subtledream newsletter 2022, 19th edition

"Love is having. Desire is wanting. And you can want only what you don’t already have."

Emily Nagoski

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Dear friends,

9 years ago today, I was cycling southbound on the Mendocino coast of California with my touring bicycle loaded with life necessities enroute for the Bay Area and reuniting with my friends Susan & Ken at their farm, Pasture 42. I stayed and worked with them for the busy month leading up to Thanksgiving, and it was my first experience slaughtering an animal for its products. It was profound, and I am forever grateful for their knowledge, guidance, friendship through the years. Just several days ago, I got to visit them and brought Camila along to check out the beautiful farm. I am so happy and proud for how far they've come, for the kiddos and farm animals they've brought into their little kingdom, and in continuing to passionately put in the hard work and determination to steward the land with care and bring clean, nutritional, ethical foods to the people. If you're in the greater Bay Area, catch them and their products at the following markets, and on Instagram here.

Sharing a smile with Susan's kiddos as they try to convince mom of new farm puppy's name

I think the **Davis food co-op** also carries their yum yum eggs!

Celebratory sunset after climbing & descending the hill of Leggett 9 yrs ago today!

Alright, picking up where we left off in the previous July + August double edition with the second half of our time in Guatemala at the magical Lake Atitlán, the 3 weeks throughout the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos of vibrant Mexico, and returning to the U.S. for the out-of-this-world Burning Man, the beloved Pacific Northwest, the intimate Northwest Nomads gathering, all on a road trip similar in flavor to last year's Prius Life, except now with the wonderful Camila to all fit in the little hybrid hatchback that could!

Patrons: hop right into your bonus album here.

Guatemala & Mexico

Ceremony, living culture & street scenes, and unexpected reunion:

Endless and vibrant, meaningful, story-full, earth and community-driven art across the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Morelos:

Linking back up with my favorite Oaxaqueña, Jenny!

And back to the U.S. for the next chapter of our journeying:

A few days in LA to see the fam bam, and for them to meet Camila!

72 hrs of unpacking, repacking, ready to hit the road throughout the west coast in Spaceship Prius!

Burning Man

The build, the beginning of the dust, the teamwork, and the satisfaction of taking part in a collaborative art piece with the IntraNurture crew:

The bird, at the moment the crane lowers her head into place on the deep playa.

Our crew at camp, the temple, our bird, New Zealand friends reunion, more art, more incredible sights of Black Rock City that no amount of images can truly encapsulate fully.

What a crew, what a time, what an experience.

Pacific Northwest

Post-burn, easing back into "life" with friends in Portland, Oregon

A quick trip to the east coast to be in attendance as well as video capture Felicia & Julien's wedding from the ground and the air at their gorgeous land that is Earthlands Farm in central Massachusetts (+ Conscious Impact friends reunion!), followed by a little camping road trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire - double yum!

Love, love this panoramic view of the central Cascades from Sisters, Oregon

Freshly arrived and set up for the gathering with awnings, kitchen setup, solar panels, and lights!

Aerial shot of our gathering's camp at sunset

Hosting fellow nomads at the gathering at our Prius tailgate kitchen/backyard.

13-image panorama of the famous Multnomah Falls, Oregon. The stitched image is made with 100+ ultra-clean megapixels!

Reunions and gatherings throughout the Pacific Northwest, stretching out summer vibes for as long as we could in brilliant weather and even better company:

The Tree of Life on the Olympic peninsula - most defintely a print offering in the future!

Morning mist through the coastal forest of the Olympic peninsula

Snippets from the Olympic coast and orca sightings from San Juan Island, WA:

Next time/newsletter edition - I shall pick it up after San Juan Island & Seattle as we made our way towards Mt Rainier National Park and wrapping up our time in the Pacific Northwest wonderland with a visit to Crater Lake and Mt. Shasta!

And now...

