Good Vibrations

Upon arriving at work today, my boss at the farm hopped out of her car and while taking long, confident strides she announced in a sing-song tone, "Today is going to be wonderful day!" With an appreciation for her powerful affirmation, I agreed.

What always surprises me about affirmations is they actually happen.


Back Story: There's a childhood memory I often look back on... My father made me come and help him chop wood in the dead of winter. I remember I was about 12 years-old and it was Thanksgiving. (Back in the day when it used to actually snow on Thanksgiving in NE Ohio. Now it snows like that around Valentines Day. Climate change anyone?) My fingers were freezing and I was cold down to my bones while he instructed how to use the ax. My complaints (having something to do with my desire to be inside even if meant helping out with cooking) quickly rose over his instructions. Without blinking an eye, he gave me a tender smile to show that he was also cold and said in a calm voice, "Mind over matter Kates." He went on to use examples of some of his experiences in the Army. Shortly after convincing myself I was not cold, the shivering stopped and I actually helped chop wood. Enjoyed it, in fact. I had affirmed that I was happy and warm.

Present Day: Everyone was relaxed the whole day at work and we actually finished picking for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) customers early. My morning started with my boss and I picking salad greens. As we moved down the row, we chatted (as we always do) on the unjust and just ways of the world. It's wonderful. These conversations always lead to ideas on how to change the world as well. After that process I started to pick raspberries and chat with the bumblebees that were flying all around me, spreading sweetness to our lives. Even as Fall comes and they get cold and confused I have not been stung once. Then again, as I reach all around them to pick the ripe raspberries next to the buds I thank the bees for their hard work. (If you read past posts, you will see this 'talking to bumblebees' is no new phenomenon for me. I love them. The end.)

Then, that was it. The day was over. There was much more picking, but I am always put on the detail-orientated tasks. My boss thinks I am delicate and she's convinced I'm the fastest picker when taking on the delicate tasks. It makes perfect sense to her... I don't question. So by the time I was done, everyone else finished shortly after.

With these extra hours, I decided to enjoy the beauty of the Fall foliage that surrounded me. I walked around the property, snapped some shots, took in the scenery, and left for home in a joyous mood. Wanting to keep a good thing going, I took the back way home. The country roads were splashed with yellow, red, orange, and green with the bluest of blue skies behind every color. I was blissing out! Utter bliss, joy, and appreciation for the colors of a NE Ohio Fall. Just then, I realized this is what I returned from New Zealand for: This place. I had fallen back in love with my homeland. While taking in these new found emotions and smiling down the road, I had a cop pull me over. True story. I was going 35 mph in a school zone (20 mph). Speeding in a school zone is a major offense. To add to the equation, I was in a town notorious for their bored, mean police. He was definitely mean when he approached the window. He asked for the papers and license, then walked back to the cruiser. Moments later he returned with a smile and said, "Just take this as a warning and slow down. Have a good day!" I couldn't believe it. No written warning, nothing, just, "Have a good day!" Completely flustered and utterly confused, I drove away. My love for NE Ohio was crushed for a moment and then grew double it's original size.

Listen, I know I will leave this amazing place again and see more of the world. But, the wonderful day today made me realize that I will always come back. My heart is in the heartland of Ohio!

The unbeatable beauty of a NE Ohio Fall:

Past Lives

'The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land." -- G.K. Chesterton


Not sure how to start this post... It's been so long since I last updated this blog and now I'm debating whether I should try to cram everything into one go or just go off on my typical tirade about what pisses me off in American culture. Hmmmm... This is a toughy ;)

Yes, I have returned to the States. Going on about two months. New Zealand still takes precedent in my dreams and sometimes when I am driving in the car, I realize I'm not on Highway 1 nor am I on my way to see friends in Wellington. The people I met there are number one on my list of things I miss, then the lands, and finally the adventure those open roads offered. This lack of adventure has left me with lots of time to let my mind wander and it only wanders to NZ. I know, depressing. This almost sounds like a bad break-up and I am the one who had their heart broken. Not going to lie: that's what it feels like sometimes. The first month was a hard one. I had highs and lows, but mostly lows. Getting back on the farm has helped bring me peace and re-connect with the lands I was raised on. Slowly, but surely I am climbing out of that hole.

