Notes of a Restless Wanderer- "2001"
posted by Kyle Hammons @ 4:33 PM
I've been sharing with my friends and family selected entries from the journals I've filled over the years. It seems people enjoy reading them and I'd like to share them with readers here.
April 3, 2001 (from Amarillo, TX):
I've yet to find a location that can harness the incredible energy that I feel inside. I don't like to slow down. I'm ready to act and react. I feel the music moving inside of me. It's as if the wind is grabbing my feet and forcing them to move at an incredible pace. My feet just go, legs never tire. My lungs struggle to keep up and strangely enough, they seem to succeed. My body works like a machine, as if it's been programmed by years of endurance. It knows no limitations, for such boundaries do not exist in a world of endless opportunity. It's not that people like me don't want to slow down this tiring pace. It' just that sometimes if you want to reach out and grab everything the world has to offer, you have to keep up with the wind.
Nov 23, 2001 (From Hilo, Hawaii):
The first few days of this trip were absolute bliss, a fairy tale as I like to say... I was blown away- completely overwhelmed- my mind opened to incredible new sensations- my senses completely alert- my mind spun with new thoughts, ideas, realizations, questions- my emotions so calm and pleasant- my demeanor so posed and astute- my every muscle yearning to work and explore- my spiritual being enlightened and aware for the first time in how long?
I'm proud of myself. I've never traveled like this before. In three years of this, I have never had to rely on hitchhiking for my means of transportation or camping as my only option for sleep. I've never stayed at a hostel, but here I am smack down in the middle of one in Hilo and a beautiful one at that! The diversity that this trip has allowed me to experience- the amount of well-cultured, intelligent people that I've met- to learn the ways of people from England, Germany, Ireland, Arabia and so forth after being sheltered for so long from the rest of the world. Knowing now the condition of our/my country's culture and the degree to which we are sheltered, mininformed and uneducated as to the ways and occurrences in other areas of the world. People in Europe watch (and understand the language for that matter) other countries news on their televisions. We in America are not ever informed, except on the back pages of the newspaper in one paragraph columns, of the news outside of our own. How selfish. Ignorant. Sad. Why not toss out the fucking "Life" section one week and educate the American people on the rest of the world instead. Just one day out of the week, kick the movie times to the curb and tell the people about news in Asia or Africa that is of importance to world relations. Cause we don't care. I need to care.
Nov 26, 2001 (From Honokaa, Hawaii):
This trip has taught me so much already. I learn so much from the people I meet and the situations I keep falling into. I'm finding traveling to be an education, and not just recreation. The places speak to me in so many ways. With all the natural beauty I encounter, the people I meet and the things I get to experience- I learn something new. I am finding out so much about other cultures and the differences that makes us all so special. I am finding the worth in the ways of other countries and the beauty which their people, cultures and religion holds.
I really am lucky. The past two weeks have been absolutely amazing. From the moment I stepped off the plane everything has just fallen into place. The key words of this trip may be divine intervention. I truly have been blessed by this place and its people. Never have I seen things happen so randomly- forcing me to recognize that each step is being created by something far more powerful than myself. It's as if I'm being looked after at all times. With each ride I catch, I look forward to a new experience, but most of all I anticipate the learning. I have been blessed with immeasurable experiences. The past two weeks I have gained insight into the people and cultures of many different nations. I have learned about ecology, forestry, agriculture, farming, astronomy, culinary arts, botany and stone masonry. I have learned about religion, architecture, history, sociology, linguistics, international customs, travel, work, school and weather. I've met people from Germany, England, Japan, Arabia, Africa, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and countless islands of which I've never heard. I've learned to interact with people of all nationalities and religions, and strange mental problems too. I've heard stories that would fill books for generations to come. I've eaten the most exotic foods I've ever seen. My mind has been opened to so many new things, so many wonderful opportunities. My soul has been touched in every way possible. I open my eyes and listen and everything peaks to me. The people I meet open up to me in such wonderful ways and I sense the satisfaction they experience in my presence. In just being open to the world, I find I am able to relate to people from every walk of life. They trust me and open their lives to share with me. I feel as if they're taking care of me, and then I realize it's because I am bringing a blessing to their lives with my enthusiasm and sincerity. I feel like a bright shining star out here. But just a small twinkle in that great big sky.
Nov 30, 2001 (From Waimanu Valley, Hawaii):
To realize that in this hurried, crowded world, one person can still find the peacefulness and serenity of seclusion in the presence of Mother Nature's greatness, and that for the moment, that one person is the ruler, the single controller of his/her destiny; that no other person may ever limit me, harm me, or make me into something which I do not want; only the vastness, the great ruling power of nature may ever control us or put limitations on us, for it is this Earth which is truly in control. And together we may all understand that though we as a young, naïve people must entertain numerous religions in order to give explanation to our doubts and questions, in the end it is truly this thing we have dubbed nature, Earth, space. It is our gift. It is our mother. And only through living in tune with the cycles which does us in. The depletion of the ozone layer and global warming, the pollution of our lands and waters, the depletion of our natural resources… these things are choices. Ignorant, ridiculous decisions made by the guests of this Earth. It is not the animals that cause this natural destruction, but us. I have seen substantial evidence on this trip of ways in which we could live in harmony with the Earth's cycles. Small, simple changes and choices that we could all make in order to prolong the existence of mankind on this Earth. But something tells me that in the end, the animals will be saying a great big goodbye to mankind. I guess it sucks that everybody won't have the opportunity to sit on the shores of Waimanu Valley and look out on the ocean, feel the wind in their face, only the sound of the waves to be heard, and to be completely alone with Mother Nature.
