May is Always Awesome!

Ahhh, May, you are always my favorite month.

The month that I graduated High School and College, my Birthday, the beginning of Summer, and something great.

May was jam packed with adventures; skinning possums, climbing mountains, permaculturing, exploring new zealand with friends, and enjoying the hell out of life.

After the convergence, I hastily made my way back to Wellington, to explore the city, and work on a film "How to meet girls from a distance".  One big reason I had to come back was to see "American Superhero movie BANG BANG"...or the "Avengers".

There was the team leader Iron Person, who espoused the values of economic progress, and was very snarky.

There was Flag Man with Shield, who, along with Jesus, cried on 9/11.

Then there was other folks, such as Green Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson spy., and Australian with Hammer.

They fought aliens from Space.


I have to say, I'm most excited to see the midnight screening of "The Room":

                                                                                 

The Room is pure, raw cinema.  A must see for those who respect the art of film.

So I left Wellington on May 1st with Maria, who, with cold german persistance, convinced me to do the Tongariro crossing with her.  I was actually quite excited to come back to Turangi.  This time I could go to Awhi Farm, and then go on a spastic bing of adventures.

After being told by the I-Site not to do the Tongariro crossing, we decided to take the opposite way over the mountain, because I'll be dipped if I bow before the tremblings of beauracratic office dwellers.

The Tongariro was a blast, it was a 7 hour hike up around Mt. Doom, but was surprisingly warm and not filled with American tourists.  Lots of Germans though, but at this point, I have come to understand their words.

 It took 5 hours to get to the top, but t'was well worth it.

The best thing about Turangi is the sheer amount of amazing places, if you know your way around.  You can spend a day climbing Tongariro, go back and have an amazing meal at Awhi Farm, and then head off to a secret hotspring in Lake Taupo.  My favorite place was Butchers Bridge hotspring, where you could sit in a half hot/cold pool, while grabbing some spa-like mineral mud.  You go in stressed, you leave more relaxed than a sloth.

It was hard to top Turangi, but we headed off North to Ragland for one last night before having to go to Mordor (Auckland).  Ragland is a beach town, a town of waves...I can't really come up with any puns so I'll just say it was cool.  The best aspect about the Solscape retreat was the AWESOME Earth-huts, which were designed by Jo and Bryan at Awhi farm.  They stay ultra-insulated, cool in summer, warm in winter, and these crazy Dr. Seuss like Huts cost about $5,000 to build.  The technique is called "Earthbag", and all it needs is people, sand, concrete, and wire framing; if you want to be extra flash you can stick bottles in as windows.  My dream would be to have these huts all over the world, shit would be awesome.  Imagine these build into the side of a hill...BOOM, hobbit hutt.

After I almost burned down the pizza oven at Ragland, we finally got some decent bread. (note, fire is lit IN the oven, not UNDER).

Bread goes in to flaming oven...

                                                                    Ah shit.

Anyway, we headed off towards Auckland town, and Maria went off to her Bird Sanctuary, while I slept on Cheyne's couch and edited 1 month no regrets.

After that, I was extremely excited for my next big adventure, the Permaculture Design Course at Te Moata :O

Permaculture...My Mind is Blown

April 15, 2012

After a week at the permaculture conference, I have found something that has been missing from my life.  I have connected with others, and found an avenue for a career and a way of life that is deeply meaningful and helps the planet….and that is Permaculture.  

Permaculture sounded strange at first, when you first hear about things like "sustainable systems", "eco-villages" and "earthships", the image of hippies tripping out on the desert comes to mind.


However, everything about permaculture makes an insane amount of sense, which is why governments and corporations are probably afraid of adapting it en masse.




Now, the underlying reason why I decided to jump down the rabbit hole...careful, because this might get pretty deep.