As for the documentary... I'm feeling a bit lost. Days go by where I have to keep my recorder and note pad next to the bed because the creative ideas have overcome my overly vivid imagination. (Note: I get my best ideas at night). Other days, I stare at the computer screen and / or watch footage to get some type of inspiration. It's a tricky situation, but it will come.

Now for the reverse culture shock, oy vey. I think this has been my biggest struggle. I am NOT the girl I was. Simple as. Upon getting off the plane in LAX everywhere my eyes went, there was someone trying to sell me something (in two languages). Then to top off my first American day: after months of only eating out of people's backyards my parents invited me Denny's. Really? When the waitress walked up I asked for wine. This wasn't a menu option. After briefly considering kissing loved ones goodbye and running off into the night to the nearest international airport, I ordered fruit and granola. Being on a plane for 30 hours meant I was far too cranky to appreciate how desperately they wanted to see me. My parents are not fans of Denny's and it showed they were also out of place when I arrived and saw them both in suits and my mother wearing pearls.

Next was the arrival home (my actual house) to realize exactly how many things, useless things, I own. This made me ill and freak out (Hunter S. Thompson style). I'm in the process of clearing it ALL out. So far I have only gone through my clothes. Shoes may take awhile...

Within the first week, my boyfriend decided to treat me to my favorites which I had been deprived of for five months. More specifically, authentic Mexican food. So off we went (my first dinner date in ages). While in the car, I realized just how lavish my lifestyle was before I left. I turned to Rob and said, "We literally have the world at our fingertips here. We can have Mexican on Monday, Chinese Tuesday..." and on it went. This realization was too much to grasp. My nerves were shot and my appetite died quickly as well. The loss of appetite was really no big deal since for the first month I was home, like clockwork, I'd wake up at 3;30 a.m., wonder where I was, and realize my growling stomach was what woke me out of a REM cycle. It was dinner time in New Zealand at that ungodly hour, so don't worry Mom and Dad I have been eating fine.

Television also freaks me out, especially reality tv. Entertainment has consisted of music, movies, cooking, and staying outside.

One major change that I adapted to quickly was using MY shower. I could stay in for as long as wanted and not feel bad for using all the water, truly brilliant. Even with this luxury my training of quick showers remains. Guess it's just nice to have the option ;) Actually due to the abundance of hot water my skin (which went on the wayside while staying dirty and living in cars) is as clear as before I left. Thank the gods! I'm far too old for acne and have a tendency to be absolutely vain. Actually the first thing my mother said upon seeing me was, "Your complexion took a beating." Thanks mom.

Overall, my major obstacle has been realizing that these completely different worlds both exist. You see, during the first month at home, I felt like I'd re-visited a past life and was clawing at the walls to return to NZ. That changed to me questioning whether NZ was just a dream: that I had never truly experienced those wondrous lands with my own two eyes. I was torn between two worlds, living in my own, and dreaming of future travels. A LOT going on in this brain of mine. In reality, I do still get the urge to run, but home is where I'm supposed to be right now and I've embraced it. There are so many lessons traveling has to offer and there are plans to do much more, but for now home and with family is where I belong. This spring may hold other views...

Only in America :)

Well, well, it's Wellington!

As my friend/surrogate father, Jon, put it, "When you are left without options learning and change happen pretty quickly. That's what traveling does... It puts you in a situation where you have no other option but to adapt."

Since I am heading home soon, I made the trip down to Wellington to see people who have left quite an impression on me since I have been in New Zealand. It's funny how one city can hold almost all of the people I have grown to love in my short time here. Everything in traveling is accelerated and the bonds I have formed with these families and friends will be everlasting.

