Raw Vagabonding : Petroglyphs & The Born Again Indian

We spent our final morning hours in Moab scrambling around the canyons looking for the Birthing Rock petroglyph. We stumbled upon the Moonflower Canyon petroglyphs as well. There's something really powerful about seeing the graffiti originators' sacred symbols etched on rock, communicating with visual art instead of words. A deep feeling of the past appears in the present and reverberates ancient truths that are relevant to what is at the core of all of us no matter the time or place. It's not something that photographs can communicate - you can only feel it by being in the sacred space.







As we drove towards Arizona, we were greeted by the grand structures in Monument Valley. It doesn't matter how many places I've been or how often I experience them - I am still always in awe of (and my soul feels such peace in the presence of) these natural wonders. There is something to be said about the marvelous feat of man that is my old stomping ground of NYC, but I don't think anything man has made can even come close to places like this. The very fact that is was not made by man is part of the magnificence.

In the middle of our drive, something in my gut told me I needed to stop at this one particular Native jewelry stand. I had no money to buy anything and no particular reason to stop there other than the fact that I knew I had to. Thankfully I was traveling with a wonderful creature who understands and respects the power of intuition so we were able to flow with the forces and meet the self-proclaimed Born Again Indian.

A little less than a decade ago, when I was studying photography in NYC, I took my first cross-country trip. It may not have been a long, sprawling adventure filled with spontaneity and exploration, but it was a wonderful introduction to the immense beauty of the changing landscape from one end of North America to the other. It also fed my lifelong road trip addiction. I will never forget the power the land held over me, the Southwest especially. When we reached New Mexico, I could feel the souls of all those who had come before me and was enraptured.

I felt a calling to come back to these lands and spend an extended amount of time living there and photographing the Native culture and that feeling never left me. Over the years, I wondered how (and when) I would find the opportunity to spend time there doing something good in the community and build a relationship of trust and respect that would allow me to remove any barriers that might keep me on the outside. Now on my third cross-country jaunt, those seeds that were planted back then began to sprout...

We walked into the Navajo Nation Shop and just began talking to the owner about life and how things came to be the way they are. Most reservations I'd been on at this point were full of fast food chains, casinos and seemed so far disconnected from the beliefs of the Native peoples that have drawn me to the culture and earth-based spiritual beliefs many times throughout my life. I needed to understand more about this disconnect.

Alfred told us about all the issues with reclaiming the land. The Native people who lived here long before any of us don't ever get to own any of the land. Because the government holds it in trust, they are not allowed to develop it however they want which leads to a lot of economic hardship. There is a Native American government of sorts, but it's essentially a puppet government of comprised of figureheads and because it's so difficult to get anything done, they are often referred to as 'The Longest Red Tape' by the people who try to make positive changes.

We also learned a lot about his plans for the art & culture center at Monument Valley that was in the middle of construction. They are trying to change tourism in the area into a more authentic experience, where people can learn more about the ancient ways and get to experience more than just shopping. Local artisans would be shifting from their roadside stands to an actual arts center where everyone could connect and build community.

As the conversation shifted to spirituality & Catholicism, we talked about 'In the Absence of the Sacred' and 'God is Red' for awhile. Alfred told us that he was a "Born Again Indian" because he realized that for so long, he was pushed to not like what he is and now he is seeing the truth.

I noticed a bluish ring around his eyes, similar to what you see in older diabetics so I asked him if he had diabetes. He said that his eyes had just always been like that, but the conversation shifted to talking about health & food so I told him about my intentions for this trip.

We talked about Hopi dry farming for a bit and then he told me about a man in town who I should connect with who shared my interests. He set up free organic meals at the community center in town every Tuesday at 5pm and was trying to create a sustainable food program in the area using dry farming & hydroponic gardens. He wasn't sure if the hydroponic gardens were a good idea or not, I think because it's not fully in harmony with nature.

Here the idea began to come together in my mind of doing some service work in the Native lands to help educate the people and bring back the Native diet. Diabetes, obesity, heart problems, alcoholism and domestic abuse are huge issues on every reservation I've been to so far and while I know it will take more than just food to remedy these issues, I can't help but think that helping the people empower themselves by returning to a healthier natural diet will help them start to regain their sense of self and clear their minds to live differently. I'm not sure what this will lead to, but something is definitely taking shape.

