Coming Down

By sheer coincidence we have a tale this week that is relevant to current events. This week Nathan tells the story of the time when he was a plague carrier. Though the pathogen that causes his illness was once widespread and sometimes deadly, it has been mostly contained in the US in the last decade through immunization. That's encouraging right? So let's all kick back with a bottle of hand sanitizer and enjoy the end of days!

As the northern hemisphere slowly rotates past the equinox into the first fledgling vestiges of springtime, the islands subtly tip toward a climatic shift that is only hinted in the gradual cessation of the daily rain. Our heroes chose to make another move into the wettest segment of the island. Fruit in abundance on the trees, blooms of every size, shape, and color, and people of exceeding friendliness and generosity. One wonders what could have possibly motivated them to leave.

After celebrating Christmas in Haiku, our two intrepid adventurers make their way eastward to the coastal bohemian town of Paia. While camping in the beach side forest there, they discover the joys of Hawaiian gas station grub and the finest jojos in the known universe. Mushrooms, whales, drum circles, and psychedelic-fueled body surfing await in part two of our tropical island getaway.

Hawaii has been called paradise by many. That rings true for our heroes as they embark on a life changing excursion to one of the smaller islands. With no plan and only their wits about them, they sling hippie wares to make a buck, learn the rules of the road when it comes to hitchhiking, and discover just how much ants love honey.

Psychological trauma occurs when one experiences a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms the individual's ability to cope. This causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and hampers their ability to integrate the emotions associated with the experience. In this week's episode, Nathan walks us through the worst night of his life and the messy aftermath.

Another round of hypotheticals with a special guest!

The Ganges River is an incredibly important waterway for India. It provides food and drinking water, a place to bathe and do laundry, a means of transportation and - perhaps most importantly - its banks are an ancient sacred site for several religions. There you can find humans and animals alike descending to the waters amid holy men and hash smokers. Our guest takes the plunge this week in our final chapter.

Navigating the roads of India sounds like a psychedelic nightmare. You must contend with livestock, wild animals, improvised paving, crowds of people and an armada of questionable vehicles operating without rules, all sporting a vivid rainbow of eye catching colors. And our friend is barreling what amounts to a two-stroke tricycle with a canopy directly through all of that mess. It's a miracle that he survived with his sanity intact.

India. Ancient, vast, populous. Home to a kaleidoscopic multitude of creeds, philosophies and ways of life. Just getting there seems like an adventure unto itself, let alone figuring out how to navigate the utterly foreign geography. Throw in a crazy cross country travel plan in questionable vehicles. Now we're in an overseas stoner comedy. In part one, our guest explains how and why he got there and did that.

As a teenager, going to shows is like walking a tightrope with a drunk monkey on your back. The tension between having a good time with your friends and not getting busted for the inevitable debauchery that ensues is very real. Especially when you have to ride in the car with Mom for an hour each way.