So after three great weeks of working and learning in the hippy, surfer town of Raglan, I said goodbye and bussed it down to Wellington to see loved ones. On the InterCity bus route from Hamilton to Wellington I realized this was the second time I had taken this very ride. The first journey felt like it was years ago...

My first trip took place during my second week in NZ when I was escaping an anti-American Kiwi host in Te Mata. This woman was mildly mental and trying to pull me into a bizarre power struggle I couldn't win. (I was staying in her house so had to grit my teeth and figure out where to run.) Emotionally exhausted and completely vulnerable I took the easy route and fled to a familiar face (my first friend in NZ, Euan) in Wellington. Bad habits are hard to break and I was repeating a pattern I have many times before: leaning when someone lets me and sticking with the familiar. If my former self had been sitting next to me on this bus trip I would have likely found her annoying and given a monologue-worthy lecture.

Regretfully my former self was not seated next to me, yet I was still rather annoyed. A tiny, bald Brit (Why are all the Brits I meet always so small?) with huge headphones was reclined next to me. Out of his phones the shrill, screaming voice of Steven Tyler was seeping into my ear space. How he was listening to music that loud with a relaxed face and closed eyes was baffling to me. Especially Aerosmith, I mean, come on my man! My frustration was only growing because due to effing Steven Tyler I could no longer hear the whistling man who had been sharing the bus with me during the whole trip. I never did get to see the lips those beautiful tones were flowing out of, but he had me captivated the entire bus ride. He could whistle anything including "I Love the Nightlife" and he even made a Lady Gaga song pleasing to my buds. Dear whistling man: "Although I never saw your face, I think I love you." It sounds crazy, I know but love is never rational. Think about all the men in the world who fall in love with a woman's fake breasts. At least the whistler has a God-given talent. Relationships have been built on lesser things, trust me.

Dis friggin' guy and his Aerosmith (my attempt at typing a Boston accent)

Getting back to my wandering mind on the InterCity: This case of déjà vu was pretty trippy... The first time I arrived in Wellington to meet up with Euan he was at a concert. Since he could not meet me when I got off the bus at the train station, he told me to "head into town." Unfortunately these were not clear directions since when I walked out onto the busy, city streets it looked like I was IN town. So I timidly slunk back into the train station to enjoy the architecture and my book. This lasted about thirty minutes. While into one of Thoreau's rants, I had a shiver come over me and looked up to see a man in cut-off shorts and blood-shot eyes lingering, staring, and smiling. After I stared back without a smile, he didn't flinch. So my next tactic was to run, or more realistically: gather my things, get up, and walk away. He followed. My stomach rose to my throat in shear panic. Just as I was about to throw my bags at him and break out into tears a woman who worked at the train station walked over and asked if I was okay. I responded, "I don't know" in a shaky voice. She looked behind me at the crazy man and said, "Come this way." I was led back to the security office, behind what I like to think was bullet-proof glass, and seated next to an enormous Samoan security guard to wait for Euan. After realizing what had just happened I couldn't help but feel mortified at the fact that I, a 25 year-old adult, was treated like a lost 12 year-old, separated from their parents. Upon Euan's arrival to pick me up, the embarrassment only grew until he said it looked like I was getting V.I.P. treatment with a chuckle. It was sweet of him to help me save face, but I knew what we were both thinking. Oy vey.

My second trip -- much less eventful. I got off the InterCity, found my bus and rode up to my friend's house. No questions asked. I know the city now and even if the man in cut-off shorts had been waiting for me at the station a second time, I would have likely started chatting with him, having a genuine interest in his craziness.

Jon was right, when you are left without options, you do adapt quickly. If you're a slow learner, get used to being humiliated and treated like a child. That is, if you're lucky enough to be in a country where people actually care about your well-being. The Kiwi kindness is certainly a rarity in this world. As liberating as adaptation may be, traveling doesn't let you revel in your confidence for long. If you're a devoted traveler your surroundings are always changing and hitting the road to a new world, new city, new people is a given. This world is too vast to only stay in your comfort zone. Plus I've never heard of any adventures that can occur while seated on a couch.

