Poor little Herman!

Sense the beginning, we knew the whole deal was kinda shady. We adopted Herman from the wreckage yard with hopes of giving him a better life and family. Well, we ran into some minored problems and hand some issues with the title, transfer of ownership and such.

Now that I'm back in Savannah trying to put him back together and he is close to complete recovery, one sad day, a man walks into my store... a look of suspicion on his face. The word had got around that a young VW owner worked at this little gas station in a dark part of downtown Savannah (that owner would be me).

His name was Tom.. He's always had busses like Herman until his little one went missing one day... about three years or so ago. It crushed him. He hasn't owned another bus sense.

the mystery of Herman's real parents is one that will probably continue for a long time, if not forever... but this young man is dedicated to finding his little baby. Whether his baby and my little buddy are the same in fact 1970 VW Westy, is truly unknown.

Whatever it takes, he's my little life line i feel like. He's a big part of my life, and I've lost everything else dear to me except for my little buddy and Sal (Gibson j-200). We're going to stick together. No matter what that means.

I look outside sometimes and it seems like little Herman is sad... staring off, almost crying sometimes. I can tell he misses his old friends and wonders about his family. This is a hurt both he and I, shear. It seems weird, but it comforts me to know he understands how i feel, and I understand him. It's funny how sadness can bring two friends together.

I hope to one day again soon be bound by adventure and the wide eyes that we would both shear at what the world had in store for us; but for now, we just sit in the grass together, remember, and maybe let a tear or two fall only where the two of us can see it.

I'm going back to Greenville SC this weekend to relive some old memories and hopefully find closure and healing. I don't know what i'll get into, but Herman will be staying behind. I regret that he can't go. It will be my first trip without him. But he understands.

Life gives us opportunities, and obstacles to hopefully build us up and lead us to the end stronger than we were when we got here.

I love it's crazy twists and turns... even when it's miserable, and i'm freaking out becasue its hard to see what's going on, with each blind curve, I'm just learning more to becontent and just ride. Foccus on what is important, what i can change, and let the rest fall into place.

All We Need is Love.

couch surfing? Absolutely!

http://www.couchsurfing.org/

For all you travlers, this is lagit! check it out! You have to sign up and become a member to really check it out, but I sugest giving it a look. I thought it was pretty awesome and have talked to some firends that have done this and raved about it. I'm gonna give it a shot in the next few months. Let me know what you think and if you have done this, please leave your fb and let us know what you thought about the experience.

May we live life and travel well.
Much love people.

The Professional Drifter

A FREE SPIRIT.

Some of us have it, some of us don't. Some are this way for different reasons; as I presently learned is my own case. "The need for chaotic circumstances" (a book I will shear).

There is a small community of us...

this is a place for that community, or for those of you who admire, aspire, or inquire about the drifter lifestyle.

Some of us ended up here by choice, some of us that's not the case, I used to judge the lifestyle, but however you ended up on the road, there are resources you should know about, and people we met while exploring the road that helped me and John along the way, and people I've met now alone.

I want you guys to tell your stories. Funny, embarrassing, inspiring, or just plane weird.
When posting, know that these stories will possibly be used in the publishing of the book (one day) "a traveler's story".

Post away!

Love Is all You Need

So, again, I'm doing some major recapping. I'll try and stay in place of the time line though.

We spent Christmas in Siler City NC at a dear friend of mines house. He had gone on tour and asked if me and John wanted to house sit for a few months. We saw this as a great opportunity to get some things done, stay in one spot a while and work on the buss. So there we were. Our time there was irreplaceable. It was there John proposed, we laughed, met Mina and her family, went contra dancing for the first time (after which John insisted we have that at our wedding) learned about 'WOOFER' (we decided to do that and go to Hawaii for our honeymoon) and really started to love life. Me and John became really close over the coarse of those four months. We laughed a lot, cried through some things, and I really learned who he was and how much he loved me.

I will never forget that city. I miss it so much. It was where love bloomed for me.

Tony Had family coming down for the holidays, so we needed to spread out for a few weeks. I got a job at Waffle House, and we spent Christmas in one of the older unused cabins on Tony's property, equipped with a wood burning stove to keep us warm. That was fun. Then we rented a hotel for two weeks, where we spent New years.

