Waking up on a sidestreet in Echo Park, we all ate a generous breakfast of kale with almond butter and lemon dressing, quinoa with fresh made almond milk, trail mix and maka, topped off with home made almond milk in front of a friends house. After running errands, we comfortably piled in the bus and wound our way to San Diego where we were picking up Weldboy, our final buser. We arrived at the airport in great fanfare when our roofrack was just a little to high for the above walkway and we had airport security stopping traffic so we could turn around. Everyone completely gracious and patient with us as Ryan skillfully performed the reverse. People were waving at us in encouragement and support. Soon after, lunchtime hunger set in and Vinicio and I whipped up a delicious meal of persimmons and apples marinated in almond milk, coconut butter, agave and maka sauce and more kale but this time with cucumbers, zuchinni and diced jalapeno, lemon and salt. Early evening setting in, we arrived at Tony’s Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Ted’s house with open arms and complete generosity awaiting to host 18 traveling artists. Little did we know, Grandma Joyce was also hosting her friends for a bridge game. A totally enjoyable mingling of many different generations. After a few last errands were run, we all came together for our first meal as the TEMA family and community. Pinto beans, red wild rice and steamed kale with olive oil and salt satiated us as we sat together on the sleeping platform that Tiki Todd and Carpenter Jeff so beautifully built as their generous donation to our mission. So much generousity and compassion surrounds those who pay it forward. This is only the second day of the incredible journey that lies ahead and so many people have already been touched to pay it forward themselves…..take Patrick, the guy we bought the bus from in Fresno who is using 100% of the bus profit to take himself to Haiti to deliver supplies to a community based organization he works with. This is how we came to be so full of organic food and positivity. Now we all go to sleep parked in a cul de sac full of people who came out and chatted with us in welcome. Completely exhausted yet tireless at the same time…..this is Hannah, going to dream.