With over 460 stills + video clips spanning across 3 countries and 11 weeks, the bonus media album accompanying this newsletter is once again exclusively for the eyes & ears of my patreon supporters. The album contains many more snippets of life and great beauty in still images as well as videos of the rest of our time in Latin America and kicking off our tour of the US west coast from late August onward. Supporting patrons not only have exclusive access to this album, but every bonus album accompanying past newsletters, additional insights and posts I've put out since mid-2018 when I launched my page on the platform.

Thank you for your support and attention whether or not you were/have been/are thinking about becoming a fellow supporter of me and my work!

Fun fact: with *all* that we have loaded into the Prius along with the roof cargo box, bike rack + 2 bicycles, we've hit between 30-40 mpg (12.8-17 km/l). Quite the achievement and it surely cuts down on not only cost by also emissions!

Moving forward, I may or may not stick with the bimonthly format. Free time and space has become even more of a rarity as I continue to travel incessantly while working on the road and being in an incredible, loving relationship with Camila. I am so thankful for this time and opportunity to develop myself in new and miraculous ways. We shall see in the winter months coming up.

While I was in Seattle, I got to record the 4th conversation for the Wilderness Within podcast with my long time friend and fellow patron, Jennifer Grasso. I shall keep you posted with writeup's + production updates as time opens back up at the tail end of this year for the podcast, at last!

good news from around the world

Many people's favorite section. Sit back, enjoy these sublime headlines and ease your tense shoulders and mind. Thanks as always to Future Crunch to my (our) sources of inspiration, hope, and joy:

Over the past two decades the Global Fund has saved 44 million lives from three of the world’s deadliest epidemics, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. One of the biggest drivers of the fund’s success is its community-led approach. It was one of the first international organisations to give community groups a voice and representation at board level.
Yvon Chouinard, the ‘existential dirtbag’ who founded Patagonia, has given away the entire company to a trust that will use future profits to fight the climate crisis. "Earth is now our only shareholder. Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth." Guardian

A second oil company has cancelled its lease in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge following fierce opposition by the Indigenous Gwich’in people. To date, 29 global banks have declined underwriting oil and gas projects in the refuge and 14 international insurances companies will not insure projects in the region. Mongabay
The world’s largest shipping company, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, is rerouting its fleet to avoid collisions with endangered blue whales off the southern tip of Sri Lanka. The company is working with scientists and marine experts to modify its navigation guidance to reduce the risk of a ship striking a whale by 95%. Business Insider
Over the past decade Bridgestone has invested more than $100 million into eco-tyres made from guayule, a drought-friendly shrub that produces a compound that's good enough for race tyres. The eco-tyres have been tested on Indy Cars for over a year and provide 'similar or better performance' than traditional rubber tyres. Ars Technica
Marc Jacobson and his team at Stanford showed that for 145 countries, a transition to 100% wind, water, solar and storage would pay for itself within six years, and create 28 million new jobs. 95% of the technologies needed are already fully commercial.
BDO, the largest lender in the Philippines, says it will reduce coal exposure by 50% by 2033 as part of its energy transition program. Big deal for an Asian bank. “Ultimately, BDO does not intend to finance any new capacity that will increase harmful greenhouse gas emissions in the environment.” Manila Standard
Volvo is launching three new massive electric truck models. Full scale production has begun on the the Volvo FM, Volvo FH, and Volvo FMX. Each weighs up to 44 tonnes, and designed to cover a wide range of applications including city distribution, refuse handling, regional transport, and construction work. Business Green
Mercedes just unveiled its long haul trucking prototype. The engineering is incredible. 500 kilometres per charge, 10 ton payload, 1.2 million kilometre battery life, no tail pipe pollution, hardly any noise, and regenerative braking. A timely reminder that electric vehicles don't just replace combustion engine vehicles, they're better on multiple counts.

