Well I've been MIA for the past month. I had to return to Canada to visit family, sort out some financing, renew my van registration, and U.S. visa. It was nice to be home, but it's also always difficult to transition out of the van and into 'normal' reality. I spent most of my time up at my family farm working with my father cutting wood for my uncle's new house and reconnecting to my roots and on some level planning my future.

I have plans to build a farm up on my family land in a few years. And my vision is a hybrid of various visions already out there. I would love it to be an off-grid space with extraordinary greenhouses based on Anna Edey's Solviva concept and design, combined with a space of sustainable learning like the Rocky Mountain Institute, again crossed with an artist retreat for independent artists, and finally a film studio... If you're going to dream, DREAM BIG!

Here are some pics of the land I want to build on. This vision is inspired by my journey; as I'm repeatedly asked the question of how do we move forward, how do we change the way we live, and how do we make choices that work towards a complex but sustainable future.

I have some films that have emerged and entered development during my journey, films that I've serendipitously shot preliminary footage for while out on the road. These films will be industry projects while my next art project will chronicle and document the building of my off-grid farm.

Anyways back to the present.. and having to still make it to Panama and the trials and tribulations that come with this journey.

I was unable to renew my van registration while in Ontario since the van was not present for a clean air inspection. After visiting various inspection centers and talking to officials and coming to this realization I called down to Colorado (where my van was parked) to see if there was any possibility of temporarily registering the vehicle in the U.S. The woman I spoke to assured me that is wasn't a problem so I somewhat relaxed during my flight back down to Colorado. But it all seems a little to simple...

Upon my return to Colorado this past week I began the run around for my new vehicle registration only to discover that the information previously presented to me was in fact false. There is no way to register a Canadian vehicle in the United States without a customs form that would allow this to happen. And for the customs form you require other Environment Protection Agency certificates and inspections... yeah... plus even if all of this did go well I would end up with a six month Colorado registration that would only act as a band aid until I enter Mexico... and this may create issues with U.S. customs who I'm grateful to say have been very supportive of my project up until this point.

So... guess who just flew back from Canada only to have to drive 21hrs back to renew his registration..? Yes.. that unfortunate person is me. And then I have to drive back to continue my seemingly unending cinematic process working my way to Panama. At this point the only solution I've found, is to Breeeeeeeath.

42hrs of driving, roughly $1K in fuel and one tired ass filmmaker... Inhale... Exhale.

My father or brother may fly down to do the drive with me which will create some nice quality bonding time, Moses will prob stay back in Denver with friends, and hopefully it will all be over quickly.

As a good friend of mine likes to say, "Suck it up you're a filmmaker!" and although it will be a tough slog, in the grand scheme of things I am still grateful for a blessed life.

peace,d