As I write this blog post, I am in the middle of packing and prepping to travel to Sedona, Arizona for this year's Raw Spirit Festival. This will be my first time to attend this large, international healthy living, eco-sustainable, raw food event and celebration. My traveling companion, Angela, and I are so eager to experience the event we're heard so very much about. I imagine there will be more tie-dye and group hugs than you can shake a stick at, but...hey when in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? I don't actually own any tie-dye, but I am going out today to buy some fashionable (hopefully) walking/multi-terrain shoes for my outside in Sedona festival comfort.I will be taking my laptop, flip video camera and digital camera so I can stay connected and hopefully blog the event as it unfolds. If you don't already subscribe to my YouTube page, head over that direction and click subscribe because that will be the first place my videos go. Many of my videos never make it to this blog, so this way you'll get the unedited, "raw" version of what goes on behind the scenes!
Not only will I be sharing a room in Sedona with Angela, but last week we found out about a last minute surprise guest roomie, the creator of the 100 Day Raw Challenge and Raw Fu, Bunny Berry! Believe me, wherever Bunny is, there are good times! Her sense of humor and splendid presence is a gift to everyone who comes in contact with her. Our hotel room will be insane, as three raw food techie nerds unite with all of our superfood snacks and audio/visual equipment. Hopefully we won't blow out the breakers out at the Comfort Inn.
Changing the subject, I had the pleasure of meeting with a member of our local raw food meetup group at Whole Foods yesterday. We did a store tour in hopes of getting new ideas for quick and easy raw food preparations. Melissa and I also discussed the challenges of staying raw and those feelings of guilt or defeat that come when we occasionally find ourselves backsliding into old, not so healthy, patterns of our previous life. Melissa shared that she's dealt w/a candy, cookies, soft drink moment while I admitted my latest stupor of finding my self leaving the Taco Bueno drive thru with a sack of Mexi-dip and chips. It happens, people. I think we'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of raw food gurus who are able to stay 100% raw all the time. And for the record, that's not my ultimate goal anyway.
My sweet friend, Heidi Ohlander, just posted a terrific article called Fall In Love With Raw Food All Over Again. If you are struggling with your raw food experience, I highly recommend that you go read her positive and encouraging post. We are all in this journey towards rejuvenating our health together and it is a process. It IS NOT about perfection, it is about learning to balance our personal diets intelligently, consciously and passionately. What's right for one isn't going to be right for all. I hope we can have compassion and support for one another regardless of where we are in this process.
