The Gypsies and People You Meet on the Road

Make your home on the road and I guarantee you will see The Law of Attraction come alive. We did. The people we meet and connect with wherever we travel usually reflect our own love of the offbeat and creative pursuits. They prove that if you do what you love, everything falls into place.

Are you following your bliss?

Michael and Christy are two of the best examples of the truth about following your bliss. One morning we saw them hooping outside their rig at Fountain of Youth.

(https://youtu.be/osUkCejNFX8)

“These are my kinda people!” I said to Jim as we went by on our morning run. Instead of going home, we joined them in the hooping and had fun hearing their story.

How many traveling blacksmiths do you know?

This is Michael. He’s not just a hooper, he’s a blacksmith who built this fantastical rig dubbed “Florence.” Florence the blue-collar RV is all hand-built.

Christy is his better half, and she’s the charming author/artist behind the Gypsy Time Travelers . She and Michael live in Florence almost all year long, roaming the west and sharing old timey tales with “a hot iron twist,” as they like to say. While she keeps audiences spellbound with tales from days of long ago, Michael pounds metal and creates trinkets for the audience. They put on quite a show in 20 minutes.

Christy spins tales while he hammers trinkets for the audience.

Michael and Christy were taking a break from their active performance schedule. They spend much of the year performing everywhere from county fairs to Renaissance gatherings. Still, they couldn’t resist putting on a winter show at FoY. And everyone, including us, was so glad they did.

(https://youtu.be/n0bitP9q0-c) Yes, this is how they earn a living. Christy also illustrates adorable children’s books that she sells at their performances. When we met them I assumed the performances were a side gig, but nope. They’ve been doing this over 20 years, raised a family on it, and still enjoy entertaining people of all ages.

(https://youtu.be/uDUxpeDngfI)

Each time I meet creative, offbeat people like these two, I’m reminded of the reaction I got as a teenager, when I told my parents I wanted to go to art school.

“You can’t make a living doing art! Go to a real college! Get a real job!” was what I was told. So instead of painting and penciling my way through college, I wrote my way through an English degree. Uh huh, really profitable eh?

Sorry, mom and dad. You were wrong. People really do make a living as artists.

Look for Gypsy Time Travelers around the west, you will love their shows!