Three great ocean conservation stories - The Republic of the Congo has created its first ever marine protected areas, covering 4,000 km2 off the west African coast, Albania has declared its Porto-Palermo Bay as a nature park, and after a decade of work Canada has unveiled a blueprint for a vast network of marine protected areas across the northern third of its West Coast.
Family planning is an unsung hero in the story of human progress. The number of women and girls using modern contraception in low and lower-middle income countries now stands at 357 million. In the last year alone, their use has averted 135 million unintended pregnancies, 28 million unsafe abortions, and 140,000 maternal deaths. UNFPA
Cubans have overwhelmingly approved gay marriage and adoption in a government-backed referendum that also boosts rights for women. 66.9% of voters said yes to a new family code that legalizes same-sex marriage and civil unions, allows same-sex couples to adopt children, and promotes equal sharing of domestic rights and responsibilities between men and women. Reuters
Poland has welcomed over two million Ukrainian refugees with open arms. Private citizens have spent $2.1 billion on aid, the government has spent $3.4 billion, and 1.2 million Ukrainians have been granted access to health care, education, and social benefits. Attitudes are changing too. 80% of the population now supports taking in refugees fleeing violence and war, up from 49% in 2018. Bloomberg
The world's biggest trial of a four day work week, involving 70 firms giving 3,300 employees full pay for 80% of their normal hours, just reached its halfway point. 46% of firms say overall productivity has actually improved, and more than eight in ten say it's working so well they're going to keep on going once the trial ends. Gizmodo
Paris is winning its war on cars. Since 1990, the proportion of car journeys has dropped by 45%, public transport use has risen by 30%, and cycling has increased tenfold. Next up: a new citywide speed limit of 30 km/h, car-free zones outside schools, and 'peaceful zones,' that make it illegal to drive through the city centre without stopping. RTBC
The Dominican Republic has passed legislation enshrining the rights of domestic workers. They will now have access to minimum wage, defined working hours, insurance coverage, workplace injury protection, survival and disability benefits and inclusion in state pension programs. Latina Republic
After seven years of lobbying, 661,416 hectares of wetland in Argentina has been declared as a new protected area, the Ansenuza National Park. It’s the largest wetland in South America and a crucial ecosystem for 66% of all migratory and shorebird species, including three species of flamingos. WHSRN
"No new extinctions." Australia has unveiled an ambitious ten-year recovery plan for threatened species, including the prevention of any new native animal or plant extinctions. The government has pledged $224.5 million towards the project, and committed to conserving 30% of the continent's land mass. Australian Geographic
Swedish company Heart Aerospace has unveiled its ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric plane with a capacity of 30 passengers, and in Washington, US startup Eviation has completed the first test flight of its nine passenger prototype. “It’s an opportunity to build the future of aviation. It’s revolutionary.”

original work / offering

For this newsletter, I have quite the unique offering to share with you all - a gentle yoga practice led by my wonderful travel-life partner Camila, filmed + edited by yours truly! 🎥

We have been thinking about collaborating as we traveled throughout the Americas, and this is our first collaborative effort we are able to put out to the world. It was captured on the deck of my friends Claudia & Hiroshi's cabin in the woods by a creek in central Oregon. I(we) hope you truly enjoy this session as you ease (back) into your body. 🧘🏽‍♀️

"A 35-minute slow flow yoga practice to create freedom and ease in the lower back and hips."

If you find value in this practice, consider pitching in some dollars to Camila's donation jar, as all of her offerings online are donation-based - she'd really appreciate it! 🙃

Follow Camila on Instagram, and/or sign up to her newsletter, where she sends her updates, insights, and future offerings. I hope to be able to co-create offerings with Camila like this practice for you all again!

Previous class recordings: 📼

60-Min Warming Yin Yang class Passcode: r0#Hb8Xf
60-Min Paradise Yin Yang class Passcode: !H6Ue@qv

recommendations

Several recs for this edition - a podcast, a book, and several sound & music playlists. 🎧

Pádraig Ó Tuama, “This fantastic argument of being alive”
On Being with Krista Tippett

Pádraig Ó Tuama is a friend, teacher, and colleague to the work of On Being. But before that was true, Krista took a revelatory trip to meet him at his home in Northern Ireland, a place that has known sectarianism and violent fracture and has evolved, not to perfection, yet to new life and once unimaginable repair and relationship. Our whole world screams of fracture, more now than when Krista sat with Pádraig in 2016. This conversation is a gentle, welcoming landing for pondering and befriending hard realities we are given. As the global educator Karen Murphy, another friend of On Being and of Pádraig, once said to Krista: “Let’s have the humility and the generosity to step back and learn from these places that have had the courage to look at themselves and look at where they’ve been and try to forge a new path with something that resembles ‘together’ … Right now we should be taking these stories and these examples and these places and filling our pockets and our lungs and our hearts and our minds with them and learning deeply.”

