Robyn Cruze documents her journey across the Wide Wonder landscape — without and within.
Today will be our seventh move since we’ve been on the bus, and our 100th (I’m exaggerating) manual toilet clean. For an adventure of a life time, I sure am perturbed. My whole life has been about controlling my surroundings, protecting myself from adversity. As I sit on the bus sofa with a space heater at my feat, I beg myself to remember why our family actually is doing this.
Read MoreThose of us struggling with mental health deal with many barriers against getting the help we deserve, e.g., cost, finding a doctor who actually specializes in mental illness (yes, those struggling with physical illness can experience, too.) But, for those of us with mental illness, even when we do find the help we need, that is not as readily available as those with physical illness, we also deal with the shame that comes along with needing the help in the first place.
Read MoreAt our first ever event in Dallas TX, we spoke to those going through mental health struggles who had not told anyone. We talked with organizations that advocate for mental health and provide exceptional services to treat it; however, too many people are still buying into the stigma that mental health is a hush-hush issue. We got up close and personal with the happy faces that hide true trauma, and we hugged a lot of people.
Read MoreSo many of us have resisted sharing our stories because it has felt like too much—too uncomfortable, too personal, too risky. I know I have. But Tim and I have reached a point in our lives where it’s no longer acceptable for us to sit back; no matter how unsettling it is to leave the familiar, predictable, and reliable, we know we must move.
Read MoreI’ve been telling myself that when our family finally gets on the bus, then… THEN, I’ll stop and connect more with my surroundings and live in the spirit of wide wonder. However, I’ve been noticing more often that it’s easier for me to push living in the moment to the side as though completing a to-do list has a higher pay off than participating in life. It doesn’t matter how much I actually have to do. Planning a large-scale American tour or cleaning the bathroom carry the same amount of weight in my mind.
Read MoreAfter a few minutes the driver speaks. “What’s anxiety?”
I think about it for a moment. “Well, for me, when I’m experiencing it, it feels like a constant motor running within. When I’m anxious, my fear dictates everything. It feels like I am waiting for something really bad to happen, even if there is no real danger in sight. You know?”
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