greetings all, my name is amanda and i am 21 yrs old. i currently go to UC santa cruz, and am a total hippie mama. anyway, i feel like i am stuck at a crossroads in my life. i so desperately need something new. i have known of the rainbow family for quite some time, i would love to go travel and be part of the family, but--1) i don't know anybody and 2) i feel like i can't leave the life i have now. i feel like such a poser sometimes in the way i live my life--i'm dreadlocked, very peaceful and all that jazz, but i feel that being stuck in babylon has made me into a jaded, bitter person. i want to be free. how does one become part of the rainbow family? i feel like i am such a newbie and out of touch with the whole "hippie" lifestyle. i am tired of being hippie once a year when i get to go to my festivals and stuff like that. i don't want to have to be anybody that i am not. how does one quit their life in the "real world" and become a traveling, road person? want to show a sister the ropes? anybody else feel the same way i do? anybody live in santa cruz and want to be my friend? i love all of you, you are all amazing people. much love and power to you all-- ~Amanda Lynn~
I don't have any experience to back me up, but I imagine you just know when you've had enough, and get up and go. You meet people on the way, and live life the way you want to, I guess. I hope everythin' goes weel for you, peace and love from boothy
Hiya sis! There's a ton of Rainbows in Santa Cruz, check the hotline numbers on welcomehome.org welcomehere.org has a calender that should have Santa Cruz potluck and drum circle info. Hope that helps you!
Amanda, You're already part of the Rainbow family...you have a belly button, right? That's all you need. I know that the "Babylon" crap sucks, but people always suck, no matter where you go--mostly because they're stressed out, lonely, scared, and have never known what it feels like to be loved simply for who they are. Rainbow is different, because people decide that they're going to make a conscious effort to be kind to each other...but I'll tell you a secret: you don't have to go to a Rainbow Gathering to find the Rainbow Family. There are a lot of us, here in Santa Cruz--maybe even closer than you think. I'm a student at UCSC, too. I live in Family Student Housing with my husband and my son. We aren't exactly the drum circle/dreadlocked type, but we are very much a part of the Rainbow Family...remember, it's not about how you look, or what kinds of things you do for entertainment, or even what you believe in--it's how you treat other people that really matters. So if you're feeling down, why don't you come hang out with us for a little while? I can tell you more about the Rainbow Gatherings, if you're interested in going, but I think it's really important for you to know that Rainbow is just a song that you carry in your heart, a twinkle in your eye when you smile at a friend, a warm hug from someone you love...does that make sense? Rainbow Gatherings can help you understand what Rainbow is, but they do not make you a Rainbow. You're already a Rainbow...you just have to figure it out for yourself. Again, if you're feeling lonely, you're totally welcome to stop by and say hi. We live in #701...if you walk down the hill from Porter, our house is in the second loop, on the end (closest to you, not to the playground)...so, walk down the hill, past the mailboxes, take your second right, and the house should be immediately to your left. There's usually a stroller parked out front, and there's almost always someone at home. If it's my husband, just tell him that I told you to stop by. --alyce
if it weren't a decision then there wouldn't be anything special about it. you've lived babylon, and you're starting to not just see thru the b.s. but you want something different. definitely check out what the posts above suggest. get to know people. be rainbow. you are rainbow, or you would be very content in babylon.
i have felt this way for a long time, at least 6 years. living in babylon is so frustrating, i need some likeminded souls....thanks for being so supportive, i love you all!
sounds so much like me... i have always wanted to travel, but always felt stuck to the places, people, jobs, school, whatever going on. now i'm 40 with 3 kids and i still yearn to travel. what the hell was i thinkin? why didn't i go? there's nothing material in my life now that was there when i was 21 - everything has changed except my yearning for travel. all those 'things' that were holding me back are gone, over, done. now, i'm tryin to figure out how i can go anyways. lots more luggage when you have 3 kids. some friends stayed with us a couple of weeks last spring, just a stop over on their way walking/backpacking to key west. they came back about a month later, with plans for hiking the appalachian trail. he had been hiking around over 15 years, she was just a newbie with only 3 years of walking. wonder where they are now?
Dear Amanda, lovin' you from West Virginia.. we had a beautiful gathering here in the wonderful hills of the Mountain state this summer next year Colorado... hope to seee you there. I've always wanted to see Santa Cruz and thought a few times about moving there not now I love WV...but I will visit one day soon. Hope you connect with some family soon and you get lots of hugs () . peace, Jahmai
Don't guess or try to anticipate your way in life. Just go with the flow and you'll find yourself somewhere beautiful with complete peace and love Don't give up or give in.