I got Alfred's contact information so I could keep in contact with him and help manifest this project, whatever it turns out to be. I also want to be able to spread the word about the art center he is creating, as the arts have been such a big part of my life.

The days make no sense anymore and don't matter. I am living pure bliss in every moment and love the freedom of living on my own time and how that allows everything to take shape right before my eyes.

Raw Vagabonding : More Adventures in Moab & My Favorite Playground

In addition to the Love Muffin Cafe, there are a few other places in town anyone seeking healthy eats should know about.

One of them is The Good Place, a delicious juice bar & yoga studio that also offers massage & meditation. They custom made me my favorite green juices every morning, and also had a whole list of their own juice creations, smoothies, and several other raw items, as well as some healthy cooked eats. The owners and their baby are 3 of the happiest, glowing people I have ever seen. They were also extremely friendly and welcoming, and let us use their wifi for ages.

My favorite place in town was Moonflower Market, and it wasn't because of the food. Yes, they had a nice small selection of fresh, beautiful organic produce and other goods, and an amazing wall full of herbs to be purchased in as small or as large quantities as one's heart desires. Yes, they held educational events on food, nutrition, & healing, they petitioned to get the natural spring opened back up to the public, and they had an amazing selection of books (I kept eyeing Plant Spirit Medicine each time I walked in and finally caved and bought it on the last day!) but that wasn't why I loved it so much. The real treasure of Moonflower was hidden around a back corner of the store where it seems most people never even bother to venture. Lucky for me, I have always been overly curious (it's the gypsy explorer in me) and discovered the Moonflower Lending Library...rows and rows of books on health, nutrition, healing, food, fitness, gardening, permaculture, alternative building, environmental issues...some of them so old and rare, I bet they were out of print. Our time in Moab was chock full of activities so I didn't get to spend much time here, but it definitely added more fuel to my daydreams of coming back to live in the area for a few seasons and play in nature.

Another wonderful thing about Moab is the Youth Garden Project. I highly recommend volunteering some time there if you ever have the chance. They offer volunteer opportunities in teaching, garden maintenance, construction, and special events, and for each hour you volunteer, they give you $5 of fresh produce. The Youth Garden Project started in Sarah Heffron's backyard as a program offered to the Juvenile Court for youth to work off court-ordered community service hours. After an AmeriCorps Grant, the garden began to expand and offer more programs and apprenticeships, eventually moving to two acres of land next to Grand County High School so they could better serve the community. They offer sustainable agriculture workshops and even have a community kitchen where they teach kids how to cook nutritious & delicious meals. The YGP also organizes the Moab Farmers Market, which wasn't in season when we were there, but would be a great place to pick up organic goodies if you find yourself there in the summer.

I could seriously spend a few seasons in Moab and still never get to explore everywhere I want. We only had a few days and lots to see, so in addition to Negro Bill Canyon, we went on a gorgeous hike out to Corona Arch and then spent an entire day hiking around Arches National Park. This was by far one of my favorite playgrounds so far! We went on a few amazing hikes, and then went to watch the sunset over the rainbow-colored mineral-rich earth. It was divine. These pictures don't do it justice because they were taken with my old spy pocketcam, but when this journey is over, I'll develop all my film and post those photographs up on my Flickr page.

Raw Vagabonding: Energy in Escalante

Water is becoming a recurring (and dominant) theme on this trip. After loading up all our containers with fresh spring water naturally filtered through 2000 feet of Navajo Sandstone in Zion, we headed to Moab, Utah. Driving through The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument landscape, we had an opportunity to see some of the most breathtaking landscape in the country. One the way, we stopped in Escalante at Georgie's Corner Cafe for lunch because the creative eccentric touches (A waterwheel and pink flamingos? Yes, please!) on the outside seemed to tell us we'd encounter some colorful humanity.




I love places that have a sort of homey feel to them, where the essence of the owners is colorfully expressed everywhere. Georgie didn't disappoint. Everything in her place is freshly made to order and well worth the wait. She's got a fair amount of veggie options and a few salads, as well as some of the best iced tea I've ever had. She was even able to direct us to Keven Peterson, the maker of the waterwheel we were so entranced by. He came by and she persuaded him to show us his studio, so off we went.