Gypsies, tramps, and thieves

As a Cambodian cafe owner said to me while I was ordering a flat white in Napier, "The world is round you know, the world is round. You have to get out there and see it, you must!"

My original plan when I came to New Zealand was to exploit (for lack of a better term) what the Kiwis are doing to live a more sustainable existence. Through my research, WWOOFing, and interviews I have learned more than I expected as far as living a more sustainable lifestyle (these details I am saving for my documentary, which was the original purpose for me coming to Aotearoa a.k.a. New Zealand). But on top of the environmental lessons this country has given me, I have grown as a person and a traveler...

Living out of a suitcase for months at a time is not for everyone. Being on your own and having only yourself to rely on is not for everyone. Questioning where you are going to sleep at any given night definitely is not for the faint of heart. What I have found is I quite like the transient lifestyle. My mind that used to be cluttered with loads of useless nonsense and worries has been opened to one thing while on the road: survival. A bit dramatic, I know but it's also true. When you are focused on the fundamentals in life, that is surviving. I can't begin to tell you all the things I've done and witnessed in this one post, but what I can tell you is what this country has shown me about myself and the world.

For starters I have come realize my old life back home was beyond excessive. Why anyone needs 50+ pairs of shoes in their closet is a mystery in itself and yet that's what I became accustomed to in the States. Here, I have been working and traveling with four pairs, which is still a bit much. Another aspect is the idea of living space. In the States, my fiance and I shared a roomy two bedroom cottage. In New Zealand, I have gone from living in a car (literally, I lived in a car) to just having a bunk bed available and that's it. In fact, while living in the car I hiked 17 km just to be able to lay flat on my back. This fully reclined position was available in a hut where I slept with about 40 strangers next to me, sharing the mattresses that spread across the floor. The whole time I was walking the track to the hut, I couldn't help but wonder what the world would be like if you always had to put in that much effort just for a bed (it wasn't even a bed, it was a mattress on a hardwood floor). To branch off of the living space... Travelers never really have their OWN space. You are always at the mercy of others and always infiltrating people's homes and lives. The hosts I have had, for the most part, have welcomed me into their homes with open arms. Before I came here I would have never even considered letting a perfect stranger stay in my house, let alone be a welcoming host. Seriously, they don't call it "Kiwi hospitality" for nothing. This is a real phenomenon and it's happening everyday right here in NZ! If any of this sounds like a struggle you should know these factors are secondary to the experiences you get out of leaving your comfort zone. It's not all daisies of course. It took me a long time to adapt to the world of traveling. In fact, I found myself clinging to anything or anyone familiar just to have that security blanket, but I had to learn those actions defeat the purpose of coming half way around the globe. You have to leave your comfort zone, you have to get used to not showering, you have embrace the fact that the odor you smell may very well be YOU, but on top of everything you just have put yourself out there. If you get burned, you learn. If not, you still learn. It's a simple life for the traveler and that's the beauty. Honestly I can't even tell you the last time I watched television. This lack of outside entertainment has made me offer my own, which has spurred a number of the adventures I have been on -- it all really came from trying to avoid boredom, simple as. (Sorry there's some Kiwi lingo for you "simple as, sweet as, thick as" it goes on.) This is not meant to be preachy. I certainly don't have it all figured out and am still very new to the world of travel. There are others who I have met along the way who would have a very different interpretation and give very different advice, but that's the beauty: there's no right or wrong way to do things. It's all up to you and what you make for yourself, not what other people, cultures, or the media says. You have a blank slate to do with what you want -- that's the adventure. More importantly, travel forces you to cut out the excess and become a minimalist. Even though you might be burning petrol and flying in planes you are changing your habits to do more with less. It's all so simple and it is one the fundamentals to a more sustainable life.

