Help us to bring Heart Space alive.

Dear friends and family,

I am humbly reaching out for support. This is very difficult for me to ask, but I have made some bold moves and am very close to bringing a lofty aspiration to fruition, I just need some help in the short term to make it happen.

I know that a lot of people were following our story and I was moved beyond words by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support from our amazing community. I wanted to give a quick update of some of the things that have transpired since we lost our dear Anika.

The events of the last two years have been an intense journey through loss and grief, healing and renewal. I have grieved not just the passing of my life partner and my kids’ mother, but also the loss of all the dreams and plans we had made, places we wanted to experience together, music we would make, and so much more. I have struggled with the incredible challenges of being a single father and the uncertainties of re-imagining our lives in a new place and in a new way.

When Anika passed I made the decision to leave Orange County to get a fresh start and to seek out the kind of life we had always dreamed of. Orange County certainly has a lot going for it, and there are a lot of things and people that we miss, but I don’t imagine that I’ll ever live there again. We wanted our kids to grow up in a nurturing community, close to nature, and away from the buzz and nervous energy of city life.

With those things in mind I sorted through everything that we had accumulated over the years, minimized greatly, put a lot of things into storage, and headed to Bend, Oregon in our RV. I love Bend and I imagined settling in there and making it our permanent home, but after just a few months an opportunity presented itself and I ended up back in California.

Here in Nevada County, CA we have found such vibrant land, a remarkable community of creative people, like-minded families, and everything that I was looking for when we left Orange County.

With the help of my mom and my dear friend Nathan Oakes we were able to put a down payment on a majestic, forested, 27-acre property in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas above the town of Nevada City, CA.

The property is called Heart Space Ranch. Aptly named, it is truly magical. I felt an instant connection to this land and its ancestors. It is wonderfully alive and truly speaks to you. I am blown away every day that I wake up to the stark beauty that surrounds us. I adore the diversity of the abundant flora and fauna. At just above 3000’ elevation, almost anything grows here. There's something very special about having so many species of plants, animals, trees, and flowers co-mingling in harmony. This land is truly sacred. The kids love exploring, catching frogs and lizards in the summer, building snowmen and sledding in the winter, playing on the rope swing, trampoline, zip-line and slack-line, or roasting marshmallows in the teepee. This is like a dream come true for myself and my family. Here we find ourselves on this gorgeous land, fully experiencing the seasons for the first time, building something meaningful, and investing our time and energy into our own place that I hope to have in the family for generations.

Here at Heart Space we have 2 cabins, a Tiny Home, and 2 independent apartments that we are currently offering for short-term rental on AirBnB and VRBO. We love to share what we have with people who appreciate it. We have had writers come to create, a women’s retreat, visits from outdoor enthusiasts, and so many others who have come seeking a calm space to get away or recharge. We have had such wonderful feedback from our guests who truly love being here and enjoy experiencing the beauty and tranquility of the area. If any of you find yourselves with plans to be in our neck of the woods please come pay us a visit. We would love to host you!

We recently invested heavily in the property and added full bathrooms and kitchenettes to 2 of the spaces, making them much more desirable and comfortable for visitors. During the 3 months of construction we had almost no income from our short-term rentals and I am nearing the end of my means. We are now learning that the winter is very slow for travelers, which we expected to some extent, but once spring comes around we will have built something sustainable and lucrative. We are also looking to the future of Heart Space and aim to expand the possibilities and potential for growth and collaboration with like-minded people.

If you feel called to contribute in any small way, it would be very meaningful and would be helping to manifest the vision that Anika and I shared for our family.

I am eternally grateful for every one of you that showed so much love and support for us in the past, and I wish you all abundance and profound joy in your lives.

Thank you,

~Viking~