Keven is a perfect example of how form & function can work together. Keven has a background in chemical engineering. When he was in his early 20s, his primary intention was to generate power by running a generator off the hub of the wheel, not to make art. He worked with copper because of its diamagnetic properties and begun creating hydrowheels. In time, he started thinking about the aesthetic issues, and his work evolved into the beautiful works of art you can see below. Half a dozen of the big hydrowheels (see top photo against side of wall) could use the torque of the water from the Escalante River to generate enough power to run the whole town, with the exception of the sawmill. I envision the hydrowheels being placed at intervals along the river someday, and transforming the waterfront area into an energetic sculpture garden that would not only generate power, but also provide a beautiful place for people to gather. I look forward to the day when my intentional community has moved past the early stages and we can afford to work on a healing garden and incorporate some of Keven's work in it. We plan to be full of the grid, so having an extra power source would be a plus and I bet he could figure out a way to create some genius device that incorporates irrigation somehow. I'd love to see his work in retreat centers and gardens across the globe. The sound of them is entrancing.

As the conversation moved towards art and sound, Keven told us his dream installation would combine the flexibility of buffalo bones, old-time cylinder records (the kind with nicks in them that rotate), and a wall of drums run by a hydrowheel. Once the drums were initially set to motion, they would automatically make music powered by the force of water. Keven makes beautiful handmade Native American drums too. After hearing about our encounters in Escalante, our friend Cameron decided to pass through and meet with Keven so he could learn how to make one. This is one of my favorite things about meeting people when you travel - the exchange of information creates immediate connections amongst people and strengthens the bonds of humanity. Here'a a few images of some work in progress pieces at Keven's studio on West Main Street in Escalante...

Raw Vagabonding : More Vegas Connections & The Renewing of Energy

These last few days have been mostly about connections - reconnecting with my cousin after 25 years, connecting with my sanity regarding the sublettor situation, connecting with my friend in Vegas who will join me on this trip for a bit, connecting with a super generous host who allowed me to use his extra laptop to catch up on blogging to connect you all you, and connecting with people at a few raw food meetups. I covered the first few in my previous Vegas posts, but would like to spend some time on the last two.

Michael Nelson, my CS host in Vegas, is an entrepreneur who owns numerous companies, including several with a philanthropic twist. The Nelson Foundation is an organization that focuses on promoting contributions to five specific areas: environment, education, social development, child welfare and animal welfare. It serves as a sort of charter organization that supports several other organizations, all of which are listed on their site. But it doesn't stop there - there's also CleanH2O, which is dedicated to bringing clean water to under-developed regions throughout the world; Feed Others, which believes the problem of world hunger (particularly chronic & persistent hunger) can be solved in our lifetime; and Humancha, a social website that supports charity fundraising petitions and ideas by building human chains and tribes of like-minded folks. Michael was kind enough to let me stay in one of the spare rooms in his loft for several days. He liked my Raw Autumn Granola so much he gave me $100 and told me to buy as many ingredients as that would cover so he could have a stockpile of it after I was gone. It felt nice to spend a morning making some delicious food, and it helped me reconnect with my need to be in the kitchen nourishing people through my creations. Michael was extremely generous with his space, offered me way more than I needed, and let me use his Macbook the entire time I was there so I could keep up on blog posts, event organizing and even e-file my taxes from the road. He was a huge help, and I am extremely grateful for having found such a generous host.

And on to the meetups, both of which were full of great energy and connections...
There weren't a lot of people at our raw potluck brunch but I kind of like that sometimes. It gave everyone a chance to have a group conversation where everyone could join in instead of multiple side conversations, making for a nice intimate afternoon. We ended up lingering for a few hours after the event was supposed to end because the conversation was so intense and spirited. The event took place in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, amongst the jagged red peaks and a desert spring.

Dennis Raatz was one of the people to attend. He is writing a book that's mainly about form, space & "the unseen" and will cover topics such as living in harmony with the earth, how we use energy, living machines, and our need to stop playing with fire to produce things and seek out alternatives. He hopes to teach people to step into their power to live in accordance with their will and life force & is stiving to create a culture without fire and find more sustainable ways to manufacture things. Dennis was a raw foodist back in the 70s when he was a truck driver, and used the diet to maintain his energy and alertness while driving long distances. He eventually stopped eating raw for a few decades, and ironically enough, was working for some time as a pasteurizer, where he acquired a lot of knowledge about killing and destroying life force in food. He rediscovered raw several years ago and has experienced many benefits since, and it seems to have helped strengthen his desire to live in harmony with the land and deepen his involvement in renewable energy. He was kind enough to share his wealth of knowledge with us.


