I am you, you are me.

The Egg

By: Andy Weir

You were on your way home when you died.

It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.

And that’s when you met me.

“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”

“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.

“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”

“Yup,” I said.

“I… I died?”

“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.

You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”

“More or less,” I said.

“Are you god?” You asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”

“My kids… my wife,” you said.

“What about them?”

“Will they be all right?”

“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”

You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”

“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”

“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”

“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”

“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”

You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”

“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”

“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.

“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”

“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”

“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”

“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”

“Where you come from?” You said.

“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”

“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”

“So what’s the point of it all?”

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”

“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.

I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”

“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”

“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”

“Just me? What about everyone else?”

“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”

You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”

“All you. Different incarnations of you.”

“Wait. I’m everyone!?”

“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.

“I’m every human being who ever lived?”

“Or who will ever live, yes.”

“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”

“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.

“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.

“And you’re the millions he killed.”

“I’m Jesus?”

“And you’re everyone who followed him.”

You fell silent.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”

You thought for a long time.

“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”

“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”

“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”

“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”

“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”

“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”

And I sent you on your way.

CDC Preparedness - this shit is real.

The CDC's (Center for Disease Control) new campaign centers around being prepared for the undead horde, because "if you're ready for the Zombie Apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency." There is something incredibly eerie about this considering the news as of late.

They even illustrated a Zombie Novella that you can download with prepping checklist.

Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes.

No matter, I've been prepping for some time now. Are you ready?

Everything is a Remix

I graduated with a BA in Graphic Design. I studied how form, color, shape, variation, and repetition was used to convey messages in magazine spreads, on posters, as CD artwork, and how companies use visual imagery for recognition - brand development.

And for a time, all was well. Advertising was, honestly, great. I created keyart for major motion pictures, and sometimes single-handedly designed assets for global corporations. Big stuff. It was everything my undergraduate mind believed being a designer would be like when I "made it."

Maybe it was the bicycle and a new social circle that embraced active living, honest, cheap/free FUN and great times with genuine humans. It could have been the copious psychedelics that opened me to question the status quo. Perhaps I tasted one too many paint chip. Whatever it was, I began to see things differently. I left LA, started traveling, and never looked back. Since then, I've had some amazing experiences, none I would ever trade or put a price tag on. All the while living off savings, and a nice research grant from Uncle Sam (aka Funemployment). But I legitimately put that money towards what I consider my graduate degree. And in that time, I've come to have experiences that I'm now focusing on even further.

Design has shifted my understanding of life. I am a designer, taking elements, decisions, colors, shapes, people, music, places, and more or less, designing my life - living now, and forecasting my brand for tomorrow. As far as an occupation goes, to reduce myself to a single graphical user interface (a pixel pusher) as my sole form of income would be denying the purity of my human desire to be a diverse individual. A renaissance man. So I've broadened what it means to be a designer, and I think that's called evolution. As I grow, I understand stagnation is not progressive - remixing, sampling, and editing it the wave of the future and not just with the specifics of the job itself, but LIFE ITSELF. Failure, success, trial, tribulation, all that great stuff.

But I digress... we are commonly taught to specialize in one thing. Be a Doctor, be a lawyer, be a mechanic, a opera singer, or an accountant, and for a while I guilted myself into believing that my Jack-of-all-trades personality was my downfall. But I stand before you an enlightened man.

Graphic design. Edible garden design. Landscape design. Product design. Meal design. Home design. Navigation Design. Social situation design (like walking out of the room in a awkward moment). LIFE DESIGN. Who's to say one needs to be paid to be considered something? I am a human. Is there a shiny placard that grants me that? Dharmic design - that is, the cosmic path of which I walk, I design.

This is one of what I hope will be the first of many landscape projects that I'm currently working on. I will be working on five Action Items. 1. A pathway 2. Raised tiered garden bed (succulents) 3. solution for yard cover 4. Privacy/Shade solution 5. Plants & Irrigation

Google SketchUp - basic, but a great starter to get ideas rollin.

Holler at me if you're looking for a Designer of sorts.

Lately

Returning to LA after two years of traveling with uncertain living situation has been challenging. While participating in a myriad of internships and learning experiences, I was focused on being the moment and really soaking it in. The realization of that lifestyle not being sustainable is a harsh encounter, and dare I say it, reality is a bitch sometimes. Nevertheless, I embrace a challenge.

