journeyinbetween

[journeyinbetween]

Fool's Valley & Beyond // 1 May '25

Somehow I thought I'd be writing in this blog far more frequently. I pictured my van life to be very solitary, with lots of time for reading and writing, but so far it's been more social than I anticipated.

In general, I'm learning that any expectation I have about this trip probably won't turn out to be reality.

So, I last left you at Fool's Valley, located near Mafra (just under an hour from Lisbon). I arrived here with a heavy heart and full of anticipation. I was about to participate in a 3-day contact improvisation workshop led by Vega Luukkonen.

Contact Impro is a recent addition to my life; I started practicing about five months ago. It's a form of improvised partner dance, in which my movement is determined by the contact I share with another person. This can be simple touch, but often involves sharing body weight, and using the forces of gravity, momentum, counterbalance and other physical laws. The result: a lot of fun, sometimes flying in the air, lifting and being lifted, sometimes rolling on the floor.

I've done a lot of freestyle dance in the last few years, but contact was something entirely new. Compared with all the practices I'd tried, I felt the new challenge it presented, along with the things I was learning through my body, were really unique. I had no doubt it would become a big part of my life.

Fool's Valley is a community project with a focus on dance and contact impro, along with other transformative practices like circling. Their ambition is to do research on how these practices impact our behaviour and ability to form sustainable living models.

I was really struck by the atmosphere and the people drawn to this space. The complementary practices of CI and circling made for a unique human cocktail that felt new to me, despite the fact that I've spent time in quite a few alternative communities in the last few years.

So after the CI workshop ended - as rich and enjoyable as ever - I decided to stay at the valley a few more days - which then turned into a week. Cooking and cleaning together, meditating and dancing, and swimming in the amazing human-made pond at the bottom of the valley.

Hard to believe that so much life is happening in this relatively random corner of the world.

Meanwhile, Valeria the van - I kept discovering new ways of optimising the setup for more flow and ergonomics. So, at some point I swapped the position of my kitchen and wardrobe. I also made sure that all my essentials (water, toiletries) were at arms length even with the bed fully extended across the back of the van. This sounds really obvious, but no matter how much you can think of in advance when packing, using the van day-in, day-out is a different story.

One thing I'm noticing is that the foam mattresses I got cut to size for the van are very firm, and not the most comfortable. I'm going to have to get my hands on a mattress topper or thin duvet. I also want to get a large throw or blanket that I can lay on the floor so I have one less excuse to skip morning yoga...

The day I left Fool's Valley, Monday 28 April, Portugal (along with Spain and France) was hit by a nationwide powercut. I had no mobile signal - so no way of navigating to my next camping spot. I also had no money for food. I decided to drive back to Colares, my last home, a place that is totally familiar and feels really safe. I sat for a while in the square, feeling quite disoriented and very alone, before driving to a friend's house and knocking on their door.

Even though it felt a little strange to return so soon, it felt so good to be welcomed by dear friends with open arms. It was exactly what I needed. Not knowing when the electricity would return, a group of us piled into one car and went to the beach to watch sunset. Along the way, we saw teenage boys playing football on the streets, and people making barbecues on their terraces. Incredible how a few hours without power and life begins to return to the outside world.

That said, on a personal level it felt like a relief when power returned later that evening, knowing how reliant I am on my phone signal during this journey. It did make me question how this trip would look different if I actually disconnected.

After a couple of nights with my friends, I parked the van at a local spot near Praia Adraga, one of the most scenic beaches in the region. It takes my breath away every time. Sleeping on the forested hills above the beach, I felt I was getting my first real 'wild' vanning experience, while being supported by a cushion of familiarity. I knew exactly where I was on the map.

After another slightly restless night on my hard mattress, I walked down to the beach before 9am. The only other people in sight were the fishermen and the staff of the local restaurant, until an older man strolled onto the sand carrying a determined gait. Soon I could see him in the distance, naked, running in and out of the waves.

