Nomadic Cyclist: Thinking About Joining

OK, for one, it has been entirely too long since I have posted.  Sorry about that.

However, I must say that I have been doing quite a lot of research into the USA Nomadic Cyclist lifestyle.  It seems really appealing to me as one who needs to limit herself on what she needs for life.  I am thinking about going on a year tour after I get done with college (frankly, no more then 4 years) of bicycling around the USA and using some skills that I have with a bit if ingenuity, make money along the way to support myself money-wise.  I realize that I first need a job during college, which I hope will not require too much travel for (and local too).  I also realize that the hardest part will be getting everything I need and just leaving.  If everything goes as planned, and if Jesus tarries, then I should be able to get everything I need by the time the four years end to start my one year tour of the USA, then ask God where does he want me to settle, if He wants me to go on tour at all. Its food for thought...

Pros to Nomadic Cyclist Lifestyle:
 - Study Time:  This is a good time to study up and pray up on my Bible.

- Cheaper in the Long-run (or should it be cycle?):  Without a house payment, car insurance, credit cards,and other bills that come with it, you have yourself some extra cash that could be put toward other things, like savings!

- Buying only what you Need:  This can teach me how to use what I have, and not carry anything that I either cannot sell well, or truly do not need to survive.  Keeps me from spending unnecessarily.  I could solve it by collecting the things I like and mailing them to my "address" when the box is full enough, but it would be best to not have any glass stuff....

- EXERCISE!!!:  Lord knows that this near 250 Ib girl needs to get out there and exercise!  I like to bike, so why not do it for a long-term trip?  Bike the pounds off.


-Organization:  I suck at being organized, so I figured that the best way to be is having as few possessions as possible.  Minimalist thinking.


 - People-Skill Level 2/10:  My people-skills suck, and I know it.  Knowing how little I do, this will help me to open up to people (even if I don't like them) and get over my dislike for the masses (hopefully) and have a compassionate heart for the homeless (those who don't have the supplies/money to live nomadicly and self-supporting).

 - Wild Eating:  Having an affinity for bows, arrows, traps and slingshots, this is where I could practice on the road hunting skills.  Stay in a hunting place for a week, and stock up on the wild-meat jerky.
Plus I could sell the skins/bones/meat whenever.  (this gives me an idea for deer sausage.....hmmm...)

 - Good Businesswoman:  If I decide to to sell things right then and there, then I must learn how to bargain.  This will teach me so.

 - Live (Legally) Anywhere!:  Self-explanatory.



Cons to Nomadic Cyclist Lifestyle:
 - Jehovah's World:  When you have lived indoors for pretty much all of your life,  its hard to see beyond those four walls you keep yourself in.  Everything is controlled, and if your family brings in enough income, can have enough to live a comfortable life without ever going outside for more then a few hours to mow the lawn or take care of the garden (if that).  So the world that the Good Lord Jehovah made for human-kind can be brutal, and the elements that make it so will be hard enough as it is to live CONSISTENTLY outdoors.  This is not including the animals I will encounter. That will be one challenge that I hope to overcome.

 - Keeping myself Prioritized:  Having lived in a pretty easy life, priorities have not been my biggest thing.  Making a plan and keeping to it long-term to see is not what I am best at.  This will allow me to do so in time.


 - Keeping in Contact with Family/Friends:  That will be the biggest trouble for me, simply because I really do not care to carry any electronics unless I absolutely have to.  On the other hand, it might not be so bad to have a few things, as snail-mail could be too slow.

 - Physically/Mentally Draining:  I will probably want to go back after a few days, but if I put my stubbornness to good use, then I should persevere. 


 - Food/Money Shortage:  If I am not absolutely stingy on what I buy, then I will not be a good or happy camper.  Have to plan ahead for every possible thing that could happen.  If food gets in low supply, then have to go hunt/fish/buy the food.  BTW, have to find a solar/wind power refrigerator...there is that money thing again....


Honestly, I think that I can do it if I put my mind to it.  Plus I am thinking about asking a friend to join me in this journey across the USA.  She has been wanting to get out of where she is for soooo long, and this will be the perfect way for her to get out.  But I have to tell my ultimatum though: she has to go to college to learn something(s) that can be done on the road traveling.  I will tell her tomorrow when I go down to her place.

Pray that Jehovah lets me go!  Pray that He makes the way for the trip to be successful!