I will never forget that year. Me and John sat on the bed watching the festivities downtown. Tony gave us a bottle of champagne, and when the clock struck midnight, John popped the top! It went everywhere! We laughed, and I had the best time right there in that little hotel room on the edge of town. John would walk me to work and sit at the Waffle House for hours while talking to regulars and smiling at me.

I got to see snow for the first time for real! Lots of it, and shear that with John. We'd sit on the porch before work, drink coffee and talk, looking at the beautiful bright snow covered garden. He would cook almost every night. He didn't like me to help him. lol I can't cook. He'd simply give me a glass of wine and suggest I keep him company. You couldn't ask for anything more romantic than some of those mornings and nights there at the cabin. I hated my job, but loved this time, and looking back wouldn't change it for the world.

After the holidays and several months of staying in Siler City, our plan was to finally get to TN. We got our tax money back, and were ready to settle down into a place to stay.

Staying in one spot for so many months in Siler City had spoiled us, and we wanted to make life happen for ourselves.

The everyday stresses of the road had stared to wear on John, the job market was difficult in Siler City, and things were getting pretty stressful. We stared to argue and things started to change. We were musicians, and wanted to do that for our living, but had a hard time pursuing the needed open opportunities for lack of resources (Money, Gas Money, and descent transportation). Like I started out saying,

things don't always turn out like you planed.

We didn't make enough money with having to stay at a hotel and take care of some other issues that came up, to buy the parts we needed to fix the bus; so we were running on empty.
I was complaining that things weren't working and John felt the pressure as a man to provide.

So we stared the apartment search online for places in TN and were weeks away from leaving, when we got a call from Glen and Amy in Greeneville SC.

Amy had gotten a great job and new loft apartment in Anderson, so while no one was staying at their Greenville home, they offered to let us come down and stay there. We had talked to Glen about getting some help with a press kit and getting some more recording done so that we would have a demo and website when we went to Nashville; making it ten-thousand times easier to book shows and promote ourselves.

We missed SC, John's family, Easter was coming up, and thought it would be good to stop by before heading to what we would call home for a while, plus the investment now with the help offered, would benefit us when we did get to settle down in TN.

The time line looked right, and we could still get into an apartment by May 1st in TN.

So off we went.

This is the only decision I really regret. I knew in my gut enough was enough and we needed to get settled. But it seemed like a good idea and seeing all our friends down there sounded like fun. We had the time, and when I found out there were some shows Glen had already booked down there if we would just give him the okay, that would pay for the gas money needed and give us an extra boost toward TN leaving us the same or better off in a month. I thought it would be great.

It was, and I believe could have been; but you never can tell or predict what's going to happen.

Greenville was great, but me and John were really fighting a lot. About nothing. Little things and everything. To the point it made it hard to work together. So much hurt started bottling up those last few weeks before we left, then when we got to Greenville, it was all we could do to smile in public. You can't work that way. You can't get things done that way. You can't enjoy life, and make things work out of nothing that way.

We were handed the world there, talked to Glen, he offered to take us on as our booking manager (something I knew he would be great at, and we needed the help desperately), the only kicker was I'd have to let go of Nashville for a while. After much thought, for where we were, what was going on and our options, we were successful in Greenville. It was happening now here. John left it up to me because from the beginning, all I wanted was to get back to Tennessee. I used to live there, loved it there, had memories there, played music there, but it was not there anymore. I was wanting to go back to find and finish a dream I felt I had woken up from to soon. When the fact of the matter was, I was here. Now.

So I agreed. I was happy with my decision, but told John, the only thing was, I had no safety net in Greenville. This was his home town where I was being constantly introduced to all his old friends. Our relationship was very rocky at this point and I needed stability and to know that we would be okay. That is something now one I guess can guarantee. But I had to choose, and I chose to give it all I had. It took all the egs I had in one basket if I wanted to give this a fair shot, so I tossed them in with a hope it would work.

We landed several more shows while in town, set up a recording schedule, put a down payment on an apartment, and allowed our craft to grow. We quickly gained recognition with Glens help and all the support of friends he had introduced us to.

It was like a freight train!

With so much support behind us we started playing every week and had just landed a twice a week gig as the house band for the Oyster Bar on the west end of town making $600.00+ a week, not including side gigs and privet parties. The world was working in our favor, but me and John continued to argue and it was making it hard to enjoy all our success.

