Whoa that was fast

Just realized its been a while since I've posted anything. I've been homeless for a long time now; but am now feeling the stresses of being broke at the same time. The thing about living a pretty minimalist life is that when you run low on money the only thing to cut back is eating. So, I'm always hungry. Not hungry enough to feel desperate; but hungry enough to appreciate the food I do get to eat. If you want to feel inspired and motivated just cut back how much you eat. It unlocks a weird part of you. You feel passion for life and a certain calmness. A lot of the other stresses in life seem really pointless when you only eat one small meal a day. In other news this is how far we are on our building in school. 

There are more important things in life than feeling comfortable. 

I've been having a pretty frustrating time dealing with things not meeting my expectations. That's more my fault than anyone else's. I spent the day hiking on a remote trail. It felt great to be alone in the woods. I was able to let all stress and frustrations go and let my mind wander. 

Future generation

So my school is holding a natural building extravaganza that started yesterday. A bunch of people will be coming in for the week to learn several natural building techniques. One of the participants is a 13 year old boy who is obsessed with natural building. He has a design and to scale model of the cottage he will start building after this. He is also one of the most knowledgeable students. It's such an inspiration to see young kids actually engaging in trying to change this world. When I was thirteen all I did was skateboard and try to make out with girls. I wasn't half as good at those things as this kid is to building. 

Urban camouflage.

I just had a quick interaction that I thought would be funny to post. I have this idea of urban camouflage where I hide my homelessness through my appearance. Well I was shaving my face hanging out the side of van when some redneck looking guy drives by and gives me some weirded out look. I nodded at him and said "what up brother?" He smiled and nodded back. 

A great lesson in urban camouflage is know your audience. 

A goal without an action plan is just a day dream

Finally a new post. My computer is having issues so I'm posting from my phone. 

My transfer for work has gone through so Ill be living full time in Asheville now. With this exciting news I've become extra motivated to re-design my van. I'm currently living in 24 square feet (take that Jay Shafer) of van that includes a rickety loft bed, a cheap plastic dresser, and a 5 gallon bucket of books. My new design will be built a lot stronger and look a lot less white trash. I've also become quite motivated to get back into fighting shape ( although I don't think I'll be training in Asheville). 

Trying to make everyday my proudest day. LIFE RULES!

This is my life

I'm finally going after my dreams. Its been three weeks in Asheville studying natural building. I can honestly say I've never been happier. We've worked on the design of a cob hut, put down the first layer of cob, and have began the design process of a post and beam structure. It's such a surreal feeling to be here. Natural building is something I've researched and have been obsessed with for years. I'm surrounded by beauty and wonderful people. I'm not even the only person who is intentionally homeless. I'm so excited to be building the knowledge to build the house I've been dreaming of. For those who don't know about natural building; there are several types of natural buildings. Cob, which is made from sand, clay, and straw and then is slopped onto the foundation and built up as one monolithic structure, is my favorite type of natural building for a number of reasons. Strawbale houses which, you guessed it, are built out of strawbales are probably my second favorite. Here are some of my favorite examples: 

Cob House: (This was done by one of my instructors)

 

 Strawbale house:

Get Weird

I was going to post about my living situation; but decided to wait on that. Instead I'm going to give my philosophy on being uncomfortable.I believe that most people are so unhappy because they feel entitled to easy, comfortable lives. It is so ingrained in our culture to get what we want that people confuse their needs with wants. The only things we need are food, water, and shelter. Everything else in your life are privileges. You don't need air conditioning. You don't need coffee. You don't need a house full of junk. Transitioning to living in my van full time was weird. I felt uncomfortable and scared at night that someone might break into my van or hit my van and kill me. In almost no time I stopped feeling uncomfortable. I started enjoying the freedom of having money and no bills. At first I didn't know how to spend my days. Then I started exploring the city and having real interactions with people that tend to get neglected in life. I'm not just happier I feel fulfilled. I stopped hating so many parts of my life and began to appreciate the things that get taken for granted. Living in a van isn't for everyone;  but it's easy to improve your quality of life. Take a week and cut off your air conditioner. Stop putting ice in your drinks. Walk instead of driving. Have a conversation with the person asking you for money instead of just walking past them. Step out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid of being uncomfortable. Constantly challenging yourself will help you deal with stress better. Break your habits.

As I was writing this a woman sat next to me and started complaining about her life to her friend. She said she's been living like an animal and she's in "hell on earth". The reason she is so unhappy about her life is because she is renovating her house and putting on an addition. Must be tough.

I am a HERO

I'm going to start this blog off by giving a clear understanding of what kind of person I am. I am a hero. The type of hero most people can only wish to be. It started with a phone call from my mom that my Granny was sick and needed a donor. My family had feared for some time that my Granny might have cancer. Being a tough woman from a line of tough women, she often hid her pains from the family. I feared for the worst and hoped for the best. I could tell by the tone in her voice that she would ask me to donate something most people couldn't. In a split second I prepared myself to undergo whatever procedure necessary. Bone marrow, kidney, or even a lung transplant; I was willing to give up anything. What was asked of me was way worse than I could ever imagine. My mom told me that due to me being the healthiest in the family they needed me to donate my poop.

 My Granny had some kind of disease that killed off the bacteria in her intestines and so they were going to send mine in to take over. How do they get my poop in her? By sending it down her nose into her stomach. I was going to, in a round about way, take a dump in my Granny's face so she could eat my crap. I knew I'd never be able to look her in the eyes again. I went through the testing of having my blood and stool samples taken. Even having to freeze my poop in my aunts freezer before bringing it to the lab. Everything got checked out and I was on my way to saving my Granny. Then the FDA steps in and shuts down the procedure. I was saved an endless amount of embarrassment.

Not quite. My aunt finds out about a home remedy. This time the shame would be much more personal. Instead of going to a hospital with professionals who deal in shit every day, I'd be going to my great-aunts house to leave my sample. And the home remedy included an enema for my Granny made of a doodoo slurry. So there I am, squatting over a red solo cup trying not to shit on my great-aunts bathroom floor. I had the realization that maybe all my healthy life choices weren't the best idea. Who cares about living a healthy, long life when you have to bring yourself to such lows to help out your family. I finished my heroic act and left quickly. I will never attend a family reunion again.

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