Cool Quote

I just thought that this was interesting from Bleach:

Kimpachi:  .....And anyone who truly loves power, loves to measure that power in battle.
    It’s a simple fact!  The question is, do we fight in order to gain more power or do
    we gain more power in order to fight - I haven’t figured it out yet.


Food for thought....

Looking up things...

For a character that I am writing about has a weapon that is a whip in each hand, so I thought that I would look up the biblical meaning of whip.  Here are the verses that I found on www.biblos.com  in order of books  :
Note: scourge, flogged, and flail are also the same thing as whipping.

Deuteronomy 22:18  ESV
   Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him, 

Joshua 23:13 NIV
   then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.

Judges 8:7  ESV
   So Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”

Job 5:21 , 9:23  KJV
   (5:21) Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
   (9:23) If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

Proverbs 26:3  NIV
   A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

Isaiah 10:26 , 28:15 , 28:18 , 50:6   ESV
   (10:26) And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt.
   (28:15) Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
   (28:18) Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.
   (50:6)  I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.  (NIV)

Nahum 3:2  (KJV)
   The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

Matthew 10:17 , 20:19 , 23:34 , 27:26   (NIV)
   (10:17) "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 
   (20:19)  ....and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" 
   (23:34)  Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
   (27:26)  Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Mark 10:34 ,  13:9  , 15:15   NIV
   (10:34)  who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." 
   (13:9)  "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
   (15:15)  Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Luke 18:33  KJV
   And they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

John 2:15, 19:1   NIV
   (2:15)  So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
   (19:1)  Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

Acts 22:25  NIV
     As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

1 Corinthians 4:21  NIV
   What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

One thing that I noticed is that whenever the whip is mentioned, it always has to deal with punishment.  Most of the time, it births from anger, either righteous or unrighteous.  Judgement is also carried out whenever the whip is mentioned or used.  I also see that it can mean a test, as hinted at in Joshua 23:13, but that I would have to find more information on.

If you do have more info on this matter, let me know in the comments below.

Bleach and Bible

I have said before that I believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and that I am a Christian by practice.  But recently I have been watching Bleach, and I find parallels between the Bible and Bleach.
One that I find interesting is that they use named swords called zanpakuto.  Each zanpakuto can be talked to and have their own "soul" that can be manifested into a physical form in the real world.  This I find interesting.  The Word is often referred to as The Sword of The Spirit for spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12).  The more Word you know, the bigger your sword.  My teacher who told me this gave me this analogy:
   Imagine a butter knife and a cleaver.  Both represent the amount of Word that you know.  Say you have all of your armor on, but what is the thing about it?  It is all defensive.  The Word is your only offensive weapon against Satan.  Now, if your going to go into battle and your sword is like the butter knife, how long do you think you will last?  Yeah sure you have the Shield of Faith, but how are you going to fight back with a butter knife?  So, if you go into battle with a sword like a cleaver, then you can cut down the enemy no problem.
Also knowing the names of Jehovah when you pray is helpful as well so you can ask specific questions and let Him know what you want.  If you pray the Word, Jehovah cannot help but listen to you.
   Now, with a zanpakuto, part of aforementioned analogy applies as well.  If you do not know the name of your sword, then your power is diminished as stated in episode 39. Also working together with your zanpakto is just as important.  Knowing the names of your attacks that you learned from your sword is important as well, as Ichigo's Zangetsu pointed out in episode 55.  It rings like The Word to me, however, I highly doubt that the writer did not intend for this.

   Another thing that is more obvious is the reference to a heaven, hell, and a King.  This is pretty self-explanatory, but a lot of religions mention this.  However, you never see the King and his higher court (my words,  not authors).  That is something that no other religion has.  In Christianity, no one can see the Father, but we can see Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I must testify that I have seen the Holy Spirit in different forms, and I have also seen demons in their various forms.  However, the gift to discern these things not everyone has.  That is a prophetic gift.
I'm sorry, I digressed.
I will have to continue in the next post.  If there are any points that you would like for me to discuss, let me know in the comments below.

Random Google Thing

Ok, I was looking for clothes styles that were immodest of a story I'm writing and another co-writing, and I came across this discussion forum and they were talking about wedding dresses today being aforementioned subject. 
Here is the website    http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=340779
I found it interesting that I agree with them.  Actually, I agree in the fact that a lot of clothes out there are immodest, and I'm only 18 her folks.  If you read the whole page, it sounds like a bunch of old women talking about younger women.  However, I must say this; if you think that having your boobs showing all the time and you complain about men looking at you, change your shirt.

