The One Heart, One Mind Project

I have started something very exciting. It's an idea that I started to develop when I was traveling in India last Summer. When I got home and started planning for my next trip I knew that I wanted to do something to share the experience with others. I want people to see what I see, experience every place I visit, and meet every person for themselves. But, since not every one is able to travel the world, I decided that the next best thing would be to try to bring the experience to them.  The name of the project is the One Heart, One Mind. It's an effort to photograph and write about the extreme diversity of this planet, To let others see the lives that exist outside of their perspective, and to communicate an understanding of human compassion in moving toward a more sustainable existence.

 "Sustainability", a planet that we will be able to inhabit indefinitely, is not such an issue of figuring out how to reduce green house gasses or how to re-populate vital habitats or restore rain forests. It's more of a need to create a planet where we can all get along.

I see a planet where we can not only except, but also appreciate everyone's religion, race, culture, lifestyle, age, sex and personality. It's only then can we start to live a sustainable existence. It's only then, when we can have compassion for EVERYONE, can we work together and create a better world.

With this view of human sustainability I have created the project.

Read more about it on my website, built to host this and future projects -http://www.findyourfreedom.net/

At this website donations can be made to the One Heart, One Mind Project and a raffle has been put together placed on this site as well. I have saved $5k on my own and I am determined to raise the remaining moneys for this project. Check out the site and be sure to read frequently to see how the project is progressing.

A New Adventure

It's Time!! On June 30th I'll be on a plane to Hawaii. It's part of a Project that I will be writing all about in my next post. We already bought the tickets. When we feel it's time to move on , we're going West from there!  It's very exciting and we have been looking forward to this trip for quite a while now, and we have a perfect opportunity through a few different organizations to travel on a very low budget. I want to share them with you.

The first is called W.W.O.O.F.  - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.
This is a great way to live in a place for a good amount of time and really get an awesome amount of free time.
The gig is that you contribute 4 hrs of work a day for 5 days a week. The rest of the time is yours.
In return for your work you get a place to stay and meals to eat.

http://www.wwoof.org/


The second great web site is Find a Crew. This is a web site where you can search working positions on a range of different boats from small, 3 or 4 crew sail boats to large yacht sized boats. Jobs range from helping actually sail a boat, to being a kitchen worker or server on a private yacht. Whats the Pay out? you get to travel anywhere the boat is going! Free passage! There are ships and captains looking for crews all over the world.
How many people have always wanted to sail, but never had an opportunity or money?

http://www.findacrew.net/


The next site is called Mind My House.
This site allows people who need house sitters to add a posting that can be browsed on the web site.
Most of the houses posted on here are requesting a house sitter for 6 Months or more! What a great way to experience Life in a different place! You water plants, do small up keep duties, and feed animals if there are any. Sweet! Houses posted all over North America, Europe, and New Zealand and Australia.

http://www.mindmyhouse.com/


This is one of my faves! The infamous Couch Surfers. This web site is dedicated to travelers! Simply go on to the website to get an email or phone number of a person inviting travelers to sleep "on their couch". You can read reviews of all of the hosts, so it is usually a safe bet. Many travelers I have met have had very memorable experiences just from getting to interact with so many people, making great friendships.
It's a community of people who love to travel, hosts and "surfers" alike. What could be more fun?

http://www.couchsurfing.org/index.html


This is just a short list, and what Cozette and I will probably rely on most of the time, but If you ever do get stuck and need a place to stay, Hostels are very in expensive. In Thailand for example the average hostel is around $16 a night. Here is a great place to find hostels Anywhere.

http://www.hostels.com/

So, That's how we plan to travel on a budget for an extended period of time. Anyone can do it!

Finally, I just want to say this-

The World Needs to shine with a whole lot of Self Expression and Passion right Now.
Quit making excuses about why you don't go for your dreams! Whether you want to travel the world, or you want to help feed the world, Its about what your priorities are. If you really want something, enough to commit all of your time and energy to it, you will get it. It's not the Money, its not the relationships, its not the job holding you back.The only thing keeping you from living out you're own adventurous, 100% fulfilled, all-out, life of your dreams, It's you. You're in charge. GO!

A Little peice of India

A lot of people have been asking to see all of the pictures from my trip so I'm posting the link to my Facebook profile where all of the pictures are. There are 4 albums with 200 pictures each so be sure to take your time and enjoy a little piece of India.


Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=561063247


Being back from India for a while now I have really had an opportunity to think everything over. India, if you didn’t know, is considered the "birthplace of humanity". There is valid argument that Africa is in the running for the title as well, but none the less a very ancient civilization. Life in India dates back to 3300 BC. It's a place that's spiritually rich. Even someone as critical towards organized religion as myself can feel something there, and many do leave India with a higher sense of spirituality. Spirituality does not necessarily mean that you are religious, or believe in a god or creator or any of that. It means just what is says, to believe in your spirit. What I got from India was a higher sense of spirituality, in the context of valuing my existence and realizing how many events had to synchronize for me to come into this existence. I gained a higher sense of gratitude for life and the world I live in and an understanding that I define the life I live and no one else, I decide what I am and am not. This, for me, is my understanding of spirituality. In India, they say when you reach enlightenment you gain a level of consciousness, or understanding of all things, an omniscience of sorts. To put it in exact quotes, "you realize God". You realize it in everything, even in yourself. I am not a spiritual guru by any means but I can now really begin to understand this concept.

So how does this relate to India? How does all of this come out of traveling to India for 3 weeks? All I can say is that India is a very powerful and spiritual place. Go there and see for yourself.

Until then, watch this movie. It’s called “Enlighten Up”. (If you have Netflix, you can watch it instantly.) It’s a perfect portrayal of India, and goes into some deeper explanation of what Enlightenment is. Cheers!

Along the Rio

I took a walk with my brother down by the river today. It always amazes me how serene the river is, even in the middle of Albuquerque. The weather was particularly clear too, and the sky was brilliantly blue. A perfect day on the Rio Grande.

Images From Another World

Here they are: the best, my favorite rather, pictures from India!

Be sure to click each image for the full view.