Dec 3, 2019
On
being in retirement bliss
It was
a lunch hour trip to the California Museum of Photography in
Riverside, where Julia first experienced Joshua Tree. The exhibit
was the result an annual photographic expedition to Joshua Tree
National Park. Finding out it was an annual event, Julia put it in
her heart to attend and take photos the next year - and she
did.
During
that weekend, Julia says her soul shifted and, “I felt really
connected to the area for reasons I couldn’t explain.”
After
a number of trips back and forth to visit from her home in the
Corona area, Julia moved to the desert in 2010, at a time when the
local housing market was in decline. She and her then partner found
a three bedroom, two bath house for $50,000. The downsides were
Julia was still working in Riverside and continued making the
two-hour commute for five years. As well as dealing with a squatter
at the property next door.
This
past summer Julia took a trip with her daughter to see family in
the northwest and two weeks after returning home, Julia found
herself going back to Washington state to provide additional
support for the family after her sister was diagnosed with throat
cancer.
In this
episode, Julia talks about the bliss of retirement,
blurring the line of time, allowing herself to do things when she
feels inspired and not looking at the clock. She describes it as
allowing herself to just ‘be’, starting new projects in the
moment.
On her
summer family visit Washington state, Julia signed up for a
drumming class and talks about making and using different drums.
Julia drums at home and finds it transformative, with hours going
by as she is just 'being'.
Julia
is also an artist, painting and using the solar eco- printing
process to make one of a kind items for her wardrobe.
We
also cover some of the changes she’s seen in Joshua Tree, the
inspiration of community and attending the very first Transition
Joshua Tree meeting, as well as the reduction in vacant homes,
squatter issues and the increased park and vehicular
traffic.