• Molly Hofer

Post Studio Life

This is more for me to keep track of the experiences and important moments, but I’m happy if you read it :) Read more
  • Trip start
    July 1, 2024

    Psycare at Masters of Puppets: Czech

    Jun 28–Jul 8, 2024 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    What is PsyCare you ask? It is a service that is provided by a harm reduction agency to ensure the safety and welfare of people attending gatherings/music festivals. We give out information about safer partying, vitamins, ear plugs, condoms, sunscreen… and we provide both group and 1:1 care for people having difficult experiences due to mental/emotional crises and/or substance consumption. *Note: We do not encourage nor discourage the use of substances; we maintain a neutral standpoint that acknowledges psychoactive substances as a reality of life and strive to educate the public and reduce the potential harm of the use of said substances.*

    Our core philosophy is to meet people where they’re at with nonjudgmental space holding for whatever they’re going through. We propose radical compassion in the face of “taboo/precarious” circumstances involving drug use and mental illness, and uphold the dignity of all people regardless of their choices. We support rather than punish, we make space for rather than try to eliminate or ignore, we accept and we love rather than judge and reject.

    In practical terms that might mean active listening, holding someone’s hand, giving them a tea and a banana, or it could mean more intense measures, like de-escalating a situation with festival security when they become “aggressive” (most of the time they are just scared and defensive), or assisting the on-site medical team with someone who is convinced that they’re dying even when their vitals are perfect because they’re tripping so hard.

    Most of our work is simply being there for someone as if they were our good friend, but we also face life and death situations and have to make really important calls that can (hopefully positively!) influence the outcome of dangerous situations.

    This year’s Masters of Puppets was a doozy to say the least. It’s got a vibe that is different from any other music festival that I’ve experienced before. The music is fast, hard, and dark, and there aren’t “pretty” decorations, rather quite weird and creepy ones😜 but I do love the strange side of life, so I enjoy this festival.. but its tendency towards darkness also means that psycare is particularly necessary and busy 😅

    Although I’ve been working at it for some years now, this year was especially challenging. I left feeling empty and needed quite a bit of time to mentally and physically recover. It was really lovely to see my Psycare friends again though- that was the most rewarding part ❤️
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  • Island Dreamin: Mallorca

    Jul 12–15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    What are friends for?
    Tucking you into their sofa with a blankey and listening to you vent and even cry about everything and anything, opening a bottle of desperately needed wine with a power tool cause you don’t have a corkscrew, and spontaneously taking the best vacations of your life with.Read more

  • Full Moon Yoga on the Alps❤️

    Jul 19–21, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    I felt incredibly connected with this space and this group. It was a magical experience giving a full moon cacao ceremony on the German alps with some of my closest friends and students. This was a last Molly Moon Yoga session for a while- but we sure did go out with a bang! What a magical experience ✨ Thank you Sabine and Sophie for lending us this beautiful land (and donkey mascots 😊) for the weekend. I’m looking forward to returning ❤️Read more

  • Eciton Gathering: France

    Jul 25–29, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Max, Vacca and I spontaneously found ourselves at a tiny festival in France… and what a beautiful surprise! It has been quite a while since I was so impressed with a gathering- so well organized, so many small loving details, and the
    down to earth/family vibe was on point! I felt so welcome and was able to recharge and reconnect despite the rainy first two days 🥰
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  • Post Festival Nature Time: Black Forest

    Jul 29–31, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We slept here after Eciton Gathering because Max felt really drawn to the landscape 😊. There were such cute pathways, partially winding through an herb and flower garden along a little stream. There are tons of trails to hike and we pushed Vacca’s limits a bit with our 6 hour hike 😅 something that stood out particularly on this trail was that there were several little places to stop for a cold drink for a donation- one place in particular (“Himmelbar”) was made with so much love and decorations that melted my heart. 🖤Read more

  • MoDem: Croatia

    Aug 2–12, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    MoDem festival is still magical after years of attending. Every year it seems (almost) every team gets better at what they do, including Psycare 🥰

    This year we had a particularly strong team, and although we had many first time psycarers, such an unusually large proportion of them were naturals at it- as if they’d been doing it for years!

