"So, Where do you live?"
Pause.
One of my favorite questions to answer.
I don't actually live anywhere. Correction, at the moment I am living in Antigua, Guatemala, but later today I will be living at the Earth Lodge, an avocado farm on the side of a volcano. There's live music there tonight, and so there I go, to dance my way between the avocado trees and other intrepid travelers.
"So, if you don't live anywhere, where do you call Home?"
Hm, this one always comes across sounding very philosophical. My concept of Home has changed a lot being on the road. I have learned to make every place my home, like a turtle with it's shell. But Home is something more permanent, a place to reside, to return to, an address to send mail. Ah ha! I can answer that one- my mail is sent to my Mum's house in Annapolis! So you live in Annapolis? No, I haven't lived there for years. My last home was Denver Colorado. My belongings live in Denver Colorado, but don't try to send mail to my storage unit, it will never arrive!
"So, when do you go Back?"
Back? Why would I ever go Back?! You mean, retrogress? Isn't that contrary to the point of travel? No, I don't go back. Always Forwards. Never Backwards. Oh, you mean when will I return to the United States? Most likely for Burning Man )*( :o)
And so it goes, the conversation I have had (and will have) with almost every person who is tenacious enough to ask, and ballsy enough to listen. Eventually we round the corner to my work, the reason for my travels the past year. That answer has been curtailed to the following:
"I work for a non-profit organization that sends Uni students to travel and volunteer abroad, doing conservation and community development work in places like South Africa, Thailand, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. I travel to Universities to talk to students about these programs, starting in Portland, through Nor Cal, down to Santa Cruz, then across to Australia, NSW and Brisbane, then between contracts I traveled Indonesia and India, then began a new season in California, spent six weeks in Ontario, three weeks in North Carolina, a week in LA, a weekend in Vegas to end the season, a week in Colorado with friends, a few weeks with my Mum in Annapolis for Christmas, then took off to Central America, beginning with a month in Mexico. Now here I am in Guatemala, awaiting approval on my application to be project leader in the Dominican Republic this 2012 Summer Program. " (deep breath, wait for them to absorb)
I have this interaction so regularly that the remarkability gets lost in my voice, it begins to sound scripted, like my Public Relations person is telling it for me. "Joanna really wishes she could be here right now to answer this question, but she off twirling around in fields of dandelion singing mantras to baby birds. Let me bring you to date on her gallivants, she'll be back shortly!"
And it dawned on yesterday, when talking with one of my best friends, anchors, fellow gypsy at heart, that this is a remarkable journey, one worth sharing, especially to my loved ones who have been following along. To keep my head screwed on and to remind me why I continue to explore, why now, when I look at people, I see more their similarities to me than differences, my senses search to find the ordinary in the extraordinary just to avoid constant vertigo. I'll keep this blog to share this, a reminder to continue to be astonished by the love and the beauty that surrounds us all, regardless of where we "live" or call "home".
Lots of love and avocados,
Jo Jo the Frolicking Frijol
Pause.
One of my favorite questions to answer.
I don't actually live anywhere. Correction, at the moment I am living in Antigua, Guatemala, but later today I will be living at the Earth Lodge, an avocado farm on the side of a volcano. There's live music there tonight, and so there I go, to dance my way between the avocado trees and other intrepid travelers.
"So, if you don't live anywhere, where do you call Home?"
Hm, this one always comes across sounding very philosophical. My concept of Home has changed a lot being on the road. I have learned to make every place my home, like a turtle with it's shell. But Home is something more permanent, a place to reside, to return to, an address to send mail. Ah ha! I can answer that one- my mail is sent to my Mum's house in Annapolis! So you live in Annapolis? No, I haven't lived there for years. My last home was Denver Colorado. My belongings live in Denver Colorado, but don't try to send mail to my storage unit, it will never arrive!
"So, when do you go Back?"
Back? Why would I ever go Back?! You mean, retrogress? Isn't that contrary to the point of travel? No, I don't go back. Always Forwards. Never Backwards. Oh, you mean when will I return to the United States? Most likely for Burning Man )*( :o)
And so it goes, the conversation I have had (and will have) with almost every person who is tenacious enough to ask, and ballsy enough to listen. Eventually we round the corner to my work, the reason for my travels the past year. That answer has been curtailed to the following:
"I work for a non-profit organization that sends Uni students to travel and volunteer abroad, doing conservation and community development work in places like South Africa, Thailand, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. I travel to Universities to talk to students about these programs, starting in Portland, through Nor Cal, down to Santa Cruz, then across to Australia, NSW and Brisbane, then between contracts I traveled Indonesia and India, then began a new season in California, spent six weeks in Ontario, three weeks in North Carolina, a week in LA, a weekend in Vegas to end the season, a week in Colorado with friends, a few weeks with my Mum in Annapolis for Christmas, then took off to Central America, beginning with a month in Mexico. Now here I am in Guatemala, awaiting approval on my application to be project leader in the Dominican Republic this 2012 Summer Program. " (deep breath, wait for them to absorb)
I have this interaction so regularly that the remarkability gets lost in my voice, it begins to sound scripted, like my Public Relations person is telling it for me. "Joanna really wishes she could be here right now to answer this question, but she off twirling around in fields of dandelion singing mantras to baby birds. Let me bring you to date on her gallivants, she'll be back shortly!"
And it dawned on yesterday, when talking with one of my best friends, anchors, fellow gypsy at heart, that this is a remarkable journey, one worth sharing, especially to my loved ones who have been following along. To keep my head screwed on and to remind me why I continue to explore, why now, when I look at people, I see more their similarities to me than differences, my senses search to find the ordinary in the extraordinary just to avoid constant vertigo. I'll keep this blog to share this, a reminder to continue to be astonished by the love and the beauty that surrounds us all, regardless of where we "live" or call "home".
Lots of love and avocados,
Jo Jo the Frolicking Frijol
I love that I have made an appearance in your blog. You are such an awesome little rock star and I love you.
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