Ever wondered why our months are not of equal measure, even though the moon comes around every four weeks or twenty eight days?

Traveling though California; which few would disagree is the hippiest (as in peaced out, and earth lovin’) land on earth, I was bound to come across some new-age concepts (some questionable, others believable) to marvel over. One conversation with a Belgian traveler linked me up to a website which discusses the 13 Moon Calendar… it got me thinking about biodynamic farming.

Biodynamic farmers use planetary rhythms to plant and tend to their crops. Biodynamics is a science of life-forces, recognizing and utilizing the principles of nature. One aspect of nature that biodynamic farmers give great importance to is the movement and presence of the sun, moon, planets and stars and how these changing cosmic forces influence the growth and form of a plant. It’s obvious to see the impact of sun and moon on earth by the experience of different seasons throughout the year, and of course the simple change from day to night. Biodynamic farmers use the moon cycles, for example, to estimate the amount of ground water rising to the surface at Full Moon as well as when extra sap will leak from plants whilst pruning (which also happens around a full moon).

The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted calendar which was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII (hence the calendar name) and started from 15 October 1582. It does not follow the cycle of the moon otherwise we’d have thirteen months in the year instead of the January to December we have now.

The Natural Calendar is a 13 month calendar. Every month is exactly the same, 28 days long. Interestingly in 1931 the International Chamber of Commerce actively supported the use of this calendar as have prominent people like Eastman Kodak and Mahatma Gandhi over the times. Other than making the organic farmers lives simpler it also makes accounting somewhat easier as it would mean that each date would fall on the same day of the week every year.

The Druids, Incans, Mayans, ancient Egyptians, Polynesians and Lakota peoples have all used a 28 day month, 13 moon cycle year calendars to work more in sync with nature. With the proliferation of environmental consciousness amongst the masses and steady increase of organic and biodynamic farming around the work would it be too radical to suggest we change to the Natural Calendar?

I recently stumbled upon an educational talk called Technomadic Lifestyle Workshop. Quite apt considering I’m undertaking a 7 month journey down the Americas, working and writing as I go I am - without realizing it until it was given a name in this workshop – technomad. What is it? Essentially it’s a person traveling or living on the road whilst continuing to work in the ‘real’ world (of business) and all it entails including the technological aspects (which are unavoidable and extremely handy).

The workshop started with a couple describing their journey, Chris and Cherie. Both happen to work in IT and actually met on the road (it so happens before they officially turned to the nomad life). Carrie was a freelancer and her work involved a lot of travel anyway so it was fairly easy to sell her house, adopt a campervan and still keep her clients happy. In fact she didn’t tell them she had ‘moved’ for 6 months – there was no need, she could still meet with them as she’d invoice travelling expenses as she always had.

As a technomad you can easily work full time, especially if you’re hooked up to the internet. The most comfortable and cheapest was to live is in your own campervan; though the initial outlay of buying the portable home will pay off when you’re parked up on a spectacular coastline, sipping iced tea whilst answering your emails.

WIFI and Cellular internet are fairly easy to hook up. Many of the technomads at the workshop also used a system called BGAN which you can use as a satphone (it provides satellite coverage worldwide, better than most traditional cellular networks). It’s a bit like skype, plus you can leave the line open to use instant messenger and communicate with your clients.

From an eco perspective Troy and Carrie say the best way to be a ‘green’ technomad is to build (or adjust) your own vehicle. For example you buy energy efficient appliances (i.e. a top opening fridge is more efficient than a side opening one) and you can install solar panels on your ‘moving home’ to create your own electricity. Some technomads vans run off vegetable oil.

A truly sustainable life is one that not only balances work and play but combines them. The cheaper sustainable life seems also to be paying just to travel – it’s far cheaper than keeping a home and traveling. Naturally, you tend to consume less as everything you buy you must ask ‘does this really matter to me’. As Chris says: ‘you’re not encouraged to collect anymore’ as you just don’t have the space.

If you’d like to learn more about the technomadic solar powered RV lifestyle visit Chris and Cherie’s website.