    It brought me to thinking: what makes a strong Psycarer, apart from Psycare experience? Here’s a list I’ve compiled, copied over from my journal:

    Excellent (verbal and nonverbal) communication skills
    Team player mentality
    Sense for justice and fairness (Psycare is after all a part of a greater social justice movement!)
    Passion for service (ain’t nobody doin this job for money 😂)
    Connectedness with oneself and accurate self assessment (what are my strengths and weaknesses? Am I capable of holding space in this particular situation/in this moment?)
    Strong sense of boundaries
    Affinity for the nuance of the role of Psycarer (we need to be professional while still authentic and personable)
    Groundedness and calmness in intense situations
    Vulnerability and honesty (with our team)
    Ability to integrate and let go (not get too involved personally/emotionally in cases)

    Drop a comment of what you think of this list if you’re a fellow Psycarer. Or if you feel you fit the bill then get in touch with me for next summer to join our community 🥰
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  • Fever Dreams by the Adriatic Sea

    Aug 12–15, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    At the end of MoDem I was beginning my long stint with Covid. 39 degree fever and a plethora of strange symptoms came in waves for the next days, while fever dreaming in the heat next to the Adriatic Sea.

    We bought the best homemade olive oil and cheese on the way out of Croatia 😍
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  • Camping in Slovenia

    Aug 15–18, 2024 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The salt water seemed to support me in getting well, so we stayed 3 nights before escaping to the lush shady forests of Slovenia. Another 3 nights at this sweet little campground to recover were just what we needed ❤️

    I love Slovenia for its nature, its people, and its adorable rustic wooden houses 🥰
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  • Remerschen Lakes: Luxembourg

    Aug 22–23, 2024 in Luxembourg ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    So often on my way to Brussels I have made a stop and slept for a night at these lakes.

    One side is protected and full of bird observation huts, jutting out into the calm waters to give us a glimpse of the flora and fauna without disturbing their peace. On the other side is a lake designated for swimming and water sports, with a pretty fancy restaurant situated at its finest dock. In the summer there is a little pop up beer garden under a white tent with fairy lights.

    This place was, until this time, a secret Molly&Lenni spot. It’s even where I retreated to when I got Lenni’s diagnosis in February last year. Sharing it with Max and Vacca after years of it being an „us“ thing helped me let go a little more of my long lost best friend.
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  • Belgium: Weddings&Rollercoasters

    August 24, 2024 ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Max was invited to DJ at a friend‘s wedding just outside of Brussels and asked me to be his plus one. There was a little dirt parking lot for Blackie (our van) so we set up camp and ended up dancing the night away til nearly dawn (well, I had a 4 hour nap hehehe).

    When we were back in Chaumont-Gistoux at Max‘s, we recharged our batteries in the beautiful nature of rural Belgium after a summer filled with lots and lots of social time. We closed it off on the last hot summer Sunday with the luckiest amusement park day ever, with no lines and perfect weather we let out hair get tangled and our throats get sore from laugh-screaming on the most intense rides of Walibi 🥰
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  • Farm Life in France

    Aug 25–27, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The time here at Max‘s parents felt way too short. His mom, Titi, has recently moved her life out of the big city of Brussels for a quieter existence in northern France. His Dad still has his job in the capital but spends weekends and holidays here.

    The land is expansive, with chickens, cats, a pond filled with ducks, sheep, a cute little garden hut, a big barn, a babbling brook running through it, a bird observation deck, and a house from the 1700s! It is truly a little piece of paradise 🥰

    Titi has BIG plans for this place, including rebuilding the chicken coup, making an outdoor wellness lounge with hamam and sauna, renovating the house and making more guest rooms, and making an ecological swimming pool, just to name a few projects :) I am so excited for her and can’t wait to support her dreams in any way I can ❤️
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  • Camp Kyllburg in Eifel National Park

    Aug 27–30, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I found the cutest campground in the middle of the Eifel Naturpark. I met some friends Michelle and Chris there for a 3 night hangout (it was located between Würzburg, where they live, and Belgium where I was staying). It is silent by 7pm, other than the river that gurgles by all the van pitches. It’s got really down to earth&friendly owners, „self check in“ so you don’t have to worry about arriving late as long as you’ve reserved, and even a bread delivery service (they leave it wherever you ask them to with a sweet little handwritten note on the bag 🥹). I will most likely be back someday :)Read more

  • End of Psycare Summer and Saying Goodbye

    September 12, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    The reality of handing over my apartment, studio, and letting go of all the security that my safe, well-built life provides set in the first week of September. German Summer kissed us goodbye as we embarked on a much different chapter of letting go and opening ourselves to the new.

