About

 

Greetings.

On February 3rd, 2007, I embarked on a journey around the world. I have been to the Big Island of Hawaii, the North and South islands of New Zealand and Tui Community, Crystal Waters north of Brisbane Australia, and the Findhorn Foundation in northern Scotland near Forres. Each destination has been a unique experience and I have gained something different from each of them.

In Hawaii I found that I could create the situation I wanted for myself to grow by being very clear in my heart about what I wanted to learn. In New Zealand I learned that community is an excellent place to get immediate feedback about my behavior and how it effects others so that I can make necessary adaptations. In Australia I remembered that I am but a part of all of nature and that living apart from it takes me out of harmony with it. I uncovered my natural desire to be one with my environment. In Scotland I learned that 15 people spending a week together under the right circumstances can become friends for life.

These lessons have been amazing gifts!!! I can only imagine what the next ones might be.

On June 10th I head off to a Mayan community south of Guatemala City, San Juan de Comalapa (longwayhomeinc.org).

On July 7th I go to the Caribiean Island of the Republic of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic).

As I review my original goals for this journey:

• I envision being able to free myself from the cultural conditioning of the US that limits my ideas about what I can and cannot do with my life.
• I envision giving people of these cultures a three dimensional experience of a citizen of the United States that believes in equanimity and peace.
• I hope to learn about a diversity of approaches to social and practical applications to sustainability and to share these approaches with others.

I am pleased. I have found that there is another reality from the work-a-day-plan-for-retirement-prove-your-worth reality that I have been socialized to believe. I know that no matter what I do, I am a being worthy of love and beauty. Any effort to prove this to myself or others is a mistaken use of energy. (Hopefully in sharing this I am not triing to demonstrate my worth but to share my reality.) I know that happiness is really the meaning of life and I am not going to find it outside of myself… but only by embracing the fact that it already exists within me.

I have seen that the U.S. has a profound and pervasive influence throughout the world. It is a powerful nation. Right now it’s influence is primarily destructive, but with love and nurturing, the U.S. can be swung to become a positive force on this planet.

I have found that, for me, the only way to create sustainability with personal integrity is to reduce my impact on the earth through; making my own food, using my purchase power to by local and organic food, buy products that are made with a conscious effort that when they are no longer being used they feed the earth rather than pollute it. I will endeavor to; reduce my use of cars, flights, environmental control technologies and love myself and others when I don’t do it as well as I would like.

I envision deepening my relationship with my environment and living more harmouniously with my ecology as I continue on my journey.

I wake each morning and rest each evening with a heart full of love and gratitude for what lessons I bring myself each day.  Hope all of your days are filled with the same.

Peace, Joanna