As 2017 draws to a close I would like to thank all our ecoTrain passengers for their amazing efforts and incredible posts. We have covered SO many topics from unique perspectives. Sometimes we miss a gem, and so I would like to share with you my personal favourites from the ecoTrain since we started back in July 2017.

Thank you for being with us, I hope we have brought you some positivity and inspiration to help make your world a better place. Wishing you all a beautiful 2018 filled with awe and positive change!
@eco-alex

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@vangelov

• Taking the right Opportunities
  Sometimes a vast amount of opportunities appear to us. Personally I've looked back and seen how many good opportunities I've missed for the past years, even though some were small, they could have changed my life big time. Sometimes I've neglected them just because I thought that some other thing had a more substantial value than whatever came.
  
  
• Why I Never Liked the Health Care system [ Personal Story about my Mother]
  I just came back from the mountains, fresh and filled with happiness, it was truly an amazing adventure which I will share with you all in my next publication but right now I wanted to share what happened when I came back. This is a personal family story that has been going on for quite some years now and I decided its best if I share it here, someone might think twice about something in the future related to health care.
  
  
• The Mystical World Series #1 : The Emerald Tablets
  The emerald Tablet is an ancient artifact that reveals a profound spiritual technology which has survived to this day despite centuries of effort to suppress it. In this series of The Mystical World, we will have a look at the background of these tablets.
  
  
• I am a Soul in a Human space suit
  I've been through a lot, seen things that can't really scratch the surface of the physical. I know pain and I know love, also I know that both are a choice but one should have never existed. This is why we are so conditioned, so the choice stays hidden. I know that I am pure and I know that life has only one purpose and that is to be experienced.
  
  

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@markwhittam

• A Month on The Road With A Nomadic Family!!!!
  The highs and lows, The tos and fros, Come and see what an average month looks like for a travelling family. Because we live in a tinyhouse on wheels we can afford the luxury of travelling, a lot! The following is a snapshot of our latest adventures over the last month, please enjoy.
  
  
• The Traveling Family is off to Steemfest & How Steemit Has Changed Our Lives.
  We haven't been this excited in a very long time. We have our tickets, nothing can stop us now, Steemfest here we come!!!!!
  
  
• How to Build a Home From Stuff You Find lying Around.
  Looking out the window of a house that cost you nothing to build has got to be an amazing feeling. When I heard this man wanted a helping hand with his next project I jumped at the chance. We are on a mission to buy some land and build an Eco-community, the only thing is we have no idea what we are doing.
  
  
• Freedom & Happiness!!!
  If We Only Have One Life, Why Waste It Doing Something That Doesn't Make us Happy? It's the weekend and as promised we are at the beach, but before we get on to the weekly Beach post I would like to share with you a quick how-to guide which can help you on your way to obtaining freedom and happiness.
  
  

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@sashagenji

• Listening to the silence Part 2: 3 benefits of silence, proven by scientific experiments
  Joanne Rowling, Carl Jung, Ray Dalio (American billionaire, founder of the investment company Bridgewater Associates), as well as California Governor Jerry Brown, Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan - what unites these people? It's hard to believe, but many of them consider periods of silence they practice as a huge factor in their success...
  
  
• Life in a universe of synchronicity: the beauty of being in the constant flow (illustrated with paintings by Canadian visionary artist Giai Oreon)
  We are in India. I'm sitting in the car clutching the fabric of the rear seat fearing that my life can end at any moment. And who would have thought that I was only a few minutes from making an incredible yet simple discover that would change my life’s understanding. But that will happen only a few minutes after. For now, I'm just sitting in the car, which rushes with a mad speed somewhere ahead with car’s horn signaling to someone around us and having managed in last minutes to evade motorcyclists and cars going from different directions. I am feeling very uncomfortable in this mess and the thought that this will be for at least the next 4 days scares me till death.
  
  
• Joy of Life in Red
  It has been raining for past few days but Kathryn smiles and rejoices. She loves the rain. Besides, she is one of those people who find positivity in everything around her. She differs from neighborsur, Jean, who always gets moody when the weather is not well. She always looks at him wishing him to understand how simple is to enJOY life in any circumstances. She looks on the rain as the blessings as it brings so needed water to the plants, it nutritious earth and rivers are getting full. Life is all its forms start flourish everywhere. She enjoyes it a lot. She also like the fact that you can dance in the rain or jump into buddies despite the fact of getting wet or catching a suprisied face emotion from the passing stranger. She knows that life exists in every moment and they hide real treasures for her to enjoy.
  
  
• A little story of books that teach (original story)
  Nastya went on a subway to drive to her work. It is crowded with people as usual. At the same time if you pay attention you might find something interesting. An elderly woman, a man in a strict coat, a group of students sitting on the sidelines - they are all united by one small detail. In this crowded underground world of fuss, the mix of train, music, and people sounds they read books. "St. Petersburg is still considered to be the cultural capital of Russia”, she thinks to herself. This is her world and she is glad that there are people who share it with her.
  