He also blessed us with the most delicious Thai Nori Snacks and shared the recipe with me:


Thai Nori Snacks (from Chad Sarno’s book “Vital Creations”)

2c sunflower seeds soaked 10-12 hrs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp raisins soaked 2-4 hrs or 3 dates pitted
1 ½ Tbsp ginger chopped
1 Tbsp garlic
T lemon grass chopped (opt.)
T curry powder
T Celtic salt
½ t cayenne (opt.)
10 sheets raw nori

In a food processor, blend all ingredients, except the nori sheets, until smooth. Continue by laying out a sheet of nori, spreading an even ¼ inch layer of pate to the edges. Sandwich with another nori sheet, slice 6x6 and put on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 105 for 10-12 hrs. Will keep for several months in sealed container.

Then there was Robert Westhoff, who brought enough food to feed an army. ;) It was all amazing...cucumber salad, a delicious soup, and the corn salad pictured at the beginning of this post.




Robert is an accountant who previously worked for a chemical company. In addition to his delicious food, he also shared some wonderful stories. One was about his doctor friend who was studying disease instead of health. He was good at his craft, but knew nothing about health and the conversation reminded me of this great Macrus Buckingham quote about how studying depression tells you nothing about joy. It was also great for me to hear about methods for shading homegrown veggies in the hot Nevada desert, because living in Northern California, it's not a challenge I have had to face, and I'm trying to learn about growing conditions in different climates.

We all had such a great time talking about a multitude of topics outside raw foods, and had a nice lively debate about energy and how fast the world was changing, that we decided to meet at the same place in 10 years to see if any of our predictions would come true. I know I'll be curious to see if I have a lightning farm to harvest natural glass to make my own bowls, plates and cups by then. So if anyone wants to join us in 2019, we'll be meeting at the picnic area in Red Rock Canyon on Saturday, February 23rd at 1pm. I'm looking forward to it. :)

The following night, we went to a potluck at Dixie & Ted Story's place in Vegas. Dixie and Ted are two of the sweetest people I have ever met. Dixie has been a home birth midwife for almost 30 years, and has helped bring over 500 babies into the world. She's worked with various forms of healing, and has almost a decade of experience with raw foods. Even though she and Ted have been on this journey for awhile, they've just begun facing some of the deeper-rooted emotional issues that can become tightly linked to eating, and it was great hearing them discuss their personal journeys of growth and discovery so openly. I think the ultimate goal of all of us is to have a healthy relationship with food, which can change for everyone throughout their lives. While 100% raw can feel great for some, it's not for everyone all the time, and I think being too strict and dogmatic about any one thing can be even more unhealthy than eating the occasional cooked meal. Even within raw, what one eats changes so often as your body shifts and progresses. For me, I'm currently at a place where I make fruit smoothies in the morning, and eat mostly greens throughout the rest of the day in juice, smoothie & salad form. I still eat the occasional nut-based raw restaurant dish, but it's nothing like how I ate when first transitioning. As your diet evolves, so does your body, and listening to it is the best thing you can do to achieve optimum wellness.

I also got the chance to spend some time talking to Poly Arcos, owner of Arcos Design, about art, sustainability, the challenge of obtaining healthy food in Vegas, thyroid issues, and having a relationship with someone who doesn't share the same dietary beliefs. It was great hearing her good humoured accounts of her boyfriend and how they support each other even though they think what the other is into is kind of crazy. They are able to accept it and be supportive and agree to disagree. I personally find healthy eating sexier, and find myself turned off by guys who eat tons of meat & junk, but am glad to see other people make it work and have a healthy relationship despite their differences. It makes me think maybe the dating pool hasn't shrunk as small as I'd thought.

