya girl has ADHD though and I don’t always think about allll the necessary details. I’d forgotten how unusual it is to find a reservable campsite online so last minute, especially going into the weekend, since we’ve been camping primarily during the week over recent years. All three campgrounds I’d had in mind were booked up through the weekend! I discovered this not long into our trip, but was pretty unphased. Texas has 89 state parks…I was sure we’d find something to suit us. HA! Of the several, and I mean several campgrounds I searched, I couldn’t find any sites that were available for the days we were looking that weren’t dispersed camping with no water or restrooms (no thanks..not with kids).

So..along we went, further and further south. About three hours into the trip, with the kids asleep completely unknowing, I (or Source, rather) decided on Corpus Christi. We have relatives there and I’d been a few times before but not since I was a teenager. I knew that the beaches are pretty clean and the water is clear. Mustang Island State Park had some available campsites with electric if we decided we wanted that, or we could camp on the beach for free with admission to the park. Corpus had already been an idea of mine, but I didn’t intend to go until October when it wouldn’t be so hot. Buuut I brought my big portable battery and our portable AC, and I knew the kids would be stoked about the beach..so I thought “why not?”. This simple question governs a lot of my travel choices and I think it makes traveling with me so much more adventurous (disastrous if you ask my family), but I guess that’s all up to perception.

When we got there we drove right onto the beach. It was dark and the kids were still asleep, but they woke up pretty quickly to the sounds of crashing waves. We rolled the windows down and sat in tranquility for maybe two good minutes before realizing we had no less than twenty mosquitoes in the car. Huh uh! I’m not proud of what happened next, so I won’t go into detail, but after handling the situation we pretty quickly decided on a hotel for the night. Shoutout to Priceline and the sweet front desk clerk.. we actually ended up getting two nights for the price of one. Not in the original plan, but again…we’re fluuuid baaabyyy.

We were on the beach for the better part of three days, swimming, building sand castles, finding shells, taking fun photos and observing the aquatic life. We spent the first couple nights in the hotel then a couple nights camping on a much less mosquitoey beach at Mustang Island State Park. We ate lots of fruit and got allll the sun, swimming at sunrise and again at sunset, breaking only now and then to eat or take a drive and cool off.

The locals seem to like fishing a LOT, so I imagine if that’s your thing.. you may like to visit the area with your gear. We heard some cool stories about big catches near Flour Bluff/Laguna Madre. We didn’t get out and visit the Navy ship, visit local shops or eat at any cool restaurants, as we tend to opt for easy, close to nature, and budget-friendly when I’m the only adult along (which is usually)… but the Salty K laundromat on Padre Island def gets a five-star rating for vibes and cleanliness!

Most scenic sunrise view I've ever experienced from my tent window - Mustand Island State Park

I’m describing the adventure in pretty surface level terms, but it wouldn’t be very Rambling Hippie of me if I didn’t get at least a liiittle deep. Well that’s easy to do because aside from the obvious excitement and relaxation of the ocean waves and beach time, it was absolutely magical. I know...it’s Texas…Dirty Third Coast.. That probably doesn’t sound magical to everyone, but from start to finish this trip was exactly what my two littles and I needed after a big move and life transition.

Spirit led us to the perfect place, aligned special people with special messages for us while there, and even hooked us up with a free night at the hotel. Three times while there, GPS took us for big detours..for no apparent reason, leading us in perfect counterclockwise circles around entire neighborhoods and even a loop around the core of the city. This was grid healing work. I know grid work is part of the reason I’ve always felt called to travel, but I didn’t expect to be led in the way I was on this trip. From the route we took to get there and all of the signs along the way, to the stunning synchronicities while there, and even on the way back - our higher selves did their thang.

Sunrise swim and beach play

We stretched by the beach at sunrise, meditating to the sounds of the ocean waves and talked about how grateful we are for life and the magic of the moments we were experiencing. We swam while gazing at the golden light reflecting off of each others faces. We held tiny hermit crabs, followed sea snails until they disappeared into the sand, and I got to watch my son and daughter marvel at nature in a way I hadn’t seen in a while. Netflix and YouTube were forgotten, and the arguing between siblings went away for a while as they played and danced and splashed. Even in the heat of the day…sticky, hot, sandy…we were all content.