Our close friends were being patient with us, seeing where we were going through, tolerating the attitudes they felt when we were in a room together, doing their best to encourage us. On the buisness end of things, our almost manager put a hold on things until John and I could get through some things and get stable. I can't blame him for not wanting to invest into something that may fall apart.

I was feeling the same way. Scared that it could all end just as suddenly as it started.

We were at the top of our game. Just getting finally! To where we had said we wanted to go. Making a living doing what we loved, weeks away from moving into a killer loft downtown, when we had the fight.

It wasn't huge. Nothing we hadn't been through before, it was just the last time.
John left for a few days and went to stay with friends.
I stayed in the empty Greenville house waiting to hear from him.
We went back and fourth a few times, I cried, he talked about how he felt. But it was over. For now at least. I didn't want to give up, but I couldn't stop it. He was done.
Neither of us wanted to loose the success we had managed or the small victories or ground we had gained. But without unity and the two of us working together, it was impossible.

There was so much hurt, I couldn't do it. We tried to continue to work together and played a few more shows, continuing to find new opportunities, but with him going home somewhere else, and me alone now every night, it was hard and eating me up.

Just like any breakup, it can feel like the end of your world. And I felt it was the end of mine. I knew who I was, what I wanted to do, but was hurt as anyone would be.

I was in love.

In love with a man, a dream, an open importunity that we had just barely tasted.

I learned a lot. I had a good time. But I believed what made everything work like it did was the hope we had and the love we had for each other to keep going that made us what we were. That made our music what it was.

Music is passion. Love is passion and commitment.

Love is all you need.

That was all we had.
But when you let the weight of the world choke that out,

you're left with just a hippy bus, and a guitar, and an empty talent.

I am back in Savannah where it all started. No worse for wear, just left with a screaming reaffirmation of what I already knew.

You can gain the whole world, but without love...

... it is all meaningless.

I got the bus, the guitars, the empty dreams I did when I left Savannah. Now I'm back fixing the bus, working at the same job I was before. Living okay. Paying my bills with plenty to spare. Hanging out with the two old friends I used to, wondering why.

I will always come back to love. What loves me back.

I'm investing myself into my love. My passion. The thing that loves me back and makes me feel whole. The thing that gives me enjoyment and happiness. The only love that is still there and will always be there. Wishing it could have worked out differently. But glad for the time I had.

I still haven't let go of my dreams. I'm making the most of the time I have now, saving money, fixing what used to be our bus. It's not so much fun when it's just mine. Waiting for time to heal the hurt, until I can pick up my guitar again and sing. . .

. . . with passion.

Music is passion.

Love is Passion with commitment.

Love is all you need.

Pictures from our stay in NC

A few stories, friends, and Going to NY!

It feels like forever sense I’ve updated this blog and so much has happened. There are so many crazy stories that I want to shear with you.

Like the time we left Anderson SC before we headed up here to Tony’s in Siler City NC, and decided to go camping. It was so much fun, but I had watched ‘Jason” for the first time ever and was so freaked out. On our way up into the mountains our breaks went out on the buss. That was crazy. Thank God John is so resourceful (or insane, I don’t know witch) that he fixed our emergency break and we were able to get to our next destination on that. Now looking back, it was a fun adventure, but definitely not very safe. But what do you do? We were all the way out in the woods with nothing, no phone, and no one to call even if we could find someone. So you fix it, deal with it, and do what you have to do. I enjoyed that trip very much. I almost caught a fish! It was funny though, never really having been in that situation before, after watching that horror movie about camping in the woods that week, there we were; really stuck in the woods! I’m normally not the jumpy type, but I was freaked the heck out!

We have met so many wonderful people on the road, and now that we’ve lighted for a few months in one place, I’m longing to get to Tennessee where we can stay for a while. I’ll miss the freedom I’m sure, but I’m excited to see where the next bend will take us. John wants a dog, and I’m excited to be getting a house soon.
We have been doing a little recording here in Siler City and I’m also eager to shear that with you guys.
Among the great people here is a Bahai family we’ve met. Mina and her family have become dear friends of ours and I am so thankful we met them.
I will probably never forget the adventure we had in Pittsboro NC when just me and Mina were out for a drive and decided to check out the local grave yard that night. It was horrifying! I could swear we saw a grimlon jump out from behind the tomb stone! She grabbed my arm and screeched, “look at that!”. I quickly assured her it was a rabbit and hurried out of there. Corse when we recapped our story to John I told him it was the ugliest little critter I had ever seen; to witch Mina replied, “You lied to me!” Of coarse I did! It was so funny, but she now refuses to go back. I’m in no hurry either; though I may try again someday before we leave.