  

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@likedeeler

• German Doctor in Syria
  Though I have quite some experience as an interpreter of mostly spiritual talks from English to German, I dread the task of a written translation from a language as stilted as German into English. But nevertheless, since I learned about the ugly frog thing here on steemit, I thought I´ll give it a go. So I have decided, for those of you who don´t understand German, to translate into English the following article by Dr Michael Wilk who is on a humanitarian mission behind the Rakka frontline in Syria. For more background information check out my last article regarding him here...
  
  
• A German Doctor in Syria III
  Day 17 and a conclusion: Our work is not finished yet, not for a long time The so-called “Houses of the Injured“ exist in every bigger town in Rojava. The male and female soldiers of the Kurdish People´s Defense Units, who were injured severely during the fight against the IS and are in need of a longer convalescence, are brought there. During my first trip to Northern Syria in 2014, I had to realize, that many injured people had been operated on more or less well, but the necessary follow-up treatment was insufficient.
  
  

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@gardenbsquared

• How to build your own still. Step by step instructions.
  It’s already a month ago when I posted my article about stilling and why it makes sense to own one. Here’s the link if you’re interested. https://steemit.com/stilling/@gardenbsquared/make-your-own-bio-fuel-save-money-become-more-self-sufficient-why-still
  
  
• Ants - Leafcutter Ants (Atta cephalotes)
  This is an ant trail. It has been made by the leafcutter ants. You see these trails everywhere in the forest. The leafcutter ants do a lot of work in the forest carrying leaves and other plant material into their nest. They are very important to the rainforest eco-system. These ants are fascinating although not easy to photograph. The ants measured in bio-mass are heavier than any other type of animal in the rainforest.
  
  
• SLOTH ON THE MOVE - Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus)
  One of the more fascinating creatures of the rainforest in Suriname is the sloth. Yesterday I spotted one high in the trees. I was walking the dogs and I got my camera with me hoping to shoot some birds. And there it was, a Pale-throated sloth. I only saw it because it was on the move, which is rare. They only move up to 4 times a day and less than 40 metres in total. It was high up in the trees, around 25 metres above the ground.
  
  
• Gardening to the moon. Growing Moringa trees and sharing with the community.
  This post is about gardening and sharing produce with the neighbours. But first I want to tell you this remarkable story. When I was driving to the shop the other day, there was a black bird lying on the road. Birds usually don’t do that so I stopped the car. It was a Smooth-billed Ani. It must have been hit by a car, but it was still alive. So I picked it up and was surprised how extremely light these relative large birds are. I couldn’t see any physical damage. I hoped it would survive and that the poor bird was just knocked about a bit. All his family was hanging around in the bushes nearby. The Anis have very strong family bonds and they are usually seen in groups. The older siblings help raising the younger chicks. You could tell they were hanging around because of the wounded bird.
  
  

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@hopehuggs

• Give Happiness a Hug - Learning to be Grateful Everyday
  It's not all bad, we all have things that are good in our lives however small or insignificant they may feel at first, or at the time. If we look, we can find find and acknowledge them, and take comfort in them. By feeling grateful for the ropes (however thin) that life throws us, we give ourselves a powerful tool to increase or happiness. It is one thing to decide to be more grateful about life, but putting it into action can be a little harder. There is thankfully a simple solution that really helps you stay on track with this - a gratitude journal...
  
  
• The 3 Most Important Lessons of All: (2) Accept Yourself
  Do you have physical imperfections, character flaws, or bad habits that you don’t like? Do you have personality flaws that you don’t like? Do you have a past that is dragging you down? You can let yourself accept these things that you don’t like about yourself and move on toward bigger and better things once you are free of the scrutiny that you are putting yourself under.
  
  
• Be Determined Like a Tree
  Have you ever heard of Paul Rokich? He was born near a Utah sulfur dioxide belching refinery that pretty much destroyed everything in its diameter. Ad he grew up, he was appalled at how awful it all looked, so Paul vowed that he would do all he could to bring back the trees that the sulfur had destroyed. The sulfur refinery would not give him permission to plant trees on the grounds of the plant.
  
  

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@ecoinstant

• Steemit International Commerce - Can Steemit help solve the problems that Artesans, Makers and Growers face world-wide?

  One of the biggest problems I face as a Sustainable Agriculture Professional living in a remote rural area is connecting with my customer. In fact, were I to follow the prevailing winds, I would not now nor never know my customer, that is the person who is actually consuming or using my products. I believe Steemit, and other applications of the Steem blockchain, can change that. To prove to you that this is the case, I am going to show you!...

• How to make coffee – THE RIGHT WAY!
  Are you using a Mr. Coffee machine or other drip coffee maker? Do you realize that you are using 3x more coffee to make the same amount, effectively tripling the price you pay for coffee? Stay tuned and I will show you...

  
  

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@sharoonyasir

• How Setting Healthy Boundaries and Rules Keep Children Happy and Healthy
  Being a parent isn’t easy at all. And when I say at all, I am thinking of all the scary tantrums exhibited by kids, all the mood swings shown by kids, all the cries and screams and all the nights you have to go sleepless. Being a parent feels great but this amazing, mushy and splendid feeling is accompanied by its share of obstacles. I don’t think these obstacles are something negative; they are a part of parenthood. That being said, things can get quite tough for parents especially if you don’t set healthy boundaries and rules for your kids.
  
