Its a Blessing and a Curse

This week I took some much needed travel time and went to the beach in Port Aransas. Upon arriving I quickly rented a surfboard and headed out to the shore which would become my home for the next few days.

The van the way it was meant to be.

I quickly learned  that renting a board, watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and youtube videos titled "how to surf", does not make you a surfer. I paddled out several times trying to catch the perfect wave, this soon became trying to catch any wave. My first day was a failure, but I did learn some lessons and was rearing to go for day two. On the second day I successfully caught some waves while lying down and even almost stood up a couple times. I am confident that if I had a week, or less choppy surf, I would nail it. I may have looked riduculous to some while trying to learn, but without failure there is no success and without trying there is no failure. I took my bumps and had a blast.

In the down time (actually recovery time because my ass was getting kicked), I made my first ever sandcastle.

As you can tell I used Mayan architecture and even put in a garden.

I was happy with my building.

As all good things must come to an end I headed back to civilization and checked my email to find a hire packet from Grand Teton Lodge Company. I guess that means I have a job. Yay Me!!!! I spent some time deliberating and decided I would drop the van in Arizona and hitchhike to Wyoming to save fuel and kill time. They provide me a dorm, so I figure I do not need the van this summer anyway. At the end of summer I would be returning to Arizona to spend my second summer elsewhere anyhow, now I won't have to buy gas twice.  Roadtrip should be nice. I hope that Stumpy and Cindy have time to do something while I am in Arizona.  

I hope everyone is good, I love you all.

Downgrading My T-shirt collection

I have come the realization that I only wear 4 shirts, the same four shirts every week never mixing it up and not wavering. While I do not have a problem with this it brings to light another problem I have, I own 25 T-shirts. Most of them are old and do not even fit any more, I have shed some poundage in the last year, but I have a hard time trying to part with them. They are for all intents and purposes still good just baggy (really baggy). I am clearing all my stuff out of my mothers house and getting ready to hit the road again, so they must go. I lost one storage container for clothes this past winter, that helps in the decision, but still not a fun task. Why are you reading about my t-shirt collection.

I was offered one job this week in Wisconsin, but they want me to work some hours for my site and it puts me really far away from anywhere I want to be. Upon reading another's blog I discovered that Grand Tetons in Wyoming is still hiring and applied there as well after 3 phone interviews, I was tentatively offered a position, as long as my references check out. My fingers are crossed and I hope I get the job and I also hope I do not. You see I long for a return to the west coast and the stealth city life, Dodger dogs and millions of people.

I wish I could focus on a path of action, but right now I am too busy to even write a good blog; I need to get back on the road and have some adventures. Match.com has been a failure on most fronts it seems most ladies do not want to date a homeless guy, big surprise. I am in good spirits, though it seems everyone here in Texas is pulling away from me, my mother, her roommates, my dog, and my best friend all seem to want nothing to do with me, or so it seems. I am in a funk. I re-read the blogs from last year and about the same time I was also in a funk, maybe it has something to do with the month, no fucking clue, some days I just sit and zone out.

That's my week in a nutshell, throwing out shirts, alienating people, and feeling sorry for myself. Lost in thoughts and minuscule worries that I know do not really matter, I can survive as I need to.

I love you all and hope you are doing well.

The Never-ending Cycle of Self Abuse

Well I have been in The United States for a week now, since my untimely dismissal from Mexico. I arrived to my mother's  last Thursday night and was informed that my bedroom was no longer availible, it was rented out. My room is my one other comfort space, other than the van and to find out that it was rented was not the best news, I could have received. Friday morning I had to find a room, so I added some Yucatan flair to the garage.

While I assumed my WWOOFing experience was mostly about partying, it turns out, I actually learned something. I got the whole house to chip and try to help start composting. An old coffee can was placed on the counter and everyone started chipping in. Another surprise was I still had that working spirit and decided to build a composting bin, but with funds short; I had to find wood. Idea!! Help the vacant house behind us by removing its falling fence. I used the fence to build my composting bin and helped the community at the same time (double bonus Karma points), hope the new buyers appreciate the hard work I put in to remove part of their fence.

