[if you're reading "most recent first" you should read part 1, then read this one]

At the airport in Kona, I resolved to get a rental car. It was a long way to Hilo, and hitchhiking didn't seem as feasible an option here on the Big Island. I called the first company on the first list I saw, and one-way rentals were indeed available. At the counter, I struck up a conversation with Jasmine while she took care of getting me a Jeep. We agreed with each others' basic philosophy of life, that we are exactly where we're supposed to be and the best thing to do is to always look for the positive in our situation and make connections with people. Jasmine already seemed really happy, and for some reason it felt great talking to her.

I left in the Jeep and started driving north, not really wanting to sleep in Kona that night. At first I just started looking around and seeing my environment, looking for perhaps a beach or inn or something. I stopped, plugged my phone into the MP3 player jack on the radio and started rocking to some Crystal Method. I sped up. I was hyped. I yelled my pleasure from the open windows.

High on music and freeway speed and technology, I did something that I probably should not have done. I remembered that I had an Internet-equipped phone and started using it to look for a hotel. At first, I rationalized, I was just looking at the map. Then, I started doing area searches for hotels, then firing up Google and looking up phone numbers and reviews. I started making phone calls. I completely struck out at first, but kept doing it.

Instead of looking for a beach to camp, I turned inland towards where many little hotel icons were glowing on the phone's screen. It was getting dark.

I drove until it was dark and raining and could not get a room by using maps, Internet and telephone. I stopped by a couple of places, but the offices were closed by now. Finally, I realized I had screwed up. Instead of what had worked for me so far- asking people for advice, or keeping my eyes open for a camp site before dark - I'd switched over to a habitual pattern of relying on technology and planning out my life.

In a parking lot next to a gas station, I turned off the phone and put it down, and focused for a moment on being positive and happy. After all, here I was with a nice Jeep and tunes in the middle of Hawaii. I didn't have a room, but so what? I got out of the vehicle and walked towards the gas station. As I walked inside the attached convenience store, an older woman exclaimed, “Oh! Wow! Aren't you that guy from American Idol?” I laughed and struck up a conversation with her and the cashier. I explained my situation to the young lady working the register, making it clear that nothing could really ruin my day, and it wasn't an emergency, but if she could tell me somewhere to sleep where I wouldn't likely be messed with, that would be great. She told me about a park a few blocks away where it was okay to go at night. Saved!

This made me realize something about staying “in the flow” - So far on my trip, I had been keeping my eyes open for opportunity, making contact with people, and keeping a positive attitude, and everything had been working out. But when I tried to make more detailed plans for myself and use the 'net instead of just looking around, I no longer had the advantage of just "feeling out" where to go. I couldn't do both at the same time. And I realized what I had learned: human contact and keeping one's eyes open are key to maintaining the flow. And while technology is good for a lot, like rocking out, it doesn't usually help in achieving this sort of connection with reality.