There are 7 billion humans on earth, and our supply of oil, fresh water, arable land, and forest is shrinking as our demand is ever increasing.  Climate change is staring us in the face, and we are racing towards complete collapse in very short order unless we do not change our global food and economic systems.  When you read about things like positive methane feedback loops from the Artic, which will plunge our world into 10degrees of warming once tipping points are reached, it is inevitable to come to grips with a deep, existential crisis.  The state I grew up in (Colorado) will become a permanent dust bowl very soon, and that is only a taste of what is to come.

So many times, when I read climate science, I end up with a cold feeling in my stomach, because we are faced with the certain possibility of extinction of life on this planet unless we disrupt climate change.  Right now, we are RACING towards extinction, and the only option is to drastically change the system which we obtain our food, earn our money, and find purpose in life.  Ask yourself...what use is planning for retirement, or following a decade long path towards a lucrative career, when your children will suffer in a world plagued by permanent drought and dead crops.  It's hard to look through to despair, but there are answers, and solutions.

What I have found in Permaculture, is a glimmer of hope, because within it are hundreds of solutions to EVERY problem we face.  Permaculture is about growing food in the midst of drought, about building houses which do not need to be heated or cooled, and are affordable for all.  It is about capturing and holding water and carbon in the soil, and turning deserts and eroded cow pasture into ultra productive food ecosystems.  It is about small scale renewable energy, and community planning in the face of oil shortages.  Most of all, it is about restoring purpose to human life, so that we can restore the earth as we support ourselves, instead of just destroying everything.

One example which bring tears to my eyes is John Lius, who was able to convert a Chinese desert basin into a thriving woodland ecosystem in two years...this basin supports 2 million people.
John Lius turns desert into thriving ecosystem

Through permaculture, I can find a career that deeply fulfills me, and supports my future.  It is EXACTLY what I have been searching for.

I was utterly inspired by Nicole Foss, who showed me the urgency and necessity for changing our economic system (which will shortly collapse through shared global crisis)  I sat enthralled as Albert Bates told me a story about how Eco-villages using biochar enriched soils could build forests across the continents, and remove the carbon we have put into the atmosphere WHILE deeply enriching the soil for our food.  Imagine humanity rebuilding the forests in every continent, from Africa to USA.  That is the vision the world needs to become a better place.

The multi-faceted solutions I saw at the permaculture conference have convinced me that IS the field I must go down….but enough about that, let's talk about the people…

Awhi farm in Turangi is a quaint, beautiful farm, and an education center.  It stretches for several hectares, winding through corridors with spiral designs and giant compost heaps.  Every inch was productive, organic and beautiful.  Nothing was wasted, from drops of water, to trash, to poop (humanure).   It was amazingly eye opening to volunteer there for 2 weeks, and to get a taste of the knowledge gathered from people across the world.

I was taken in by the Maori in a deeply meaningful community, I saw, I felt the connection they had with their land, each other, and with us.  700 People came to the convergence, and they were all cared for at the Maori Longhouse.

I learned the value of listening, and by listening, I was able to hear the stories of older men, young men, and women who I would never have thought I could connect with.

And the other volunteers….I got to know them greatly, I put aside my barriers, I talked with them, I LISTENED to them, and by doing so I made a deep emotional connection…to people like Sofie, who was the daughter of ancient Maori family who kept their traditions alive, like Tesla, who was able to build anything through the force of his own interest, and keeping his mind open.  like Jo and Brian, who through their love of permaculture, have manifested a farm, and a way of life that heals the land.  So many others, Andy…Kristoff, Sam, Lizzy, Steve, VJ Chris.

And the Maori who guided me, hugged me, and shared with me.  Matua, Georgie, Leon, Stripey.  Never did I think I would make a soulful connection to them but I did.  I teared up from joy at the last day of the conference, as we said our words of thanks, and they gave us back tears and gratitude (along with a haka) deep from the center of their heart.  I saw love, I saw meaning, I saw a life I wanted.  I'm going to do permaculture, because I it has captivated my mind, and made me fall in love with it.   That being said, don't expect me to grow a massive beard and dreads while raving about 9/11 conspiracies, because that's not my style.

However, permaculture is a REAL solution, a real science to looking at every problem we face, and putting in the effort to solve it.  Our problems can become solutions, and we can make our world better.