Our next little adventure is whit Mina this coming weekend. We will be going to New York City. I’m excited, and of course, John hopes to be able to play some poker games if we end up having the money.

We have just started to settle in a bit and I have enjoyed the quiet of being still for a few months. The acreage here is beautiful and our walks down by the river on the property seemed to have calmed our nerves in a lot of ways. I will miss this place, this town.
We went Contra dancing this past weekend. It was Johns first time and he really enjoyed it! I’m so glad he did. He’ll be going back with me! So life is just a little calmer now. I’m enjoying it because it is all about to change again next month. I’ll be glad to be back in Tennessee though.

So, this life is a continuous cercal. It’s amazing to me how it starts and even more interestingly, how it all ends.

This life is filled with patters. Patterns that have been set into motion and will always be in motion; whether we choose to acknowledge them or not.
Think about your first moments in this life….

It all began with an unexpected slap to your ass; and life has been beating us up ever sense.

But most commonly, we confuse where to place the blame.
Our problem isn’t life itself. It is a beautiful thing. Even if you disagree with this positive concept, no one cares. You didn’t have a choice. You were born.
But life’s unexpected turns, highs, and even lows, are not our problem.

I once heard a wise man make reference to the birds when addressing this concept. It’s a common thought, but one few of us truly embrace.

“Look at the birds, how they don’t fret about what they will wear, what they will eat, where they will go or live. And how beautifully they live!”

They trust the existence to take care of them; the laws that are already in motion.

To acquire the art, or better said, the discipline to live in the moment without regret or hesitation can be a powerful thing; possibly the secret to true happiness.

But it goes against our nature. That negative nature that was here from the beginning. The nature of self. Us. Taking care of number one. Worrying about where we will end up. Preparing for our future.

Can one really do that? Another man said, “We make plans like fools, when God decides where we will go”.

Whether I believe in God, or Christ, or Buddha, isn’t the point. There is an undeniable force that is already in motion when we showed up. That is not going to change.

Worry is a powerful thing. It is so harmful. It takes our focus off of the here and now; what we are exploring; to a place somewhere in our future that may or may not exist.

So let us continue to try and comprehend the incomparable. Control the uncontrollable. Dictate the indictable. Fighting until we are out of breath.

Or?

Be.


You will be anyway.

Siler City bound.

So yeah. We're here house sitting in Siler City NC for a while. I miss you guys very much. Hope to be able to call some of you soon. John got out and booked us some shows for the next few days, so things are getting busier. We've met some people and thanks to Mena at the local coffee shop, we're getting plugged in to the downtown sean.

miss you all and hope everyone had a good holiday season.

Greenville Snapshots/ The party

Again, I always feel like by the time I'm able to get on here to type, so much has happenned there's no way I can cover everything. But I'll start this blog entry with saying how much fun we've been having.

~THE AM~

I enjoyed my little treak to the bath room this morning and went to get some breakfast. This is starting to become my favorite time of the day. You guys that know me, are not surprized I'm sure. The perfect start to any day is a book, coffee, and cigarrette. This can sometimes be a task to accomplish while on the road as we are, but the Hamton Inn's chain has been good to me to provide this lugsury. Robust coffee please. John was sleeping in this morning, but I assume he'll meet me up here at the library soon. I had a good breakfast too! Eggs, sausage, inglish muffin and coffee. Mmmm. I'm one happy girl right now. Though it was a bit cold for me today and missty outside, so that made my two mile walking around this morning a little less desirable; but over all, this morning has been a good one. We spent last night with two good friends, Mike and Lexi, (who live accross the street from Geln and Amy who's house we are again staying at) laughing and telling stories of our past week's adventure.

Now with a full belly (something very apriciated at this point in our adventure) I sit down to recap the past few weeks.