It was daunting to return to the urban jungle, concrete walls, ten lane highways and a general populace that doesn't have the time of day for a friendly, "hello." At first, all I wanted to do was return to the safe canopy amongst the trees with fellow fun guys. Ultimately, I decided it was time to focus one one path, and stick to it. Over the last two years, my meanderings have taken me from my heritage in New Orleans, to an organic farm on Maui, a permaculture life in central Oregon amongst the trees, off-grid recycled homes in New Mexico, and an urban farm in Philadelphia. I have learned so much, and gained experiences beyond what most people can even comprehend, but all in all, I was searching for something.

Searching for the life I wanted. What I've come to realize was that, its not out there. It's not a physical place I had to get to, or a destination I needed to arrive at. As cliche as it may sound, it was the discovery of my inner spirit. My equanimous warrior self. My connection to humanity, the earth, and people I want to surround myself with - a community. It has all strengthened my spirit and enriched my life. Not to mention bolstered my resume in a direction of earthen harmony.

So I started looking for resources in LA. Lo and behold I found out there is a vast wealth of individuals and organizations connected to the organic movement. I started working on an urban farm in Silver Lake, reading permaculture threads and whatever I could get my hands on. Doing my research. It wasn't quite enough though. It was too informal for my needs. So I enrolled in UCLA's Extension program for a Horticulture Certification - 9 classes of straight up knowledge and back to the collegiate system of classes, research papers, mid terms and finals. Concurrently, I'm getting certified as a Citizen Arborist at TreePeople (it's FREE!). And what I've found in all my adventures is that opening one door leads to many doors - once you get in the hallway, its a treasure trove of what's behind each door... the inspiration is there if I'm willing to accept it and open my eyes to the possibilities. But you must struggle, you must be brave, and go beyond your level of comfort. Ad Astra Per Aspera...


Meanwhile, like a magician's ribbon trick that is never ending, I've been working on publishing Volume 2 of Pregnant Minds - and it is looking quite tasty if I do say so myself. My partner, Andrew and I started this project as an outlet for design experiment. We have no one to answer to. No ads, no censors, just content. Over 30 artists from nine countries have responded to the call of creative collaboration. We had intended on a March release, but seeing as how that has long since passed, we've opted for a more realistic approach, which is less stress - better product. We're hoping to go to print in the next couple weeks and launch a Kickstarter campaign. Here are a couple sample spreads.

 

I'm here for a while, Los Angeles. I'm gunna make you my bitch, but cuddle you so good afterward.

Through adversity, to the stars.

Blackout Night Experience

There was no power because we weren't conscious enough. It's late summer, Taos, New Mexico, and I've just started a month long internship with Earthship Biotecture. An architecture and research company that constructs homes out of recycled materials and… trash, essentially. There were eight new interns this month and most of us had come from a life where energy availability was never a concern. It flowed freely through two pronged holes, originating from a magical place into our toaster-ovens, central A/C, refrigerators, wifi devices, home theatre multi-strip units, and KitchenAide blenders. And now these eight new September interns would be living with six full time residents. 14 people using electricity, taking showers, and living communally in one building, the HIVE. All off the grid and powered by solar. So, from time to time, the electricity would go out at night. Our consumption "needs" were more than what was available. Our computers and cell phones were left plugged in at full charge, lights on with no one in a room, stereos on standby, a lonely kitchen oven, the unset blinking digital clock passively reminding us of the draining energy it consumes so that it can blink. When you live off the grid, consciousness is the monthly utility bill.

It may have been an especially cloudy few days and the battery bank was exhausted from constant use so one of the full time residents suggested a black out Tuesday. No power at all for one day so that we could regain topped off levels of power. No internet, no movies, no speakers, no lights. So instead of secluding ourselves to individual rooms with interwebz, we came together like people used to do. We played dice and chess, cooked by candle light, danced to the rhythm of hand drums, and didn't update our Facebook statuses about it. We had dimly lit and passionate conversations, stoking the fires within each of us, and while the lights may have been out, perhaps this environment instilled a deeper connection to each other and our consciousness.