There was a reason I came to New Zealand, and this is it.

The "Down Times"

March 25 2012,

It's crazy how time can shift so easily,
1 month ago, I was preparing for my fight, and time seemed as slow
as it did when I was 5.

Now, with no huge goal to work towards, time has passed faster than
I would like it to around here.


Let's go back 24 days....

The few days after the fight, I simply languished in the amazing embrace
of a week of earned laziness.  After spending 6 hours a day for a month
training, a week was needed to recoup myself back to sanity.  The day after a fight,
everything seems just 'that' much more enjoyable, the sun shines more, the grapes
are sweeter, and the couch seems to be made of silk.



I thought immediately my body would reverse into a more lazy state, but luckily,
constant fitness seems particularly easy.
Going for a run everyday seemed like eating ice cream compared to gym training,
so it's been quite enjoyable.

The one downside of my fight was the sports injury in my chest, which meant
no intense exercise or swimming for a few days...


I know you probably didn't come to this blog
to read about what I eat for breakfast in Christchurch, you want to hear meaningful
encounters, and what's going on in my life.

In a city like Christchurch, its easy to simply float along, without something huge
to challenge yourself, especially when your surrounded by students who are in
party mode.

For a while, it's great fun to try and fit in to the old college social circle,
especially when you go to cool things like the "Wild Foods Festival" in Hokitika.
It was a blast to go to a small town on the West Coast of New Zealand, where hundreds
of people were gathered together for a single purpose...dress crazy, drink copious amounts of alcohol,
and try insane food such as huhu grubs, sheep's balls (mountain oysters), horse semen shots (didn't try that one), and more benign foods such as huhu grubs, kangaroo, and alligator.  Great way to spend a weekend :)

Me, Enzro and Pedobear

Again with Pedobear, and also Yan

However...all the fun distractions and parties wear down after a while.  I'm not in college any more, and the lifestyle of going out every weekend to party and drink seems like a step backwards for me.   That being said, I did accomplish some good things this month such as editing some episodes of One Month No Regrets, and my music video:
https://vimeo.com/40695536

After a week or two of doing close to nothing, I felt sick with myself, till I finally said "ENOUGH!".

I picked up all the Tony Robbins seminars I could muster, listened to them all, and drove off to Reefton
by myself for a few days to camp, and come up with a new direction for my life.

TONY ROBBINS HUNGRY!

It's amazing how much a few days by yourself can put things in perspective.  I read an entire book, I organised my priorities, and I felt an energy to overcome my doubts and push through with my dreams.

That being said, the challenge now, is to focus myself, and overcome any distractions which comes my way.  My good friend Rich Turner just got back from Pinewood Studios, and we've been running and swimming every morning, which feels great.

My next big adventure takes me to the North Island, to learn about something called "Permaculture".  I'll be spending about 2 weeks volunteering at the Austral-Asian Permaculture Convergence.  I don't know what I'm about to find there, but I guarantee there will be alot of dreadlocks and mentions of peak oil.  That being said...Geoff Lawton is my hero.

1 MONTH NO REGRETS

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Little Things in Life, but Big Meanings.

It is often in the smallest, most unexpected ways that we are inspired, and in the last two days, I have been blessed with two experiences in the same place which grabbed me, and left me feeling like I had made a connection with something greater.

On friday night, I biked back from my friend Andy's house in the high hills overlooking christchurch.  Passing through Riccarton and Ilam, I felt frustrated I didn't have any friends to go out with that night.  It's an odd thing that during the week I can stick to a spartan routine, but as soon as thursday night rolls around, I feel empty and caged during the weekend if I can't spend time with a whole group of friends going somewhere out of the ordinary.

Anyway, as I biked back to my house past a bunch of boisterous, drunk kiwi folk, I saw a few people running in the middle of the night in a field by my house.  They were running nonstop for 24 hours to raise money for their friend Sam, who had cancer, and needed 15,000 for an operation.
 I got an instant urge to join, so I grabbed my toe shoes and ran back out to the field, and rain till my feet were about to give way. At 3:30 in the morning, I finally stopped, but felt amazing despite the fact that my feet were about to explode.

