Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawai'i

About three weeks ago, I left the tropical fruit farm on Puna side for a work-trade gig at a youth hostel in Kailua-Kona. I've been working the front desk from 8am-Noon, five days a week. I moved here because the hostel is in the center of town and I figured it would be easier to get a paying job. I haven't had much luck thus far. I've applied for about 20 jobs, all within my grasp as far as job experience is considered. I guess the economy is as bad as everyone says. Living on farms and not working in the mainstream culture I miss a lot of what is going on. Which I don't feel is such a terrible thing.

A friend of mine introduced me to a realtor on Kona side, who in turn introduced me to a massage therapist that performs body work by walking on people at the local farmer's market. I'm planning on heading down to his booth tomorrow to learn some techniques and get some work done. He makes roughly $250 a day when the tourists are pouring in! He took me to a local pastors home for dinner and worship which was very interesting. Totally different from my normal routine and I found talking with the people there to be very nice. The only person to ask me about my religious views was a 12-year old girl who then told me she was having doubts about "her parent's religion". I went to the dinner hoping to make some job contacts but ended up talking with the young girl, attempting to give her a positive role model to look toward.

I found a job posting on Craigslist last week seeking gardening/food prep/animal husbandry work that pays $11-15 an hour (with avg 40 hours a week) including food and board. I made a resume specifically for this job, which was the first time I've listed my farm work in any one place! I've worked with seven farm and gardens! I got a call from the owners today and they are picking me up Friday to take me to the property to check it out. I'll post more info as I know it!! This seems absolutely perfect! To be able to live off the land, farm, work and get PAID!

I've summited my application to work with Clean Vibes again this year, only this time I'll get paid. Typically a crew member works 10 hours a day for about two weeks. Which includes camping, meals, water and a ticket to the event. I've been thinking about going back to mainland for a visit and to take on some quick paying jobs, there's so much more than in HI! CV would give me a chance to do several of the things I love; recycling, educating, festival life, travel, camping and GET PAID!

In writing this entry I feel so money oriented. I hate that money controls everything that we do. I'll be happy when I fight off the travel bug and can just buy/lease/trust/manifest some land to care for good.

Three month mark in Hawaii

Honestly, it doesn't at all feel like I've been here three months. I've been filling my off time with reading, beach trips, hanging out in hammocks and general relaxation. It's currently coffee harvest season so I've been doing that after work some days; $15 for a 25-lb bucket of beans. I intend to use that money to supply food during the few weeks of camping I have planned for December.

I changed my departure date from the WWOOF farm to Dec 13th; for a number of reasons. I feel I have not learned anything in my stay here and I feel somewhat like an indentured servant. I still would have visited this farm if I had known what it was to be like, but only for a few weeks not several months. I feel as though I could of learned so much at another farm - although the living condition would have been less luxurious. So on the 13th I will head south to Green Sands Beach and camp there for a few days. Hitchhike to Volcano National Park from there and spend about a week taking in all the trails, craters, lava tubes and lava flows. I have a few contacts I've made in the Puna area so I'll probably check them out and I have a WWOOF stay 'planned' for two weeks starting around the solstice. The farm is basically a survival camp; no work quota or leaders - only need to gather foods to feed ourselves. It's located on a road which is well known for communities, survival camps and the like. So, if I don't like it - I'll walk to the next place. If I don't fall in love with a community there and end up staying I'll head to Hilo and check out some of the touristy sights; the waterfalls, caverns and camp on some beaches. Then further north and trek into Waimanu Valley for several nights. There's a few farms I'd like to check out for a few days in Waimea and Hawi before committing to a longer stay. One is a paint (type of horse) ranch that also installs solar panels; which is 8 miles from the highway. Another is a hatha yoga/raw food/detox/hare krishna place - I've always wanted to visit one to see what all the fuss is about. If none of those places pan out I'll arrange a stay at the Kona hostel for AM work and get a part time job in the evenings. After a few months I should have enough money to spend a few weeks exploring the other islands before flying to New Zealand or Australia.

Aside from all those plans I want to go with the flow. That's my basic outline so I feel like I have a purpose. Although it is liberating to not have a plan at all - it sort of causes me a bit of stress. I like to have something to anticipate. Shaheen, another WWOOFer whose been on the farm with me for almost 6 weeks is leaving Sunday, Ian will be here until January and we have a newcomer, Doris, who arrived last night. All are great people and I'll be sad when we separate paths.