A few other highlights were the amazing raw garlic bread Steve Pavlina made from Juliano's recipe, the positive Czech enthusiasm of George, the kind offer of Ashleigh to connect me with some folks in Oklahoma, a delightful Aussie, and the abundance of dishes Darlene brought after the photoshoot for her latest book. We feasted on Spicy Sweet Peppers, Mexican Pilaf, Au Lac Salad, Zucchini Pesto, Banana Cream Pie and a ton of salads, dips, crackers and good vibes. Thank you everyone, for sharing your creations and filling my evening with love.

Raw Vagabonding : Vegas, Baby! It's All About Connections

I woke up to some crazy sublettor apartment drama. TOTALLY my fault for going against my gut and subletting to this girl in the first place, because she is super high maintenance and somewhat of an opportunist. My landlord, though not thrilled at me subletting without his permission, is being unbelievably cool with the situation and being nice to me. What was I thinking by letting someone live in my apartment who had asked me what would happen if she died in there and they found her body and thought it was me? That set off a giant red flag, which I ignored. Why did I go against my instincts? Well, perhaps I needed to be reminded to always listen to them, so I don't end up in situations with people like this who take their own personal trust issues out on me. I am not a victim - this is a place I put myself into, and now it's up to me to get myself out of it and make the best of everything that comes my way and embrace the challenges life presents us, or the nudges to remember all the answers are within. In that moment that I told her she could move in, I chose fear instead of love. I think I convinced myself that because she was the one who wanted the place and could give me a deposit, I should trust she was the one who was meant to be in there. Somehow I let that override the 20 other red flags and her overall behaviour. What I should have been trusting was that maybe, just maybe, the fact that none of the sane sublettors worked out and she was my last chance meant that I should just give up my apartment all together. I mean really, what was I holding onto? I love my neighborhood, and my place was cheap for Hayes Valley. Maybe I thought I might not find another deal like that, which was ridiculous considering that apartment fell into my lap just when I needed it most. I walked in, knew it was meant to be mine right away, and then it was mine. It was that simple. Had I learned nothing? :) Also, I had been having lots of feelings (as well as numerous conversations with people) that while living alone had been really wonderful when I had a stressful office job and needed to come home to a sanctuary to devote time to healing and things, that time has passed and I needed something new. Now that I was self-employed and trying to make a living by blogging, writing a recipe book, consulting and preparing raw food for people, I spent a lot of time at home in front of the computer or in the kitchen concocting. I truly love playing in the kitchen, but being the social creature that I am, all this time alone was making me feel the need to live with people again. Add to this my growing desire to live in an intentional community, and I realize holding onto my apartment was me just grasping at the last threads of my old lifestyle. So I am going to find a way out, and feel free so I can embrace every moment of the changes in my life.

But before I got back to that trusting, abundant mindset, I went to Red Rock Canyon with my friend Evelyn, who is going to be joining me on part of this trip. We had originally met via Twitter, but shared so many ideas, so we met in person shortly after when she was visiting the Bay Area. She had no idea I was going on this journey, and made mention of her need to just travel with no end date and feel free. I was thinking of inviting her to join me, and then she told me about how she wanted to do something to battle the scarcity mindset and get on the road and promote hospitality with a roving tea salon that would connect human beings in this time of perceived scarcity. We were totally in synch with our goals and intentions, and the slight difference in means would allow us to diversify the trip and allow it to grow, so I got this big grin on my face and said she should think about joining me. Then the next night, I (not-so) randomly ran into her at a GI2MR Raw Food Meetup with Steve Pavlina, whose blog has been really helpful in me acting in alignment with my soul purpose, and she said she had decided to come with me. Later we discovered that my original cross country trip had morphed into it's community building grandeur on January 10th at the Abundance Workshop, about the same time she had posted her wish list for her Hospitality Tour, looking for money for a car, and I was thinking my trip would be much more fun with a like-minded companion. The universe always delivers exactly what you really need, exactly when you need it. :)

So to release some of my sublettor stresses, we went for a hike and talked and plotted and planned and rejoiced, and by the end of 6 miles or so of beauty and kinship, I was totally feeling back to normal. Here's some of the beauty that helped me feel balanced again, though once again, my camera is old and rather shoddy...Oh, and to get an idea of scale, if you look at the first photo, on the bottom right in the grass, that little white speck is someone in a white t-shirt. Everything was so massive, and so gorgeous. Nature is so vital to me feeling balanced, and my soul is soaring again.