life can be full of changes.

I went home for a while and will see how travels continue soon + hope to find some time soon to write about my last weeks in north america.

live your life! Viva la vida! VIVA A VIDA

Maria

right now in Albuquerque, New Mexiko!

traveled 2 weeks by myself and now am again together with John

All you need is love – John Lennon

soon comes a new and more detailed post about the last weeks, that were and are filled with adventures!

movies about Gandhi

in German: 3 Sat Dokumentarfilm über das Leben und Wirken von Mahatma Gandhi (Real Player)
http://streams.gandhiserve.org/db/gallery/Video/Productions/Gandhi/Mahatma/German/pg_22_mahatma_100.ram

-> Below in German

“Time is the perception of change. If you don’t notice change you don’t notice time passing.” I don’t know who said that the first time or rather who is popular for having said that, but it impressed me when I heard it. This is exactly what I am living. So many things are happening and one day feels easily like 3 or 4 or 5.

Especially now again. We made it. We finally left. This time towards south.
We are in Olympia and I am exploring the city again. It is the capital of Washington State, for me still pretty small, but there is this atmosphere as if the city would be much bigger. I was pretty impressed by The children’s museum, a wonderful place to offer educational and fun toys to children and let them connect with other kids around. Nice also for the parents, who are playing with their kids, but also can lean back a little bit and connect with other parents around. www.hocm.org.

Adventures are coming. Enjoy your life,
Maria

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Zeit ist die Wahrnehmung von Veraenderung. Wenn du keinen Wandel bemerkst, siehst du nicht wie die Zeit vergeht.” Ich weiss nicht, wer das zuerst gesagt hat oder besser wer dafuer beruehmt ist, es gesagt zu sagen, aber diese Worte haben mich sehr beeindruckt als ich sie hoerte. Das ist genau das, was ich lebe. So viele Dinge passieren und ein Tag fuehlt sich ganz leicht wie 3 oder 4 oder 5 an.

Vor allem nun wieder. Wir haben es geschafft, sind endlich aufgebrochen. Dieses Mal Richtung Sueden. Wir sind in Olympia und ich entdecke die Stadt aufs Neue. Es ist die Hauptstadt von Washington State, fuer mich immer noch recht klein, aber es herrscht eine Atmosphere als waere die Stadt viel groesser. Das Kindermuseum hat mich sehr beeindruckt, ein wundervoller Ort, der Kindern schoene Spielzeuge anbietet, mit denen sie lernen und Spass haben und ein Ort, wo sie andere Kinder in ihrem Alter treffen koennen. Wunderbar auch fuer die Eltern, die mit ihren Kindern spielen, aber auch sich ein bisschen zuruecklehnen koennen und sich mit anderen Eltern austauschen. www.hocm.org

Abenteuer kommen. Geniesse dein Leben,

Maria

~> below in German

We only wanted to stay 1.5 weeks, max. 2, but no! Many little things wanted to be done and organized. Repairing the car, filling form for visa extension, getting a used laptop + + + meeting friends …. and celebrating our birthdays (We both became 25). We went out to the coast and it was wonderful.

   

 

Wir wollten nur 1,5 Wochen, max 2 Wochen bleiben, aber nein! Viele kleine Sachen galt es zu erledigen und zu organisieren. Das Auto reparieren, Formular zu Visaverlaengerung ausfuellen, einen gebrauchten Laptop kriegen + + + Freunde treffen . . . . und unsere Geburtstage feiern (Wir sind beide 25 geworden.) Wir sind an den Pazifik gefahren und es war wundervoll.

further … further … further: Kamloops!

A city full with good atmosphere, lot s of creative energy and very nice people.

Now it was time to drive on vegetable oil again. Since we had left the winter behind us it was easier to use the oil, because it wasn’t too cold anymore.

We started again to visit the restaurants. Got oil from two and even blended the oil with Diesel, just to risk our system less. But when we tried it, we got again warning signs. So, back to Diesel. The mystery of our vegetable oil system problem wanted to be solved in Washington State, Johns home, were we were heading to now.

The Alaskan Highway brought us again over the Rockies. Once we had made that, we had left the winter behind us.

Before the pass we met Christa and Johann, two Germans that had immigrated into Canada 25 years ago. We had heard from them, had even gotten directions to their house and thought just to give it a try, to visit them and to get to know them a bit. It was just amazing how they opened their house for us. First it was of course a surprise, but after introducing ourselves, telling our story a little bit, we talked into the night and were invited to even sleep in their guest room. It felt a little bit like home to me: The food, the way you live, the way you act.

After a warm good bye we continued on our way and made it soon to Prince George.

We had gotten a surprisingly answer from Couchsurfing members and got offered a place to stay. More amazing warm people! A couple, living together with one of their daughters and her son. Art all around.
John took his opportunity to speak to kids about travelling and about building his Cadillac.

I never had been in hot spring before. Now it was my first time. It was very surprising for me to feel how hot the water could be. After becoming red crabs we went further down the road over the Rockies.

The winter was still following us. We met an old men, that had been stranded next to road for 3 hours. He had replaced a tire by his own in the cold, but his batteries were dead after powering his warning lights for so long. He was so happy and relieved when we stopped and could jump start his heavy car, because of having two batteries in our system.

The passage over the Rockies was beautiful. We had a wide view. We saw again many animals. Moose, bears in the snow next to the road and some others.

One day we stopped in Fort St. John, another city on the road, with great thrift stores.
Again I met so many people that had been or still were into drugs/pretty heavy drugs. I was told that Fort St. John was one of the cities, with the highest drug abuse in BC. I know that there must be a big drug scene in Germany, but it wasn’t as obvious for me to see as it was here up in the north. Drugs of all kinds. Many times Meth, Cocaine and Alcohol. Again I asked around for reasons different people found of living these heavy addictions that can destroy you. It is a pretty sad theme for me and it might give it more focus in the future.

It was so exciting to be in the car again. We drove through the winter landscape, recognizing places we had seen already.

We just wanted to stop in Watson Lake to get some few things from the grocery store. When we came back the car didn’t start. Oh, oh. It took us a while to find the electrical connection that made, that the batteries weren’t charging while we were driving. We had to stay one night, but it was so good one:

We met Corrie, a 18-year-old girl, coming from an old native family, being full with energy and being excited to create her own life independently. She worked at the Restaurant where we went to warm up, offered us a bed for the night and shared lots of ideas with us.

I was very amazed by Corrie and sure think many people are, too.