Vegans, Vans, and Valentines - at Hogwarts

It's March 7th and I am sitting at Cafe Gratitude - nowadays referred to as simply "the cafe" as in THE cafe - without a sweater, soaking up the sun, smelling cherry blossoms and listening to the typical snippets of conversation that so enchanted me when I first moved here. They no longer enchant me; now they remind me that I live in a enchanted reality. It feels like going from the world of muggles to Hogwarts. I am muggle born and I dearly love my muggle family and much of the muggle world. But like Hermione, eventually I would get my invitation to Hogwarts and I would have to go.

Now I have arrived at my new school and am surrounded by other non-muggles. The magical folks of my world are called raw vegans. I now live and learn in a world of raw vegans. And I am not a pure-blood nor do I care to be - say goat kefir or goat yoghurt and watch me devour either in a very un-vegan fashion. It's not so much about the food as it is about the culture. The food is both, the vegan chicken and egg. It is the foundation of a different way of doing life as well as the outcome of a different mindset. This way of life is paramount to the ability to do magic, but unlike in Harry Potter's world, it is inherent in all of us. It doesn't make vegan folks better or more advanced than muggles. However, a world based on vegan raw food principles opens up opportunities that are not as readily available to the muggle world.

In the world of muggles technology often takes the place of magic. In my world of magic technology plays a role - but there are alternatives that reduce our reliance on machines. People look each other in the eyes. I noticed that as soon as I got here and I still notice it on a daily basis. People make eye contact. Not just briefly, but often intensely. Non-verbal communication takes place that replaces some of the need for technology. A look, a thought, a smile replace a phone call, a text message, an email. It doesn't take as long to get to know someone, because there is ample opportunity to feel the other person out. I am deeply in love with this form of interaction.

I have a vegan raw foodie friend here who went through a divorce as well. We were talking about our ex-spouses and the concept of regret. He asked me what the opposite of regret was. Intuitively, without giving the question much thought, I blurted out: gratitude. The more I thought about it, the more I know that my intuition was true. I am so grateful for how far I have come in a year, so grateful for the freedom I have now, and even grateful for all the wonderful times I shared with my ex-husband and all the things he taught me. My gratitude for what I gained through my marriage is so much stronger than the power of regret. Gratitude has taken the place of regret.

There has been another replacement. I used to hear my ex-husband's voice in my head. A voice of limitations, diminishing and degrading me. At the rainbow gathering last year I got involved in a healing session which resulted in the disappearance of said voice. My friend asked me what took the place of that voice, alluding to Jesus' wisdom that a cast-out demon will return with 6 of his cronies, leaving you in a condition 7 times worse than before. I had never asked myself that question, but I knew the answer: the diminishing voice had been replaced with laughter! Just like that voice came unexpectedly sometimes, so does laughter sneak up on me these days.

I love being in this culture. There is vegan raw ice cream, chocolate chip mint, pralines and cream, creamy citrus, coconut, and next on the menu, dulce de leche. There are sky-high raw vegan layered cakes, sprouted tortillas, sprouted tofu, raw vegan chips, crackers, breads. I just finished a fantastic strawberry shortcake and vegan masala chai. All these things I thought should exist, somewhere in the world, the delicious treats I have always loved, in raw vegan fashion, they are right here! I am Harry Potter, wide-eyed, emerged from the cupboard under the stairs, getting a hang of life at Hogwarts.

Speaking of cupboard under the stairs, I am relocating - again. Eventually I want to live in a community, but until then, I decided I'd go with the flexibility of living in a van.My friend, the Shimshai singing hot springs adventurer, decided the same thing. A few days after making a decision, she owned a van. Apparently time moves differently in this part of California, and so it was only a day after my decision that I told my room mate I'd be moving out. She was excited and happy for me. Less than a week later I became the proud owner of a camper van.

It took me all of 5 Minutes to find the perfect name for my new home: Vandora! I bought her in Berkeley and as I was driving her back to Marin county I could see the setting sun gleaming off downtown San Francisco. The wind was rustling through my hair through the opened window and I let our a long scream! I am home, home in a world of magic. The local eco-paint store just so happened to have "oops" paint in Vandoran green and in just a couple more days I will be ready to move to Vandora.

My first Valentine's day in Marin county reminded me of Harry Potter's first christmas at Hogwarts. There have always been chocolate and flowers at Valentine's day. But this year I breathed chocolate all Valentine's day long and looked at a rainbow bouquet of flowers. Valentine's Day flowers, delivered to the chocolate factory. Delivered to Annika Mongan at Sacred Chocolate. My first Valentine's flowers - ever. I so love love.