Follow Your Bliss

After being given a 0.01% chance of waking from his coma, Louis Torres opened his eyes. Allyson and a couple of other friends very close to Louis stayed in the hospital at his bed side for 2 weeks, being told by the doctors to say their goodbyes because they would never talk to their friend again. Despite all of the odds, Louis woke up. The doctors and nurses even called it a miracle. Louis is on his way to full recovery, given a second chance.

Everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. People from across the country came together to pray for Louis. Love unites us, and shows us that the little things no longer matter. Coming from a small town, people talk, and have drama with each other over the simplest of reasons, mostly just hear say. People care about what others think, and that has to be the worst mental prison to be stuck in. When we come together we can do amazing things. You never know when it could be your time to go, and what a shame it would be to know you wasted your life trying to “fit in”.

“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” – Joseph Campbell

Allyson returned to the Chakra Bus, and we were ready to continue our journey. Camden decided to stay with his family in Alcoa, Tennessee. We miss the amazing people we met there, as well as Camden. He said he would be back in a week, and it has now been two months. I consider the people I met there apart of my family. We got really close to their friend Josh, and all decided that we would invite him to join our bus. Without hesitation, Josh packed his bags, quit his job, and hopped on the bus. We plan on helping him start a new life for himself in the bay area.

Our new member Josh

Goodbye Alcoa!

We left Alcoa, and headed to Wilmington, North Carolina. We spend two weeks, going to the beach everyday. We had barely enough money to make it to our next destination. We mowed a guy’s lawn for forty dollars to help us get to Pennsylvania. We are now here in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania where Allyson’s family is, and where she is from. We knew we would be able to find work here, and we sure did.

Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

Driving the bus one day, Allyson stopped and pointed at a man in front of a house under construction saying, “Hey! I know you.” It was Farley Toothman, the town judge, who also was a good childhood friend of Allyson’s dad, Chuck. Chuck passed away in 2007 and he was a well respected man in Waynesburg. Farley loved our bus, and put us to work the next day. We worked to restore the oldest house in Waynesburg, built in 1828. The walls are made of stone put together with mud. The house originally had dirt floors. We had to seal in all the stone walls to stop it from deteriorating, and build a deck onto the house.

Front Page of the Newspaper

The oldest house in Waynesburg, built in 1828

After a week of hard work, we had no idea what to expect as payment. Farley suprized us with a very generous donation. We also have another job starting Monday to build a retaining wall and we should be set for the rest of the trip. We are now gonna be able to make a couple improvements to our tiny home. I truly believe that Allyson’s father has been guiding her along the way, and helping us come across these jobs.

Farley Toothman with the Bus Crew

“Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” -Joseph Campbell. Just like a snake shedding its skin, in order to grow, there must be a death to the old self. Sometimes unexpected things happen in life, and we must go down a difficult path, but when we stay strong we have the gift of a new perspective. A near death experience, taught not only one man the importance of life, but an entire nation. Being broke in order to learn the value of hard work and money, keeps us humble and appreciative of what we have.

Everyday I learn something new about myself, the people around me, and the world. If I would have never put myself outside of my comfort zone, I would never have got to learn these beautiful lessons. My advice to you, is to take the jump, march to the beat of your own drum, and be unique because you are beautiful the way that you are.

Follow Your Bliss