It felt like liberation. I’m looking forward to a lot more of that.

photo gallery

The first half of this set was taken with my DSLR, the rest are straight off the iPhone.

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Just Go: Full Surrender to Adventure

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In true Ladye fashion, I recently made a BIG jump. We (as in my two younger kids and I) have already been unschooling and traveling more often over the last few years as I’ve been running my creative business in a way that supports flexibility. Now, we’re kicking the adventure up a notch! As things have shifted in my career recently and nudged me to expand my online business, ideas and intentions are coming full circle. It’s time to put this Rambling Hippie show on the ROAD!

The plan in late 2019 was to launch Rambling Hippie and travel domestically in an RV/AirBnbs for a year or so while unschooling/roadschooling, then move on with other plans from there. After a major pivot during the pandemic where I changed careers, moved, gave birth to my baby girl AND a new business endeavor - our travel year dreams were postponed. I figured when my oldest son graduates HS in a couple years, we’d move out of our home, put our things in storage and hit the road for several months…deciding in that time where to buy land and settle down. *If you’re interested, there’s two old blogs about this: Unschooling Dreams and Travel in the Time of Corona

Fast forward a bit-
I’ve been doing business primarily in the Oklahoma canna**s industry for the last four years. I’m very passionate about plant medicine and the work I do to support it, and building a business in this space has been freeing and life changing in so many positive ways. However, with increasing regulatory changes and a number of other industry-wide issues, it has also become a very unstable market and many, if not most of us left have been feeling the squeeze. So while I still love working with my canna**s business clients, I’m shifting to more remote work and offering courses, guides and intuitive coaching for those ready to radically transform themselves and/or their way of doing business.

Digital Marketing Course

Working remotely

Rambling Hippie Weekly Planner

In this transition, big decisions have needed to be made. After much prayer, fasting and meditation, I accepted that the best decision for me and little family in this season was to put our household things in storage and embark on our Rambling Hippie adventures sooner than later. Although not perfectly planned or under the best cirumstances, this decision relieves a significant financial load while giving me the mental and physical wiggle room to get some big projects off the ground. We still have a landing pad in OKC and will be around each month to serve local clients, but we will be also on the road about half of the time.

Can't believe I fit the contents of my entire life in here

Locked and loaded, ready for launch

We’ve already embarked on the first leg of our journey, and will post blogs and content about our travels and adventures! (First trip recap coming soon!) If you’d like to follow along be sure you’re subscribed to e-mail updates. For more real-time content, follow Rambling Hippie on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

If you’d like to support our adventures, I’d LOVE for you to book an intuitive guidance session with me, purchase my digital products or cop some merchandise! I also humbly accept donations sent to $ramblinghippie / @ramblinghippie.

Thanks for simply being here! If you’d like to share what you like about Rambling Hippie and the kinds of content or information you enjoy most or want to see, feel free to drop a comment!

Love, light, and shadow,
Ladye

“There are multiple paths to the same destination.”
— Ladye, Rambling Hippie
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Growth Group Workshop Packet PDF

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**Updated in 2024 Growth Group Workshop packet with assessments, habit tracker, and other tools for self-exploration and alignment. This is a digital product I sell own my shop for $27, provided at no cost to Growth group MEMBERS ONLY. Print and work through the worksheets at your leisure, or make it a whole self-care sesh and put on this Rambling Hippie Podcast episode to walk you through it!

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Abundance Flow - Conscious Vibes YouTube Music Playlist

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This is my personal high vibe music playlist & I'm adding new stuff to it all the time. These are the songs I'm playing every day in my car and home, and my kids know most of them word for word lol. Most of them are conscious and encourage positive introspection. It's so important to me to make sure what I'm feeding myself what keeps my spirit in alignment, whether it's food, social media content, or music. If you enjoy this playlist, let me know some of your favs!

Abundance Flow - Conscious Vibes YouTube Music Playlist

Peace and blessings,
Ladye

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Empowerment Playlist - Motivation & Inspiration to Be the Best You

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One of my private YouTube playlists filled with motivation and empowering videos that make me want to be a better me. I go back and re-listen to them often. We all need to be reminded sometimes of our greatness, and this contains plenty of self-empowerment GOLD. If you're new to a healing/self-improvement path, or even if you've been working on yourself for a while and need some great reminders, I encourage you to dive in and find some inspo that makes you want to dig in deep and keep going. YOU ARE CAPABLE OF LIVING THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS.