For that one night, we were free. Untethered and literally off the grid. Jimi Hendrix once said, "When the power of love surpasses the love of power, then we will know peace." and while I'm sure he was talking about socio-political and corporate exploitive motives, the sentiment certainly applies here as well. We must learn to be less dependent on consuming power, and more conscious of the vibrational power we receive and give each other, the love that flows through all of us, and binds us. What the French might call, "le force." Consciousness is a gradual and constant journey of practice, much like yoga, or building a home. It wasn't an overnight catharsis of conscious consumption, but a seed that was planted in each of us. I find myself in friend's conventional homes unplugging electrical cords, turning off lights, and actually hearing the high pitched "E" note that every electrical device emits, and it's deafening. Ya, I'm that guy - but whatevs, many hands make light work.

My internship was more than just four weeks of manual labor. I lived and breathed Earthship principles, interacted with builder/owners, and gained a new level of consciousness. Seeds of collaboration were planted and whatever passionate DIY ideas I had prior were throttled a hundred fold into personal empowerment. With so many powerful wizards around, the magic flows like candy on Halloween.

Consciousness in consumption and building materials, I no longer see trash, but an opportunity for something wonderful and creative. This wizard is leveling up.

Adam Junod was an intern with Earthship in September 2011 and built an earthen oven outside the HIVE kitchen. He publishes a quarterly art zine called Pregnant Minds, loves to travel and hydrate. Freelance graphic designer, imagination guide, and great conversationalist (or so he'd like to think), contact him directly for oven workshops, greenhouse builds, and creative direction on your next design project or urban farm.atomfarm@gmail.com

Farewell, for now.

It has been nearly 10 months since my last post. I feel partially guilty for abandoning my post, but that is sedated by the fact that I'm living life heartily in the present moment!

Universes explored, skills acquired, seeds planted, this wizard is leveling up.

I want perfection, so I inevitably write, review, read, and re-review an entry. The same redundancy applies to picture choices. This process takes me days, if not weeks to bang out a single chapter. By the time that's happened, a dozen more blog-worthy experiences take place and the post starts piling up. A single entry of the last 300 days becomes daunting to capture and relay with the kind of detail I prefer. So to catch up, I'll cheat with an email I recently wrote to a family friend... with bits of embellishment  peppered in the sauce of this blog.

____

Hey Nan!

Sorry it's taken me so long to write! I hope your foot has been healing well. Adventurous climbing accident? :)

Oregon was beautiful [from March to July] and the Pacific Northwest captured my heart. The massive forests, mountains, coastline, fresh air, and of course the plethora of microbrews. I made good friends and had one-of-a-kind experiences. It was a place I felt connected to stay longer. I'm getting close! More specifically though, the permaculture education center I lived at, Aprovecho, brought me to new levels of earthen knowledge and personal reflection. I ate mostly vegan, used composting toilets, worked with 2 acres of gardens, lived in the forest, built hot water heaters from scrap and manure–we literally had running hot water from a cistern submerged in a bin of horse shit. So many happenings I want to convey! Revolutionary, if not just a personal revolution. My world is opening wide to possibilities, new ideas and collaboration with like minded individuals. A corner stone of what I'm doing all this for. Building a community. A small artisan eco-village. Atom Farm. 

This is my life. My destiny. And the universe is bringing me there. Nearly two years of traveling, taking workshops, living in nature, and communal living is proof positive this isn't just a phase. I've breached veils of deception, into alternative living outside the antiquated idea of a post college norm and consumer mentality. Life is so beautifully connected outside of the box, which sounds cliche, but it's true. And possible.  I'm here to tell you that.  I'm seeing that modern living is a complete facade based on exploitation, operated by brainwashed slavery. I'm seeing the truth of life, and it points to Love and understanding. A shift in consciousness is coming. Economic or ecological disaster, I don't know. So I've been on this journey of harnessing skills. Seeking knowledge for a life independent from systems of control. First permaculture and gardening, and now sustainable home building. At this point, I feel like I have the necessary skills to start building my piece... and in time, I will. 

What does the future hold? Specifics remain undetermined, but so far I'm seeing a more focused approach to the quest of "What am I doing with my life?" After Oregon, I spent three weeks with Uncle Paul on Big Island helping him build a single room dwelling we dubbed "Gilligan Shack." I designed an outdoor shower, and we plumbed a toilet. Just something simple to stay in while the full sized house is being built starting next summer. Then, in the beginning of September, I journeyed to New Mexico for an internship with Earthship, a biotechture company that utilizes recycled materials for building and is off the grid. It snowed here in Taos last night!!! Wild. All of these experiences, I believe, are leading me to the genesis of a small artisan eco-village, though I'm not sure where or when. What I can say with certainty is that I look forward to finding my place. It has been a personal challenge to constantly begin from ground zero with new social dynamics and explain myself, my capabilities, my intentions, and so forth. A resume is necessary everywhere, it seems.

