The Road Less Traveled: My Sojourn Through a Mid-Life Start-Over

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It’s been quite a while since I posted blogs on a regular basis. So much has happened in the past few years, I wasn’t sure what I should share openly – which is kinda laughable if you’ve read my DailyOJ posts. But what I’ve been through in the past year-and-a-half, in particular, has been one life-altering experience after another. I’ve not really had time to ruminate on everything that has transpired because I was too busy trying to keep my head above water in the midst of my “mid-life start-over” and, oftentimes, failing miserably, according to society’s rules. And yet, it has been everything I needed to embark on the path to fulfill my life purpose.

If you’ve known me or followed me for any length of time, you know I tend to walk the path less traveled. Conventional life is not my strong-suit, and this has never been more true than right now.

I’ve talked about my physical, emotional, and spiritual journey(s) of the past year on my YouTube channel, and I’ve posted pics & mental meanderings on my Instagram and Facebook page. I had mixed feelings about switching from my ArousedWoman moniker, but I needed to bring all my writings under my main website, and I knew it was the right decision. But I’m incorporating AW back into my identity because, ultimately, ArousedWoman is who I am.

I had backed out of most of my social media because I simply cannot absorb the deluge of negativity that pervades most platforms – and yes, I’m talking about politics.

When I ran for Congress in 2014, I saw firsthand that the political system in the United States is a sham. The so-called American democracy we hold in such high esteem is a rigged system; it is rigged to be broken, and it’s all an inside-job. To fix it, we, the people, would have to let it all come crumbling down; and too many power-players at the top and behind-the-scenes have too much to lose to let that happen. Therefore, I won’t speak of politics again. I’ve moved on.

What I’ve moved on to is so complex, and yet so simple, it is at once mind-boggling, life-affirming, and breathtaking: LOVE. True love. Last year, I realized that I am a Twin Flame, that a man who had contacted me seemingly out of the blue in March was my true love/soulmate, and he was, in fact, the man who had come to me in a dream when I was 19. (I’ll talk more about all of that in another post.) Suffice it to say, the primary event in my life since July 2017 has been getting myself on my proper life path so that he and I can be together, and that path is something I never really imagined for myself except in my wildest dreams.

Apparently, a big part of that path is travel.

In October of last year, I drove from Mississippi to Los Angeles, where I was homeless and lived out of my car for a few months. I had known homeless people back home in Ocean Springs – all seven of them, but the rampant homelessness in Los Angeles was shocking. For me, as a woman, I felt grateful to have my car as a fortress to protect me so that I was not actually sleeping on the street or in doorways or under bushes. I saw plenty of other women (and children) who could not say the same.

I saved my money and rented a room in Pasadena in February 2018, and I stayed there until July. I met so many wonderful musicians in the L.A. area and got to see the music industry up-close-and-personal. I was invited to be a Guest Speaker at the 15th International Symposium on Genital Autonomy and Children’s Rights in San Francisco in May, which was an incredible experience – except for the part where my car was stolen the night I got there.

With my car – and my wallet with my driver’s license and debit cards – stolen, I then had to sojourn back to Mississippi to get it all replaced. This was scary as I had left Mississippi to find my true path, and I was scared of going backward and getting triggered by the past. All my worries were for naught, as going back home proved to be a wonderful, healing experience. It also allowed me time and space to rest and really enjoy life every single day; this would prove to be an important theme in my on-again/off-again connection with my Twin Flame/dream guy.

In August, my guy and I reconnected, which was beautiful, and I left Mississippi for the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference in Nashville. (You may recall last year’s fiasco.) From there, I visited my friend Ryan, a.k.a @TNTux on Twitter, in Chattanooga, and we started laying the groundwork for my non-profit, FORE: Foreskin OutReach & Education, to bring educational workshops about foreskin to the masses.

After Chattanooga, I put out the word that I was looking to visit Asheville, North Carolina, and a friend in Greer, South Carolina, offered me a place to stay with the promise of a trip to Asheville to see the town and all it has to offer. Monty & his wife Joan were amazing hosts, and their tucked-away cottage nestled within lush, gorgeous, green woods and a nearby lake was the epitome of serenity.

I even got to record a song I wrote years ago about unconditional love — based on my experience of the dream when I was 19, and I’m putting it on my album, FLAMES. I was able to see the audio engineering process up-close-and-personal, and I feel it will make me a better technician in preparing my music scores for .MIDI conversion for future recording sessions.

With a hurricane brewing in the Atlantic, it was time to leave South Carolina and head inland. My next stop was Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where I stayed with my friend and fellow Twin Flame, Michele. Doylestown, PA, was an absolutely beautiful, amazing experience. The charming, small-town setting with a boho-hippie vibe and lots of trees reminded me so much of my hometown, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I felt right at home. (Ever since being in L.A., I have realized I really, really, really need green-space and trees to feel at peace. So no more desert for me! Oh…. wait…..)

When it was time to head back out on the road, I remembered a friend, Jeremy, in Las Vegas had offered me a spare room if I ever needed it, and so that’s where I went – albeit, after a five-day bus-ride from hell via Greyhound. (If at all possible, never ride Greyhound. Ever.) In Vegas, I was able to do some recon for my upcoming Foreskin Fall 2018 Tour, checking out high-traffic public spaces that my intactivism would be most visible. This is something I’ve been doing in every city since Nashville, and Vegas’ tourism attributes mean I can present foreskin education to people from all walks of life at once.

I had wanted to go back to L.A. for a couple weeks to reconnect with musician friends I hadn’t seen since April (before my car was stolen) as well as to move forward with my album, since I had a better understanding of the mixing and mastering process. However, the cost of L.A. was just too much. Crunching the numbers, I could do three weeks practically anywhere else for the cost of doing one week in Los Angeles. I also knew where I would do my Fall Tour activism in L.A., but looking outward from Vegas, Phoenix was new – and I could ride MegaBus(!), which was great.

Phoenix, or more properly Tempe, Arizona, offered options such as visiting the Mayo Clinic at Arizona State University, which was recently named #1 in OBGYN and #2 in Urology for its medical school training. And it was a complete synchronicity that my guy is also in Tempe.

So, here I am, in Tempe, Arizona, where they have a mountain that honors people named Trish — which is really sweet. 😛 For now, I’m taking a break from my hectic travels to breathe, finalize the cities and dates of the Foreskin Fall Tour, and just be happy with my Self. Inner peace and happiness are beautiful, and I’ve not had much of either in my life; so I’m soaking it all up.

November 2nd, I fly to Orlando, Florida, where I will be part of the demonstrations in front of the AAP’s annual conference. It is here that I will officially begin the Foreskin Fall Tour. So stay tuned for more info on that!

I will post new blog pieces this week about my Twin Flame experience, the dates and cities for the Foreskin tour, another milestone in healing my self-worth and my body image, as well as releasing information on my upcoming online classes of AWESOM for Men. And did I mention, I’m still working on the INTACT book? Well, I am. (I’ve opened the survey back up, if you’re an intact man.)

For now, I am so happy where I am in my life, and I am looking forward to what is next. I love every single day, and I can’t wait to start the next leg of my journey.

So, how are YOU doing? What are you doing to create the happy life YOU want? Leave a comment below.

I LOVE YOU, ALL!  MWAH!

Take care,
trish