  
• Why Helicopter or Lawnmower Parenting Approaches are Not Healthy for Your Kids
  I was aware of the ‘too-clingy’ parenting approach wherein parents stick to their kids all the time to make sure he/ she stays protected against all harms. But I didn’t know this approach had a name. Yesterday while working on a project for a client, I came across the terms ‘helicopter’ and ‘lawnmower’ parents which are the two popular but not-so-healthy types of clingy parenting approaches.
  
  
• One Act of Kindness Every Day
  I have often written about how doing little acts of kindness daily improve your mood, help you nurture more gratitude, reduce your stress levels, makes you feel good inside and helps you spread love around. However, so far I haven’t been regular in doing that myself. I do try to be kind to people but my efforts are mostly focused on being kind to loved ones. For strangers, the kindness that I mostly show is to give some money to a beggar when I am out on the road and not more than that. I have helped out strangers with buying flour and other grocery items for their home but that is something I cannot do very often because I am too cash strapped often.
  
  
• Batman & Jesus- Why Do We Not Question the Legitimacy and Authenticity of Things?
  You do know who Batman is, right? I think if 10 people come across this, 9 of them do know who Batman is. The Dark Knight, as most of the Generation Z know him, is one of the most famous superheroes of all times. Equipped with his self-created gadgets and wisdom, this superhero is strong and genius enough to fight all sorts of evil. His strength knows no boundaries and this everyone is aware of. Keeping this in mind, Gordon, the police officer in The Dark Knight says, ‘Because we have to chase him. Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now, so we'll hunt him. Because he can take it, because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Dark Knight.’

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@clara-andriessen

• Is your inner masculine protecting and supporting your inner feminine?
  Hi Darlings, I'm writing this with a purring cat on my lap, that has squeezed itself in between me and my laptop. Yesterday while I was sitting with myself, taking a moment to feel in to how I was doing I felt an irritation in my stomach. Wondering what that was about I noticed something inside of me was irritated with myself. Irritated with a feeling I had. A feeling of sadness. I have just come back to Holland from spending some time in India and was missing my life there and everything that had become familiar to me and was experiencing some transitioning pain. It hasn't been a week yet, since I am back, so this is only normal. But something inside of me, wouldn't hear of it, just wouldn't accept it. It was like it was saying: 'Don't be weak!'
  
  
• This is really a lovely way to start the day.
  Hi everyone! This is my new morning routine, it gets my chi flowing nicely. I'd recommend it to anyone who's feeling tired and restless, it totally rebalances your energy system. One of the best exercise youtubes I've come across. Thank you Marissa!:
  

   

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@eco-alex

• BIOLOGY 101: WHAT IS DNA, THE BLOCKCHAIN OF LIFE! - IS DNA THE STORAGE SYSTEM OF THE FUTURE?
  I'm happy to be sharing some of my Biology knowledge with you, but delivered in a very non-technical way. I majored in Biology for 5 years and also had many months of hands on experience with genetic engineering during a work placement opportunity. One of the most fascinating topics that we covered in our classes was about DNA, the molecule of life. Whilst we spent MANY weeks learning about the theory of what DNA actually is and what it does, it was always clear to me that we were dealing with a miraculous molecule that was very poorly understood. When I was majoring, the scientific world still called 99% of the DNA in our bodies as junk, because they didn't understand what it did. What was clear was that whatever it did, nobody even really understood how it came to be!
  
  
• The Remarkable Diary of an ecoBuilder - Part 10: Interior Design! ;-)
  How do you layout and design a house in the shape of a circle!? That was the challenge I had, and one that I spent countless hours playing with. I made a large number of designs and layouts. I had so many ideas and I couldn't have them all! I also had some help from a dear friend who drew some wonderful layout ideas.
  
  
• The FINAL Remarkable Diary Of An Eco Builder Part 12: Advice to people considering self building and more!
  We made it! If you have been following this diary you will know what an adventure it has been! It all started back in 2001 when I first heard about Earthships and took me on a long search that spanned several countries and almost a decade of time. I had a lot to learn before I was ready to build, and I don't mean technically! It takes a certain wisdom, patience, and perseverance that comes with having experience with life and with people to be able to self-build successfully.
  
  
• My Eco-Build Workshop Challenge. Build a Tiny Earthship in 2 weeks on a $3,000 budget with 30 unskilled volunteers!
  Welcome to my second eco-build story that is in sharp contrast to the 15-year long adventure to build my own Earthship home! This is the first in a new series that I am very happy to be sharing with you. It is an unusual story that brought together people from all over the world, in an attempt to build a small roundhouse whilst training and teaching everyone involved. It was a brave en-devour that brought together several elements that would make this challenge very challenging. Building anything in 2 weeks is a challenge, but doing it in India and with mostly totally unskilled people made it even more so. After spending so much time and money building a luxurious home, it was always a desire of mine to be able to demonstrate that it can also be done on a shoe-string budget and very quickly indeed if the design was simple enough.

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We LOVE you, and wish you a beautiful 2018

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