I'm just about there. Saturday was a great day, a beautiful, warm, slightly windy day of which I feel I took complete advantage. I began the day at 630 waking up to a few minutes of meditation and then a warm shower. In preparing for my ride, I went and made a juice of carrots, beets and celery with a bit of oatmeal and an apple. I made a little coffee and played my banjo waiting for Paris and his Dad to wake up and meet me on AIA heading south. I enjoyed my first conscious Florida sunrise plucking the infamous beginner tunes of Old McDonald and Skip to My Lou on my banjo.
     At about 820 I decided I was just going to go, I had had enough of waiting around and wanted to ride. I hoped on and began my path southward. I rode relatively slow to the nylon spandex covered roadbikers, but I knew I was going farther and did not hold any competitive angst towards them. It was a gorgeous day, a little chilly right in the beginning, but I wasnt cold being from Michigan and all. You have to watch yourself when you say your cold because you know that all your fellow Michiganders would just scoff at you if they heard you.
     Anyways, I made it to Ft Lauderdale and rode around there for a few miles. A nice city, but I only liked the ocean line, the downtown was not very cool, probably grew in the 1950s and 60s, not a lot of older architecture. The trip to Ft Lauderdale probably took about an hour and forty five minutes. I figure I road about 55 miles or so, but I do not know exactly.
     What I do know is that I will be traveling to Bee Heaven Farm and arriving there by Wednesday to begin my month long, first WWOOFing experience. I am excited to go this farm in Homestead, FL which is about 15 miles outside of Miami. Speaking of Miami, on Saturday, we ventured down there to a completely raw and organic farmers market put on by a farm that is very close to the on Im going to in Homestead. They had the widest selection of produce, guavas, leeches, pistachio ice cream, pies, seaweeds, and all sorts of wonderful obscurities that many of us do not even know of. However, it was very expensive and I was not able to buy much, but still enjoyed playing a game of soccer with some little kids whose parents were working and climbing an epic Banyan tree.
     Sunday, was a very chill day. I told Kyle, "I have never played that much music in one day in my life." And isn't that the truth. I had a wonderful time, just experimenting with my banjo and coming to a greater understanding of music in general. Music is such a precious form of expression that I think needs to be harbored and practiced because of the way it unites and focuses our attentions. I look forward to continuing my music education and coming back to Michigan with a real focal point in which I can share the beauties and inspire others with music.
     I have decided to put in a diet section, that relates the food I eat. I think that some will find this interesting as I will be living on a farm and nutrition is another interest of mine.
DIET-Sunday January 9th
I arose to cook myself a bowl of oatmeal comprised of almond butter and sea salt, A good meal to start the day off with fiber and protein.
For lunch, we made some sushi made of local caught Wahoo, brown rice, carrots, and nori roll. We dipped it in sesame, tomato basil, and wasabi dressing. Not overly filling, but surely nourishing to body and soul. The multiple colors of sushi are always a sight of fascination.
For Dinner, we made some more Wahoo, this time cooked more, with a hummus made of Garbanzos, Cannellini beans, tahini, freshly ground cumin, garlic, lemon, lime, and salt. I love hummus as many of you know and this was legit hummus. For desert, Austin brought over some strange marvel consisting of almond butter, sunflower butter, hemp seeds, coconut oil, goji berries, cacao, raisons, and probably a few other things. It was great. I must say that no where, have I ever seen a culture so obsessed with health food and exercise than in Delray. I am just amazed at how these kids are nuts about healthy food and healthy living. Yoga, massage therapy, holistic medicine, cycling, surfing, coconut nectar... Its really cool to see this coming from a place where no one gives a shit, most of the time, about what they eat or don't eat and how it effects them.
     I have also noticed a difference in who goes to college down here. It seems like a lot of kids my age are not in school, or if they are are in an alternative college aka massage therapy. I have noticed that everyone, literally everyone, with the exception of a few, back in Detroit is going to college. Perhaps, its the weather. These kids have something to do in the winter, whereas the kids in Michigan have nothing better to do in the dead of winter than to go to school. Regardless, its an interesting trend, and I do not know if its good or bad.
    Many Blessings,
                      Tommy