I feel like it will all come together with the right circumstance of people, placement, and timing. The universe smiles, and it's only a matter of time. Meanwhile, I battle my usual self  with thoughts of women and my desires, but have been exercising the practice of self path rather than bending to fit this ideal I have in my head. Its a work in progress, but I'm seeing clarity, and I've reached a level of equanimity I've never experienced. It feels good. That being said, it would be nice to find a partner to build and make awesomeness with.

East-coasted it for 2 weeks, visiting friends in Brooklyn, sitting in on some Occupy events, built a greenhouse in Philly. Stayed at a letterpress studio doing some old school printing, spent some time in Montauk, then back to  Toas to finish an earthen oven, say goodbyes (or see ya laters, as I've been finding out) deal with an almost fatal car issue and a 15 hour drive westward to return, once again, to Los Angeles. The place of my birth, where I live in my father's house. I am the son of a carpenter. I build design, grow life, and cultivate community. 

Speaking of which - I opened the doors to AtomFarm as a small studio workshop capable of facilitating creative and/or sustainable projects. People need things designed, and people want to "go green." Together or as separate projects, it matters not. Check out the Sustainable Research Portfolio or Graphic Design Portfolio. Does your small business or farm need a logo or Wordpress website? Would you like to grow food in a small garden and have someone show you how to manage it? I can do that for you. This is how it all starts. From the ground up. 

So much traveling, it is nice to have some form of permanence. I'm incredibly blessed to be able to house sit. It has allowed me the luxury of a somewhat carefree existence. At least with rent, which seems to be a huge role in the modern system of slavery. RENT! I know what it's like, and I don't ever want that again. So I'm thinking of building an Earthship Survival Pod in Taos. For ~$15K I can own land and have an off grid home capable of providing all the necessities.

 

I've had this email sitting in my drafts box for quite some time. Every time I begin to write, I falter, desiring to be more descriptive, then I get into some more adventure, more traveling, and the whole thing inevitably become more abbreviated. But alas, here she is.

Hope all is well.

love you. Tell MP I said hello.

.:a

_____


So for now, I will reside in Los Angeles, most likely until June. It has been such a warm welcome back. I'm truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing, inspiring, and lovely people. Makes me realize why I come back. Happy New Year, by the way!! 2012. Wow. I don't want to get off track here, so I'll set that one aside.

I've been working with Wordpress alot. I'm finding a wider audience, and experimenting with the capabilities of their platform, which is pretty robust, so I'm thinking of making the switch, but also thinking of taking a break from personal blogging to focus on larger project. This may be my last post on blogger.com - however -

Creative writing and sustainable quests will continue without pause. My current passion has been producing an experimental creative magazine called Pregnant Minds. Actualizing brain babies into reality. We are in pursuit of content for Volume 2, and have artistic, written and tactile artists representing from nearly 10 countries. In my travels, I've been collecting stories and experience straight from the field to bring you creative and engaging content. It is self published, so no advertising. Anything goes. Are you working on anything weird or experimental that you'd want to put in an international magazine? Don't be shy. Send us an email pregnantminds(at)gmail

I'm available to answer any inquiry regarding travel, WWOOFing, my resources, design, Love, bicycles, or even if you want to just pick my brain about inspiration. Well, I think that about wraps it up. Happy 2012 everyone. Keep on shining. Contact me directly atomfarm(at)gmail !!

“There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid.” – Gandhi

Everybody, do the banana.

Random thought on the way home. Its 11am on Monday. I'm returning from the corner kwik-stop with a single banana, the last resident of the natural world in this corner-mart. Amongst its counterpart brake fluid, assorted themed nuts, candy and gum isle, paper plates corner, and chotchky impulse-buy counter, the banana was my only focus.

As I cross the street with my new friend, I think:


Walking next to street traffic cannot be good for the heath of the human body. Inhalants and particulate matter of rubbish, rubber, asphalt, and asphyxiating chemicals–just to name a few!– soaking our skins in sickness and sin. No wonder cancer exists.


