On Children (by Kahlil Gibran)

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Sus hijos (por Kahlil Gibran)

Sus hijos no son suyos.
Son los hijos del anhelo de la Vida de sí misma.
Vienen por Uds. pero no de Uds.,
Y aunque están con Uds., Uds. no los poseen a ellos.
Pueden darles su amor pero no sus pensamientos.
Porque ellos tienen sus propios pensamientos.
Uds. pueden alojar sus cuerpos pero no sus almas.
Porque sus almas viven en la casa del día que viene, la cual Uds. no pueden visitar, ni siquiera en los sueños.
Uds. pueden esforzarse por ser como ellos, pero no se esfuercen para que ellos sean como Uds.
Porque la vida no va atrás ni se demora con el ayer.
Uds. son los arcos de los cuales sus hijos como flechas vivas son enviados.
El arquero ve el blanco en el paso del infinito, y Él los dobla a Uds. con Su fuerza para que Sus flechas vayan rápidamente y lejos.
Que su torción en la mano del arquero sea por alegría;
Porque mientras Él ama a la flecha que vuela, también ama el arco que es estable.

Os filhos (por Khalil Gibran)

Teus filhos não são teus filhos
São os filhos e as filhas da ânsia da vida por si mesma.
Vêm através de ti, mas não de ti.
E embora vivam contigo, não te pertencem.
Podes dar teu amor, mas não teus pensamentos.
Porque eles têm seus próprios pensamentos.
Podes abrigar seus corpos, mas não suas almas;
Pois suas almas moram na mansão do amanhã, que não podes visitar nem mesmo em sonho
Podes tentar ser como eles, mas não tente fazê-los como és,
Porque a vida não anda para trás e não se demora com os dias passados.

Tu és o arco do qual teus filhos são arremessados como flechas vivas.
O Arqueiro mira o alvo na senda do infinito e estica com toda a sua força
Para que suas flechas se projetem rápido e para longe
Que teu encurvamento na mão do Arqueiro seja tua alegria;
Pois assim como Ele ama a flecha que voa, ama também o arco que permanece estável.

So I’ve never been to Thailand before. I know! Incredible isn’t it! It seems like the most obvious place in the world to visit. The problem with Thailand is I’ve wanted to go for decades but I’ve had this sneaking suspicion that if I went there, even to visit, I wouldn’t want to leave. Ever. Which would put a damper on the whole travel thing quite a bit. I think its a bit like being afraid to meet the person of your dreams too early, because then you might want to settle down and produce their spawn. So… I’m still resisting a little bit, but I feel that there are so many signs now, and so much of my past is releasing, or Im releasing so much from my past that I could do this soon.

Imagine… an Isle Land in Thai Land! Eating Thai food every day. REAL Thai food. Living on a beach in the secluded gulf protected from earthquakes and tsunamis and general 1st world nonsense, surrounded by nature and creativity. Mmmmmm I can so imagine it, its like I’m already there… No no I must focus! There are other things to do first. I have to earn money and connect to the internet to do that so that I can go back to Port Land for a bit. And also think about it a little more… plan a bit better. Give myself time to change my mind. Wouldnt it be amazing to live on the beach there? Or a boat? Fro would do her NUT in Thailand!!! Uhh… whenever I start thinking about this idea I get lost for days and days and its hard to get back on track and focus on real life. But I must. So… to be continued I say.

In my experience developing countries are the most interesting of all and are guaranteed to fill you with culture shock and awe, but nothing is reliable in that environment especially not technology. However I even managed to get online while living in the jungle on the side of a volcano during the rainy season via solar power and horribly unreliable satellite. My laptop got fried by the dodgy electrics out there and major humidity from the lack of having a space to live and work in that had actual walls (I lived out of a hammock).

Usually the moment I set foot on new land I start asking around where the internet cafe’s are, which hostels have wifi, if I’m in an area without internet, how I can get my hands on a usb stick. The connection does go up and down in these sorts of countries (along with the electricity) so you need to allow a day or two padding for projects and go off to have a swim instead. Those are the drawbacks, but what makes it really worth it is its relatively easy to earn more online than you will spend to live and travel in these countries. Also, depending on your standard of living (mine is very low) you can even get away with working one or two days a week (if that, I work a couple of hours about twice a week when I’m in a developing country).

I work while I travel, both work and perpetual travel are ongoing for years now, and I highly recommend this way of doing it. You could also work inbetween travel to save up in advance but that requires more financial planning and less spontaneity. I really couldnt be worse at financial planning since its so boring and tends to make me less spontaneous and a bit panicky about moving on if I havent reached my goal amount. I love to have an idea of where I’d like to travel in the next month but since I work on the fly as I need the cash, I have the luxury of changing my mind and going somewhere else at the last minute which has happened a few times.

Btw, I invoice clients through PayPal and Google Checkout, then transfer the money into my VISA or Mastercards (I always have a stash that I keep in separate places and countries in case one gets lost or stolen) and just draw the cash from ATMs (when they are available in the area… sometimes you will need to travel far) which works out so conveniently and better than travellers cheques or carrying all my cash for the entire trip around with me.

