Becoming a South Dakotan

A few weeks ago I became a resident of South Dakota, officially diminishing my legal ties with the not-so-great state of Illannoy...ahem...Illinois. I arrived exhausted in North Sioux City, South Dakota late at night. North Sioux City is about 2.5 miles over the border from Sioux City, Iowa but all that mattered is that I was IN South Dakota for the night. I decided during the end of 2010 to become a South Dakota resident in order to prepare me for the full-time RV lifestyle. I did my research and decided that for the following reasons becoming a resident of South Dakota would be a respectable option for me(or any full-time nomad for that matter!).

NO state income tax!

48th cheapest state for auto insurance and health insurance!(My car insurance went down $17 per month, over $200 a year!)

$5 title transfer fee

4% sales tax(though I paid NO TAX on my Ford Escort!)

3% excise tax on new vehicles(not that it matters much to me, but still low rate!)

Jury duty ONLY if you are in the state at the time of summons(which I won't be!)

Drivers license renewal every 5 years!

Gun owners registration is $10 and is good for conceal and carry in 23 states!(if I wanted this, which at this time I don't but its still cool that it's that easy to obtain!)

NO pollution emissions, smog testing or vehicle safety inspection, EVER!

Only required to physically be in the state to get your license and to renew it every 5 years!

You may wonder where I acquired an address in order to become a resident. After careful inspection and decision I decided to go with MyDakotaAddress ( www.mydakotaaddress.com ) Mailing Service/Agent. They are a fully legal authorized mailing agent. I give them $10 a month to forward my mail to any place in the world I want, in return they send me my mail and provide me with a full blown legal street address in order to gain a drivers license and legal residency. The only things I needed to provide were to surrender my Illinois drivers license(keep that fucking thing!), a passport(if I had one, which I do), social security card and I had to spend one night in a hotel or campground ANYWHERE in the state of South Dakota. So I decided to stay at the Red Carpet Inn in North Sioux City, SD as aforementioned. The other cool thing is I never had to go to my new hometown of Madison nor did I have to go to that county DMV. I can go ANYWHERE in the state of South Dakota to get my drivers license, I originally was shooting for Sioux Falls but after discovering Vermillion was 150 miles closer(round trip), I decided to get it there instead! Only a total of 30 miles into the southeast corner of the state and about $100 later I was a full blown South Dakota resident! (I had my mailing service mail me the license plates while I was still in Illinois, I forgot to mention that they also handle ALL vehicle registration for me, so when I buy a camper van or RV I won't have to go back, just mail them the paperwork!).

Now that I am a South Dakota resident what does the great(and certainly far greater than Illinois)state of South Dakota expect of me? Aside from coming to the state every 5 years to renew my drivers license? NOTHING!

That's right folks...NADA!

If you are looking for a cheap mailing service in a tax friendly state, if you are about to go full time on the road in your car, RV, van, truck, trailer, on foot or whatever South Dakota is the choice I would recommend! After all, you too could become the next one of only about 810,000 residents that reside in the state. Not to mention being able to say my home state has the Badlands and Black Hills in it is totally an awesome bragging right! Sure beats what I used to be able to say while tied down in corrupt-over taxed Illinois...weve got corn...uhm...more corn...horrible winters..miserable spiritually dead people..high taxes..incredibly corrupt politics...negative energy and oh...Chicago. And what's the worst thing about South Dakota? Probably Wall Drug, but hey I have to find at least one thing to complain about! ;)


Written: Big Bear Lake, California 2011

Coming Full Circle

Monument Valley Vision Quest Leads Back to Sedona in 2011!

