Episode 1.6: Native History and being on the Radio

One of the most important things I want to do on this trip is to reach out to people and really connect with some of the people that watch my videos.  When I was in Georgia a guy tweeted me and asked to hang out.  If at all possible, and I don't have any reason to think you're a serial killer, I'm going to do what I can to make it happen.  So I met up with a guy and his lady and they showed me around the Ocmulgee Indian mounds.  It was really cool to hang out with them and just chat about stuff and really connect.  

Then, I went up to Atlanta and I got to hang out with my aunt and my cousins.  They're super cool and I helped my cousin out with some math and she got an A on her final and I'm so proud of her... and I'll take some credit for that ;)  The next day I left and headed off to Tennessee but first I stopped in with Skip from Happy Camper Radio and did a quick segment about my trip and the camping I'll be doing and such.  That was a lot of fun and I got to hang out with Skip and chat some.  This whole sentence is a hyperlink to the podcast if you want to listen to it.  

I hope you enjoy the videos!  As I head west into uncharted territories things will get more and more exciting!

Episode 1.5: I got to Stay Clean!

I do got to stay clean :) well, I'd like to anyway.  One issue we have here in some parts of America is water.  We're not managing it well.  So I went and hung out with Mr. Mike and helped him make some soap.  I'm about to tie water and soap together:  I want to bathe in natural bodies of water whenever a shower isn't available.  So far I've done it twice since I have a lot of friends and family in the east.  Now I didn't want to use a petroleum based soap like the stuff we buy at the store because, while I haven't done much (any) research I figure it's probably not a positive thing to put in the water.  So with natural lard based soap I can bathe and wash without having to worry about polluting the water.  The last lake I bathed at there were fish nibbling on my feet while I scrubbed my body down.  They obviously did not mind the natural soap.  Also, I love the idea of making soap on your own at home and I wanted to learn how and promote doing things on your own and hanging out with cool older people :)

Episode 1.4: I have some Explaining to Do...

I went herping.  Herp comes from Greek meaning something that creeps (along the ground) so it generally refers to reptiles and amphibians and that's where we get the word herpetology which is the study of reptiles and amphibians.  So, I met up with a herper and herped up some herps.  We both prefer to find snakes so we looked and looked for hours on end with no luck.  My friend, Josh, found a couple little ground dwelling snakes and that was cool but the real treat was finding a mud snake and that we found it during a really weird time.  Persistence pays off.  I want to focus on the personality of the mud snake though.  They are the honey badger of the aquatic snake world.  They just don't care.  They generally hunt in muddy water at night for a vicious species of salamander (sirens and amphiumas), some species getting three feet in length.  Then when you catch them they're super chill, slowly wriggle, and poke you with their barely pointy tail.  That coupled with their stunning black and red pattern makes them a really awesome snake in my opinion :)

Episode 1.3: No, I Seriously LOVE Water!

Yup, I love it.  I love to drink it, be in it, it be on me, jump into it, and there are so many more things I love to do with water.  I know I sound obsessed, but who can blame me?  It is the life blood of life :)  

Ok, so I want to talk about free diving for a moment because it's dangerous and I do it.  What I do is not dangerous in my opinion because I'm very careful about it.  Yes, I was free diving alone, miles from anyone and that is a really foolish thing to do but to be honest I have never had a consistent free diving buddy and I learned alone.  The way I free dive now is much safer than what I used to do.  I used to want to go deeper and deeper and impress people with my diving skills.  I don't do that anymore because going deep is not part of the purpose that I free dive.  I free dive to experience nature and wildlife in a natural way.  It is the single most simple way of getting up close and personal with aquatic or marine animals and the only gear I really need is a dive mask.  There is no room for egotism in free diving and I'm proud (is that egotistical?) to say that I have left that behind.  I hope you try it and experience the freedom of it and the challenge it presents your body but please please be safe!

Episode 1.2: Our Springs are DYING!!!

Yes, it's true and it's very very scary.  Springs are where ground water in the aquifer flow up to the surface due to pressure underground.  This water has been filtered through the ground and is super clean and clear.  Florida also has the highest concentration of natural springs in the world.  Basically, we have a natural wonder and we're killing them by pumping too much water up out of the ground.  Unfortunately on this trip I experienced some of these springs first hand.  The flow was slow which allows algae and vegetation to grow up around the spring and sediment and organic material are able to settle in.  Some springs were like this and some of them were still clear and clean.  It makes me sad just thinking about this.  Anyway, you should go visit some springs and see how awesome they are and learn a little more about them and don't waste your water that you pump out of the ground.

Episode 1.1: I hate junkyards

I don't really hate junkyards, it's just that I never seem to have a simple and easy experience at them.  There was about 20 or 30 minutes of confusion after telling them time after time what kind of van I had and that they were pulling up the wrong wheel.  So I got on my phone and pulled up the stocking number and they were like, "oh!  A Toyota Van..."  Yeah, like I said probably 6 times.  After I grabbed my spare rim I was out of there and headed north along the west coast of Florida.  Weather looked iffy that evening so I decided to explore some local wilderness and hang out til the next day when I could explore some natural springs.  All in all it was good start to the trip and I got things done.  Also, if you ever have to pay tolls, learn from me and have fun with it :)

Intro to the Big Trip

So I'm making and releasing videos as I go.  This video will give you a gist of what to expect in the following episodes.  I want to promote an appreciation for nature and low impact living.  No two episodes will ever be similar but they will all show what is happening in this trip.  I'm excited and the possibilities are limitless!