I want a family, but not here. Large cities are stifling and focused on the pursuit of largeness. Large buildings, large bank accounts, large egos. A cycle of large consumption. How about just what's necessary? Back to the land. Back to mother earth! We are sorry mother Earth!!! I am sorry Mother Earth.

If we all put our collective minds together like cells in a body, perhaps we can cleanse and be not a cancer to the earth, but an antioxidant.

With that in mind, I smash you banana! Smoothie time.

The Sustainable Vagabond Tales: Application for Life Skills

I'm Adam, 27, locavore, seeking skills to grow my own sustainability. I have a BA in graphic design, and utilize it to weave creative solutions for non-profit and small business (branding, logos, websites, etc.) I'm quick and reliable, strong, Love bicycles and life. I excel in most things I do, and give 115% knowing that I'm working towards my end goal. I'm familiar with many aspects of farm work, interested in learning more, and love alternative building and energy. Looking to learn fishing, woodwork,  *Letter of Recommendation upon request*

There is one character remaining, the blinking cursor patiently waits. My bio on WWOOF: New Zealand. 529 alphanumerics will be enough, and I semi-complain that it's hard to condense my motivations into so few words. I should really practice being more succinct anyway - much has happened since last time, and here I am now. Here you are now :) Thanks for tuning in again, I've been sadly inconsistent.

Julie and Marisol came to Maui! How excellent it was to see good friends and feel the comfort of familiarity. Julie's friend Boonie grew up on the island and was pivotal in good times. She and her boyfriend, Andy, were amazing hosts. Their kids will be adorable - look at em! Andy and I rapped on sustainability ideas and new world farms. He works on a farm up the way from the Greenleaf's. On a crisp Saturday at 430am, they drove us around the island stopping at spots for waterfall pictures and death defying aerial assaults. We saw sunrise, moonrise, and sunset all from the bed of a '97 Ranger that hugged the cliffs of the island. I cut open some rambutans, we tripped on the beach, and ate some Chilean Rice, which we later learned was not Chilean at all, but delicious and hilarious nonetheless. An Eco Zipline Tour, a bum's etching on a 40oz Mickey's, Yurts, hugs, great conversations, laughter, and an adult beverage or two filled the weekend.

The outdoor kitchen at O'O Farms

 

Back at the farm, a new resident has come onto the property - not a WWOOFer, she's renting a cottage room. Dianne is quite a unique and outspoken character. She's from Canada, training for a world paddling competition (staring at my sandals? That's a paddlin'. Paddlin' the school canoe? Oh, you better believe that's a paddlin'), rearranged the common room into proper feng shui, has a thing for Junior Mints, and says things like, "old people don't know how to have fun."  She's 61.  With such an adventurous spirit, and timing, plus a car, ahem... we've all gotten on quite well. These are firsts for all of us; Maui, unknown destinations, adventure, each other. The dopamine overfloweth of my cup, and Maui timing gifted us to the location of an abandoned pineapple field. So we harvested, and I subsequently sold $40 worth of 'napples at the farmers market. We treated ourselves to Flatbread, a pizza place in Paia that uses a primitive wood fired oven with ingredients from local farms. Really good vibe.

Four transient farm hands, our time as a group was coming to a close, the social dynamic would soon be shifting. Weeks earlier on a Maui crater's edge, seven people and, arguably, hundreds of pounds of pineapple bounded and bottomed-out across a golden spiky horizon. I threw caution to the wind each time, and we all laughed and gelled like clowns every time. Since then, Kendra has gone home to Berkeley and the Canadians jumped islands for Fiji, New Zealand and a camper.

  

One of the last weekends they were all here, we drove the Kula route around the southern end of the crater. At Laulima, another WWOOFing farm that has a roadside stand, we stopped for snacks. Bicycle powered smoothie blender and banana leaf plates accompanied the most delicious home made chocolate chip brownie. After a home grown-and-roasted cup of coffee, we moseyed on to our destination, Venus Pool. Maui timing met us some locals who pointed out cow pats and a secret beach, and kicked me down a nug and some hash. I had to take a picture of the rugged curving road heading towards the sunset on our way home.

