On to the Next Grand Adventure: The Beginning of My Soul Quest in New Zealand

December 8 • 7:09 p.m. • PDX Airport, Gate E5

When I arrived at the airport with my grandma in tow—bags packed, ready to rock and roll—I pulled into the upper lot to find a goose painted on the wall and 3s everywhere.

For those of you who don’t know, my nickname has been Goose for the better part of the last four years. And even more meaningfully, 33 is not only my soul-path number, but the number 3 in general has followed me around since birth. The signs are everywhere. In the ease and flow of planning and booking this trip. In the numbers that keep showing up. Even in the free coffee gifted to me by the sweet girl behind the counter.

The clairvoyant woman I spoke to on my 27th birthday—November 22 of this year—told me I’d start noticing things that point me in the right direction and affirm my path. She said this trip would be a soul upgrade: a time to meet people and build community, to write stories, to work with Indigenous people, to fall in love with life and with myself again and again.

I see things clearly as I sit here with my packed lunch of boiled eggs, sauerkraut, and salmon. My grandma joked, “Boy, are your plane neighbors going to love you.” So here I am, eating this stinky but delicious grub, heart full—of gratitude, peace, and a deep inner knowing that I am meant to be exactly where I am. In this moment, and in every moment after, I hope to keep listening. To grab life and hug her close, but loosely. To stay open to the endless possibilities of the universe at my fingertips. The world outstretched like the mouth of an oyster, and me the dazzling pearl that lives inside it—made of it.

My next stop is San Francisco. Then comes Auckland, where I’ll land a day in the future: December 10 at 10 a.m. I’ll pick up my rental car, collect myself, find my bearings, and then drive north to Mangawhai, where I’ll begin my journey with my first Workaway—on the land of a mother and her two daughters. I’ll be surrounded by beautiful beaches, animals, surfing, and hopefully beautiful souls to connect with.

It’s time to spread my goose wings and fly.

My boarding group is nearly up, so I must bid you adieu.

Follow this Substack and/or the “Storytelling” section of my website to keep up with my adventure.

Until next time, my loves.

Honk honk!

Adiós! Auf Wiedersehen! Poroporoaki!

P.S. I just met two girls—both wearing double backpacks and also traveling to New Zealand. So I’ve already made two new friends. I made it to my seat, 29F and am sitting next to the man I connected with at the gate initially. My bag fits perfectly, and I’m nice and cozy with my coffee in hand. 3 galleries to edit! Signs everywhere! Here we go!

Threads of Community: Oregon Country Fair Opens with Ceremony Honoring Makers

Zahra Indigo Rønlov guides attendees and woven loom to Altared Space

From a whisper on the wind, Zahra Indigo Rønlov, wisdom teacher and co-coordinator for Altared Space, opened the 2024 Oregon Country Fair on Friday morning at Main Stage with the theme “Honoring the Makers.” Under the hot July sun, attendees filled the meadow and joined together to warp a loom from a single cord. As they wove, they sang a song written by Rønlov with a melody collectively created by the choir.

Loom and participants stand at Main Stage during the opening ceremony

As the ceremony ended, the warp was complete. The group processed the loom and ceremonial elements to Altared Space. Using a candle lit at the start of the morning, they ignited the Lotus Fire, one of only two ceremonial fires allowed at the fair. Throughout the weekend, community members were invited to add their own wefts to the loom.

Since the opening ceremony began, Rønlov has relied on intuition to guide each year’s theme, inviting the Fair Family to collaborate in the process. The first element-themed ceremony featured Risk of Change, a sacred mummer and giant puppet troupe that crafted elemental costumes and has participated in most ceremonies since.

This year’s ceremony honored the intention behind the work of craft and food vendors, crews and attendees, all gathered with shared purpose. Rooted in the cyclical nature of the elements, the opening ceremony embraces each person’s vision of sacredness.

Rønlov’s relationship with ceremony stretches back years. She once used a metal singing bowl to open and close Board of Directors meetings. In 2010, she brought the bowl to the fair’s opening ceremony. While on stage, she felt called to honor water the following year. That moment sparked a series of themes, including Earth in 2012, Air in 2013, Fire in 2014, Unity in 2015, Love in 2018, CommUnity in 2023 and “Honoring the Makers” in 2024.

“This year, to me, felt like the alchemy of these many years of ceremony has come full circle,” Rønlov said. “Not only did we have the four elements with us as we always do, but this year the Risk of Change, garbed as Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, were all in attendance.”

The Oregon Country Fair has long thrived on the collective spirit of its makers. Founded as a charter school fundraiser, it evolved into a community where crafters and musicians supported one another. In the 1970s, the Grateful Dead performed to help purchase the land, establishing the fair as an annual tradition.

Its foundation rests on the value of handmade work. “The impulse laid down by the early founders was that there was something essential about the act of making,” Rønlov said. “It was about the idea that anyone could walk into a booth, meet the artisan, and talk to them about what inspires their work.”

The “Honoring the Makers” ceremony recognizes the time and intention behind one-of-a-kind creations, urging a return to craft in an increasingly industrialized world.

“That is something beautiful and so needed in the world today,” Rønlov said.

Each ceremony reflects the power of community at the Oregon Country Fair. Looking ahead, Rønlov said she hopes the opening ceremonies will continue as a “pure expression of what it means to be human and to feel life.”