Rambling Hippie Empowerment Playlist

If you enjoy this playlist, let me know which are some of your favorite videos! I’ll add to this playlist periodically as I come across more aligned inspiration.

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Complete Samadhi Series - Pt 1, II, and III

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Samadhi, (Sanskrit: “total self-collectedness”) in Indian philosophy and religion, and particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, the highest state of mental concentration or awareness that people can achieve while still bound to the body and which unites them with the highest reality.

Below is a link to the three part Samadhi series. If you are on a path of ascension, curious about consciousness or simply remembering the truth of oneness and who you are, these hold something beautiful for you.

Samadhi 3 Part Series on YouTube

Samadhi 1 – “Maya, the Illusion of the Self”

Samadhi Part 2 – "It's Not What You Think"

Samadhi Part 3 – “The Pathless Path”

This series can be found on Gaia and YouTube, and I recommend it to those just beginning a spiritual path or experiencing an awakening, and anyone who wants to learn more about spirituality and the nature of our reality. It will either blow the lid off of your preconceived notions about this life, or it will confirm all the things your inner being has already shown you.

If you enjoy this series, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments here!

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DIY Medicine: Herbal Tinctures

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Making herbal tinctures at home

There are a plethora of plants that can be used as medicine, from foods to herbs with medicinal properties. I'm going to share with you one of my favorite methods to make medicinal tinctures using some of my favorite plants. If you like the idea of keeping a stocked natural medicine cabinet for yourself or your family for a fraction of the cost, this may be for you.

Many people don't realize that a lot of the prescribed and OTC medicines we see today that have plant origins. For example, aspirin was originally made from the bark of willow tree sapplings. Since then, the recipe has evolved and aspirin is made in labs. Personally, I'd rather use plants and natural alternatives to chemical-laden "medicines" that often come side effects and/or a hefty price at the pharmacy.

For tincture making you will need:

  • medicinal herbs/plants

  • mason jars with lids

  • parchment paper and cookie sheet (only for certain herbs that require drying/heating)

  • high proof clear grain alc*h*l (I prefer a particular brand that is 190 proof. It seems to work best.)

  • tincture bottles with droppers

  • a dark cabinet or pantry

1st Step - Learning. Gather information about medicinal plants in your area.

You may take some time to search different symptoms or ailments you'd like to be able to treat by Googling "herbs or plants that treat ______" ex: inflammation, sore throat, infection, aches and pains, sinus infections, headaches, etc. You may also choose to go out into your backyard or local nature area and take photos of plants and "weeds", then image search them to identify their name, then edit the search to see if they offer any medicinal value. I'll do this sometimes when I see new plants pop up in the yard. My searches are often formatted like this: "dandelion medicinal benefits" or "does goldenrod offer medicinal value?"

Once you identify the plants you'd like to use, make sure you know whether to use the flowers, bark, or others parts of the plant, and whether they can be used fresh or if they need to be dried. If you're using c****b*s, you can make tinctures using any part of the plant from the buds to leaves and stems.

2nd Step - Gather your chosen herbs/plants

Harvest (or purchase) your chosen herbs/plants and make sure you rinse them well with water. You may way to chop them down so they fit well into jars.

3rd Step - Dry or decarb in oven you're using c****b*s or herbs that require drying

You can SKIP this step if you're using fresh herbs/plants.

For c****b*s, you'll need to decarb in order to activate all of the cannabinoids for medicinal use. You can break down your stems/flower/trim leaves and place in a thin layer on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet into your preheated oven at 245 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

For other herbs/plants that require drying (I do this with Yaupon Holly leaves), you can roast in the oven using the same settings. **Some dried plants also make great medicinal teas

4th Step - Place herbs/plants in mason jars

5th Step - Pour clear grain alc*h*l over plant matter until fully covered

6th Step - Secure lids on mason jars and place in dark cabinet or pantry

7th Step - Allow to cure in dark cabinet/pantry for 4-6 weeks, giving a good shake every 2-3 days

8th Step - After 4-6 weeks, drain the liquid and discard the plant matter

Final Step - Place liquid into tincture bottles (preferably amber or other dark color to keep light out) with droppers. You can find these online (Amazon or other) in packs of 12-50 that come with funnels and labels.

