Hereabouts B&B is going to start 2023 off with a little shut-eye, a nap of the kind that restores and reinvigorates.
You see, my husband and I are planning three or four months of tootling around, both near and far, during which I won't be here (or hereabouts) to host guests. By spring, however, the tiny house door will swing open again and I'll be happy to welcome folks back to partake in food and shelter.
We like to think of this "tootling" more as adventuring and discovery...galavanting with a purpose, you might call it. The main event involves taking our bikes to New Zealand and exploring that country on two wheels with nothing more than our tent and whatever our panniers can hold. Cycling's a great way to travel on a budget and to experience places at a slower pace – there's no quick A to B without taking in everything in between. Plus, after the fuel used for an international flight, we like the idea of having a smaller footprint once there. And you've gotta love the built-in exercise as a way to burn off the extra coffee shop goods that will inevitably be a regular indulgence (half the fun of travelling, if you ask me)!
Our bikes, tuned up and ready to be loaded with panniers
We do hope to encounter people along the way who are doing things a bit differently in terms of our relationship with the planet and one another. Homes made of natural materials, land managed regeneratively, enterprises that feed the soul of a community, lifestyles that prioritize meaningful connections...that's inspiring stuff. And we all do well to be re-inspired from time to time. What we learn we can take home and apply to life here, perhaps providing inspiration in turn.
But the purpose of the "tootling" is also as simple as to soak up new landscapes, improvise on the day to day, and gain the perspective that naturally comes from leaving one's home. It seems there are times in life to fill your basket – to gather skills, knowledge, ideas, energy – and times to put these things back out into the world. We're taking this as a time of gathering.
I will miss the privilege of preparing breakfast and providing a warm bed for guests over the winter. And I'm quite sure I'll actually miss winter itself. But no doubt I'll return in the spring deeply grateful both for the adventures that were had and for this place we call home, ready to dig into my own endeavours with fresh appreciation and verve.