Chance for dance is limited here, but every now and again Maui timing unfolds wonderful opportunity. We'd been planning on going to a dance party at Moana Cafe in Paia for a few days, seeing the flyers around town, and we were excited. I guess I read the date wrong, and we missed it entirely. The party was on a Friday... so Saturday night, with unused anticipatory energy, we were milling about in Paia, looking for something, being goofy. Innocent sidewalk fun. Then, "hey, you guys wanna party?" Uhm, yes. YES! We rolled up Kula to the house party and pulled into a full parking lot, music thumping, lights gleaming, people in sexy costume, full moon coincidentally. After a shabby parking job, the "security" informed us that without a name, we weren't welcome. Dejected, we started driving away. Fuck that - we're gunna crash this party! The plan was haphazard to say the least, which involved a fair amount of sneaking and most likely sharp, pokey plants in a gulch behind the house. As we giggled over the foolproof plan, a car approached, and inquired "is Rachel's party still going on?" Bewm, done. We waltzed through the front doors, brandishing our new found namesake ticket. BEST HOUSE PARTY EVAR. It was a gender bender, people in drag, sexy skin everywhere, a blacklight danceroom, numerous DJ sets, kegs, fire dancing with bonfires, a makeup station, and the night went on. Right time, right place, fully and completely. Maui time.

So the social dynamic has shifted. In this chapter, one character remains. How poetic, I casually muse. Nearly 5 months have passed (the blog has collected digital spiderwebs) since I began this Maui journey, and I've met some very interesting characters. ** author's note: this blog post was started 2 months ago, and i'll update a new post with current events within the next week** Three different groups of WWOOFers have come through the Greenleaf farm, and it looks like three more will be rolling through by the time I leave, somewhere around the end of January. In the interim, it was a godsend to have some personal time without anyone around. A break between intern groups. In the midst of all this coming and going, I look within and find my true self. The roots of foundation.

The new guy arrived last week. Craig is 22. Coming to Maui was the first time he'd been on an airplane. My initial impression of him was sheltered, awkward, and slow on the farm. Judgments are rarely accurate, though he's certainly a quirky individual, and he's getting more self reliant and accustomed to the flow of the land. He eventually warmed up, I opened up to him, and here we are in another social flow. We had quite a jam session with a single ukulele the other night. While waiting for Hot Tub Time Machine to stream online, circumstances came to put the strum of a ukulele in my hand and the fretboard in his. Tempo, beat, rhythm, and percussion were magically delicious, and I realized quirky nuances are what make people interesting. Another character in the Maui chapter.

I've looked back at pictures, blogs, and descriptions of my time here and it seems that I've been painting a rather glossy and romantic picture of farm life. Rainbows in the shower, secret waterfalls, Love, yoga... awesome shit. Let me clear things up. It's not always pretty or enjoyable. I work hard, get dirty and sweaty, resulting in nap time. And I only work four hours a day. When I'm ready to commit to my own land (currently searching and REsearching), it will be a perpetual to-do list, repairs to be made, infrastructure to setup, weeds to be pulled, shit to be shoveled, compost to sift, inclement weather to contend with... more than a full time job. But it will be worth it. I've come to appreciate and respect chores. Chores, yes. I hated chores as a youth. HATED. Hell hath no fury like my scorn for chores. They seemed so meaningless, so unnecessary, and dare I say it, dumb. It got in the way of playtime. But I realize chores are a necessary component of life in general, and more importantly, the routine of life on a farm to keep things operational, smooth, and practiced. Rather than separate it as an intrinsically "bad" thing, I've filed it under the "just life" tab. I like to make games out of it, perhaps a little toke to ease the mind.

Christmas was excellent on the farm with the Greenleafs. An amazing home cooked breakfast and dinner, heart conversations, and good people. I also learned how to juggle and am harnessing this new skill as another one of the assets in my carnival repertoire. 

The next jump is imminent. What will I do after Maui? And then after that? And after that? At some point, some place, I realize, roots will take hold. I don't aspire to be a burned-out, extra crispy beach bum, a lifestyle I'm almost positive my parents are worried about me fulfilling. Perhaps they see my wandering vagabond pursuits as contrary to a successful and healthy future. All standards are irrelevant and antiquated in this generation. NO GODS NO MASTERS. WE MAKE OUR FUTURE. I'm gathering the skills necessary to facilitate sustainability and a homestead. And I really look forward to it. As it stands now, I've branched from a safe and knowable future to the possibilities of the unknown. No career, home, or certain future. My life is being written as I write this. The options are limitless, and it's definitely more work to research each step, but in the end I believe my decisions will carry me further than any standard career choice served cold. I feel like the decisions I've made so far have led me to this point. A place in which I feel truly connected to the larger picture. If I continue to make decisions of a similar caliber, based in Love and sustainability, then I will ultimately be building into a solid and verdant future far from the lowest common denominating standard.