Use 1-3 dropper doses daily as needed. I recommend putting in your beverage (coffee, tea, etc) because it makes the taste much more tolerable, but you can also place directly under the tongue.

This is honestly my favorite way to medicate with c****b*s, but it has also saved me a lot of money and stress to have several different kinds of medicine on hand for my family. I use garlic, rosemary, and oregano pretty regularly and recently even got rid of a gnarly tooth infection within 2 days! Yes, these tinctures are made with alc*h*l (because it is a great extracting agent), but rest assured that in such small amounts the alc*h*l alone is not going to cause intoxicating effects. Don't quote me on that, but I have used oregano and rosemary tinctures diluted in teas for my children when they have a cold or infection, with great results and no negative side effects. Just use with caution.

If you are very sensitive to alc*h*l you can try a glycerin tincture. It may not be as potent, but can be helpful nonetheless. The intention of this post is really to expand perspective and remind peeps that we CAN make our own medicine and it’s not nearly as complex or expensive as big pharma would have us believe.

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Comprehensive Audible List: My Personal Self-Empowerment Library

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In 2015 shortly after having my second child, I was at a cross-roads in my life. A lot of things seemed to be not working and I was ready to transcend my unfulfilling reality. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, unhappy in my work and relationships, and feeling like I was being called to be a completely different version of myself as a woman, mother, and divine being.

As a pastor's kid and grandkid, this part of my journey led me back to church and deeper into biblical texts and Christian-based books. The more I read and listened to books about Jesus and spiritual freedom, the more I could see that something else was happening.. for the first time in my life I allowed myself to question my beliefs without shame or guilt. I was losing my religion, finding my truest self, and embracing deeper, bigger truths about my personal reality and everything/everyone around me.

This path led me to knowledge about fasting (which I will talk about in another post), meditating, giving up old ways of thinking, doing, and being. I embraced my unbecomin, my deprogramming, and the possibility that all I had learned in church/scripture growing up was merely part of a much bigger truth.

I don't remember exactly how I found Audible. Aside from indulging in several WWII books as a child, I was never really a big reader. Few topics were able to keep my attention, as I found myself getting bored or rereading the same lines over and over trying to process and remember. Audiobooks unlocked a whole new world for me. I started listening to them at work and in the car, and found myself more focused on tasks, less bored with my work, and growing into a more empowered version of myself all simultaneously.

Very early in my Audible journey, a good friend of mine and someone I respect greatly suggested the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. If you've read The Alchemist, you know that although it is fiction, it contains a message of truth that calls for your spirit to realize itself. That is exactly what started to happen for me. After digesting this title, it was like I jumped into a rabbit hole of learning, healing, journeying through my spirit, finding love in the places that previously hurt, getting my sh*t together and embracing the notion that my life was about to radically change.

This was the beginning of a painful season of falling apart so I could ultimately become something greater. I want to share with you many of the titles I've listened to from 2016 to now, as they have impacted me in ways I may never have words to accurately describe. These books (in addition to those I physically read) carried me through myself, through my dark nights of the soul, through my triumphs over sadness and despair, and lifted my soul as no one or no thing ever had.

My personal Audible list contains a range of genres, not just self-help or books on spirituality. Some are novels, some financial how-to's, history, political memoirs, religious texts, regenerative agriculture, psychology, psychedelics etc. I've left out several business and niche-specific titles, though I may put together a separate list for those later. Together, they form a library of thought that comes together beautifully to assist in my unlearning and relearning. It's a fairly long list (90 titles currently), so I hope you find some wisdom here. As with anything I share, please take what resonates and leave what doesn't.

If you have already read or listened to any of these books, or if you do so after reading this, and were/are as deeply impacted as I, I'd love to hear from you in the comments. I'll update it semi-frequently to keep the list current.

Love, light, and truth to you all <3, Ladye

RAMBLING HIPPIE AUDIBLE LIST

Titles listed in the chronological order in which I consumed them.