However, it wasn't really until the following morning when the beauty of what was going on really struck home.  I showed up at the field for a barbeque, and all of Sam's friends, family, college acquaintances, and kids had showed up to see the final hour of the fundraiser.  It was amazing to talk to Sam, and see the dozens and dozens of people who came back to show love for their friend.  In a single night, they raised $9,000 to help him out, simply because their friend was in need.

Seeing that, and witnessing that love made me feel like I could do anything in the world, and I'll have to apply that lesson to raise money for something I believe in, like Saving Orangutans or Forests.

On Sunday, I woke up slightly hung over, and didn't do much the whole day, as I was sucked into what was going on in Occupy (Mass arrests in Oakland, WTF).  After shuffling around and making only small progress on minor tasks, I felt frustrated, and a bit disgusted with myself that I had slipped into an old habit of procrastination that I had been on so long to break.....so I went to a massive oak tree to meditate in the rain.

As I was meditating with my headphones in, I was startled, to open my eyes, and see a woman staring at me with her dogs, which was awkward as I was breathing heavily and chanting,  "Ahhhhh".

This woman stopped, and asked me if I was alright, and I said "Oh yah, I'm fine...just, meditating".  She persisted though, and asked if I needed someone to talk to, so we ended up talking for about an hour.
Belle ended up sharing her life story with me, as a woman who had faced more pain than I could imagine, and still was able to have unconditional love for life.

She had two daughters who ran away and had kids in their teens. Her grandkids and oldest daughter disappeared without saying a word to her, and she even had Breast cancer a few years back.  On top of that, the earthquake destroyed the job she was working at, and her marriage had suffered as a result of all those things.

As this women let out her entire life story, I felt my problems, and my challenges absolutely dwarfed, and insignificant compared to what she had gone through.  It made me think...what problems to I have to overcome, what great demons do I have to slay to reach my greatest potential?...HABITS!?  My demons are not drugs, post traumatic stress, or emotional scars, but mere habits created my procrastinating on the internet through the end of college.  After hearing what she had to say, I was deeply touched, and strolled back to my house more determined than I've been in a long time....

So here I am, typing away, and though I am still tempted to read doom and gloom news about climate change, and fart about online, I know that there is a clear purpose to what I am doing in New Zealand....
I'm here to help others, and help myself by living life without excuses.  This youtube channel we've started will give me the opportunity to show the world something...that you can deeply enrich your life by doing something new each month...and by helping others, you help yourself.

So with that, I say, take care, and best wishes from New Zealand.  If anyone is new here, I suggest reading my brother Owen's blog, now HE is going through one hell of an adventure, and his stories are absolutely insane in the best way possible.
http://www.talesofthedreamcrusher.blogspot.com/

Lots of love to mom and dad, owen, and my friends at home, miss you guys alot.
-Raleigh


Now...it's time to get beaten up for 30 days straight in martial arts.

And so begins the next chapter.

So after three weeks of living in christchurch, I am very stoked to get something new started.  That being said, there's been some interesting things which I've done to pass the time....

-Bought a bike from a Kiwi bloke who raised cherries, and was a no-nonsense bike mechanic.  Small talk, hell no!  He wasn't having any of it, and I respected him for it, that and he built a huge cherry orchard and chicken farm in his backyard by himself.  Some folks are "built it with their-hands" people, including my cousin Amory, my friend Justin and my brother Owen, and it's something I want to emulate.

The Christchurch Chicken.

-Travelled to Timaru to visit a ladyfriend, which was....interesting :/ Spent 2 days in the smallest, strangest town in New Zealand reading a bunch of awesome books, such as Find Your Strengths, A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Drive: The Science of Motivation.