When I did my big spiritual journey out West in 2008 I drove right past the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and didn't realize it. In 2009 when I was looking at places in the world I'd like to visit before I die Monument Valley stood tall and spoke loudly unlike any other place had done before since Sedona in 2008. For all of 2009 and 2010 I had wanted to visit Monument Valley with a burning urge inside of me. When I had started preparing to move in with my friend Roz out in California I realized that there was still that incredible urge to head to Monument Valley. I said to myself that no matter what, I would stop at Monument Valley come snow or shine, I'd even sacrifice seeing Sedona again in order to see it. Luckily, because of Monument Valley I was lead to Sedona yet again in 2011. My mother had given me this deck of "Earth Magic" Oracle Cards as a going away gift. In the weeks before leaving Joliet, Illinois to head to California I had asked the Universe to show me what I need to see and to send me what I need, each of the 3 times I pulled the Desert Vision Quest card which has a drawing of Monument Valley on it. I also had Monument Valley on my vision board that I decided to bring back in October-November 2010 and have manifested numerous things off of again already. I went to Monument Valley the first day and arrived at sundown and drove down to a hotel at the southern rim of the valley on a Navajo reservation in Kayenta, Arizona. I was laying in my hotel room debating weather or not I should go back to Monument Valley the next day and drive in the floor seeing as to how I was planning to head down to Flagstaff/Sedona and the Grand Canyon to hang out with a buddy I had met in South Dakota back in 2009, Sara. I asked the Universe again to be sent what I needed and surely enough, I pulled the Desert Vision Quest card again for the 4th time. No coincidences here people, nothing is random. I decided at that moment that I would return to Monument Valley and more than likely skip the Grand Canyon in order to get down to Sedona to hang out with Sara a bit more. The next day I drove back up to MV and headed into the red dirt floor where I took notice to a few signs, such as people from Australia popping up and meeting a teacher I started logically thinking to myself "maybe I'm meant to be a teacher? Maybe I'm supposed to go to Australia?" I wasn't sure. I decided to stop thinking and do what I've been doing for awhile now and ask to be shown what it was I was called to Monument Valley for and immediately I heard a voice tell me "Go to Sedona and see Sara." so of course since this was already in the plan I responded "I'm already going to do that! Why was I REALLY called here?" and again the voice said "Go to Sedona and see Sara.". This time I took it a bit more seriously, I closed my eyes and cleared my energy, meditated neutral thoughts as much as possible and asked once more "Why was I called to Monument Valley? Please send me a sign." and for the 3rd time I heard loud and clear "Go to Sedona and see Sara.". Just as the Monument Valley card came to me in threes along with some other things I had been asked to be shown in the past few months this message came to me for a 3rd and final time. I then knew it was time to return to a place I hadn't been since I lived there in 2008; Sedona. I also knew it was time to reunite with someone I had only briefly met in 2009 but couldn't explain their significance when I started on this new journey in 2011; Sara. Around the time I rolled into Flagstaff/Sedona I began to realize that a shift had been made, that I no longer had to be bound to the person I was back in Illinois, that I no longer had to carry the burdens of anger, rage, sadness, guilt, shame, insecurity, hurt or fear. I had what Wayne Dyer refers to as a "Quantum Moment" and in those moments I realized that I was on a new path and that I had met someone that I could grow with on this path, someone that I could learn a lot from but could also share my discoveries with as well. Since the Monument Valley/Sedona connection I have quickly learned that it's going to take courage to finish this transition, that I came up on this mountain in Big Bear, California not only to see what's next in the valleys below but to see what was next for me, where I wanted to go inside and where I was being called by Spirit. I have overcome many obstacles that have been placed in my path(both self-induced and from outside forces)and have more to face head on with courage. My horoscope tells me that "Change" is my middle name this year and that I should get used to it...Change can be scary and it's taken a lot of nerve for me to up and go 2000 miles away from the world, places and people I've known for 24 years but with courage and my arms wide open to the Universe and all of its blessings, I take my power back, I transform and begin a metamorphosis like no other that I've ever experienced before, I step into the light to become an Earth Angel for a world that is dying and drowning in darkness, I made a CHOICE to no longer serve that darkness. I confronted the things I needed to in order to get to this point where I can begin to walk a clean path. I can finally use all of the lessons I've learned and the teachings of the people I have encountered in the first part of my journey to my advantage and help heal myself and at the same time, the world.....as a song I heard for the first time in a pizzeria back in Joliet in November 2010 said...."Maybe it's time to change..". It certainly is.

Thank You.

-Zachary

Written: Big Bear Lake, California 2011

La Montaña

Up on a mountain top in search of clarity

Left the downward spiral in the flat lands far behind

It's been a challenging ride to climb this mountain

A character building exercise that pays off when you hit the peak

Standing at the top looking down at the places once visited

Alive up on the top of this mountain

I can see in all directions

I can choose to head north, south, east or west from here

I choose to head inward, the rest falls into place after that

Enjoying my victorious climb to the top of this mountain

Thankful to the Universe for providing me with the courage

What better place to reflect on the things below than from up here?