If youre a full-time traveller or want to be and are looking for ideas of the things you and your laptop could do together while you travel, here’s a GREAT list to chew over:

50 Jobs you can do over the internet while travelling

Photo of my old home / office in Nicaragua (by Kelly Graham)

“…Sex is the most volatile arena for exploring who you are in the world and what you are running away from will typically arise in sex — quickly and in obvious contrast to everything you think you are.”
~Candice Holdorf

YES!

Dandelion health benefits: please share!

• Cancer : Dandelion root extract is unique, and is one of the only things found to help with chronic myelomonocytic Leukemia and It is effective in treating Breast Tumors
• Detoxification of vital organs : Because of the diuretic abilities of dandelion root, it is beneficial for flushing out the Liver, Kidneys and Gallbladder. İt works great to purify the blood and cleanse the system. This also makes it a good herb for Fighting İnfections.
  It is also used for Arthritis, Osteoarthritis , Gout and Rheumatism
• Dandelion tea actively ameliorates disease—it is a potent disease-fighter—and helps the body heal, helps Boost İmmunity and Heart Disease, and age-related Memory Loss.
• Treating Anemia : Because of the high content of iron in dandelion root, it is beneficial for building red blood cells in the body to treat anemia.
• Treating Diabetes : Dandelion root has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in patients. In Europe, it’s used to treat Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.
• Digestive System : Dandelion root, when made into a tea, is beneficial for relieving constipation, flatulence and fullness.
• Treating High Blood Pressure : Dandelion root is a natural Diuretic. When combined with its high potassium content, it is an effective treatment to lower blood pressure.
• Dandelion tea helps reduce High Cholesterol.
• High Nutritional Value : Dandelion root contains vitamins A, B-complex, C and D as well as the minerals İron, Zinc and Potassium. This combination of vitamins and minerals also makes dandelion root a High Antioxidant Food.
• Mood Enhancer : Due to the high amount of vitamin B-complex, dandelion root can help to stabilize mood and Treat Depression.
• It is very beneficial to Menopausal Women
• Dandelion root is also used to treat skin disorders such as Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis.
• Laxative : Dandelion root is also a mild laxative and is used to help with regularity.
• Dandelion tea helps with weight control—especially with Weight Loss.

* Composting spent dandelion tea Blossoms, Leaves, and/or Roots, after drinking your dandelion tea, improves soil composition.

There are very few side effects linked to using dandelion root. Allergic reactions to the herb have been reported. People taking prescription lithium, a diuretic, medication to lower blood pressure or medication to lower blood sugar should not take dandelion root. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult their doctor before taking this herb.

Please share! (source)

Having only ever done the grunt work up until today it was exhilarating and liberating and dead frighting to be at the helm, especially in this weather without any helm experience. The ropes were so taught I could hear them groaning as we galloped at crazy speed over the swells. There are so many things to worry about, for example when turning if you dont keep an eye on the wind that the main sail doesn’t collapse and flop, the boom can come from holding the sail out across the water to suddenly come swinging at incredible speed right across the boat and knock people on the head or right off into the ocean. The skipper who ran the course is definitely a daredevil who takes racing seriously and often wins which I love! But he still has a tremendous respect for the ocean and never takes risks over the edge, though it seems he will ride the risks and comfort levels right on the bleeding edge to get maximum speed. He has a reputation for being the only person at the club out sailing come hell or high water and today was no exception. We were the only ones out there today getting drenched with huge smiles on our faces. I got to experience all kinds of sailing weather and winds over the past 4 days, even sailing in practically no wind.

Thanks to Paul Dennett and his hands on approach I freaking LOVE sailing!!! He’s absolutely obsessed with sailing in a very fun way and that kind of passion is very infectious. Although the Competent Crew course I did was supposed to be very basic, knowing how to do the grunt work, knots, general safety etc, he seems to be happy to stretch a student as far as they want to go and Im pretty damn sure that Jeremy (my step-dad) and I were doing a lot of in-depth skipper training as well. He wont dumb it down even though we were total newbies and at the same time isnt impatient if you dont catch onto something immediately or even a bunch of times. Eventually it all makes total sense and becomes completely intuitive. Today I missed breakfast, lunch while we sailed for about 6 hours and except for my somewhat dry top half was drenched, freezing cold and didnt care. I just wanted to sail.

Of course when I got home the first thing I did was grab a ready to eat banana and jumped right into the shower. As I stood there munching the steaming hot water slowly revived my completely numb fingers and toes while I squealed every few minutes with happiness that a day like today really happened. Can’t stop grinning!

I love it at the helm. Love it love it LOVE it!!

Paul took this photo of me watching the sails during a more peaceful lull before it started to get really fun!!

Are you seeing yourself in your partner? Subconsciously we don’t choose our partners because we’ll live happily ever after — because we dont — who does? We keep seeing magazine articles: “Live happily ever after” or “Make it all better” or “What’s wrong with your relationship”, well it’s not. When something’s “wrong” with your relationship it’s SO right, because thats where you break open your soul. Thats where you let go of the triggers of the old wounds. Thats the gift that that person brings to you.

So being able to commit in such a way and intentionally with another person throughout all of your life, not just in the moment, or for a few months or just while youre having sex, or just when you’re getting along, but always committing to taking it higher on a spiritual level, to really looking at yourself, to being willing to be so vulnerable… really its a crucible… the ultimate playground for transformation. And that extends into the bedroom.”

~Light up your Life with Passion & Sensuality~Goddess Oceana
by The Weekly Vibe