When the composting bin was finished, my work drive died. I will build some raised beds this week and start planting soon. 

     On Wednesday my new juicer arrived. It works good and is only 400 watts, so I can use it in the van.

 I went to the store and loaded up on greens and fruits. My mother agreed to do a juice fast with me, so as of this writing I am 3 days in without food only some drink I like to affectionately  refer to as "green death" and my body is really starting to hate me. I spent the last 12 weeks trying to destroy it and now I am starving it and feeding it something that looks like Incredible Hulk Urine. I am on the juice. 

In other news, I have been rejected by all the campground management companies; I know of and am in serious doubt of my future. My resume looks  suspect because I have been on the road for 15 months with no steady work history. I could put down a fake business name and have my friend pose as the owner to fill those gaps, but I do not know how I would feel about that. The van has been starting fine and is almost ready for another adventure. I will keep on keeping on, applying for jobs, and not caring too much. I know no matter what, it will work out, but I can not help to wonder where I am going next. I have decided to stay in this Central location (Texas) for another week or so in case I find a Midwest or Northeastern job, but if not I am heading west.

I love you all and hope everyone is well. Drop me a line if your bored, I need some new penpals adowler@gmx.com

The Last Days of Drifter (photoblog)

Time for some photos of my last days.

This is the archaeological site Tulum In Tulum, it backs right up to the Beach.

 It is thought to have been a Major port city for the Mayans.

Needless to say, it was breathtakingly amazing.

On my last day in Solferino we headed on an Island tour.

Cata was excited.

So where the housemates, these are the previously mentioned

"French" girls who later in the day stole my epic beard.

                                           

The sun was shining. 

This was the first stop, I jumped off the tower on the left, the water 

was warm and also about 30inches deep.

I even got to drive most of the second leg.

 Just some pictures I forgot to post.

Stay Tuned for the next blog about my return to the states and search for 

My Adrian.

This is a week late, but I had no access

Why are girls so much smarter than Boys ( long story)

To explain the title we will start like this, 2 girls arrived on the farm this week, so it is me and the 2 of them as volunteers. From the start of the first day something seemed off with them, they appeared unmotivated and lazy, but ok, after lunch they headed back to their room job unfinished. I thought, it is the first day, they are tired no big deal, but when a pattern began to emerge I figured it out, they are girls nobody wants to tell them what to do. Just as I figured girls are smatter than boys these girls discovered a way to get the same food and room as I with less work, WTF. I have been resentfull these last couple days becuase the true flaw with Communism is one guy works 10 hours a day and the others do 5. The 10 hours guy gets upset and either starts a coup or a revolution. As I type this I have come to grips with my resentment and decided all is well; prehaps it is because i want to belive communism can work or they cast thier spell on me as well or because I am a push over and persons take advantage of that fact and I am too easy going and forgiving, but what i am going to do.

That is my week in a nutshell, feeling overworked and under appriciated, but it is cool because now I am drunk and happy. I think my facist leader knows to keep the hard workers over sedated, but it works for me.

I also have lost my glasses and my debit card, so I have no money, no eyes, and no clue as to what is going on.

I have also began to doubt my life choices because a week with no one who speaks the same language as you leaves you alot of time to think. I joined another dating website inhope to find the "one" . I know I started backwards by hitting the road first and then looking for the one, but that is my life. Who wants to date a homeless idealist who want to save the world??? Maybe someone I know one person I would like a date with, but do not know if we will meet before she finds her "one" she is truly awesome and I am getting a little creepster, so I will stop here.

Anyway my drunken ramblings will have to suffice for now. I really love you all

Then I drank more and typed this., Then I let one one the french girls shave my epic beard.

