Monthly Archives:

March 2020

books creating poetry

a return to the beginnings of things

March 30, 2020

Today I thought I’d open up a Patreon post that details how to make a hand-stitched poetry pamphlet. There’s more than one way to do this of course, but it’s how I made the last two: Hanes, and The Slow-Time Traveller and I love their letterpress covers, tracing paper inserts, and unique designs. These last few years in the van have brought about some wild and inexplicable personal changes have been about a deep burrowing into self and a need…

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Europe food nature

a return to connecting with wild plants

March 29, 2020

While we’re staying in one place for the next few (or more) weeks, I’ve been revisiting some of the OUTSIDER pieces previously behind a paywall. For the past five years-or-so I’ve been working with the mint plant, and this is a connection that continues to deepen even when I can’t find any to forage in the wild (like just now). But of course this is the beauty of plants, when one recedes into the background, another steps forward, and nettle…

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Europe nature photography

Flashback Friday: Haludovo Palace Hotel, Krk, Croatia

March 27, 2020

As we’re all self-isolating right now I’ve started publishing for free some content that was previously behind a paywall. The internet is a beautiful creation in that it allows us to travel around the world from the comfort of our lounge/home-office/bed. Here’s the link to words and photos by Andy Garside from our travels through Croatia back in 2018. Below is a brief excerpt but I’d highly recommend you check out the full photo gallery for some stunning pics. “As…

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family minimalism vanlife

Tiny space living

March 26, 2020

Living together in a small space is something we get asked about a LOT. The solution is being flexible & learning to ask for our space. Andy wants to shave – I’ll sit reading on the bed for longer. If one of us wants to cook, the other plans something that doesn’t interfere with that space. Headphones are the work of angels. All of our early arguments around space grew from a lack of communication. We didn’t tell each other…

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Europe feature vanlife

In times of crisis

March 25, 2020

I’m not sure I can think of a time in my 44 years on this earth that is parallel to this current turmoil. Or is that myopic & selfish of me? People across the globe have been dealing with the fallout of war, famine, drought, & political unrest for decades. Perhaps it’s just that these events have been something we’ve watched from afar, in 24hr news reels, on the Internet, or through the stories of photojournalist. Speaking with a German…

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food vanlife

for when you’ve finished all your snacks…

March 24, 2020

throwbacktuesday *From southern Spain Nov 2019 * I’m opening up some previously password protected content on this OUTSIDER blog over this next week-or-so for free. I chose this one today because if, like me, you’re stress eating and are running out of snacks because you ate them all in a day, here’s my favourite go-to treat to add some sugar & spice to all those healthy nuts & seeds that you bought when kidding yourself that this lockdown would make you…

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dailyconnectionwithnature Europe feature nature vanlife

reconnecting through ceremony

March 23, 2020

**flashback to the border of Catalonia and Aragon October 2019** As we’re all house(or van)bound for the next few weeks I thought I’d share some OUTSIDER stories from our travels over the previous year-or-so that were previously paid for content. I’ll start posting these up for free for those who’re looking for something more to read, or just want to engage with the outdoors through online channels (for now at least).  This piece was written in northern Spain last autumn.…

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dailyconnectionwithnature Europe nature

Thoughts from the egret

March 22, 2020

I wonder if we can practice radical self-acceptance during these times? By that I mean embracing all of the elements of our collective selves that we seem to want to judge or look down upon. Could we accept that people under stress can often do ridiculous and contrary things that might infuriate and enrage others within this vast and multifaceted global culture? When the information given is overwhelming, conflicting and confusing, people switch off. When someone says ‘nobody’s ever cared…

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creating dailyconnectionwithnature feature nature

The Way of Wild Iris

March 21, 2020

What does showing up for myself look like? Honestly it’s different every time, and I’ve had to learn that just because I figured it out in one situation that doesn’t mean I’ve got it sorted. Maybe I’ve got good at setting boundaries: saying NO is no longer something I find difficult, but the work doesn’t end there does it? As soon as one thing’s sorted it’s time to level up. And so I find myself in the situation of wondering…

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