According to the "StrengthFinder Test" (made by some old dude), my biggest strengths are defined as: Wooer (meeting and talking to new people) Includer (bringing people together), Positivity, Connectedness (seeing similar connections), and Input (wanting to learn about a bunch of topics).   Makes sense, I'll have to put it into practice...

-Met several good friends at my kung-fu/karate class, including Hugh, Josh, and James.  These folks will have to join me on adventures, or else I'll be victim to cows, sheep, and other bovine creatures.  It's easy to jump into parties and meet a bunch of folks, but I'm excited to get a car soon so I go wherever I want outside of christchurch (an insanely tempting thought).

-Started a daily regiment of working out 2 hours a day, and waking up at 7:30, and meditating at 10:00  With no one at the house except me though, it's a bit hard to get motivated to do everything according to plan.

You may be saying to yourself...what?!  Where's the skydiving, and crazy stories about running with Maori gangs and running from Ostriches in Australia?!  Where's the Excitement!!? :O

Well my friends, it's coming, for the last few weeks I've have to really budget myself while my check has cleared, and it's been an interesting experience to live on just a food budget...but soon, the fun can begin.

That's why....next month, starting February 5th, Cheyne Hewison and I are starting a 30 day youtube challenge where we immerse ourselves in a skill, and have to spend 6-8 hours a day for a month learning it.
Our first challenge, martial arts/ultimate fighting.  Jesus.

Me in 1 month, stoked!

And with that, my ass is hopping on a bike and heading towards the highest point in canterbury, enough of this computer business.

And one more thing,

start your day, or end it with this video, it might open your eyes to the beauty of life:

Touchdown in Christchurch- first week in NZ

So here I am, my week in New Zealand.  Why did I do it you ask?....Why not? It was a surprise to be accepted for a New Zealand work visa, and once the date is set for your entry into the country, you have to go, or give the idea up all together.  I decided to go...

The decision

 Though it was a sad prospect to leave my friends, family, and relationships behind, the possibility of New Zealand being an amazing journey was undeniable.  It felt liberating to leave all my wires and junk back in the states, though I do miss my bike and my car ;(

In a years time, I'll likely be back in the West Coast, because there's something great happening there....but for this next year, I'm going to do great in New Zealand, so stay tuned.

After I touched down at the airport, and dropped all my stuff of at Rich and Ness's awesome little cottage, I decided to take a stroll to downtown.  I didn't really realize it till then how much the city was affected by the earthquake.

When I studied at UC canterbury, every young person would flock to downtown every thursday, friday, and saturday.  Though I'm not a fanatic for bars, clubs, or local sports team, the lack of them drains alot of young folks from the city.  Now the entire downtown is abandoned buildings and cordoned off highrises, strangely eerie, kinda like chernobyl.

WELCOME TO CHRISTCHURCH!

So Christchurch is less of a city now, and more of a town, since there's no more downtown, hotels, bars, stadiums, or shows.  The only thing that seems to be thriving is demolition crews and the Riccarton mall :(

CULTURE!!!

I feel bad for the students coming in to canterbury, since there's no library, science, law, pub, common rooms, or auditoriums to use....who am I kidding they just drink every night anyway.

But for all the unholy destruction, it's still got amazing parks and nice folks.  I guess they'll have to rebuild it into a smaller, renewable energy powered, smaller scale city.  Glad I can use it as a base for all my NZ excursions.

I have to thank Rich and Ness again for being amazing and letting me crash rent free in their house.  As the months pass, I'm sure well make some cool things, and I'll repay them with adventures.

Wild Kiwis

So in the first week here...

Rich and I jumped off a 60 foot tall tree in the adrenaline forst.

Took a wrong turn in Christchurch on a hike and ended up walking 32km's the whole day.

Saw Rich off to the airport on his English filmmaking journey.

Spent alot of time running in parks and setting up my bank account.

In about two weeks, I'll be able to leave Christchurch with a bike or a car obtained online, but until then...I'll do something productive; like edit, plant a veggie garden, exercise, and plan my Sumatran Rainforest adventure.

Adventures are afoot, so I'll keep you all updated!