DeLuna Fest

We headed up to the panhandle to Pensacola for DeLuna Fest. A weekend music festival. We camped at a nearby campground and took the bus to the fest. It was awesome. Michael Franti & Spearhead played on Sat at 4 pm and it was another awesome show.

 Michael asked for all the children to come up on stage. So Kiai and her Aunt Ashley went up there to dance and sing. She was over stimulated by the loud music and did not really like it but it will be a memory forever.

To support Michael Franti and Spearhead I painted everyone it was so much fun.

The campground, Ft Pickens, was great. There was a short trail to the beach. It is an island so at certain times you can almost see 360 degrees around you. This is the gulf coast shortly after the oil spill but luckily we did not see any oil. Another point I want to mention is that this area got a lot of flooding and devestation from Katrina. All is beautiful and flourishing now.

We are looking forward to a possible similar festival in May and hope Michael Franti will be a part of the second annual DeLuna Fest 2011.

Back from Rainbow Gathering Nationals

About 40 hours round trip to spend a week at the gathering and worth every second. It was amazing. I really wish we could have stayed longer. Next year. Which I hear is going to be in Washington State.  This is good news because I have never been and I wanted to get to the west coast anyways. Our van is still getting repairs done and hopefully soon will be DONE.
6 more months to go until the Florida Regional rainbow gathering and the beginning of our journey.
Let me share some pictures :)

This is a hand painted map of the gathering. We were over by Kiddie Village.

WELCOME RAINBOW FAMILY. It was so nice to be home.
Pardon the guy in his underwear you randomly was caught in the picture.

First picture is the three of us getting out trade on. We got lots of goodies. Made some really awesome trades. After that we headed to main circle to dance to the drums and get ready for dinner. Kiai loves the drums and so do I.

Our sweet daughter Kiai who is two years old now. She loves being with nature and getting dirty.
That smile gets me everytime.

My sister came with us. This is Ashley on the drive home rt 19 heading south through West Virginia.

Update on Van.

Well we have been doing some preventative repairs. It was a pretty big job involving all new gaskets, thermostat, oil change. Well when we left the repair shop not even a 15 minute drive from home and it was over heating with black smoke. It is frustrating but they are doing their best to fix it. So for the moment we do not have the van. Thinking positive that it will be repaired soon and we can get back to our regular schedule of repairs and keep our hopeful date to hit the road.

Tentative date Feb 1.

So it is May 5. Cinco De Mayo..
that also mean that there is a gathering going on in Iowa. Wish I was there with my brothers and sisters, living lightly on the land, drumming till the sun comes up, and sharing knowledge. I hope everyone there is having a safe and amazing experience.

Here is some info I got from Rainbow Family page:
Namaste! The whole month of May. Lets throw down together family! Cant wait to see you there.
Iowa -- May 1 - May 30/31


Direcciones:New Directions for the Midwest gathering of the tribes. Front Gate had to be moved due to parking issues and mud.
Take south on I-35. Take the exit toward US-34 E. Turn right onto US-34 E. Head east on US-34 E (pass through Osceola). Take a right onto 288th Ave and head south. Take a left onto Garst. Garst will take a quick right and then a left, do not go straight, stay on Garst. Head east on Garst. Turn right onto 310 Ave. Turn Left on Mormon. Trail. Left onto 100th street, which becomes 440th street. Left on 110th ave. Left on 445th street. Parking at end WELCOME HOME
Thanks!!
(another set of directions based on landmarks:)
To access Blissville Kamp
From Osceola East on US Hwy 34
R on R69 South to Woodburn.
(R69 sign is missing, so beware of that - look for Woodburn sign)
go STRAIGHT thru Woodburn
(when pavement ends, gravel begins... go 1.3 miles to fork in road...
(stay to the right) - 330th rd. Continue 2.6 mi. to Sign that reads "Steven's Forest - Woodburn Unit"
This is a dropoff area. There is no parking allowed here... Parking will be routed to secondary location and shuttles will be utilized... or hiking will be enjoyed by all...
¾ mi hike to kitchen/meadow.

(just a messenger people)
--same general place... drama has come to pass, but piss on it, i'm going for a good time---

 I hope to go next year.

On a completely different note this is a video I came across yesterday it is old I think 2006. I guess at UCLA there is a rule if you are not a student you have to leave the library around a certain time. Someone came into to check id's this particular individual was trying to leave when they grew suspicious I guess purely on the fact that he did not want to show his ID. I am unsure if this is true or not. Regardless watch as he does not resist, other college students look on with fear while he gets the Taser over and over again. You can not tell me 4 cops could not pick this kid up and throw him in the back of a trooper. This is police brutality all caught on tape thanks to camera phones. The students start to get very angry and sad, as they should, begging the police to stop. Who do you call for help when the ones we are taught our entire lives to trust are the ones causing the problem. I honestly cried while I watched it. Try to watch beginning to end with volume on.

Open your eyes and see the corruption and abuse of power.  I hope these police officers have realized you cannot live a productive life through anger.  Be hopeful, be positive, stay strong. Times are changing and there will be a day when these people will not be able to fulfill themselves with this mind set.
Taser Video





Much Love

Our most recent journey

Included a trip to Sanibel Island to check out the amazing shelling the island has to offer. It is really something to see the amount of shells. Where I am from you may see a few here and there never whole shells always parts. This was amazing a couple inches thick of shells lines the beaches. We intended to camp but the winds were so heavy that night we ended up in a small cabin with a bunk bed and another bed for us and our family that joined us. My niece and nephew, mother and sister. We stayed at one of our least favorite places a campground that ended up being a trailer park really with a few terrible camp sights. No matter. We had a great time and got to enjoy our family. PLUS they had a pool and a hot tub. It was relaxing and a lot of fun. Kiai loves the water and we love enjoying it with her.

Just small set backs

Well we our pushing a journey on the road back due to the van needing some repairs before we head out.
We plan to mark out date around the end of Jan beginning of February starting with the Florida regional rainbow gathering in the Ocala National Forest.
Until then I will talk about our journey before the journey.
Even if we are in one place that does not mean we stop learning, growing, and creating.

First blog ever

Today is the first day of our lives. This is the start of our adventure. My name is Kelly, with my fiance Matthew and our daughter Kiai we are setting off in our 1990 Chevy conversion van to travel, learn, grown, and explore while spreading peace, love, and feeling freedom. We hope to learn from others along the way and share our knowledge as we gain experience. We will do a lot of camping, while attending art festivals, music festivals, Rainbow Gatherings, visiting eco villages, communities, and any thing else that we come across that creates an opportunity for us to learn, grow, and open our minds.
This life style is more of what we are comfortable with as opposed to living in a city, 9 to 5 jobs, and an over emphasis on materialism and money. We found ourselves only seeing each other asleep with Matthew leaving for work before Kiai and I wake up and me getting home while they are asleep. Spending to much time in our vehicles and to little time eating meals together. We had to change our lives for more emphasis on each other and our family and less emphasis on earning money. Literally long periods of time not being in the woods gives me anxiety. I am hoping to invest more time in my art and spiritual growth. I just want to learn and explore. It is the inspiration, the learning, the communal living that I seek. Being part of something that really gives back and not just in dollar bills. Being surrounded by people who share in the fight against Babylon, non-violence, non-conformity, communalism, and creative expression.
I will try to keep as updated as possible with pictures, art work, and our experiences as we lower our carbon foot print and live healthier happier lives.