My dad was telling me one of his many stories about when he was in service.  This one was about how all the ladies who went out to tan in bikinis and even more revealing clothes (poor choice of words) were complaining about the passing men looking at them and other things.  Long story short, the head honcho called a meeting and told the ladies flat out to either don't go out at all, put some clothes on, or put up something so they don't look.  Some ladies heeded him, but others continued to go public.
The way he explained it was that they were advertising themselves to guys.  I agree.  The message that guys get when they see a girl's bod in nothing but postage stamps and dental floss, they think "0o0, eye-candy!" or some other perverted thing to put it nicely.  That is how sluts dress, and I personally don't wish to be seen as such.  It's very demeaning for someone to think you as such.  That is why I would like to go into the fashion industry, so I can show people that you can look great without showing skin. 

Ok, rants' over, back to finding gryphon pictures.....

That Time of Year

Well, as the title says, it's that time of year again.  Christmas.  Every time around I have to reflect on things that happened and might happen.  Often I get lost in thought for hours at a time, letting my mind wander in daydream.  Often it's the same thing every year; how old I will be, the responsibilities involved with that age, and just plain old reminiscing. 
     I'll be 18 on December 26, and starting about 2 weeks ago I felt that I didn't want to grow up.  Don't get me wrong, it will be nice to be seen as an adult, but I feel in my spirit that I will be losing something that day from within.  I guess being born in the morning can do that.  Anyway, I think I will be losing my innocence that comes with childhood, that state of mind that you can be open to ideas and trust in people easier.  The trust has been a big issue with me.  So many people have lied to me it's hard to see people in a good light, even my family. 
     But I will be frank and say that I've screwed up pretty bad myself.  Yeah I've lied to people as well, and I don't think lying is a bad thing only if you do it to protect.  Oh, I've done it for selfish reasons as well, no denying it, but who hasn't that's not human? However, it seems that when you are anonymous the truth is easier to say, don't you agree?
     All of these things tend to come to mind at this time.  Thinking about things that you normally wouldn't, as if the people you see will be that last time you see them, and those will be the last thoughts you think, the last meal, smile, hug or laugh.  You relish the good time, because somehow you know that things will be different from then on.  See, this is just my experience, nothing more.  I have always felt that there was always something left undone, but I never know what exactly.  Maybe it's because I have always been on the receiving end of things, and rarely the giver.  That is partially because I don't have a job right now, but maybe also because I had never thought to give unless I knew what they needed.  Being an introverted person, that is hard to do.  Christmas should be the time to loosen up, or at least one would think.  But people whom i usually ignore suddenly come up to me  sets me off in that distrustful mood.  That make me think you want something from me, and not just my friendship, which I do not give out lightly.  I can name only three people for whom I have given my total trust in, two of which I hold in my heart to this day.  Everyone else has yet to prove themselves. 
     So what to do?  Well, enjoy the moment, laugh, and be merry as allowed, and attempt to be cheerful.  I tend to find it hard to make the right reaction when necessary.  So may your thoughts be better then mine this holiday season and Merry Christmas.

This Will BE Short, I Promise!

OK, today I was watching Bleach episode 125, where Ichigo is fighting his Hollow self.  Kenpachi shows up and says to Ichigo, "....And anyone who truly loves power, loves to measure that power in battle.  It’s a simple fact!  The question is, do we fight in order to gain more power or do we gain more power in order to fight; I haven’t figured it out yet. "  I like Kenny for that.  He is straight to the point and doesn't beat around the bush.

Senior Project Finally Done!!!!

Finally! After long hours staying up, worrying, fuming the night before away, I have presented my senior project!!!  Lord knows I was nervous....I about collapsed from relief when I got it done. 
I think the thing that got the judges off guard was that I walked in barefoot.  Actually there were a lot of people who were asking about what my senior project was.  I should have just made a T-shirt saying, "My Senior Project was on Barefoot running vs Shod Running and the Pros and Cons thereof."  It was so annoying to have to say it so much, but I guess the slight fraying helped in the presentation overall.  The first grade I got the first time I presented in front of my teacher (different then The Teacher) was 87.  That was good, but there were some major flaws in my presentation that I fixed before the final one. 
  When I went in front of the judges, I got an overall grade of a 93.  That was better then what I got before, but they still got me on the same thing that lowered my grade in the first place.  I didn't talk about my mentor enough, even though I added some more things about her within the project.

