Here’s what I know – it will be fun to put the Cadillac away for awhile. It’s the amount of energy I continue to spend to keep everything together on the car. When I built it, I got involved in a long and sometimes frustrating process which was much longer than I expected.

I thought I would dream, design, and build a 67 Cadillac powered on vegetable oil in 6 weeks. I began with a $700 car from Wisconsin which was rusted out from below and a broken ’83 Chevy 6.2 diesel truck which I bought for $600.

Long months later, I was on the road.

After bodywork, paint, driveline, rebuilding a motor, tranny, offroad suspension, WVO fuel system, blood sweat and tears.

After more than 7000 miles of travel through Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest and Southwest.

After 3 Cadillac heart transplants and 10 dollars spent on total accommodation.

And you know – I’m glad to leave it.

Here is a quote from my final evaluation at Evergreen State College where I went during this time;

Two years ago I walked into Evergreen asking myself, “How can I build a project promoting peace, understanding and international community?” Now – reflecting back – I can see the steps (and detours) I’ve taken to make it happen, watching my goals (and myself) grow and develop along the way.

The Cadillac has been the continuing focus during a trip it was only intended to be a part. So much of my energy has gone there that I was hoping to put elsewhere.

It’s time to think about some other ways of getting my goals met.

I’m in Los Angeles. This is the first address I’ve had in over a year

Thailand, Alaska, Canada and USA in what might be the world’s slowest trip from Alaska to Argentina.

It feels strange to have someplace I go home to every night. A sense of security perhaps, a knowingness.

I know what bus to take. I know what streets to ride my bike on, and where to turn. This sort of knowing is new to me - I am boy who is used to the not-knowing of where he will sleep when he wakes up in the morning.

Truthfully, I’m loving it here. But I don’t think it is the sense of security or safety which I’m loving.

It’s the kids.

I’m taking classes at the Center for Nonviolent Parenting (CEVEP.org), teaching classes for the Peace Games organization (PeaceGames.org) and have a two-month fellowship at the Western Justice Center Foundation in Pasadena (WesternJustice.org) developing student curriculum for Non-violence and Peer Mediation.

I don’t know how long I will be here. My favorite choices?

Heading south (Mexico and beyond) or Staying here and paying off my college loans and continuing to do peacework with kids.

Whatever happens, I’m trusting it will be just right.

About a week ago I went out to Slab city to hang with the lovely folks of Digihitch as they filmed a documentary film Along the way

The experience was nothing short of wonderful.

Plenty of beauty

and new travel family to share it with.

If you are interested in road culture, keep your eye out for this film. These are the people living the lifestyle where you don’t know exactly where you’ll sleep that night when you wake up in the morning. This is not Hollywood.

I’ve found some sort of crazy faith in the not-knowing too. If travel has given me any sort of education it’s this:

No matter how crazy or tiring or hopeless things seem in the moment, everything always works out.

Here are some more pictures for ya’ll to chew on during your adventures:

How am I here? How am I renting after being practically address-less for years?

Let me tell you, friend; when life falls into my lap I try to accept.

I was surfing (www.Couchsurfing.com) here a few weeks ago, at exactly the same time as one of the renters here was moving out. This was just a few days after I started working with Peacegames.org and it just sort of came out of me. “How would you feel if I moved in?”

And I did. Soon after, more things fell into place.

I’m working with the Western Justice Center April and May to help build a curriculum of non-violence for middle schools.

I’m selling bikes to pay the rent.

After May my plans are anyone’s guess. South? North?

I will continue to set the record I am beginning to covet; slowest travel from Alaska to Argentina by car.

this video is not for kids or those who don’t enjoy vulgarity.

It’s Johnny here. I wanted to let you all know what’s happening;

First, things are going kid-crazy! I’ll be attending the Peer Mediation Invitational put on my the Western Justice Center(click me)

Followed up by offering some teachings on conflict transformation to the kids we label as disabled. This second one will be in a public school – a domain I rarely tread as a boy who began schooling himself at 13.

I intend to be around America for at least a few more months to do similar sorts of things to those outlined above. Just too much interesting stuff here.

I’m blurry, not knowing which way is up and not caring.

I receive this message via CouchSurfing from another traveller I wanted to meet very much but somehow never did, he says;

Hello Johnny, I am now in Kunming (China), go back home
by hitch-hiking quickly. Move 24 Hours, becouse very
hurry I plan to visit South Amerika, but I dont
know when So I’ll write you of course. When I
hitch-hike to Chiang Mai I’ve met some not good
people, that wants to sell me to Korea for work for
20000 bat That so funny. So I move quickly out of
here So different persons I met on the road in a
last days Good luck to you Johnny, see you

And his words tell me exactly why I’m living the life I do.

I travel for moments stranger than fiction.

I travel to know myself - to step into completely different places than the ones I come from.

I travel to smile when I almost get kidnapped and sold off as a slave while hitchinghiking.

I travel to trust… and you know what? Trusting more has never hurt me.

Big greeting to Victor from Belarus as I write this! Thank you for letting me put your words here.

Think about it; at 10 it’s a full 1/10th. In my world it’s already a 25th! No wonder things seem to get faster.

That being said;

I don’t believe in Adults.

“Adult” is a evaluation that has no place in my world. It goes right in the trash along with “should” and “there are some things you just *must* do”

I argue that life is too fun for these sorts of things to be believable.

You could say “Oh, that’s all fine and good, but you *must* eat!

And I would say “I choose to ___ because I want ___”

“I choose to eat because I want to live, and I enjoy being alive.

If I’m not choosing my life - who is?

Oh sister I feel quite fantastic here in Thailand. I’m surrounded by a group of people passionate about the concept of bringing people together instead of dividing them. Most of them are doing all sorts of technical stuff I don’t understand (and you always thought I was nerdy!). I’m playing a bit of the role of grease between the wheels. Clear communication. Honesty and Empathy hanging out for all to see.

It’s really great stuff and I can’t imagine being any place else.

In 6 days I will be in Los Angeles. Will I stay with Miri? I will I stay with aunt Karen? Will I go to long beach and see Victoria? What about the Youth with “NVC” things - will they happen? Craig and sponsorships. Newspapers.

It’s all up.

Just have to see how it settles out.

And you! A Captain’s license? Holy cow girl Could it be possible that you have that before the driver’s license? I’d be very proud to tell others

Well. These are two pretty different environments. The contrast was noticeable, yet they were strangely the same;