The Invitation

The Invitation by Oriah


It doesn’t interest me

what you do for a living.

I want to know

what you ache for

and if you dare to dream

of meeting your heart’s longing.



It doesn’t interest me

how old you are.

I want to know

if you will risk

looking like a fool

for love

for your dream

for the adventure of being alive.





It doesn’t interest me

what planets are

squaring your moon...

I want to know

if you have touched

the centre of your own sorrow

if you have been opened

by life’s betrayals

or have become shrivelled and closed

from fear of further pain.





I want to know

if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving to hide it

or fade it

or fix it.





I want to know

if you can be with joy

mine or your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy fill you

to the tips of your fingers and toes

without cautioning us

to be careful

to be realistic

to remember the limitations

of being human.





It doesn’t interest me

if the story you are telling me

is true.

I want to know if you can

disappoint another

to be true to yourself.

If you can bear

the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own soul.

If you can be faithless

and therefore trustworthy.





I want to know if you can see Beauty

even when it is not pretty

every day.

And if you can source your own life

from its presence.





I want to know

if you can live with failure

yours and mine

and still stand at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full moon,

“Yes.”





It doesn’t interest me

to know where you live

or how much money you have.

I want to know if you can get up

after the night of grief and despair

weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the children.





It doesn’t interest me

who you know

or how you came to be here.

I want to know if you will stand

in the centre of the fire

with me

and not shrink back.





It doesn’t interest me

where or what or with whom

you have studied.

I want to know

what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.





I want to know

if you can be alone

with yourself

and if you truly like

the company you keep

in the empty moments.

Update

Opps,
I haven't updated my blog, so much has happened in between the gap. I travelled to Bath, partied in Somerset, spent a week in London, took a ferry to Dublin where I spent a weekend and I am now current in Belfast.

Here at Green & Away

Currently just relaxing in the "Crew Area" where volunteers can grab a couch and chill out. Across from me, a couple speaks in Greek and it is music to the ears. Another is helping a woman construct a pair of pants out of a peice of fabric. Others are reading, napping and drawing.

This small community functions on a harmonious level. People here are constantly happy to help and participate. There is a balance that cannot be mistaken. Those of you that are familiar with Hillside Festival know this feeling well. This is how society should function, this is a way of life.

Central Birmingham Markets

The only thing that sorta sucks about backpacking is that you are easily spotted as a tourists. But atleast I've spotted a few of my fellow backpackers. And there is no question why we're all here in Birmingham; It's hip-happening but not to overwhelming and everything that is exciting is all in close proximatey, all very much revolving around the famous Bull Ring center. And no wonder, the place is basically an disco ball big enough to fit ab shopping mall inside.

The market is a mixture of scents, not always pleasant. I could smell farm manure, fried food and fresh fruits. It's an exciting place, my favourite partbis the burley men yelling at the locals, trying to intimidate them into buying eggs.

Arriving

Departed T.O at approx - 8pm
Arrived Amsterdam approx - 3am
3am Canadian time = 9am NL time

Which means I awoke in the sunshine feeling like I had a terrible sleep and it was still the middle of the night. But my mood quickly lightened as I got my first glance of Mother Ireland.
The home of my heart, The Shire.

Anyways I spent approx 8 hours in the Schiphol airport waiting for my next flight to Birmingham, which is where I am now in a beautiful little hostel (pics later). I'm checking out soon and hanging around Birmingham for a few hours before I head to Worcester, Green&Away destination.

That's it for now.

Leaving the Shire

This is what I will be experiencing tomorrow

Say hello to:

The "Feminine Fanny Pack"

Worn under clothes

as seen below

What does it contain?

Birmingham Central Backpackers

Brimingham Central Backpackers

This is the first hostel experience I will have in Europe. I will arrive here on July 21st. Unfortunately I will have just spent many many long hours on two different airplanes plus a stop in between which I will have glimpsed Amsterdam while waiting for my next flight to Birmingham. I say "unfortunately" because this hostel looks beautiful and I will only have enough time to crash here for the night before I take off for Worcester where Green & Away awaits me.

Green & Away!

Green & Away

I will be Help Exchanging at Green and Away (Worcester) from July 22 to August 12th, I have a feeling I will be sad to say goodbye to this Utopia. During my stay I have the choice to help in the kitchen or in general maintenance. I do believe I will pick the kitchen, but we shall wait to see how my mind feels in the future now. 

My Green & Away Residence?

The Men I Desire?

The Most Delicious Food?

READ HIS SHIRT!!!!

Future Friends?

Hot Showers

It starts with Help Exchange

Help Exchange

Check it out

This is where I began my journey