Know Any Literary Animal Lovers?

Hi there PureJeevan readers! We wanted to let you know that Jim's new novel CHROO is available on Amazon. It's a crazy adventure involving a billionaire heiress, her Chihuahua BFF ("Chroo") and a host of human and animal characters. Find out more on Amazon! Here are some links:




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When you're young and learning the letters of the alphabet, anything that starts with the same letter as your name becomes really special. Well, ever since I was a child and saw a Winnebago RV with the giant "W" on the side, I've been enchanted with the idea of one day owning one and traveling the world (at that age, I didn't realize I'd have to cross oceans to see everything).

If you've been following us for a while, you'll know that I was bringing that vision to life. It took years of convincing, but Jim was finally ready for such an adventure and together we began making plans. For more than two years we've been preparing to tour the country, while teaching about raw foods along the way. Our lives changed so dramatically when we found a way to heal our bodies (and more), a way that can also help others, and we just couldn't sit still. We feel called to spread the word about the raw food diet so others can at least hear that there's another way, that there's something different to try in their quest for health. I knew that crossing the country in an RV, planting the seeds about a raw food diet along the way, would be an efficient way of spreading the word.

All my life I've been studying about nutrition and health. Had I known the facts about how one can heal with a raw food diet, I would have become healthier at a younger age. KDcat would have been raised on a raw food diet, rather than a cooked vegan one. The pain, severe depression, helplessness, and much more that I felt would have all faded sooner had I been exposed to raw food information. I feel compelled to help others who are in the same state I was in before adopting a raw food lifestyle. What better way to do so than to meet people in person, allow them to feel how vibrantly alive I am, to hear from me first-hand about the healing that my body was able to do by simply not cooking my food anymore ! With Jim there beside me, sharing his own transformation story, imagine the lives we could touch -- the sparks of hope that could be ignited!

A lot had to go into bringing such a vision to life. Our entire way of living needed to change, and we needed KDcat to understand that the drastic changes we were going to be making would eventually bring about a happier life for her. We went to work on the hurdles that were easier to manage than convincing a child that leaving the only home she has ever known is a good thing. The biggest hurdle was our budget, which had no room for purchasing an RV or quitting our primary source of income. So, we started minimizing expenses, paying off our debt, donating unused household items, and selling off possessions that would no longer serve us in the future. We put money and time into reparing miscellaneous things throughout our home so we could sell it and use the equity for the tour and also for settling down in a location that is more in-line with our new lifestyle.

Everything was moving along well with the plan. Our vision was shaped and a logo was created for the tour, our debt was paid off, and KDcat finally accepted that the trip was going to happen. She wasn't thrilled about it, but we promised she'd be settled in a wonderful new location by the time she was old enough to begin ninth grade. She's unschooled, but she had been contemplating joining an alternative-type school so that she could be with other teens on a more regular basis.

We travelled in and out of Pennsylvania for a few months, visiting some RV dealerships, looking at different RV models (Winnebagos don't have the big "W" on the side anymore, so we were open to other manufacturers *wink*). We finally settled on an RV that has bunk beds for KDcat to use (so she has a small area to call her own) and enough counter space for our raw food appliances. Then we started the negotiation process -- looking for the best deal on the model that fit our needs.

All the while, our home has been up for sale. We created a fun web site to market the house: TheLuckHouse.com, and hired a realtor who was supposedly the best sales agent in our area. Well, after six months of only three individuals coming to see the house (who saw ads that we placed on the Net), we ended our contract with the realtor. We began marketing the house even more, pulling in a lot of interest. However, even though we've been showing the house to many individuals, it still hasn't sold. We've lowered the price by $10K, now making it the best home in the price range, while also being the cheapest home when compared to similar ones. And... we wait.

The problem has been the waiting. At first the waiting wasn't so difficult. We continued to declutter and make the house even more beautiful. As time went by, however, I began to feel slightly depressed. Here I was ready to follow my passion, to help others in a way that I wished someone would have helped me years ago, and I was stuck here -- held back from living my life's mission. That's what it seemed like to me, anyway, and as the months went by I found myself feeling less and less excited about life. There's nothing worse than sprouting the most beautiful wings only to find that you're living in a cage and can never fully use them, right?

Depression can be difficult to deal with, difficult to overcome. It's as though the darkness feeds on itself, in a way, making what was already dark become even darker. What's beautiful about the raw food lifestyle, however, is that there is so much life, so much energy and vitality in the foods that are eaten. That life and energy, I'm convinced, keeps the darkness from fully consuming the body, mind, spirit, and emotions. I was fully aware of my mild depression, conscious of how I was feeling and what it was doing to me. So, I asked myself what I could do to pull myself out of it. I questioned what I could do to make things less depressing as I waited for the house to sell.