Watching him gave me the courage I needed to walk to the end of the beach and do the same thing. I stripped off, braced myself and spent some time in the shallows, allowing the cold waves to wash over me, before returning to the van for a papaya breakfast.

I've decided not to rush away from Colares. I'll spend a few days catching up on sleep, and then plan my next move. It feels good to take a pause after the week at Fool's Valley. And it's interesting to experience a place that is so very familiar, yet in such different circumstances.

[journeyinbetween]

Starting the Journey // 21 April '25

When I was flying back from Malta to Portugal a few days ago, I wasn't sure what I was going to do: would I get straight into Valeria the van, that I'd spent the last two months preparing and that was waiting for me at the mechanic? Or, would I spend a few days in a guesthouse in Lisbon, making for a soft landing and adjustment?

These questions were playing on my mind as the plane landed, but experience has taught me that it usually doesn't work for me to "figure things out" when I feel confused about next steps. Instead, as the bus that would take us from the aircraft to the airport terminal began moving, I closed my eyes and checked in with my immediate situation. I was really quite hungry. Ok, I'll get myself a sandwich from arrivals and take things from there.

This is the first time I'm traveling alone without much of an agenda. An invitation to take things moment by moment by moment.

Half way through my sandwich and cup of tea, I knew what I needed to do next. I ordered a taxi to where Valeria was stationed. I'd pick her up and drive to Lisbon to meet a friend, and figure out sleeping arrangements later.

As soon as I swung open her rather stiff side door, I had the sense that I would sleep here, not a guesthouse, that night. Despite some doubts about where to park in the city, and unsure I'd find the comfort I wanted after my travels, it just seemed, why not? It's now or never. And it's really cosy in here.

The first thing I did when I arrived in Lisbon was slowly and carefully tidy a few things. Before leaving for Malta a week earlier, I'd rather hurriedly chucked bags and boxes in the van knowing that I'd need to sort them out later. So I began emptying and organising, trying to find sensible places for everything in the limited area of my VW Transporter. Desk items, toiletries, clothes. Where could I put things so that my experience of this tiny home on wheels would be as smooth, as ergonomic as possible?

Van people know that everything needs to be packed in a way that A) it won't move around while driving and B) it's easily accessible.

With no plans other than to meet a friend for tea in a couple of hours, time felt expansive and generous. It felt good to fully give myself to the simple but important task of tending to this space. After all, Valeria would my main refuge for at least a few nights, if not weeks and months.

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Later, after spending a few hours 'out and about', I parked Valeria in Santos, on the Western side of Lisbon. I knew a parking lot near the river which I thought would be quiet on a weekday.

I fell asleep at 10.30pm, and slept soundly until I woke at 2.30am to the sound of heavy, high-rhythm bass coming from a nearby bar. I dug my earplugs deeper into my ears and tried my best to sleep through it, but an hour later I knew I had no chance. I felt like a wild animal in the night, on alert and increasingly aware of the red tail lights of taxis flashing past the van as they pulled up into the parking lot to drop people off.

It was time to go. I quickly checked one of my apps for another camper spot, and found the energy to hop into the front seat in my pyjamas and drive 15 minutes westward to Belém, further on the outskirts of the city. I was happy to find a much more peaceful spot in a residential area, where I parked the van under a tree. This was the right move - and I'll know for next time.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt the newness of this experience: opening the door to let the fresh air in, encountering a few normal people in the distance going about their day: walking dogs, pushing pushchairs, and getting in their cars, going places.

Meanwhile, I ambled over to a conveniently wildish spot off to the side for my morning pee. I noticed insects buzzing and birds calling out in this little area of bush - a rare wildness invisible to the city. Squatting here without much of a plan, I felt part of this secret, secondary rhythm, and it brought a smile to my face. Then I noticed a water fountain across the road to wash my hands and face. Simple, useful things.

On my agenda for the first van day: running a few local errands for essential van items, and eventually picking up my friend Pi, who would be joining me at my first official stop. We were making our way to Fool's Valley, a community project about 45 minutes north of Lisbon, for a weekend of Contact Improvisation.