Day 8: Two new friends, 1 media interview, 1 free housing offer (but not right fit)

Just a quick update today, because I'm feel exhausted:

I did an interview for the Vancouver Sun newspaper yesterday... with two new friends.

The journalist was a match made in heaven. She has a background in economics and was well informed on the gift economy. I'm very grateful to have found her! 

I met Peter, the off-grid genius, who gave me a free car.

We had our first "gift economy group" meeting at the 1000sq ft Vital Health Clinic gifted by the generous CEO Heidi Henderson.  Heidi also offered a free session with one of her practitioners -- an expert in Jelly Fish. (!) I thought we were going to catch a Jelly fish like Spongebob, but it's actually a kind of healing and stretching exercise! Ha ha..

I'm so honoured and grateful to have met such amazing people.

I call Peter the "off-grid genius" because he has another car that runs on vegetable oil from restaurants. Yes, vegetable oil. Not gasoline. He says: "In fact, when Mr. Diesel presented his new engine to the world at the beginning of the 20th century, it ran on....peanut oil!"

He's planning to move to an off-grid intentional community in BC. 

I got an offer for free housing from New Zealand! 

...from a chiropractor doctor who doesn't charge her patients!

A woman named Dr. Valerie Tan read my blog and contacted me to offer me free housing!  She has a a chiropractic practice operating within a gift economy (They don't charge their patients! How cool is that?)  

From their website's "How much does it cost"?: 

"We run a gift economy payment system. This is based on our core values of honesty and respect and we ask that you pay each visit according to 1. your means and 2. the value you place on the service and care we provide. We hope and trust that you will honour this system."

Her offer for free housing was very generous, but unfortunately way too far and wasn't quite the right fit. Too bad I'm too sick to travel. But I decided to help her start her own gift community in Christchurch NZ.  

I'm exhausted in the city. 

Yesterday was the first time I went to Vancouver in almost 3 months! 

I didn't realize how much the city drains my energy.... the noise, the air, ugh. I'm still recovering today. Yet another reason why I need to find housing near nature.

Time to go for another nap....