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Travel in the Time of Corona[virus]: City Hopping With No Money During a Global Pandemic

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For context, let me take you back a sec. Remember that article about my unschooling goals? Remember the hint at a vintage RV? Well, if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you probably already know I recently flew to California to make that Rambling Hippie dream a reality.

I’ve been scouring the internet for about seven months consuming any articles, documentaries, and forum posts I can find about RV living and full-time unschooling / roadschooling. I’ve always had a bit of a gypsy heart, and find myself craving new experiences, culture and environments. Blame it on my grandparents toting me around on their exciting motorhome adventures, my underlying commitment issues, or maybe just my free spirited Aquarius nature, but I LOVE traveling and the idea of nomadic living.

I’ve daydreamed of what life could be like if I was able to mesh my love of travel with my even greater love for my children, and the responsibilities that come with parenting. So.. I decided I want to buy a vintage RV (if you know The Vintage Ladye you know it has to be vintage, duh) and go full-time for at least the next two years. This would be a good amount of time to travel a bit, get a taste of the road life, and see what places and practices work best for us, and see how we like homeschooling.

What does full-time RV life mean to me? It means I would have the freedom to live near my oldest son, who moved to his Dad’s this year about an hour away, for a while until we’re able to do some traveling. Beyond that, I could take my entrepreneurial endeavors on the road, booking clients and selling sustainable merch in other cities/states. I can visit family and friends I want my children to know more about, show them new places and expose them to other cultures and alternative ways of living.

Okay so, rambling aside… let me tell you about what the heck went down when I decided to fly to California to buy this RV..

travel in the time of corona[virus]

I finally found some really great options in Cali, whereas most of the older model RVs close to home and in surrounding states were much higher priced or not running. After conversation with a lady about a ‘78 Dodge Commander, I decided I was going to find a cheap one-way flight and go check it out. I figured it was my best option even if this one didn’t pan out because there were 3-4 other RVs in the vicinity that could potentially fit the bill. So I checked flights over the following days and realized it would be cheapest to fly out same-day…and there the adventure began.

My best friend had been talking about visiting California, and the location of the primary RV prospect was near her sister’s house, so she was immediately on board with accompanying me. Although her boyfriend wasn’t thrilled about us going, he drove us to the airport. We talked about being careful, washing our hands often, etc., but had no idea how crazy the pandemic was going to become over the days we were gone. My primary concerns were making a smart buying decision, getting home safely and in good health.

First Sign

When we finally went to check in and get our boarding passes, I realized I didn’t have my wallet. I must’ve left it in her boyfriend’s car. Sh*t! He was already home by now and I knew this wasn’t going to go over well. And it didn’t. Anyway, my wallet was dropped off to me as the plane was already boarding so we had to book it through security (thankfully there wasn't a long line) and got on the plane just before they closed the gate.

“Phew. Okay,” I thought. “You’re just anxious and need to be more mindful. Forgetting your wallet is not a bad omen, and everything is going to work out. Relax.” I sat back and spent the rest of the flight attempting to chill tf out. ..Which was a little difficult given my lingering sinus cough and hyperawareness of everyone around me who was likely wondering if I had COVID-19. I saw an old friend on the flight and even made a couple new OKC homies before landing. Upon arrival in Denver we had time to use the restroom then board the next plane with a bit of time to spare, and I settled in to sleep through the flight to LAX.

It wasn’t until we were standing up in the isle ready to exit the plane that I felt my stomach completely drop and a lump form in the back of my throat. It wasn’t a contagious illness… I just realized that I didn’t have my wallet. The wallet that had ALL of the cards, IDs, and RV cash I just taken out of my savings account hours before.

*Before you scold me on toting the cash instead of waiting to get in CA, it’s a long story..just know I wouldn’t have had access to the account and needed to carry the cash. I thought about this all already and realize how risky it was in the first place.

“I don’t have my wallet.” I fearfully but matter-of-factly stated to my friend and the flight attendant behind me.

Second sign

Long story short, Frontier Airlines told me there was nothing they could do to get through to anyone from or on the previous plane. I was told the necessary lost item reports online with the airline, Denver airport, and I went on to file one with San Francisco airport as well, because that’s where the plan was headed next. Although I imagined it falling out of my purse on the plane, it reality anything could’ve happened.