April 3, 2001 (from Amarillo, TX):
I've yet to find a location that can harness the incredible energy that I feel inside. I don't like to slow down. I'm ready to act and react. I feel the music moving inside of me. It's as if the wind is grabbing my feet and forcing them to move at an incredible pace. My feet just go, legs never tire. My lungs struggle to keep up and strangely enough, they seem to succeed. My body works like a machine, as if it's been programmed by years of endurance. It knows no limitations, for such boundaries do not exist in a world of endless opportunity. It's not that people like me don't want to slow down this tiring pace. It' just that sometimes if you want to reach out and grab everything the world has to offer, you have to keep up with the wind.
Nov 23, 2001 (From Hilo, Hawaii):
The first few days of this trip were absolute bliss, a fairy tale as I like to say... I was blown away- completely overwhelmed- my mind opened to incredible new sensations- my senses completely alert- my mind spun with new thoughts, ideas, realizations, questions- my emotions so calm and pleasant- my demeanor so posed and astute- my every muscle yearning to work and explore- my spiritual being enlightened and aware for the first time in how long?
I'm proud of myself. I've never traveled like this before. In three years of this, I have never had to rely on hitchhiking for my means of transportation or camping as my only option for sleep. I've never stayed at a hostel, but here I am smack down in the middle of one in Hilo and a beautiful one at that! The diversity that this trip has allowed me to experience- the amount of well-cultured, intelligent people that I've met- to learn the ways of people from England, Germany, Ireland, Arabia and so forth after being sheltered for so long from the rest of the world. Knowing now the condition of our/my country's culture and the degree to which we are sheltered, mininformed and uneducated as to the ways and occurrences in other areas of the world. People in Europe watch (and understand the language for that matter) other countries news on their televisions. We in America are not ever informed, except on the back pages of the newspaper in one paragraph columns, of the news outside of our own. How selfish. Ignorant. Sad. Why not toss out the fucking "Life" section one week and educate the American people on the rest of the world instead. Just one day out of the week, kick the movie times to the curb and tell the people about news in Asia or Africa that is of importance to world relations. Cause we don't care. I need to care.
Nov 26, 2001 (From Honokaa, Hawaii):
This trip has taught me so much already. I learn so much from the people I meet and the situations I keep falling into. I'm finding traveling to be an education, and not just recreation. The places speak to me in so many ways. With all the natural beauty I encounter, the people I meet and the things I get to experience- I learn something new. I am finding out so much about other cultures and the differences that makes us all so special. I am finding the worth in the ways of other countries and the beauty which their people, cultures and religion holds.
I really am lucky. The past two weeks have been absolutely amazing. From the moment I stepped off the plane everything has just fallen into place. The key words of this trip may be divine intervention. I truly have been blessed by this place and its people. Never have I seen things happen so randomly- forcing me to recognize that each step is being created by something far more powerful than myself. It's as if I'm being looked after at all times. With each ride I catch, I look forward to a new experience, but most of all I anticipate the learning. I have been blessed with immeasurable experiences. The past two weeks I have gained insight into the people and cultures of many different nations. I have learned about ecology, forestry, agriculture, farming, astronomy, culinary arts, botany and stone masonry. I have learned about religion, architecture, history, sociology, linguistics, international customs, travel, work, school and weather. I've met people from Germany, England, Japan, Arabia, Africa, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and countless islands of which I've never heard. I've learned to interact with people of all nationalities and religions, and strange mental problems too. I've heard stories that would fill books for generations to come. I've eaten the most exotic foods I've ever seen. My mind has been opened to so many new things, so many wonderful opportunities. My soul has been touched in every way possible. I open my eyes and listen and everything peaks to me. The people I meet open up to me in such wonderful ways and I sense the satisfaction they experience in my presence. In just being open to the world, I find I am able to relate to people from every walk of life. They trust me and open their lives to share with me. I feel as if they're taking care of me, and then I realize it's because I am bringing a blessing to their lives with my enthusiasm and sincerity. I feel like a bright shining star out here. But just a small twinkle in that great big sky.
Nov 30, 2001 (From Waimanu Valley, Hawaii):
To realize that in this hurried, crowded world, one person can still find the peacefulness and serenity of seclusion in the presence of Mother Nature's greatness, and that for the moment, that one person is the ruler, the single controller of his/her destiny; that no other person may ever limit me, harm me, or make me into something which I do not want; only the vastness, the great ruling power of nature may ever control us or put limitations on us, for it is this Earth which is truly in control. And together we may all understand that though we as a young, naïve people must entertain numerous religions in order to give explanation to our doubts and questions, in the end it is truly this thing we have dubbed nature, Earth, space. It is our gift. It is our mother. And only through living in tune with the cycles which does us in. The depletion of the ozone layer and global warming, the pollution of our lands and waters, the depletion of our natural resources… these things are choices. Ignorant, ridiculous decisions made by the guests of this Earth. It is not the animals that cause this natural destruction, but us. I have seen substantial evidence on this trip of ways in which we could live in harmony with the Earth's cycles. Small, simple changes and choices that we could all make in order to prolong the existence of mankind on this Earth. But something tells me that in the end, the animals will be saying a great big goodbye to mankind. I guess it sucks that everybody won't have the opportunity to sit on the shores of Waimanu Valley and look out on the ocean, feel the wind in their face, only the sound of the waves to be heard, and to be completely alone with Mother Nature.
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