I've been doing great! Trying to do yoga, meditation and eat vegetarian. Although, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I've started writing a journal-type thing in a book; although I can't say whether I'll actually write in it. I've been trying to live in the present as much as possible (besides all the above planning). Enjoy the wind, smells, sounds and the contact with my fellow humans. I actually feel a lot better when I do not think and only absorb the moment. It's freeing and comforting. And no mom, I'm not turning into some Hare Krishna person. Actually this thinking started while reading "Dharma Bums" and then "A New Earth" (which is that book that Oprah talks about - remember when you told me to get online and do something with her program or something). Not to ruin a surprise but that will probably be your Xmas present.

Well, today's my day off and I don't know what to do. Probably go read and catch a ride into town to buy a camp stove and some propane. It's hard to believe that I leave in two weeks. Very exciting though!

Click them to make them bigger!

Another day in paradise

After fighting an urge for chocolate for a few days I made the walk with my meager tip earnings to the gas station down the highway. A long walk up the driveway lined with avocado, guava, coffee, lime, macadamia nut, bananas and beautiful flowers of all kinds. Once on the highway it's a narrow, crushed lava shoulder and a two-lane road. The clerk at the gas station is the same aged but always cheery Hawaiian women who's always one duty. I make a mental note to ask if they need help on my next visit. She smiles, as always, as she counts my change and starts conversation with the man, a transplant who seems to know the clerk very well, in line behind me. Crossing the street and turning down the driveway, I notice the vog (volcanic fog) has let up enough to see the ocean. Today is the first day it has been clear enough to see the curve of the earth in the horizon. I sigh, bite into my chocolate, and think of spending my day off snorkeling with tropical fish, sea turtles and dolphins.

I'll be at Rainbow Plantation until Janurary. I'm entertaining several ideas for after that. I'll probably work for three months at a hostel in Kona while taking a parttime job in the evenings. That should allow me time to save money to fly to Australia and get through customs there. Though, there are so many great farms all over the islands that I could spend years here.

St Louis & Hawaii

I took a Greyhound into St Louis and my Couch Surfing host, Lindsey, and her guy friend, Jason, picked me up from the bus station. STL Greyhound has a nice new station in downtown, opposed to in the ghetto of N STL. However, the security is crazy - they wouldn't let me in the terminal without an onward ticket! I just wanted to go to the bathroom! I discovered Amtrak is connected and used their facilities instead.

I guess all the stress and fretting over leaving made me a tad anxious and I got sick for a day. After they picked me up we headed to a sweet bar called Atomic Cowboy where a Burner (as in Burning Man) meeting was taking place. Caught a bit of fire spinning before I decided to pass out in the car. Basically I ended up crashing on Lindsey's couch while Jason attempted to make me eat for the next day. I did wake up in time for us to venture to the City Museum, The Loop, and hang out with some of their friends. The next morning the amazing pair drove me to the Metro so I could catch the train to the airport. Both were amazing hosts and I hope to see them next time I'm in STL.

The flights were not that exciting. Both weren't that packed and I got a window seat for both (sweet!). I arrived in Hawaii at 2pm and found out that there was not a public bus that made the run to Kona. Taxis cost $25 (the cost of a hostel stay). I sat around for a while thinking I could ask some kind looking folk for a ride but that didn't happen and I was getting antsy. I watched a backpacker looking guy walk down the road and figured I should hitch. I walked for a bit along the airport road to the highway to no avail and then realized I probably looked like a male with my hair tucked in my hat. With hair down the second car that went by stopped. SUCCESS. The guy was really nice and worked for the airport. He drove me to an internet cafe in town where I found a cheap hostel to stay at. I walked around for a bit since it wasn't opened yet and ate dinner.

MORE LATER.

Missouri

I'm back at EW for two weeks. Well, I guess another 9 days then I'll be heading out actually. Preston drove me to Chicago last week so I could catch the bus to Springfield to meet with the EW trip that comes into town every two weeks. I took Megabus from Chicago to St Louis for $27, caught a taxi to the Greyhound station ($10) and then the dog to Springfield ($38). It would of cost me $120 and taken 6 more hours had I taken only Greyhound from Elkhart.

It was really nice to spend some time with Preston - he's thinking about ways to come travel with me. We'll see how that panes out over time. We took a drive to South Bend before I left to see Notre Dame, which was nice. A real ritzy campus. We also visited some of his friends down state a bit and played croquet - which I won. Drank some nice beer and what not. I'll miss him a lot.

