Wintersleep

While he's looking

for himself on an island

a ferry ride away

I'm searching for a car

to drive through the country

over the mountains

across the prairies

writing poetry and driving

for days on end

until I reach that place

where life is just that pace

slower, where I can stay inside

if that's what I want

I don't need no jacket 

no mountains no snow

I roll up into a ball 

fall into a deep wintersleep

and when all is melted

I'll go out and melt

with you if that's what

you want to do

Woohoow! I wrote a book!

Do you know that feeling when things just seem to fall into place? Daydreams of escaping the city to hide under autumn leaves come true when a friend invites you to his cottage in the middle of the woods. Projects that started in your head years ago turn into tangible works of art. A friend who lives on the other side of the world, who you haven't seen in ages, crosses your mind. Two hours later you get an email. That friend. Visiting the city you just moved to. If you would like to go for a drink?

I used to be a massive fan of the sentence: "wow, what a coincidence!" So many random great things were happening. I met a girl on two different sides of Australia, bumped into her again in Portugal and realised we were in New Zealand at the same time. Totally random. We didn't get each other's contacts, no facebook, no numbers. We just HAD to cross paths, something seemed to be telling us. These things happen to me all the time. So it's nice and easy to give them the name 'coincidences'. Guys, let's be honest. There is no such thing as coincidence. 

Last week, in three days time, all three daydream examples came true. I spent Sunday in the forest, far far away from any city light. I met up with a friend from Australia who had a flight layover in Toronto. Another sweet Australian friend will be visiting my new city in two weeks. Maybe I should read the signs and book a flight to Australia to run away from Canadian winter. ;) And last but not least, I published my very first poetry book. A dream that had been wandering around my head for far too long. As the procrastinator I am, I distracted myself with plenty of useless things like insecurities, comparing myself to others, fear of showing my writing to anyone. 

"But it's so personal, what if they don't like it, I'm not good enough" every single thought of silly insecurity moved into my head, decided to create a nest and live there for eternity. My dream was hidden behind a big roadblock, so I decided to cut through the woods and follow different paths instead. In the end, I arrived at the same destination. Instead of dealing with the roadblock and climbing over the damn thing, I took the long way around.

There were paths going left, right, up, down and straight through fields, forests, oceans. I had to learn a lot along the way. I fell on my face many times. I got back up on my feet every time. I arrived at the destination sweaty, muddy but glowing with pride and confidence. I did it. I got to where I wanted to be. I wrote a book filled with 40 poems about my nomadic life, love, anything that stirs my soul. 

If you would like to get your hands on a copy of my book 'Visions of Paradise', please send me an email at jokederoeck@gmail.com and I will provide you with all the information. Examples of my poetry you can find while scrolling through this blog. If your life could use some nomadic poems, it would be my pleasure to spike your daydreams with tales of travels. 

Thank you so much for your support, for reading my blog, sending me sweet words and making me feel like I'm on the right track, even when I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with roads leading to every direction possible and impossible. I send you all my love, gratitude and with my book, I will send you a handwritten letter with a personal message. 

Thank you for making this happen! You guys ROCK my socks!

Exciting news, hot off the press!

Whenever you meet people, you change them like they change you. You grow because of the shared experiences and new perspectives on life. Seeing everything with fresh eyes, over and over again as you talk to different people. Some leave big impressions, like a pair of new glasses you can't take off. They take you to places inside and outside of yourself you've never explored before. It can be a journey of love, fear of the unknown and relief when you discover things you can embrace within yourself. It can be the ultimate slap in the face you needed to get off your ass and start fulfilling your life's goal right then and there. 

I've always believed there is a mission, a reason why you're on this planet. It's been a hell of a ride to figure out what it was exactly and I'm sure I will be looking for the answer the rest of my life. I've always felt a tiny bit of envy meeting people who've got it all planned, like a list of things to do and ticking them off as they go. Study journalism, become a journalist, get a wife and kids, build a nice house and maybe even show your face on tv and be famous. I started with the same idea, but my path took a left turn when I planned on going straight to ticking boxes. 

The list had to be edited, erased, changed eight times a day to keep up with where I thought I was going. The need to be traveling when I finally created a nest, the longing for a home while being on the road. The urge to book a ticket to the other end of the world when friends started getting married and having children. Keep moving to find peace of mind. Traveling as a way to find my ultimate life goal. Realising cliche quotes like 'it's not about the destination, but the journey' are true. 

I talked and listened to many people in all kinds of languages, with or without words, collecting stories in my backpack. I did the whole yoga and meditation, reading spiritual books until I started sounding like one. I tried to find routines while traveling, just to journey to new places as soon as I found myself stuck in one. The endless road, the same questions asked, the same vague answers given.

I travel by myself often, yet I'm never alone. I choose to surround myself with people all day every day to learn and share. It's easy to get distracted when friends are around. So the goal searching gets postponed. And I love postponing. One of my many skills!

Until I booked a ticket to Bali, planning to rent a beach shack and be by myself to write, snorkel and drink fresh coconuts. Instead I took another left turn and ended up in a friend's house, met beautiful people, booked a flight out but decided to miss it, stay and get trapped in the Balinese rabbit hole of easy living. I met people who made such a big impression on me, it's hard to leave the bubble of inspiration I'm currently living in. 

The night in Ubud filled with poetry, French chansons and conversations left me beaming with energy. I had a strange but comfortable feeling of coming home, seeing possibilities and grabbing them. Squeezing life like lemon juice and getting everything out of it, pulp and all. My friend must have noticed and decided to put my cards on the table. I've never had a tarot reading before as I thought it would come my way when the time was right. Plus there are probably a lot of dodgy future tellers out there, who take a better look at your wallet than at their crystal ball. 

I was ready for anything. Good and bad, bring it on. He talked about my many passions, that the time has come to choose one and go for it. Dedicate life to it, share it, get rid of all distractions and insecurities and just go. Right now. No time to waste. The much needed slap in the face. 

So I wrote. All night. And all the next days and nights. Finally realising this is what I have been doing my entire life, like a red thread connecting dots. It's been a part of me while traveling and at the kitchen table at home. After 26 years, it's about time I share my writing with the world. I gathered many stories along the way and wrote poetry like a mad woman. 

I'm excited to announce my FIRST BOOK OF POEMS is coming out soon. Handwritten or typed, as you like. Watch this space for more information while I'm giving my all, writing until my fingers go numb and ink stains cover my face. 

Thank you to everyone I shared stories with, strangers turning into friends, supporting me by smiling, talking or pushing me over my limits. Thank you endlessly for reading this blog, for your feedback and messages. You make my day. You make my life!!!

Sending love and fresh writings your way!