But overall, I think I did good, not just based on the grade, but the fact that they asked questions.  It showed that I got them curious enough to ask in the first place, and that I could answer them according to subject.  One lady asked me If I would be doing barefoot walking or running more often and I said yes.  The other asked if I usually walk the way I came in, and I gave her a brief history about how I had never liked shoes, and how I was right.  I told her that I have walked barefoot in the snow before just recently.  So it was fun and interesting.

Again 2

I forgot to mention on the last entry that I had lost my appetite in the last few days.  I have not had the desire to eat, feeling that I am just wasting my time doing so.  I also have felt that I have lost something, but something that was good, and so I miss it in a way.  I do not remember the last time I felt this way.  Maybe I am just thinking too hard.
I do not know.  maybe that pity party is still not over, or, I have merely become an adult in my way of thinking.  I do not like the idea, considering that I never wanted to grow up in the first place.  But circumstances being what they are, I must. 

Again

     It seems that this has become more of a journal then anything, huh.
Last night, I cried.  Not the way I wanted to of course, but enough to let me let loose some pressure.  I had realized why I was crying and why I wanted to.  The sorrow, the pain, sounds like your usual pity party, right?  For a moment I thought so, but I saw that not only was I crying for my own pain, but for the pain my family has endured from my blood-father.  I call him that in private because that is all he is to me, and because he has wounded all of us to where I want nothing more to do with him.  In many ways I wish that my parents would get a divorce, and the other few people who know what is going on think so as well. 
     My Teacher talks to my mother almost on a daily bases, and they have talked about the marriage.  She is one of the few that knows.  He has become violent in the way he deals with my mother.  Mother told her so.  One morning while sis's and me were getting ready for school, he turned up his music and pulled our mother into their--no, its hers, he sleeps on the couch all the time now--bedroom and proceeded to yell at her for no reason.  I only heard bits and pieces of it, all the while I got them ready for school and sent them out of earshot of what he was saying.  I stayed behind and started to pray.  "If the bus comes before they stop," I told my sisters, "I am staying behind to help mom."  It was spiritual warfare going on in there, and I had to help, so all I did was pray.  I must mention that true praying is quite taxing on ones' spirit, and considering I know how to use my Sword a bit more, I used it.
     However, when I heard the crash in the room, I desperately wanted to call 911.  I prayed all the harder, praying that mom would be alright.  To make the two hours short, I did not have to skip school and call 911, but he still looked like he wanted to do more then break a few things.  I went to school numb, my hands heavy from the spiritual tension.  Numb to whatever wanted to break out of me then.  Numb and unable to function in my usual way that day.  Even my friend somehow knew I wasn't right that whole day.  I was thinking about everything that he did to us for no reason whatsoever.  Some idiot
wanted to mess with me in after school, and he did not know when to quit.  He thought I was messing around with him, when I told him to let go of my jacket.  I warned him, and by then everyone knew to NOT mess with me right then, I was so fed up.  The tutor was wise enough to not let it go any farther and told him to let go.  She heard my tone and knew that I would hurt him mercilessly if I was allowed to continue. 
     All of this pain, blood-father should have just gone into that room himself and yelled at the boy who messed with me.  He does not see for he does not want to see what he is doing to us.  He did it with my older sister, and now he is doing it with us younger three expecting different results.  Insanity.  The Bible says to honor your mother and father.  However, how are you supposed to honor someone whom you have nothing good to say or think about?  That is my dilemma here, along with the struggle to continually forgive him every time he screws up, which seems to be more and more often now. 
You know, come to think of it, he never said a good word about his own father either.  Always death when it came to him.  Funny how you pass on things to your children unintentionally, huh?
     The last entry I put in was about not being able to cry.  I do not know which is scarier, not being able to cry, or crying until my head hurts every night over circumstances I did not wish upon myself or wish to place on anyone else.  I hope that if their is anything that I could do within my power, I could protect my sisters from having to hear and see all what I have.  In many ways I wish I could have stopped him myself.  Ah, but that is a fantasy unless I....no, that would not be right either.  I must do what I can so they do not have to suffer without spilling blood as he has done.