EW has been nice. It's good to see my friends and spend time with them. I know I won't be back this way for a while so I'm trying to soak it up. The creek is back to normal, pretty much anyway. Swimming has been amazing. I've watched a few of the kids and it's so nice to have them back in my life. The youngest has gotten so much older since I last saw him - it's so neat to be able to see him grow. I've been eating good food (the garden is amazing), pooping regular (for mom), and basically relaxing.

I'll be heading to St Louis on the 26th and spending two days there couchsurfing with a girl who works with an urban farming co-op before catching my flight to Kona on the 28th at 6am. I'll have a layover for a few hours in Phoenix. After that I start work at the WWOOF farm/B&B on the 1st. I'll be working 8am-1pm, 5-6 days a week (depending on number of guests) with the rest of the time off. The website for the B&B is here if you want to take a look.

Indiana and Michigan

I got into Indiana last Tuesday after an 11 hour car ride with Ben, a 30-something from Colorado. Yet another successful rideshare from Craigslist! Four for four! The drive was pretty uneventful, only three stops for gas/food. Lots of corn fields.

Staying with the guys in Indiana has been pretty fun. Lots of movies, drinking and general mischief. Well not too much mischief - but a moderate amount. We drove up to Empire, Michigan this past weekend for Sleeping Bear Dunegrass & Blues Festival. A very fun little festi. moe played two nights and Cornmeal played nearly everyday. Bump also played, although we missed them. Lake Michigan was only about a mile from our campsite so we went swimming a lot. All in all, a good time. Well, minus the over abundance of cops. Twice we were shaken down by the local sheriff. Once during the day for a hand rolled cigarette (meh). And again during a big drum circle that broke out in the road next to our tents. The cops came to break that up after a few hours but being 3am, everyone's blitzed and there are 3 cops roaming in the dark. Pretty scary and annoying.

It seems the flights I'll be getting on for Hawaii are pretty open - success! I'll be heading out August 28th - I believe. I'm leaving for Missouri in the next few days - spending two weeks in Missouri before heading to St Louis airport. I'll probably couchsurf there for two nights before my flight. Then Hawaii! How awesome?

The end of July

A year ago I was living in Costa Rica. I've been traveling, or bumming around, for over a year. A YEAR! Here's a brief run-down for those who haven't been on the band wagon:
One and a half months working on an organic coffee farm in Rivas, Costa Rica
A week or so working at a hostel in the rural highlands of Chirripo National Park (one of the last buildings before the wild)
Seven months (off and on) at an intentional community in rural Missouri (meeting people who I will forever consider family)
Months/weeks here and there visiting Delaware and igniting travel bugs and dreams when I could
Went to five festivals without paying a dime after working/volunteering them (Langerado in FL, Summer Camp in IL, Wakarusa in KS, Bonnaroo in TN and All Good in WV)
Worked an a sheep farm in Lawrence, KS for two weeks
Spent two weeks with one of my best friends in Columbus, OH
Had numerous Greyhound/Craigslist ride share adventures
Met so many people that have to buy handfuls of post cards

The biggest thing is that I've gotten used to being alone and taking care of myself again. My health is much better than it was when I worked 40+ hours a week and was living the stress-filled American dream. I used to get sick every month, like clock work. I felt over-whelmed, closed in and sort of like a trapped rat. Now I am so much happier, healthier and fulfilled. Even if I was to go back to a typical job tomorrow my outlook would be totally different. I know what life is about. It's about enjoying it to the fullest. Our world is full of sadness and destruction right now, why not change it starting with yourself. Realize that all those pills your doctor throws at you aren't the answer. GO OUTSIDE and away from cars! Sit down under a tree and breath. Take off your shoes and feel the dirt. And no, you won't get a disease (well, maybe, here in Delaware). Breath, relax, listen to the birds, feel the wind shift, feel the connection of your body to the earth and breath. Our current society is running at a break neck pace...which mains sooner or later you are going to break your neck. Many of the illnesses and disorders that plague our society weren't even a issue until this last century. In this same time we've gone from horses to cars as transport, from hand written letters to email, from cherishing family to isolation via television. Why not give slowing down a chance instead of popping happy pills? But you need money to pay the bills right? Gas is too high to ask for an hour cut? I'm not saying you need to quit your job and be a vagabond. Take a sick day when you feel a little down. Ask yourself 'What do I really have to do today?' Take the long way home. Hand write a letter to a close friend instead of emailing - so it will take a few days longer, but I guarantee they'll love it. Enjoy life and don't fret. Life has its ups and downs, lefts and rights, u-turns and roundabouts. Just breath while you do go through with it.

I guess I am a hippie.