Wow its ∞ 2018 ∞; Happy Blooming New Year ! 

Welcome back and firstly for YOU,  I hope you saw ∞ 2018 ∞ in well and had a thoroughly good night doing what you love :). Its going to be an amazing year for us all, maybe we'll wake that magic 100th monkey! I sure hope so.  

Last time I left you in Africa... so lets roll back to 2000 and pick up where we left off...! 

At this point in my life I was young and taking in the wonders of Africa and not really thinking of the spiritual journey I was on. I had a wonderful time there traveling down the east coast; but that's for another series. This is about my spiritual journey. I experienced some challenging things whilst in Uganda spiritually; not only from the actions of the born again Christian volunteers (and I appreciate now these guys were extreme, but wonderful people not the less) but from the whole experience. I had seen real poverty for the first time, this was my first lesson in material belongings! I realise how lucky I was to be brought up in a nice part of England and have what I needed when I needed it provided by my parents.  I was in awe of how happy these people were in a village when they had nothing literally nothing! I can to really enjoy the simple non wasteful way of life and to this day I seek this again. After my time in the village I travel down the east coast and met amazing happy people and realised the true value of money... Worthless without community and joy! 

After six wonderful months I return to England and started university... 

I did a computer science degree and is was boring as anything. I only went because it was the norm, what was expected off me, my step-brother on the other hand continue to travel the world. Anyway I didn't finish the degree I failed the first year on attendance and then playing Ultimate Frisbee snapped my cruciate ligament and finally quit. But in my first year I got into clubbing! For the first few months I out danced all my mate and never touch any drugs, I had decided after Africa I would not. I went through a phase in the time before travelling doing a few recreational drugs and travelling showed me I didn’t need them. The power of nature and freedom is much better than being high, again I only realise this now, but noticed it then. However eventually I cracked and started dropping them like sweets. This eventually led to more, things I got into Ketamine, you might judge me here and your entitled to that but I learnt a lot! 

Now please dont think i'm boasting here but once I had a tolerance I guess I was in someway about to anticipate how the drug worked and enjoyed the trips. During this time I was in a mess! Still going to uni but I fell out with most of my family and messed up a lot of relationships; which I regret but the important ones I have repaired now thankfully. But the positive side was I felt free and there was nothing like dancing in a club out of my tree with liked minded people! I realised something here the power of oneness and forgetting everything around you (the beginnings of my need to meditate maybe). I gave up the Ketamine after about a year as it was frying my brain and I recognised it along with most of the group who I took it with after months of relentless consumption; we all stopped together. My mind however was changed for ever! I had seen mad, wonderful and completely insane things, I had done stupid things including walking the length of our terrace on the roof completely oblivious to anything around me but the important point  and why I mention this is... I had no fear! This I understand more now than then, the reason I did not fall of was I was at ease and not fearing the consequences. An important state of mind I am only now fully grasping and utilising. 

I then quit university... 

This was mainly due to having an operation on my knee, which caused me to miss too much work and it was a good excuse as I was not enjoying the course. I moved to the south of England with family and continued to party; going to the free parties that were happening around this time. This often involved MDMA and Acid! Now the thing I found with Acid was after the trip had finished I felt great like my brain had organised itself and I felt fresh (other people have experienced this too so its not just me). Now some might disagree but during this time I felt it really opened my mind and I started to question the state and what I have been taught! 

In 2005 I watch the film/documentary Out Foxed… 

This made a lot of sense to me. For those who have not seen this film watch it; it looks as journalism and the media empire of Rupert Murdoch. The red pill had dropped! I then went on a fact finding mission. Unfortunately at the same time as partying and did not fully analyse what I was finding out. I was just falling down the rabbit hole in free fall. Telling everyone my findings with no proper thought behind my rational. I was jumping from conspiracy theory to conspiracy theory. Now I’m not say they were not true but there are many red herrings out there to make the rest sound mad. The next major film I watched was The Obama Deception, wow another eye opener.  

In 2007/8 I met a lass who changed my life. 

She made me stop all the drugs, not forcibly just gave me a reason too. I had had on off girlfriends who were into the same lifestyle and therefore had no real reason to give up. But this time I had completed another foundation degree in graphic design and was attempting to do freelance work. I found this very hard and was not getting much work at all; well not enough to live off. Without going in to my whole life story… we decided to travel to India; as the great recession (they actually called it that here, haha) was hitting hard and it seem like a plan. We moved in with her parents up north and I eventually got a job as a care worker in a dementia home. I really really enjoy this work! I had found my niche for sure and would actually end up working in this field for eight years. Her mother worked as an Occupational Therapist and this inspired me to eventually move (well five years later) into this job; even though she said there was no career in it. I dont know where she got that idea from (well I do but thats not relevant today). At the time living with her parents was ok. They mollycoddled her younger brother though; at fourteen he still was not using the cooker on his own. But they were good people and we had a laugh. However her mother was very controlling and quite stressy, this was another lesson to me on how stress effects people around you! I really noticed her energy and how it changed people around her, causing them to be stressed and negative about things. My then girlfriend often said she though her Dad wanted to leave her and they should split up but he was too scared! 

I really valued this time in my life; it was great fun mainly, but also a great learning curve. Some might say I was escaping and your probably right; but I escaped and boy do I now realise this. The drugs allowed me to free my mind from all the constant chatter in my head and gave me time to find me! This was a huge turning point for the better in my life. Thankfully I managed to stop before it took over my life, I know many don’t. Again this was my path and made me @vibeof100monkeys today!

Then we headed off to India where everything changed …. To Follow :)