I might’ve lost my calm in the airport, but i didn’t cry.

After staying up through the night, walking almost an hour from LAX to get food, and waiting half the day in the airport for news on my wallet (as if some honest person found my wallet full of cash and turned it in right away), we got in touch with my friend’s sister and decided we needed to catch a bus to her place in Victorville, but we had to make it to the Downtown LA bus stop first. *insert shocked face emoji here because I could’ve written an entire article about our experiences at the bus stop alone*

We made it to Victorville, stayed there a couple nights - THANK YOU JENAY - then took another cheap bus to Las Vegas, where we would brave a night without a hotel room and board a plane the following day back to Denver, and eventually fly home to OKC 21 hours later. Nerves were at an all time high, even though we were trying to stay grounded and positive through the experience.

Luckily, my son’s dad and two of my aunts were able to CashApp me money to cover food and other expenses since I was literally out of every form of currency (and dude..shoutout to FlixBus because those cheap rides saved us), then Dre’s dad was able to purchase us both tickets to fly back from Vegas. We also had a couple friends and acquaintances offer to send money for food, people offering up their local family members to give us rides or a meal, etc. I’m still SO thankful for the outpouring of love and concern my friend and I received after I shared some of our struggles on Facebook. Shoutout to kind people!

Third Sign

Did I mention also losing my purse (with no wallet in it) at LAX? No? Guys, I never lose my wallet or purse. This is not just something I do. I’m sure my head was literally spinning on my shoulders from the stress and I was not thinking clearly. When we shuttled to the first bus stop near the airport, I realized I had left my purse behind. I immediately called a new friend I had made in the airport (who actually offered to pay for lodging for us all for one night because they were also stranded) but they didn’t see my purse sitting where I left it, so my friend and I hurried to catch a different shuttle back to the airport to see if we could recover my bag. Although there wasn’t any money inside, I was hoping to get my anti-depressants and phone charger back. Lordt. You’d think I could at least hang on to those items after losing everything else.

When we got back to where I had last seen my purse at LAX, it was gone.

But wait..upon closer inspection of my surroundings I realized my purse WAS there…to the far right…where a detection dog was sniffing it out as two police officers gave it commands.

“Oh my gosh! Um..I’m so sorry guys, that bag is mine.” My face must’ve read despair, because after the initial questions about my bag and why it was left unattended, one of the officers gave me a pep talk and advice on how to handle my lost wallet situation. Shoutout to him for showing genuine concern ..with pity written all over his..face for me.. this grown woman standing in front of him who clearly had none of her sh*t together.

That’s three times in the span of about 24 hours that I lost my purse or wallet. Not sure if the Universe was telling me I didn’t need the RV, or if I just needed a lesson on mindfulness, but either way.. my antennas were up and I was getting the staticky message.

Fast forward through the bus ride thru the Mojave Desert and me getting sprayed with Lysol by another passenger for coughing. We got to Vegas two days before the entire strip was shut down due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases, and since neither of us had visited Las Vegas prior to this, my friend and I lugged our suitcases down the strip for a little sight seeing while we decided our next move. We were exhausted, so we stopped into a casino so my friend could play a penny machine or two. I don’t know the exact amount she played, but I know it was less than $5. Not long after sitting down, she calls me saying “oh my gosh Ladye..Ladye!” It wasn’t a big Vegas jackpot or anything, but she won like $120! We were both excited, but even more tired so we booked the cheapest AirBnb bed we could find and proceeded to walk towards it for about an hour before finally getting a Lyft ride for the last stretch. My best friend DID just have a heart transplant.. so all that walking was more of a challenge than it sounds.

We crashed in our small shared bed almost immediately after arriving at the AirBnb and woke up hours later just before midnight. I would’ve been content to go right back to sleep, but my extrovert bff needed to see what Vegas nightlife was like. *eyerolling emoji here X2*

Did we have any business getting out again with very limited funds, no car, and the threat of COVID-19? Absolutely the hell not, but after I realized she was going out with or without me, I grudgingly got dressed and headed out with her. I’ve let her go out alone before, and it didn’t go well. Losing her was a chance I was not going to be taking in Las Vegas of all places. I gave her two hours. I think we were gone for even less.

