oFf tHeY gO...

The Jones family is back on the road with their super cool truck...
we all had an amazing time together while they were here... They're a great family, and a great model for those who think that living on the road is just for singles or couples without children...

I guess the size of the vehicle has to be according to the size of the family...In their case, Andrew and Debbie have 5 children travelling with them and they love it... I guess introverts need to find their way to escape the constant presence of others, and they seem to find their way...

They're homeschooling while they travel, so they are getting the best education... imagine the many other things they will learn from this experience... meeting all sorts of people, travelling through many different countries, etc...

Andrew and Debbie don't know yet when or where or if they will stop living on the road...I'll keep track of their journey on Andrew´s blog, I'm sure it will be worth reading ...

Debbie was telling me how they are often kicked out of the places they stop, just because they are BIG, meaning, they take a lot of space, therefore they need places like Mount of Oaks to feel free and comfortable... And what a privilege for me to host them as they are such a lovely and joyful family...  They were saying in some places people were afraid of them and we were wondering what frightens people today... Difference has always frightened people... Since a young age I felt inclined to belong to more alternative urban sub-cultures, so I know exactly how that feels... There are lots of hippies and rainbow people living in trucks and people are often suspicious about them... until they get to meet them and realise they are all about Love, Nature and Justice...  

In rare cases, because people are always a surprise, being too joyful and happy can be frightful for some... strange isn´t it?! I guess it reflects the kind of programming we are raised in these days... being too much out of the "normal" patterns of the world can be very frightening... people think they are gypsies, which brings a whole other set of prejudices, because in people's minds it's assumed that gypsies are "bad" people, which I totally disagree... again, the human tendency to generalize and label people in all shapes and forms...of course there are exceptions, like in every family, tribe, culture or nation…

Some people are afraid of those who live freely, and fear here can be mixed with jealousy... it can either attract people, or really push them away, as many people think they need boundaries and rules to feel secure... most people today, at least in the so called "developed" countries, are control freaks, so freedom is often associated to "anarchy" (which again has a bad connotation in people's minds)...In my opinion Anarchy would be the best in an ideal world where everyone would be responsible, loving each other and respecting all differences... Wasn´t that the model that Jesus presented to his followers? I believe that was the main reason the Romans hated christians so much... First they wouldn´t recognise the Emperor as the "Son of God" and "Lord", then they would live in communities who would share all things with each other and therefore depend less from the Roman system...

 
Anyway, I'll not start with my philosophies again... 

I had great times chatting about many interesting subjects both with Debbie and Andrew...and lots of fun with the girls...Sam is a bit more quiet, but seems to have a great heart...while here he was busy organizing a summer trip with his friends on the "Camino de Santiago"...

O.k, enough of text, here are some more pictures from the last days

the "littleskinnykiwis" after their father, the "tallskinnykiwi" (it´s the name of Andrew´s blog), ready to plant a kiwi tree on the Mount of Oaks...we named it "tinnyskinnykiwi"

strong Hanna...

T.J. stepping it very carefully...

And Abigail came to help with the water...Good job girls!!! I will always remember you here ...

time for good-bye's ... I 'd better say, "see you next time"...I do hope...

Mr.Jones is ready to drive!!!

And Debbie is making sure everything is in place inside...she can't wait to improve the truck and make it more practical and more beautiful...she's an artist, she can't help it ! And a wonderful mum !

T.J. showing me the girl's room !!!

Off they went... next stop will be in Lisbon, to visit the Hurst's, the Uhler's, and the rest of the crew there...

Next time they will know the way to reach the land... this time was a quick visit so they stayed behind the land...