Greetings Steemit Peeps!

Being my first post on this awesome platform I thought I would take the time to give you all a little of my background.

I would describe myself as a; seeker, yogi, world traveler, artist, photographer, poet, permaculturist and brother of humanity. I have been on this plane of existence for 38 years, though I would say I have fit more experience into those years than most do in a full lifetime. I am happily married and have spent nearly every day for the past 14 years side by side with my wife, who is also my best friend.

My first wood-fired sourdough in Ghana

A MINI BIO -

I was born in the US of A and have lived (at least a year) in Vermont, Idaho, Washington, Maine and Alaska and spent time in nearly every state. My first real travel was when I was 16, I spent my Junior Year as an exchange student in Bilbao, in the Basque Country (Spain). My world was split wide open with all the unknown and new things. Living in this deeply cultural and historical place with local people, learning a second language and basically being on my own showed me how sheltered American life is. I became a new person with more confidence and a wider perspective of who I could be.

After high school I joined the Coast Guard and was stationed on a boat in Alaska. It was my dream to live in AK and I figured this way I could pay for college. Life was exciting, interesting as well as heavy in military minded world of the USCG. I learned a lot and took on large responsibilities with a crew of 15 work hands below me. I was told they should hate me and I should make their life miserable. I did the opposite and work hard side by side with my subordinates and gained their respect. After three years I had enough and got myself kicked out on purpose.

I traveled the country for a year and eventually ended up in Art School in Montreal Canada. After three months I met a yogi who invited me to Mexico. Many things fell into place to help me realize I needed to go out into the world and explore. I dropped out and left Montreal and everything I owned, except what I could fit in my back pack! I landed in Chiapas, Mexico after a long train ride and days on the bus. Again the bubble of my American life POPPED and a new world emerged! I lived in a spontaneous community of world travelers and hitchhiked around southern Mexico and Belize having many deep experiences, from being thrown into an immigration prison to living with street kids in Belize to visiting Mayan Ruins and ancient jungles. That Spring I traveled back north to Vermont where I found a cave across a river in the National Forest and set up camp. I lived there until the fall when it started getting cold. I ended up buying a bus with seven New Englanders mostly freshly out of high school and road tripped back to Chiapas to the community. This was a deep life experience for all of us! We spent the winter there exploring and living the simple life. I met my wife at this time and split off from the rest of the crew.

Since my wife and I linked we have been traveling without staying in one place for more than six months for the past 14 years. Our travels have led us to many places, our global family has grown to an amazing size. We traveled over land (and sea) with public transport from Northern Spain through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. All the beauty and harshness of Africa blew me away! It was here I picked up baking sourdough bread and building clay ovens with another American. Since then I have built many ovens all around the world and have taught an oven course for a natural building school in the states every year since 2012. This is def one of my biggest passions, natural building and the alchemy of fermented wood fired bread!

We have also traveled India nearly every year, exploring many places, usually staying 3 to 4 months of the year during the winter. We also go back to Mexico, Guatemala where we are still deeply connected. I am trying to keep this somewhat short.

HOW do you do it?!!! Everyone usually wants to know.

No, I am not rich, no I don't have a trust fund... I work many odd jobs; house painting, landscaping, masonry, oven building, teaching, fruit harvesting, tree planting, jewelry making, bread selling, as well as gardening and growing food.

To answer the question... I had to make a leap of faith (not just once but many times)! I had to face the deep fears of not having enough, not having the stability of a sedentary life and job by trusting. I know call it excepting the mystery of life! The idea of stability through a habitual predictable life is a false notion.

It hasn't always been easy. I have gone against the grain most of my life and the one thing that has pulled me through is faith. Faith in something greater than me and than THIS world. A Divine Creator who knows my needs and knows me deeply. I am not religious, I am simply faithful. I trust that generosity, love and gratitude are the real currencies which makes abundance possible (which is one reason crypto is interesting to me). It hasn't been a smooth road to find this faith. I have been tested (and failed many times) and there are times I have had to go without, but these tests have (eventually) shown me that things work out better than I could have imagined.

       Stay positive - Give freely - Live simply

Living in the present. Meaning not worrying about the future or fretting about the past, allows you to have a clear mind that can see opportunity and can make decisions when needed.

I am still unsure what form this blog will take as I have so many interests. If you have any suggestions please give a comment!

Hoping this leads to a larger family and some connections that make this world a better place!

PEACE! Simha

https://about.me/simhabode