Well..... first off, allow me to welcome you to downtown Greenville where we have been spending the most of our time. It is a beautiful city. You can see where we do a lot of our cooking and movie watching in this photo. This big ampa-theater here has been wonderful to us. complete with electric outlate for us to plug in our coffee maker and cook food, charge our DVD player and just curl up and hang out. Not to mention, the acoustics are amazing so we've practiced our instruments here a good bit too. Convienantly located next to the Hamton Inn. Greenville has been good to us.

Okay, well I think I left off with our trip to Ashville. We came back to Greenville to play that privet party I was telling you guys about for Glen and Amy. It was an amazing party. I hope to be getting pictures up here pretty soon just to give you an idea of the grandure, but there is no way that they will even come close to capturing the moment. It was by far the best party I've every been to in my life! And was honored to be a part of it. We showed up a day early to help set up for the following night.
There were 50 freakin' teki-torches! It was beautiful. But gosh, that was a lot of torches! I filled up every one of them with oil and watched John and Glen drive them all into the ground. The 'Stage' for the band was a whole nother ordeal. A large green covered tent, with lights around the top. I think that John and Glen debated for about 45 minutes on how to drape the tapastrys in the top of the tent and around the back. We spend eaqual time on the christmas lights for a large tree in the yard. Three fire pits, a whiskey bar, and here you go guys; a projector with the football game playing all night! Live music, great food, and lots of laughter. It was me and John's first real performance together, and for sure, the best time I've ever had performing. It was magical. I know that sounds cheezy, but it's true! A lot of you guys didn't even know he played hu? People wrote thankyou notes on the sidewalk with chalk and danced. John was something too! At one point during the performance, he took the mic of it's resting place, walked out into the croud a little bit and stood around the fire as he sang a Ray (forgive me for murdering his last name) La-mon-togga song called "Joliean". It was amazing! We also performed a song that Glen had written. He is quite the writer. When we finally crashed, we woke up to everyone the next morning still laughing and drinkinig the left over whiskey at 8AM that morning! We had a leasurly day and didn't even clean a thing untill the following day. We just ate left over chilli, drank beer, snacked, laied in the pit of dispair (a quilted couch covered in blankets that you never want to get out of once in) and watched movies. It was wonderful!

People showed up the next day to help clean up. It was truely a wonderful time.

I feel so lucky to have met these people. Glen, Amy and their next-door neighbors Mike and Lexi, have been so wonderful to us.

Their english friend Mark and wife Linda, had John and myself over a few weeks ago for lobster! Gosh that was good! I'd never had it before. That was so much fun. The girls took me upstairs at some point and deceded to straiten and cut my hair! lol (That's what happens to girls on tequila). It was so much fun and Linda gave ma strait iron!I love those guys! And we have yet to play garrage band!

To the 'cool people, Erric, and Luke, his brother Mark, and Luke's wife Anna. We've enjoyed spending time here with all of you guys so much! Thank you for making Greenville an awesome experience. WE LOVE YOU GUYS! I don't know where this little bus will lead us, but we'll for sure have to re-visit greenville. You guys have made this one of my favorite places ever!

Oh how life is fun!

Yeah, so there are LOTS of details that I'd like to cover... but just dont' have the time to right now.
I just want to give a shout out to the guys I really miss in savannah.



Garrett -I'll call you soon!

Jo- girl or boy?

Grandpa-

---Damn the torpidoes, full speed ahead! Coffee and ciggarrettes are God's gift to the stressed.

Irene Wood

Renee Wood

Maybe Randy..lol

Peggi- We still need to write that book! And I need some councilling!

PENNI!!!!!!!!!!!!

FORD!!!!!!!

Racheal Rosenthal /florida i guess hu?

Dawn and James, really.

Terry (yes the beautiful blond from Gateway)

My family there,

Millisa, Sam, Katie, and the other wonderful ones there. You mean the world to me.\

Shawna! What the hell girl?! lol I know. Glad you found the blog. I freakin' miss you!

Millisa on 48th st. That sounds like a song title. Hm...

and to everyone that I forgot, I really just am that bad. I love and miss you gusy and think about you all offtin. Thanks for all your help and support and I PROMISE! Yes (Dawn lol) I'm getting a phone soon! Really.

Much love,
~Mallory