However, occasionally, doubt rises. This is the easy way out. FEAR NOT. The fear that rises from uncertainty is seeded from the conditioned desire to follow the system's standard i.e. job, condo, car payment, utilities, color TV, sports bars, microwaves, and a timeshare on Ventnor Ave... Living in what seems like uncertainty can be unnerving for some. Un-certainty, though? Seems like the economy is uncertain. The standard is uncertain, and splitting at the seams - seems like the options presented are certainly dicey, limited, and resolved to a bare minimum of satisfactory return.

Get out of the city. Know your garden. Learn skills. Be good to each other. This is the next phase. We are in the genesis of a social and cosmic catharsis.

WE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

Up next, My final Maui Chapter.

Today

Today, I am
In charge of three interns.
Made a trellis
for raspberries,
Wielded a machete
and played
in compost.

The weather is sublime. Mini toke in the pocket, drawing from time to time.

Understanding the necessities of operational sustainability.

Today, I stand in Love and compost.

The Sustainable Vagabond Tales. Chapter 2: Immersed

Aloha! The journey continues into the eighth week of my Maui experience. Initial excitement of the unknown sets the backdrop to the now focused pursuit of why I'm here; to learn about sustainability, becoming acquainted with the earth and how to tend it, manage land, propagate crops, and get deeper in understanding. I'm paying attention to more than what's in front of me while practicing unknowing in the sense of openness to new ideas. However, not ignoring what we've come to know as Maui Time and the perfect alignment of desirable opportunity. Over a month on the island, and it begins to dawn on me that I'm here for more than vacation, yet not quite permanent. I'm ephemeral, and in the untethered ether, I can hear myself think. The rapid boil adventure has calmed to a nice simmer of consciousness.

Transience is blissful.

For instance, I was at a beach park in Lahaina, just enjoying the breeze with a bowl and some pages of Ishmael, when a rather shabby looking individual laying on a blanket shouted a query about my hair. So we bantered momentarily. Quite frankly, I was trying to ignore him. He mentioned something about jewelry, and I inquired to what end. It's funny how we make snap judgments based on our own desires - I just wanted to read in the park, and this hobo wants to talk to me. But I decided to indulge and moved in for a closer look. For the next few hours he would reveal to me a series of very tall tales through which I was fully captivated as to whether or not he was a bum. $30k worth of raw black coral glimmered at me from the plaid blanket. A Learjet he said, "my friend's actually," was waiting for him at the airport. Sure buddy, and I'm Henry the VIII... Then he started talking about Black Ops missions, detailing eyewitness reports of explicitly underhanded government dealings, including some things I've heard before. He was succinct, intelligent, and fascinating. I handed him the j I'd just rolled, slack-jaw baffled by this anomaly. As he was laying all of this on me, some paramedics walking near, perhaps on a break, inquired with the comfort of friends, "Hey Philip, how's the ocean today?" My hobo friend and Chris the paramedic embraced, going into how rare it is to extract black coral (only 200 people in the world have this permit), the depths at which it can be obtained (250 feet), and the amount of pressure and type of equipment used for SCUBA and what his boat was capable of. Spread on the blanket were hundred year old antiques, wooden marbles, and a pirate's booty worth of black coral. He handed me two bits advising I not get it appraised. A UCLA cum laude graduate and government weapon, he simply said, "The system is fucked, I got out," then with a puff, "I wanted to be homeless, so I'm gunna sell the house my brother bought me. I have 15 acres of property up in Kula." Jeez guy, let me be the caretaker. I hope I see Philip again. No email or phone was exchanged (as I'm sure he wants it), and he mentioned something about going to Kuala Lampur to search for a missing friend. Who knows. I want some commissioned black coral plugs.

Those seemingly random occurrences propel me, and once again, reaffirm that things happen for a reason. My mind is tuning to certain frequencies, and I'm becoming aware of the shift. Who is this I that is becoming aware, anyway? Astrologically, I'm headed into the Saturn rising of my life. A period of harvest, transit and travels. For me, it's no more than curious interest, but it seems to have relevance. Aside from a crystal ball, I feel connected to a realization of my dharma, like I'm magnetized to experiences of soulful richness. You couldn't buy this. I can feel the dirt road of Love between my toes. The full, wet soil massages my feet as I journey, perhaps stopping to smell flowers or remark at the sunset... It's difficult to see the horizon due to the sheer solar magnitude, but I know its out there and I'm pretty sure I won't fall off the edge.

