We have spent the last four months enveloped by natures feathery cocoon. Entering society sometimes feeling like a rude interruption from this perfect stasis in which we have learned to find comfort in solitude. Everyone hustling and bustling with their individual agendas, emitting a feeling of chaos into the atmosphere, making it seem as if the harmony of the wilds we just stepped out of was a mere illusion There is not really time or inspiration to type away online when we enter the cluster fuck of human society, for we are technically homeless and if we want to sleep in our nice warm sleeping bags without being awakened by a law officer or worse we must quickly venture back into the safety of the wilderness. It's funny how the tables turn once one casts themselves out. Town is no longer a safe zone when you have chosen to live without a home. Sometimes town offers us a desirous social rendezvous and lifts our spirits, but more often than not we are rushing around trying to get our errands done quick, to avoid sleeping in Dharma's front seat. We get sucked right into the constant flow of commercial consumption, and money flows out of my wallet like ants out of an ant hill, bringing food to the queen.
The west is still wild, it may be splattered with towns tamed by corporate sterility, but no matter the population of people congregating on the fringes or even those exploring the playground of mother nature's domicile, the wild cannot be tamed by our presence. Geography and atmosphere dictate this kingdom in which flora and fauna merely inhabit, relentlessly proliferating. We can create artificial environs to protect ourselves from the elements and make our lives more comfortable, but still we are at the whim of mother nature. We have been through seven states so far and have soaked in at least two dozen hot springs, slept in more national forests than I can count, and have enjoyed the pleasure of fresh scenery around every corner. There is nothing more humbling than bearing witness to a mighty river, a vast desert, a deep forest, all under the endless sky. These humbling moments are why we have chosen this lifestyle.
The Rainbow Family Gathering in Montana turned out to be an incredibly positive experience. It was amazing to unite with so many like minded brothers and sisters, fellow travelers, inspiring musicians, artists, dancers, and just plain kind hearted souls. To see such cohesiveness within a tattered group of people with no actual leaders or laws was amazing. It made me realize how efficient it is for society to collaborate on daily agendas and share in responsibilities. If everyone helps just a little bit, no one person is run ragged and work is accomplished at a much swifter pace. For example, everyone has to eat dinner, at Rainbow Family there are community kitchens where large meals are cooked to feed everyone. Everyone who has the time or will to help can help and everyone eats. So there are maybe 100 fires lit to feed 10,000 people, rather than 10,000 fires lit to feed everyone individually. This was so beautiful to see everyone working in unison rather than struggling on their own. We had a chance to work and camp with the Rough and Ready Kitchen, a really great group of people, making our little section of the woods a heaven on earth. Like any other society even Rainbow has its undesirable neighborhoods and we were careful to find an area where we felt comfortable and inspired. All day people gathered and sang and made music together, children and adults alike juggled, slacklined, hula hooped, danced, and talked. Chores such as cooking, dishes, building structures, gathering fire wood, digging latrines, compost and grey water pits, all these were done without grumbling, an announcement made when help was needed and always a willing group of people to get the job accomplished. Everyone referred to each other as brother and sister and hugged and gave words of love, even when they were strangers. We felt like we belonged, like we could live as one big happy family forever. But as fast as the city was built, it was taken down, and we as well as the rest of our family migrated back to Babylon with a rainbow shining brightly in our hearts.
After the gathering in Montana we continued into Wyoming to experience some of the most breathtaking wilderness and friendly people in the country. Only to be scared away by the most horrendous populations of biting flies and mosquitoes we've ever experienced. We've meandered our way down into the beautiful red rock country of Utah, stopping at awesome hot springs and visiting friends that have taken us on adventures off the beaten path and shared their creature comforts and good company. Thank you Jim and Gayla. We still have adventure ahead of us, but responsibility is starting to nag at the back of our minds as our funds are running low. Soon a new adventure will began as we reincorporate ourselves into society and become part of a new community. It should be fun, and in a way I look forward to yet another chapter, but for now the open road is still calling our names.
“Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.”
― Robert Frost