As my Solferino adventure comes to an end I wonder if I learned anything at all other than how to get blackout drunk and open a beer properly? While my expeirences in Mexico have been short and I have yet to get a true grasp on the language, if I head out today looking back I will have regrets but can I do it again, or do I head into the real world with a fucking goal and not just a dream. While fullfilling that goal am I bound to forget about my other dreams as the reality of starting my own community becomes real, I do not know that I will ever be able to get away again I could become so consumed with the idealisism of my own community and engulfed in the work that I just become a byproduct of the system and yes it will still be on my own terms, but it is still falling into the system that scares me, working everyday just like they want you to. "They" that is an interesting word in and of itself "they" it seems as though they have been the enemy since day one. "They want me to go to bed early", "They want me to do this", "they said no" , fuck "they" control everything. I wish i could escape "they", but they are everywhere. I cannot get away from them. I am so lost in this world and wish to getlost more and fear has snuck into my life. fear of poverty, fear of hunger I cannot go on this cycle of fear today i need to find my balance

I had a good story to tell, but oh well

Today is a day, in which I have decided to end my Mexican adventure. Last week in Tulum I lost my debit card and do not have another way to receive cash (Mexico is a cash only land), other than having someone western union me every time and that is not really an option, so without further delay I head back to the US. It took me a week of thinking to come to this and even now I am not sure. I have been living recklessly for the past 5 weeks and between the bugs, drugs, and work my body is ravished with cuts and scrapes I have a bruises both inside and out. Even as I type this I am covering a 3 inch scrape on my forehead from a poorly planned jump off an observation tower into less than 2 feet of water. The moment my head hit the ground my mind became clear and most likely concussed. What ever it was that was in my system is out, I can not keep living like this right now. I still do not want to head home, but without other options, I will. Maybe if I had a better grasp of the language I could keep going as a drifter living off coconuts with a hand out, but I know now what I want, a better life. Living in reckless abandon getting molested by strangers and going full bore into life is great, but at the end of the day my life is at best empty and void of meaning. I have said before and will repeat it again, I want more from this life, I really would like a partner to share this adventure with and while it would be nice if it was a romantic partner, I am now starting to think any partner would be great. I want to once again as I did when I was younger look at someone in the morning and go, "remember last year when we did that crazy shit". Maybe its time for the drifter to head in from the cold. As my new online dating profile title reads "this stray dog needs a forever home"

I love you guys take care.

Embracing the Hangover

I never liked the term hangover, I think it has negative connotations attached, the word “hang” has a checkered history at best. I prefer carryover because your buzz from last night is carrying over into the next day, it is not a bad thing but a good thing you are starting the day with a buzz so no need to buy that first round in the morning.

I woke up this morning in Tulum with a grapefruit growing out of my head and a sore back. I suppose you would like to know how that is accomplished. Well lets bring everyone up to speed, last weekend in Solferino I slaughted a goat, ate the goat, and Frances and I were joined by several folks; Greg and Dana are a nice French/canadaian  couple who showed up, and stayed the week. They were very nice Greg and I played basketball with the other wwoofers drank beer and chilled. The Knicks, as I will affectionately refer to him from here on out, is a young college student from NorCal who is also a talented musician if you have time check out his page. Nonetheless everyone left or planned to leave yesterday, The knicks hung around and took a ride to Tulum with myself and my wwofing host, who I will refer to from here on out as my Yucatan attorney. My attorney had us make some creative wood scupltupse and tables all week and is planning to sell them in Tulum This weekend, so that is how we got to Tulum. The goal of last night was to attend a reggae concert on the beach, this turned out to be a bust, but I did get good and trashed early and my attorney met some friends and we headed to there house for fire and beach fun. Somewhere along the line I decided to go swimming. While this sounds like a good idea, it was not. The beach at the house was covered in these massive boulders that in my condition were very hard to surpass, I got out my climbing gear and made it to the water, but I did not want to unload my pockets, so instead I swam all naturale. I found my pants and tried to get off of the beach as my attorney and The Knicks guided me there were several headers taken in to various rocks for some reason I do not think they liked the idea of me swimming in thier beach. They did there best to thoughly whip my ass, and this morning I am well away that I was in a fight that I could not have possibly won. I am currently sitting at a hostel with a bit of carry over and bruises wearing a sheet as a dress, but that is a story for another time.