Fun. That's what was missing. In all this waiting, I wasn't actively participating in life in a fun way. So, I started to come up with little ideas of things to do that would allow me to still enjoy my life, so that I wouldn't feel I was constantly on hold waiting for my next big adventure in life to finally begin.

That's when I realized something critical, something I would have seen much sooner had my life not been clouded over with mild depression. What I realized was that I wasn't the only one feeling the stress of living a life on hold. What had the past two years been doing to KDcat? For the first year she struggled with the fact that we'd be moving away, but moreso with the fact that we'd be living in an RV for about seven months as we slowly crossed the country. We planned some fun things for the tour that helped ease her mind about the trip, things that were specifically suited to her needs and desires. After about a year, she was ready for the trip. She never fully liked the idea, but the plans we made for her were thrilling enough to make it somewhat enjoyable to be with her family on their cross-country raw foods tour.

But this last year has been as hard on her as it has been on me. She packed up just about everything she loves, preparing for the trip. She donated items from her childhood, organized her room and office area in ways that would make it easy to just pick up and move into the RV. She stopped signing up for homeschool classes because she didn't want to meet new people that she'd one day move away from, and she started to feel lonely. She had told her friends that she'd be moving and some of them started distancing themselves. Jim and I saw all of this taking place, but we thought the trip would be starting soon and that everything would be okay.

Well, everything's not okay because we didn't leave soon. We've been finding ways to have fun, now that we realize we were living on hold for so long. But the biggest problem is that we promised KDcat that she'd be settled in a new location by this September. We won't ask her to put another year on hold for us to do this cross-country raw food tour, even though it would be an enriching experience for her. She's fourteen years old and she needs to be with other teens, finding her way in life and experiencing things that she wouldn't be able to experience while living in an RV with her parents, roaming the country.

At first, I cried a few tears. But, I know in my heart that it's not the right time anymore for the RV tour to take place. If we had been able to get on the road almost a year ago, things would have worked out well. For now, however, we need to postpone the trip until we are settled and KDcat is feeling a strong sense of community with some of her peers.

So, the tour is postponed. We still want to meet as many of you as possible in person someday, and we will still be doing that when it's a better time for the tour to take place. For now, however, we'll be moving forward with some of the other projects we have planned for ourselves and Pure Jeevan. And we'll be planning more fun times as we wait for our home to sell, because we're still moving to a location that will better suit our raw lifestyle. We'll be writing a bit about that next week and also asking for your help with something.

Yesterday I warned that today's post would probably be a long one. If you skimmed to the end for a summary, here it is: We're postponing the cross-country tour so that we can settle sooner in a location that better suits our lifestyle (more about this next week). And if you read this entire blog post, stand up and take a nice stretch, close your eyes to give them a rest, and know that we love and appreciate you so very much!

*blows kisses*

Original Comments

Below, we have included the original comments from this blog post. Additional comments may be made via Facebook, below.

On July 24, 2009, Moms Raw wrote:

I believe you made the right decision. I also believe this is a good learning opportunity for each of us who follow your family. So many fail to live life fully while we are waiting for the next best thing to happen. Thank you for bringing out your observations to your readers so they too, can grow.

On July 24, 2009, elasticfate wrote:

aw, loves...i'm so sorry. it will happen when the time is right, as everything does. and when the time comes, it will be so worth the wait! my own raw food travels across the country these last months were actually all about that - trusting that everything always works out as its supposed to. and thanks so much for writing this - i recently got off the road to spend a few months with my folks back east & was feeling a slight depression kick in due to waiting for life, so reading this gave me the perfect kick in the ass to focus on what i can do now while i am here instead of focusing on waiting to leave. your words were just what i needed today.

On July 24, 2009, Mom wrote:

Your post Brought Tears to my eyes...

1. I know it must be a great dissapointment to you Both Your whole hearts were into this...

But I do know this as a fact... Your Tour is only Postponed... I know in my Heart , there is going to be a perfect time for you to take on this tour again... and it will be even Better..

2, I Cried.. because of your wonderful insite into KD cats heart... What great parent you are :)

3. I know you both will make the best decisions ever and I know KD Cat will appreaciate what her parents have put on hold for her benefit...

Heres to that Rv Road Trip... It may not be as far off as you invision :)

I Love you guys.... Huggs Huggs Huggs...

And I want to thank you for your Knowledge of Raw foods.. and for teaching me about them. :) Mom

On July 24, 2009, Melissa wrote:

Aw, I love you, too!
It seems like the right decision, though...what you say makes so much sense. I know how disappointed you are, but it will be nice to be settled into a new place sooner, especially for KDCat.
xoxo ~ Melissa

On July 24, 2009, Colleen wrote:

(((((( Wendy & Jim )))))) Don't feel sad. When it is the right time, it will ALL flow. Wait for the Universe to open up. You'll know without a shadow of a doubt when it's right. I love you guys. ~~xoxoxo~~ Colleen

On July 24, 2009, loiskubota wrote:

Wow, how can I add to what everyone else already said. Life hands you what you need and you apparently need to wait. It's not like your audience will think any less of you!! We love you and respect you and appreciate you. So hang in there and when the time is right it will be right and you know you will laught about it!!