A Tad Off Subject But Important

     A few nights ago, before I could get to the computer, I had felt the need to cry.  Not really over anything, just one of those cries that just lets loose some things that you did not think were needed to let loose. 
Well, I found that I could not cry.
That in itself, for me, was scary.  What kind of person am I, that I do not know how to cry? (thinking about writing a poem for that) Now, I have come to a conclusion for this, and I find it terrifying.  A little history on myself if you will.  My dad had always told me from ever since I could comprehend what he was saying was that I was not to cry unless I was physically dieing, broken, or bleeding.  He never took into account the idea that my emotions were a valid reason to cry.
     And now, years later down the road at age 17, I found I could not cry.  Heck, I couldn't even cry over the fact that I could not.  Well, ok, I shed a few tears, but it terrifies me!  If I cannot cry, what of my other emotions?  Are they so buried that I cannot express them anymore as well?
Sad to say, I am not even crying as I type this up.  I am crying internally, but outwardly I look calm-ish.  But, mostly, I am terrified. 
     I remember many times over the years asking Jehovah why He gave us emotions, because each time I was emotionally hurt by words people had said to me.  I had come to the realization that emotions help us connect.  However, a few nights ago made me wonder if I could connect at all, much less feel the Holy Spirit move.  I must ask Jehovah what exactly all this means....
Worried,

The Blather About Senior Project: Continued

Ok, I have found my charger. (Forgive any spelling errors please, I am typing with one hand while doing this, multi-tasking here).

     The paper part of my senior project is the pros and cons of barefoot running vs shod running and the comparisons thereof.  The physical project part of it is learning how to fix up feet that have been hurt in sports by a teacher at my school, (not real name b/c I don't have permission yet) Mrs. Renbye. Rhymes  with rugby.
     I have not actually gotten to the physical project part because of certain circumstances and timing, but I told myself that I would get it done as soon as I get the paper part set up and sent off. 
     However, most of the information that I have gathered for the paper part is quite interesting to behold.  I find very little on the subject of shoes and what they do to your feet and if they help you at all.  From what I have seen from my observations, they only give protection and all the gadgetry is not needed.  For instance, the arches in the shoes for a certain foot type that I cannot remember at the moment.  Every place that I have researched of people with this in their shoes have said that it hurts them more then it helps them.  T'is no wonder why I have never liked tennis shoes.
     On the other foot, the shoe companies and those who have never stepped outside of their shoes for a whole day out of fear claim that the shoes protect them and give them the comfort that they need. I can see how the whole protection thing comes in, but if my feet hurt from merely walking in shoes for meagerly 5 minutes then there is something wrong.


     Now, to get off subject a little bit, I was never one for tennis shoes, so I might be a little bias to the information about the good of tennis shoes. I would always mention to my mom about how scrunchy the shoes felt on my feet and that they would always become odorous after I had used them.  So my only relief was flip flops.  Awhile ago there was this yahoo news report about this growing trend of barefoot runners and walkers across the nation. The day before I had thought of what I was to do about my senior project. Well, I had decided that I would not do something that I liked as my project. Sports was the number one, so I looked for something in sports that I could cover but not be too taxing on my part.  (go ahead, sports people, go ahead and laugh, because all sports are taxing in some way.)
I thought of swimming, but all of the pools that I knew of were closed already, and I knew that to get a membership at the place down the way was way too much for my budget, so the next one on my list was running.  All you are doing for running is moving your feet at a faster pace then you normally would, right?  One thing about me that one should know is that I am 17 and 220 pounds.  JUST so someone doesn't get the wrong idea, I have a big-boned body, meaning that my bone structure is big to compared to the surrounding flesh.  BUT, I am a bit overweight for my body type.  Back on off-subject, running was the next best thing.  Now I have this thing that I do not run unless I absolutely MUST, so this will be something that is challenging to myself.

So this is where it all leads to, this blog.  Actually I was just getting tired of not speaking and getting my thought straightened out so I could write my paper, so it has helped some. As for the research, I will attempt to get everything up here as far a resources and where I found it and all that.  Gives me a place to keep everything other then on my desktop.  If you have anything via resources, your own experience with the shoes and non shoes, or if your a podiatrist and wish to give your expertise on this matter would be VERY helpful.  No cursing please or I will delete your comment regardless.  Thank you.

Intro to Self, Then Some Blather about Senoir Project

Well, not my first blog, but the first that I am going to keep up this time!  Nekane is my name, as you can see in my profile, and just a senior in high school.

Not everything in my life is all happy-go-lucky, but to complain about it in speech is a waste of words. 

Now that we have that settled, Senior Project is going underway and I have found some very interesting info for my subject, which is barefoot running and shod running pros and cons and comparisons. More on that later when I can find my charger.