Google Podcasts | Apple Podcast | Audible | Spotify

Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski

For much of the 20th and 21st centuries, women’s sexuality was an uncharted territory in science, studied far less frequently—and far less seriously—than its male counterpart.

That is, until Emily Nagoski’s Come As You Are, which used groundbreaking science and research to prove that the most important factor in creating and sustaining a sex life filled with confidence and joy is not what the parts are or how they’re organized but how you feel about them. In the years since the book’s initial publication, countless women have learned through Nagoski’s accessible and informative guide that things like stress, mood, trust, and body image are not peripheral factors in a woman’s sexual wellbeing; they are central to it—and that even if you don’t always feel like it, you are already sexually whole by just being yourself. This revised and updated edition continues that mission with new information and advanced research, demystifying and decoding the science of sex so that everyone can create a better sex life and discover more pleasure than you ever thought possible.

Lastly, some SoundCloud playlists for your ears, mind, and soul: 🎼

gratitude + shoutout

For those of you who are new to this newsletter, welcome and thank you! Your time and attention are invaluable, and I sincerely hope you find value here. 😊

This publication is a labor of love & devotion. For each edition, I spend 10+ hrs to cull & edit captured media, compile good news & content, then weave them altogether. It is made possible in huge part due to patrons who pitch in regularly on patreon. This income, as minuscule as it might be relative to salaries of those jobs in economically "developed" countries, is an enormous pillar of additional support for my frugal lifestyle in regions of the world where services and goods cost relatively less. I also must thank dear friends around the globe who hire me for their family portraits, engagements, weddings, business/organization photo & videoshoots, etc. that also contribute to the financial pie which allow my life(style) to be possible. 🚙🏕️

Without these supporters, there would likely be no newsletter, and it'd be a bigger challenge for me to commit the additional time and resources to commence The Wilderness Within amidst commitments and life itself. So for that, I am ever thankful for their financial support month after month so that I can produce content like this, "re-tip" other creators that I think make our world a better place, and offer pro-bono or discounted documentary work to those with(out even) a small a budget. 📷♡

If you're able to or keen to learn more, head over to my patreon page, or if regular contributions aren't your thing, I also have a tip jar - think of me as a "street busker" with cameras, curation, and musings. 💰

These are the humans that make this publication, the podcast, and other aspects of my life possible: 🤗

Antoine M., Taylor C., Gautier B., Anica W., Jackie C., Alyson S., Yu Shin C., Dora L., Jennifer G., Anne G., Steven M., Utsav K., Yu Shan C., Camila N., Steven W., Luke F., Kelsea S., Dana W., Ryan L., Urška Č., Christine T., Ramona G., Tiange Z., Michael C., Clare M., Kelsey Y., John E., Evan S., Emily B., Reynette R., Orion H., Carina F., Jacky C., Frankie L., Kelly P., Candice Y., Aiyana B., Maggie T., Otis S., Guthrie S., Lisa C., Jonathan V., Steve T., Lindsay C., Michelle K., Khen R., Julie T., Nils F., Kristine S., Zach S., Anna W., Jim B., Fred D., Brenda L., Clare M., Alex A., Willow B., Will R., Sebastian B., Jessie P.

Camila & I riding the high desert of central Oregon at Northwest Nomads. I often pinch myself for having had such a loving person enter my life and ride this journey together. 💜💜

Grateful for you Reader,

Jonathan

subtledream newsletter + wilderness within podcast