Where was I going with this? Hmmmm... Oh right, I am coming home soon, very soon in fact and I can't help but wonder how I will adapt to my old life back home. Editing the documentary should absorb my life for some time, but it's the little things that terrify me. Exhibit A: Trying to pick out an outfit when I'll have a closet full of options, not just a suitcase. I am literally terrified of this idea. To remedy this and avoid drama, I plan to sell off what I don't need. The other issue is I am not sure how long I will last staying in one place. In New Zealand, my longest stretch has been three weeks. THREE WEEKS! This might pain those I love back home, but I honestly don't think the travels are going to stop anytime soon. This world is round and I intend to see more. Simple as. The idea of spending the best years of my life working to enjoy actual living during my older years just does not sit right with me, it never has (which explains why I became a journalist). I can't be a corporate slave and I am incapable of conforming to the status quo. It's just the way I am. This trip has shown me how far I can move away from the comforts of home and I know I can go further. It's the challenge and the new faces that pull me in (along with the scenery). People are meant to be free and for me the road offers this freedom. For those of you who have had a dream to see distant lands and experience new cultures all I have to say is this: People keep asking me, "Why do you travel?" and the only response I have is, "Why not?" The life of a nomad has it's advantages and home will always be there. The people who are not willing to be there for you when you return are the people who are worth leaving behind.

Never a stranger...

Euan: "Isn't it interesting that we can come from opposites sides of the Atlantic, meet in a place that isn't even supposed to be inhabited by people, and start chatting only to find out that we have the same ideals?"

Many of you know that I am currently on the other side of the world, staying in a place that closely resembles the age of dinosaurs -- New Zealand. While visiting and working on farms, I have met someone who will remain a lifelong friend. His name is Euan and he is from the U.K.

After numerous late night talks while working at the Earthship together, Euan got out his journal. I found his writing colorful and insightful, not to mention it paralleled my ideals. Since I have been so intrigued, I wanted to share. So after little convincing he is letting me post one of his journal entries that he wrote while WWOOFing at an eco-village... Enjoy!

Awaawaroa

There is something here in this eco-village community that I have not come across before in my time. That I have not seen with my own eyes. I feel an enormous sense of freedom and well-being just being here and have never found such instant comfort around people who are strangers to me. I have to say then, that those who live within the realm of the ideals which you seek cannot be strangers. It's an unbreakable cohesion and this is a magical place.

The cicadas sing relentlessly in highs and lows, rhythmically in sync, building to almost deafening crescendos that then fall to silence like a shattering glass that's been teetering on the brink. Oh I ponder at the irony when I watch flocks of cheeky sparrows that flit around this beautiful garden who know nothing of their cousins' plight on distance shores, where they should prosper in harmonious abundance according to Nature's laws. Across the water in the antipodean countryside and urban sprawl the sparrows cease to call and the trees stand silent. No longer can they be content from their provision for all those who dwelled among their many tears of refuge.

In many corners and vast expanses across, our planet has risen: the age of fast-paced unconsciousness, of greed, war, and uncompromising consumerism. Beneath the grind of machines, effervescent glow of bright lights, pounding thuds of all night parties, and shrieks of drunken girls lingers only one thing -- silence, unbreakable silence. Many things hang in the balance and Mother Nature stands divided. We are her tyrant.

Human nature has risen and keeps on rising with all its many vices and they do prosper by corrupting the young and exploiting the weak and persecuting all those who stand in the way of ultimate power and it's bleak. Like an addiction, fades to nothing, falls to dust.

We must not though have mistrust of humanities' ultimate virtue -- love. And from that love comes faith and the faith that forges with the power of love. Love for all beings and lifeforms and love for all that is. We are as is all life a miracle and we have a calling from the true powers that reign in the infinite unknown. As we stand high on the top rung of the ladder of life, we presume ourselves entitled to domination over all else. We of course must not forget that it's all else that foots the ladder and prevents it from slipping beneath. Destruction cannot lead us to prosperity when bloodshed is used to boost economy and this becomes a mask over trust and honesty.

