Saturday, November 16, 2013

paradise, this time for real


All things have been leading to this place, right here where I am, there's no doubt about it. It's not only the re-encountering of ideas and certain similarities in peoples and places from the beginning of my trip. It's also every single step in between December last year and now, all along the way from India and Nepal, over South East Asia and across the United States many little things have built up to the state and place I'm in right now. Maybe it's the weather, the sunshine and rain we get every day, or it's the jungle I now live in, seeing green trees and bushes where ever I look, or it could be the beautiful people I'm living with, but probably it's all of it and more. Not knowing where I was gonna go (Mexico, Hawaii, ...) and not having much to distract me from this anxiety had been pushing me down. Those were the odd days. Now I'm in Hawaii, the land of rainbows and buffaloes*, and everything feels light, invigorating, much like paradise...


jumping off the cliffs near Honolulu

sunset in Honolulu
I'll try and share some little moments, because it's hard to tell about the days here in order, besides it's a little like I'm mentally off the grid... Some basic things that might help putting my stories in a context: after couch surfing in Honolulu with a great host called Kyle and his other couch surfers, Polish girls called Iza and Wiktoria, I flew to Hilo on the Big Island about a week ago. Now I'm living on a farm/ hippie community called Cinderland and having an awesome time! It's even a step further from Windarra Farm in India, here in Hawaii people just live as free as possible (take that, New Hampshire!), and I'm just going with the flow...

*buffaloes: comes from the Bob Marley song

~~~

Me: So whatcha doin tomorrow, wanna go into town?
He: Nah, I think I'm just gonna take some mushrooms and go into the hot pools by the ocean.

~~~

Coming to a new place, joining an existing community is always difficult and it takes time to melt into it. But at Cinderland everybody has been open and friendly towards me right from the start, so on the second night staying up late and playing music for the guys, I already felt at home! There's a dorm room for women that I moved into but there aren't many women here at the moment, so I enjoy my space to do lots of crafts (macrame!) and play music, and somebody always comes around to hang out. We're off the grid on the farm but have solar powered lights that work most of the time (more often than in India), I shower outside under the papaya and banana trees, cold of course. I love the sun, and as much as I'm eager to go back home and see all of my friends and family, I'm not looking forward to the cold and dark! But now I know why there were so many rainbow pictures of farms online... it rains every day! We have to go to the city and put clothes in the dryer if we want them to dry. At Cinderland there're some days that we work and some when we rest, but no matter what there's always something to do and new people to meet.
I wish I could write something more profound or at least funny right now but I'm kinda semantically drained on this beautiful Sat morning. So I'll go try and hitch a ride back to the farm (no internet there), why don't you turn of the computer and go and throw a disc for me? I miss frisbee... But well, I'm not complaining, no worries! Instead I'm excited about going back to the hot pools by the ocean under the full moon tonight.

~~~

Me: I think sometimes I'm too much of a hippie for guys to tolerate...
Girl: Really? But you aren't a real hippie, look, you shave!

~~~

PS: I heart Hawaii!
Aloha!


Jezus (say "Hey-sus", head of Cinderland), and the girls about to go to town


the jungle that is Cinderland, looking at Zen Den Dorm


the Goddess Dorm, my current home with jungle view


preparing for "Taco Tuesday" in the kitchen

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