On July 25, 2009, sandra wrote:

You're inspiring -- as raw foodists *and* as parents. Kudos to you for keeping your heart so open that you were able to see what you needed to do for all of you.

On July 25, 2009, Robyn wrote:

I know how disappointed you must be but bravo for putting KDCat first. The freshman year is so important to a new high schooler and for her to be able to put down her roots is so very important. She will forever appreciate what you have done. The RV will still be there and there will still be plenty of people to get the raw food message to when the time is right for you all to get out and spread the word. Love and light to the 3 of you!

On July 25, 2009, debbiedoesraw wrote:

Wendi
Isn't it the way that what we need is really right in front of us? You and Jim will know when the time is right. I honor your decision, with the idea that no time is to be wasted, especially with kids, they are adults in a micro second, leaving you going "HUH? where is my little sweetheart, she's all grown up now!" Hard as it is, know that all the love and work you do is appreciated no matter where you live and that the time will come when it will all fall into place. Just align yourselves with your dreams and live your lives to the fullest.
love you so
deb

On July 25, 2009, debbiedoesraw wrote:

In other news; Anthony posted Sam's Pure Jeevan makin' it monday video on his site!
http://rawmodel.com
xoxo deb

On July 25, 2009, rubyvroom wrote:

Bless you Sweet Friends. I so believe that everything happens for a purpose and even though we can't always see what the bigger picture is in our limited view, I have a sense that this decision is going to usher in blessing for you. Letting go of your dream for KDCat is so like you.

I visualize new opportunities presenting themselves as you move forward. New options that perhaps you hadn't even considered until now. Blessings will abound and dreams will be realized, maybe just in a different packaging than originally anticipated.

I love you all and can't wait to see you in Arizona!!
xoxo....Penni

On July 25, 2009, Mary wrote:

I am so sorry! I can't even begin to imagine the disappointment you are feeling. Life takes many strange turns and we can make our plans but there is Someone who truly knows what is best for us and He sometimes takes over. You have lots of time, but KDcat only has one chance for this year of school. Many blessings, and I wish peace of heart for you.

Mary

On July 25, 2009, Yardsnacker wrote:

One thing comes to mind...Ferris Bueller. As a child of the 80's if there is one thing I learned from that time period, outside of Izods and that Wham was actually a gay group, I learned that you can take the everyday mundane places, places you are ready to move on from and make them amazing again. I wonder.... is it the economy? Is it cosmic forces trying to say something? Is there a Universe as yet unexplored in your backyard that an all knowing presence wants you to discover before you move on to your next iteration? I make no statement only pause...and wonder....

On July 25, 2009, raw_lif3 wrote:

I'm so sorry to hear that things are not working out according to the plan. I can't imagine how disappointed you are right now, this has been such a focal point of your lives for such a long time.
It's funny because I've known that you are going to be moving/travelling for a long time, but reading this today made me realize that you are actually *moving* and I may not see you in person for months or years at a time.
I will miss all three of you very much, but I am happy for you about all the bright things that lay ahead of your family.
Your family has been such a blessing to me in the last year, I love you all so much and wish you the very, very, best!!

On July 27, 2009, Newbie wrote:

The good news is that you can do both.

After getting settled, set up some seminars/talks in some major cities and work it that way instead of comitting to an "on road/time-consuming" time-frame.

This way, you would have much more control over your schedules.

On July 27, 2009, Margaret wrote:

Hi Wendi, I'm so sorry that things haven't worked out as you planned - I can empathise with you as I was in a position a few years ago when we tried to sell our house - did all sorts of improvements, lowered the price, changed Estate Agents 3 times all with a view to getting a suitable house so that I could move my ageing Mum in with us and care for her. Pure intentions but wrong timing - 19 months later everything fell into place.
God's timing is always perfect as He sees the BIG picture! So I.m sure you are doing the right thing by putting your ideals on hold for your daughter's sake.
I appreciate your transparency and honesty in sharing with us and look forward to following what other exciting things lie in store for you in the future .
Blessings to the 3 of you!!

On July 27, 2009, Sheri (Green & Crunchy) wrote:

I've only lurked here til now but wanted to pop in and say hi!

What great parents you are to put your daughter's needs front and center like that. She's a lucky kiddo!

I have 5 unschooled (high-raw) kids and I would LOVE to do a cross country adventure some day -- would be so enriching for them! Your plans sound so very exciting and I hope it all works out for you when the time is right. And please may I stow away in your luggage? :)

Good luck to you and your family!