We are Nature and we must be natural or else our future will become written. The day we cease to be bitten by those that fly and those that crawl, will be a day too late to make the call. If you don't want this fairytale to have an end, then unite and strike the pillars of greed. The forest is our temple which we must love and defend.

By: Euan TW Storrar
February 14, 2010

Zeitgeist

"There is no such thing as independence in nature. The whole of nature is a unified system of interdependent variables, each a cause and a reaction, existing only as a concentrated whole."
-From the movie Zeitgeist: Addendum

Here is a clip...


I felt the urge to share this video, but will leave my opinion out of this post. Everyone who watches these documentaries has to come into them with an open mind and I don't want to sway anyone with my thoughts and interpretations.

To learn more and to see both movies go to http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Thoughts of a daydreamer...

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."
-- Henry David Thoreau

The dream of traveling overseas is not uncommon. Not the traveling that comes when you can afford it -- going to all of the tourist spots, dealing with crowds, staying in first-class hotels, and never really getting a taste of what another country has to offer. To me, this is not traveling. What I want is not comfortable or "almost American."

People in my generation have been told their whole lives -- go to school, get a degree, get a good job, move to the suburbs, and have a cookie cutter life. This path has never been appealing to me. I tried to ignore my bohemian ways and follow most of those requirements, but then something happened... The economy basically collapsed.

As if getting a job in the highly competitive field of journalism was not hard enough, now no one could find a job. So, I decided to learn more and write about what I'm interested in -- farming and food.

The reason -- there are so many upcoming crises my generation has unknowingly inherited from our parents. The climate crises, the water crises, and the fact that our life expectancies are much lower than our parents are just a few. The only thing I could link all these factors to was farming and the food we eat. (If you want to learn more about that, read some of my past posts, specifically, "You are what you eat.")

My summer on the organic farm is over and it is now time for my next move...travel to Middle Earth.

Gahhhh! I want to go to there!

The plan -- travel alone, travel light and work my way through New Zealand (literally) by working on various farms along the way. There is this great program called WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) that lines travelers (a.k.a. WWOOFers) up with hosts who will give them a place to stay and plenty of food in exchange for work. Farming in NZ is a major aspect of their country's economy. They are also known for their pro-environmental stance -- 65 percent of the electricity in NZ is generated with renewable energy, primarily hydropower (52%) and geothermal power (9%).

This is the place I have always wanted to go. Why am I telling you this? I hope to be an example to everyone in my generation who has a dream. (I know, totally narcissistic.) But, we all have dreams that we have put on hold because they seem unrealistic or unreasonable. Why not do it NOW? According to Eckhart Tolle, the author of the Power of Now... the time is always NOW.

Currently, I am selling my soul, working in retail (bleck) to save up for this journey. Regardless of the economy, finding a job in a field like retail was effortless. Looks like Thoreau may have had a point -- the laws of my universe are simple. Yes, there is plenty of research and an attempt at planning ahead, which explains the huge time gap between this post and my last one. But, all I really need to do is make money, that's it. Once I get to Middle Earth, where I am going will likely remain a question until I am on my way to the airport (hosts do not want WWOOFers to contact them too early). Just like a true explorer:) Again, simple.

Ripping the legs out from under capitalism and taking down our crooked government may also be a dream of mine, but this one needs to come first -- the calm before the storm:)

Getting that "good" job is no longer an option for most of us. All of the college grads in this country may have been sold into slavery due to the fact that paying off our student loans is our first introduction into the real world...I have those loan payments myself, but my bills are getting paid. The only thing holding you back from your dreams is YOU. This uneasiness all of us Millennials feel is not anxiety. It's your dreams waiting to come to fruition. The time to "go confidently in the direction of your dreams" is NOW my friends...