    See you later my loves ❤️
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  • Massachusetts: Back to the Roots

    September 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After one of the most uncomfortable, squished plane rides of our lives we landed in Boston and made our way to Grammy&Grampys log cabin. This is where I lived til I was about 8-9 years old full time, running the forests with our dogs daily and helping Grampy with the garden. So far we’ve seen turkeys, deer, a huge snake, squirrels, chipmunks, flying fish, seels, lots and lots of birds… I miss having so much contact and sharing land with animals on the daily. Things change, like favorite trees get cut down 🥺, or a new neighbor pops up… but in general things stay quite the same around here.

    I’ve begun learning firsthand some recipes that I never really asked about- it is “canning season”, when the harvest yields get processed and put into jars and stored for the winter.

    Voting is coming up, so that is a hot topic around here. I was able to convince Grammy to vote YES on legalizing psychedelic plants for personal and medicinal use in Massachusetts (see pic) 🥰

    And of course, hiking around state parks and seeing good friends has also been a hilight.

    More to come on our Rhode Island Adventures soon…
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  • Rhode Island

    September 18, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We visited my dad, stepmom and my half siblings twice since being in the states. It’s always shocking how much the kids change and grown in the time spent apart.

    While in RI we also visited my “second home”- Leah’s dads house, where I slept over more times than I can count and was like a little safe haven for me during hard times in high school ❤️ her sister, sisters best friend, and her dad were also there, and we had a GRAND old time joking, laughing, a bit of deep talk, lots of story telling, and puppeteering! Leah’s Dad is an artist and besides painting, making puppets is his passion. Check out his website:

    https://pkpuppets.com/pages/about-pk

    We’ve had good luck with the weather (summer held out for us here!) and enjoyed a couple of beach days. We had the freshest of fresh seafood (even sat and ate at the bay our food was fished out of, I freaking love this coast 😋).
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  • The Bridgewater Triangle

    September 24, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    In the last week we have been busy taking care of family, work, and personal matters. But on our time off we’ve spent many hours wandering the pretty trails that are sprinkled all over this region and have begun to embrace the onset of autumn.

    My most formative years were spent in the middle of what is known as the “Bridgewater Triangle”- a place known for being under a sort of curse, with high numbers in strange crimes (thought to be cult activity), unusually high proportions of reported paranormal activity, and witchcraft.

    I suppose it’s no wonder I have been practicing full moon ceremonies since I was little- the energy of these places that I grew up running around in is somehow different, riddled with coexisting feelings of magical enchantment/heavy energy and excitement/danger.

    As a kid I was obsessed with witchcraft- with harnessing my own power and the working with the power of nature. I even had quite a few supernatural experiences, both in childhood and as an adult in this area, that solidified my conviction that there are other layers to this world that we cannot control nor understand.

    As the leaves begin to turn, my witchiest self is embracing all her roots so that she may too change and become brighter, more vibrant. I am feeling more and more like the true “me” within this experience, and because of all my hard work, I can feel my efforts alchemizing into results, into real life feel-able, internal rewards.
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  • New Hampshire

    Sep 27–Oct 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We visited my sister Livvy and her fiancé Jason at their house in a cute little village in New Hampshire. It’s the house that Jay grew up in, recently bought from his parents who have moved on to the warmer climate of South Carolina.
    Our time was filled with fall festivities, snuggles with my furry niece (Josie) and nephews (Bucket and Cowboy), and getting our first little peak into the small community that is Warner.

    We went to a little fall fest where we could sample apple cider, hear live music, sit at a bonfire, get a mocktail at the barn bar, play corn hole, and enter raffles. They primarily produce lavender and a whole array of products ranging from syrups, soaps, incense… you name it, they’ve got it with lavender 😍

    The porch of the little coffee shop at town center was full of people enjoying “Cinnabun Saturday”- the only day of the week that freshly baked Zimtschnecken roll hot off the oven to the counter. We made it just in time to buy the very last one to share in the rocking chairs outside.