Written: Big Bear Lake, California

Love At First Drive

A while back she called my name
I gave her a try, now she drives me insane
Sometimes she is smooth, other times she is rough
Once in a while she levels with me, always leaving a memory
Her curves are so sexy, I hug them as tight as can be
My heart races and my mind embraces what she provides me
She always gives me a sign to show me the way
I ride her long and hard, regardless of the terrain
Day, night, rain or shine she always fills me up just in time
Because of her I have experienced much
She is my bride to be, the one who best understands me.

Who is she that has taken my heart? Her name is "The Road", she always provides me with a new journey to start.

I give thanks to her for all that she has given. Never once has she ever left me stricken.

..And on she goes, stealing the hearts of other Joes..


Written: Big Bear Lake, California 2011

Taos, Santa Fe & Gallup Occurrences

I had three interesting occurrences today.

#1 Taos, New Mexico. I arrived in Taos to the town square which was full of art museums, gift shops and restaurants. I felt called into a local gift shop, so I went in and started looking around then got to talking with the lady who worked there. She asked where I was from and I told her Joliet, Illinois. She then said "Guess where I was born?" I knew it was Joliet but I entertained her by asking where..surely enough, Joliet. I asked "Saint Joes hospital?!?!" she replied "No, Silver Cross hospital!" Which would have been my next guess, since those are the only two hospitals in Joliet. She also grew up outside of Joliet in Mokena, Illinois..which I spent quite a bit of time in my last few weeks in that area visiting Heidi and also lived in the town between Joliet and Mokena in New Lenox for almost a year.

I also went into another gift shop looking for a Taos patch and a New Mexico Zia bandana. Last night at my hotel I took off my yellow Plymouth Racing t shirt with "Plymouth" written in red and saw how ratty it was getting and how I've been wanting a yellow shirt to replace it for at least 6 months!(Tired of wearing company advertising on my chest), there was a yellow t shirt with red letters that said "Taos" with the Zia logo on it for $8 on sale!

#2 Santa Fe, New Mexico. Met a professional photographer from Aspen, Colorado that worked with me on taking pictures of the cathedral in downtown Santa Fe. Also, bad vibes came in as I was leaving town and I turned around and took a different route at one point. I turned down a side street and there was a 1987 Ford Class B RV camper van, exactly what I wanted..I called on it and the guy said $3,700 or best offer. I've always had luck with 1987 vehicles, always!(Maybe its something to do with my birth year?), Ford is my preferred choice of automobile too. For about 50 miles outside of Santa Fe I kept feeling like maybe I "should have' bought it, considering it was "random" that I turned down a dark side street to turn around and noticed it!

#3. Gallup, New Mexico. Gallup is a negative dump, there's no doubt about it. I've been here 3 times now and can never wait to leave.(Same goes for Albuquerque, both of which I thought I would have avoided on this trip from the look of things...oh well lol, things happen for a reason.)I pulled into Gallup tonight ready to hit the bed for now. I drove past the Days Inn I stayed at here in 2008 and went to a dump next door cause it was $13 cheaper. I checked into the dump for $32 only to feel it incredibly negative, my hairs were standing up when I walked into the room...there were cock roaches and everything, I contemplated sleeping in my car in the cold over sleeping on the bed in that room. My gut said go to the Days Inn and I ignored it..so after an hour of phone calls and contemplating it I attempted to get a refund from the dump(no luck)and checked into the Days Inn for $45. The girl gave me room 202, which is the EXACT same room I stayed in back in 2008 when I first came through here. In 2008 I watched a documentary from 2006 called "Earthlings" it talks about the way animals are used and abused for human benefit, the next morning I woke up and went to Burger King and attempted to put down a hamburger and couldn't. I stopped eating meat the next morning after staying in this hotel, cold turkey(no pun intended! haha)and didn't touch it for roughly 8 months. I've been called back to this room here in 2011, maybe tomorrow I will stop eating meat cold turkey again? Ya never know!