So I keep walking the path to sustainability, and sometimes I have company. The dream we shared is an ecstatic memory on an island. It was organic, to say the least, as paths of life weave individually, occasionally sharing the same thread of time and space. Short as it may have been, I felt fully connected to the moment. Now, each of our paths on the country road venture in their own directions, experiential participants in the transient island life of the untethered ether.




Perhaps the timing was perfect, as I'm further directed into focus and timing. I gotta do what I gotta do, focus Atom. In the last four weeks both Katies (the last set of interns on the farm) have continued on their respective paths, making me the senior-most wwoofer, subject to more responsibility and also privilege. Whether in a cubical or on a farm, I climb ladders. On Wednesdays, I take produce to the farmers market in Makawao. I have a space for folding tables, an umbrella, and the cornucopia of all the deliciousness we grow on the farm including squash, white sapote, limes, yacon, papaya, mustard greens, and home made raw dessert treats. I'm re-membering the dream. Getting involved and making myself known is exciting. My resume is shaping - not necessarily shifting, just growing.

As my character is growing on the farm. The last seven weeks I was sleeping in a tent under a tree, and while this was literally a perfect start to my from the ground up approach, the novelty of tented residence on wooden slats wore thin. So when the opportunity rose to sleep in a bed, I jumped in it. Now I sleep in a bed under the stairs, and I think I'll be staying here for the remainder of my time on Maui. Perhaps five months isn't enough, but that is another blog entry in itself.

We now have three new apprentices on the farm. Kendra, the granola girl from Berkeley, owns a gardening business, lives in someone's backyard, and is a resource in herself, enlightening me to bed setups and water management. She will certainly be a valued asset once I'm ready to setup AF. Jason and Shannon are a vegan Canadian couple and have cast off the shackles of conformity to travel the world for a year. After a week or so of getting-to-know-you, the four of us interact incredibly well. Especially with food. A well oiled machine would have a hard time keeping up. Each of us knows there is a job to be done whether prepping, gathering items in the garden, cleanup along the way, table settings, or cooking. We are like minded in communal energy given/taken, and just as easily, one of us could've been the asshole. Maybe I'm the asshole.

Twere a volcano weekend. As a new troupe of social chums, the four of us rented a Gran Marquis this weekend and drove up to the top of Haleakala. It was a boat. The kind my grandparents drive... and it was awesome. The wheeled ship was fitting. I at the helm, energized from delicious Kona coffee, navigating up waves and belled curves sailing around the volcano's base. The mist turned into rain and a moment later, we peaked above that cloud into clear watered twilight skies. Reggae music in lieu of the mariner's song set the soundtrack. It was numbingly cold, but incredibly magical. Waking up at 3am with the anticipation of watching sunrise from an island volcano felt like waiting for Christmas as a young child. The gift was the experience. Sadly, my battery died halfway through the timelapse. Lesson #1 in digital cameras: make sure the battery is charged. On the way down, we pinched some persimmons that were dangling dangerously close to the street, so we helped out the owners and trimmed their trees.

Nap time came and went and I decided to venture to roller derby with Bill and Marta. I like spending time with them; hearing Bill's off the wall life lessons that are so perfect, and making deliveries with Marta to restaurants and market. I feel blessed to have found such an excellent opportunity. I've also been keeping up with design, just finishing a logo for the Greenleafs.




I've begun to see life itself through edible and utilitarian glasses. What resources do I have to make this work? Problem solving with limited options will come in handy when the shitteth hitteth yonder fan. My knowledge of edible flora grows, but I feel like there is SO much more to know. Accepting gradual progress is something I've been working on appreciating. It rained in Paia for Halloween, which was an interesting element to the evening. Kinda added a pleasurable ambiance of spookiness - though I wasn't as pleased when I realized my shoes were caked inside and out with sand and mud and my $4 tights had run. oh beans...



My good friends Julie and Marisol are coming into Maui for a week! I'm really excited to hang out with them, go camping, imbibe some fungi no doubt, and party. It will be great to share the company of long time friends.

As Thanksgiving approaches I can't help but give thanks to life itself, but more on that to come...

Mahalo