    We were also very successful at the “barn sale”- its as a shop that benefits the historical society where you can get donated items for super cheap on Saturdays. We ended up finding so many things that we needed for our next chapter- bowls, glasses, french press etc. (More on the next trip soon hehehehe)

    Jason judged a local cooking competition (he is a professional chef) while we stayed home Saturday night with a sniffling livvy (she’s got a cold).
    Sunday we took Josie for a long walk along the river and discovered more of this adorable town‘s surroundings. Tuesday morning we had to say our goodbyes, but we will be back for the Fall Festival at the peak of leaf peeping season 🍁
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  • Upstate New York: Finding Nally

    Oct 1–2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Christina&Sebastian are a lovely couple who work in the area of meditation and sound healing. They handed their van over with lots of care and made sure everything was in the best condition possible.

    I asked immediately about her name. During her time with Christina, her name changed to Shamon (Shaa-mone). We decided to revert back to her original name, Nally.

    Now on to the prep phase, as we will soon be heading south for the winter ❤️
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  • Vermont

    October 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Just passing through Vermont on our way to get our van (Yes you read right- we found the perfect van to buy & resell for our time here 😍)

    Got sustainably harvested organic maple syrup from a mom&pop self service shop set up right on site where it’s harvested🤤

    Bob‘s Diner did not disappoint: bottomless hot coffee for 3 bucks, a simple brunch menu, and no frills service, all in the traditional atmosphere of your classic American diner.
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  • Van Prep

    Oct 3–5, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Getting ready for our journey south…

    We are registered, insured, Nally passed inspection.

    Mumpi washed our huge warm blanket at the laundry mat that we got as a gift with the van. (See pics 🤣) I organized all our kitchen stuff, storage boxes, etc and we are taking her for a test run this weekend in Rhode Island.Read more

  • Old Friends

    Oct 4–7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    It’s so good to have friendships that transcend time, distance, and most of all, my sassy attitude 😅🥹🥰

    This weekend refreshed my soul and stacked my gratitude ❤️

  • Goodbye New England (CT&Ragged Mountain)

    Oct 14–15, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Our last night at the log cabin i was out of my mind happy to see the northern lights!!! I have dreamed about that moment since I was a little girl watching Balto 😅

    We said our goodbyes to my family at Livvy’s housewarming party in New Hampshire and headed south midday Monday.

    Monday night we slept in Connecticut with the plan to hike around Rugged Mountain first thing in the morning before we leave the crisp fall New England foliage behind.
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  • Delaware Water Gap: New Jersey

    October 15, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Even though my legs were tired from our nearly 3 hour hike this morning, we just had to make a stop and take a little stroll in this beautiful place. Here the Delaware River cuts between two Appalachian mountains (Tammany and Minsi) and offers lovely hiking trails sprinkled with small waterfalls. This reserve spans two states: New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

    Next stop: PA, Philly here we come :)
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  • Philly

    Oct 15–16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We made a stop to see a friend that we met a few years ago in Panama in his hometown of Philadelphia. We spent a good amount of time with his adorable dog Dude, who was our “tour guide” around the city 😃Read more

  • FINALLY SOUTH 😃 North Carolina:

    Oct 18–20, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After passing through the northern part of the state and getting some seriously sketchy vibes in the run down rural region, we were relieved to find that the coastal part of NC is a dream!

    We started off at Carolina State Beach Park- and all we can say is WOW! 🤩 I was so moved by the nature there that I had to shed a tear of gratitude- from the sandy pine paths, the incredible new plant smells, Spanish moss draped trees, crazy huge driftwood, buzzing insects galore, and the absolute hi light: VENUS FLYTRAPS IN THE WILD. I have always had these since I was a kid at home- getting to meet them in their natural habitat was an honor!

    We were able to do the entirety of the park in a day, and nearly all of it barefoot 🦶

    The next day we met up with an old friend, Emma, and her sweet baby doggo Buckley, and went on a walk and to a cute little farmers market.

    Something I’ve noticed here: southerners take their dogs EVERYWHERE, despite all the laws. And off leash. I am 100% here for that and thank you southern doggos, for the daily interactions 🥰

    Although we had planned on seeing Wilmington itself, we decided against it after hearing that it was an event-filled weekend and that the city was absolutely packed. Instead we decided to move on to somewhere more chill for our Saturday night 🙃
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