I also find it funny that in 2008 I stayed in the same hotel room twice in Albuquerque which had roaches(yes...I stayed there a second time..guess I didn't learn lol). I've been in probably 250 hotels in my life, some ritzy and some incredibly shitty(blood stains on the floor in one of them)the only time I've seen cock roaches though has been BOTH times at the Crossroads motel in Albuquerque and this shithole next door in Gallup. New Mexico has some beautiful scenery and Taos is nice, the rest of its towns and cities are creepy dirty dustbowls. Santa Fe was a larger scale of Taos, it wasn't too bad but I can't say I enjoyed it much..I wouldn't go back. Gallup is hands down the worst, followed by Albuquerque, Roswell, Carlsbad, Raton, Las Cruces and the list goes on and on. If you plan to visit New Mexico, stay in the mountain towns, they are peaceful! Taos is groovy too!

-New Mexico

2011: A Year of Metamorphosis

Since late 2007 life has brought about more soulful and noteworthy change for me than all the years prior. Why is this? I tapped into it. In 2007 I grew fed up and hit the wall with living in authentically and started getting into alternative healing out of that spawned a deep intuitive draw for me to travel to Sedona, Arizona. In 2008 I took a leap of faith into the unknown by traveling across the United States on a 4 month spiritual journey at the age of 21 that later lead to self discovery, my final destination of that journey? Sedona. Upon returning to my home state of Illinois in the autumn of 2008 I quickly sank into a deep depression filled with apathetic and cynical bitterness. I felt hopeless, lost, powerless and most of all I allowed the world to hurt me with all of it's chaos and insanity. Looking back now I feel that the way I lived my life in 2009 provides me with a great lesson learned on how you can manifest with negativity over and over. I concerned myself with what all of the corporations and Uncle Sam was doing at every and any given moment. I studied the world leaders and corporate criminals, whom were often one and the same for me to put my pain in a direction of those "responsible" for my suffering. I learned looking back that it's the PEOPLE that cause their own suffering, when you tap into your intuition(which is automatically positive)your spirit lifts and soul deepens, you transform and shape shift into something larger than yourself. The world elite do have their horrible influence and have brainwashed many to working on their side but it's the job of the Earth angels(which I believe to be anybody who can influence or help others by looking and moving into their own true nature)to help liberate. Ultimately, there will be revolution IF the PEOPLE truly want it and everything that comes with it(sorry, no inflated ego's allowed)!

2010 unveiled another side of myself to me and has helped mold me and grow me into who I am and who I am becoming. In 2010 I learned about both my ability and inability to give of myself, to be the "heart afraid of breaking" reversed. I also learned a lot about the ability and inability of others to give of themselves and let their heart be exposed. I've learned that living in fear is no way to live and that there is very rarely anything genuine to fear and when it is genuine you generally know how to handle it as it comes about. Through many moments of joy and bliss to many moments of chaos, darkness and pain I have come to where I stand today on the second day of 2011.

I have given and I have taken. I have allowed myself to hurt from the actions of others and I have acted in ways that have provided hurtful situations to others. 2008 was a great time of learning who I was and just touching the tip of the iceberg. 2009 was a great time of learning who I am capable of being when I connect into the darkness and let my logical mind overpower my heart. 2010 was a great time of learning to regain my confidence little by little, to be honest with myself first and foremost and therefore being able to be honest with others and a reminder of what happens when you let your heart guide you and you begin following your intuition, also what happens when you ignore it. 2011 will be a great year of positive change that will come from within. A start of a new chapter in this book of my life that I am the author of. The universe provides the paper and ink, I allow it to flow onto paper in words.

I have loved, I have lost.

I have shared, I have learned.

I have suffered, I have triumphed.

I have given, I have taken.

I have been high, I have been low.

I have lived....and this is just the beginning.


I walk into 2011 with my baggage and lessons learned but I do so with a greater awareness of the responsibility I have to myself and in that Higher Selfishness(different from the majority, ego based selfishness)I hope to gain a better understanding on how to allow my intuitive sixth sense and spiritual power to reveal more of my true nature. Giving without expectation, receiving without being expected to give, living my life unleashed, keeping my heart open, and my mind silent and disciplined enough to listen to what my heart says. which to this day has never guided me in a wrong direction, no matter what the pleasure or pain that has come with it's calling, it has always called me in the right direction of my personal evolution and now metamorphosis.


Here's to 2011 being as important as all the years prior, maybe even more so. I am grateful.

Thank You.


Written: Joliet, Illinois 2011