After walking to the Palms and realizing we were out of our league with nothing to do or consume there that didn’t cost an arm and a leg, we took another Lyft to the strip and headed to Harrah’s so my friend could try her hand at craps and I could people-watch from the perimeter since I wasn’t allowed on the casino floor without identification. You see where this might’ve been a bad idea right? Well, it was.

The Forth Sign

Before we could make it from one end of the sidewalk to another, we encountered a mob boss doing business with his flunkies (they had to be mob, I swear), we were offered a free limo ride and drinks if we’d go to some club with no name (Can you say sketch?), passed a homeless guy sleeping while clenching onto his 18 pack of beer, and only a few steps beyond that…my friend’s purse was stolen. At least this time she wasn’t sexually harassed (that also happened in Vegas…within the first couple hours..in broad daylight), but omg.. had we summoned some cursed luck or what? As you would imagine, her purse contained her identification, money, and to make it worse..her remaining supply of insulin. After filing reports and such, we were heading toward our AirBnb when my friend slipped and fell, only to be antagonized afterwards by several mean and drunk (and racist, I might add) passersby. Luckily a nice older guy from North (or maybe South) Dakota helped her up to a seat.

Shortly after we resumed walking, we caught up to the jerks who were mocking my best friend for falling, apparently thinking she was as plastered as they were. I confronted them and politely suggested that they apologize to my friend for being complete assholes. This could’ve gone terribly wrong. We were outnumbered by two and outsized by..well..a lot. Instead, my friend received a proper apology and subsequently shared tears, encouragement, and a tight embrace with them…and I shared my spill about having more self-awareness and treating others with respect.

Who knew we’d have such excitement in Las Vegas with no money?

Needless to say, when it came time for our flight the next day we were beyond ready to leave. Lucky for us, security wasn’t very busy when we arrived at the airport since we were both traveling without any identification, together, but with two completely different stories as to how we’d lost our IDs. The TSA agents were super cool and made the whole interrogation and illegal substances search less than miserable. We got through relatively quickly and had an easy flight to Denver.

Exhausted when we arrived late-night Saturday in Denver, I talked her into just staying the night in the airport. It was late. We weren’t in the best financial shape. It made sense. So I found a lounge area upstairs where we were able to get some sleep. Our only obstacles now were getting through the layover without cash or cards for food, Marcy not catching Coronavirus (which I’m almost positive I had just gotten over prior to the trip), and us making the flight home.

Bloody hell. We actually succeeded at all three! We arrived safely back in OKC Sunday. We were both short a few personal items and cash, I was short the RV I went looking to buy, and we were a little beat up mentally, but we overcame and finished the trip in mostly positive spirits, with ample food and toilet paper waiting on us at home.. which I understand was more than some others had at the time.

A shortlist of mental notes to self & lessons learned

  1. Don’t carry more cash than you’re willing to risk losing, Ladye. In fact, buy a lanyard for your next wallet and wear it around your neck if need be.

  2. S.L.O.W. D.O.W.N. - actual advice from a old friend. Wanna stop losing your sh*t? Be more mindful and slow the hell down.

  3. Maybe don’t travel at all during the next global pandemic.

  4. You will find compassion and kindness in most people if you just look. But it’s important to maintain composure and emotional control even when you encounter hate and ignorance.

  5. Plans don’t always work out. You already know this, but here’s a reminder. Sometimes you have absolutely no control over what happens to you…whether it be being robbed, catching a deadly virus, having your dreams shot down mid-air. Sometimes you make mistakes, however stupid or accidental. Whatever the case, you’ve gotta be able to control your reaction. I’ve learned that for me this means being able to meditate in the moment - to be present and detached from both past and future occurrences.

  6. Always keep a small supply of hand sanitizer and a mask for travel..‘Cause you just never know.

In all honesty, although I was pretty banged up and exhausted mentally and physically after such a trip, I’m grateful for the experience, the people who helped, and the challenges I faced. I know I grew in those five days. And I’ve got a pretty interesting story to tell my future grandkids about my travels in the time of Corona.. that is, if we get our proverbial poop in a scoop as a society and make some major changes ASAP.

Stay safe out there friends. Stay home. Stay strong. Meditate. Take care of yourself and check on your peeps. We’ll get through these crazy times together.

Love and light,
Ladye