I wanted to travel to the Big Island after hearing how cheap the land out there was. That has been a recent dream of mine and the idea still sounds wonderful. I did very little reading, and may have been unprepared, but o well, even the well equipped sometimes lose their battles. I left work on a Tuesday, excited to escape my contract, my negative minded co-workers, my "supervisors", and the endless sounds of the city. Getting to the Big Island, I felt as though I just reached Oahu for the first time again. You can feel the island's presence, even if you are not connected soul to earth. I punched Cinderland's address into the GPS and started the Dodge Charger. As I got close to "4 corners", I saw what looked to be possible inhabitants of the tribe, selling "Eco Nuts". After my GPS failed to find the true destination of the hidden Cinderland, I drove back to the strangers to ask them for directions. I was met with both friendliness and my first surprise. Armpit hair! This truly was something I have never seen on a woman, but after learning how normal it really was, it became nothing more than hair. This reinforced my idea that something in one man’s world that could be accepted also could be accepted as taboo in another’s. After receiving guidance from my new neighbor, I arrived into the kitchen of the camp. Greeted by a few tenants, I was immediately welcomed with open arms. After eating some bananas from the land, I went to a Potluck at another village. Most of the food was vegetarian, with the exception of a little egg, and the meal easily satisfied my omnivorous appetite. I met a few intellectuals at the dinner and had amazing conversations about The Ringing Cedars Series, DNA plants, owning land, and of course life. After leaving Kurtistown with a full belly and mind, we headed to the camp for the night. My first day was more than a success, and it only got better. A few days later, I sat down with a realtor and then toured Hawaiian Acres. I was overcome with fear and doubts that I would fail at making it out here, and realizing my dream, but while reading ‘The Alchemist’, I learned that those emotions were as natural to the world as love. Knowing this, I pushed on. No big deal. After going to some of the properties with my realtor, I found an amazing lot, with many trees, which equals a lot of good soil, and that’s all I really needed to make my pick. My week long trip instantly became a success. During my time on the Big Island, I was shown not just properties. Residents of Cinderland took me to a few great tide pools and hot ponds. The ponds are amazing, having lava flowing right underneath them. I also went to the Volcano National Park, hiking through old lava tubes and valleys of barren rock. It reminded us of being on the moon.
Throughout my week I visited properties, various cities, and met wonderful people. I once thought that this world was too wretched to raise a child, but after seeing the communities children run around, I immediately changed my mind. These kids were different than regular American kids. They could hold a conversation with an adult, speak openly in large crowds, and introduce themselves in their own way. One of even randomly climbed on my back while I was doing some pull ups in the kitchen. Cinderland gave me a lot of hope for all of humanity. It showed me an alternate way of life, a life that was practiced by our ancestors. No, it was not a Utopia, but is there even such a thing in this life?
Anybody looking for something different than your regular nine to five job, five days a week, until you reach 65, should definitely visit an eco-village. Even if you go back to your life, you will gain a different perspective on life, and realize how your ancestor’s might have felt when they didn’t have to deal with stresses of this thing we now call “life”.
Here are some links to get you started.
http://cinderland.org/
http://directory.ic.org/records/ecovillages.php
http://hawaiianacres.org/
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