The Nexus office has been all a-buzz with debate over floatation devices lately. We’re all so enamored with the idea of just drifting out in the ocean for hours and soaking up some sunshine without a care in the world (except that skin cancer us pale-skinned kids are sure to get). Raft options range from the classic brand to the ingenious, cheap kind that drunk college students build.

But that’s not enough. You can’t live on an inflatable raft forever, and you sure as heck can’t fit cats and dogs on your beer float. I’m thinking we need something more like http://ecoble.com/2007/11/18/250000-bottles-amazing-recycled-mexican-island-paradise/. Spiral Island, as it is named by its owner and creator Richie Sowa, is an island that floats entirely on empty plastic bottles. Sowa gathered more than 250,000 bottles for months, bagged them up, hooked them together and built a bamboo and plywood foundation on top of the bottles. He put sand and dirt on top of this and began building his own unattached, floating landmass. The island is so sturdy that shrubbery, vegetable and fruits are able to flourish.

Sowa, who is quite the environmentalist, has built his own washing machine and solar-powered oven on Spiral Island, all from recycled materials. His ultimate goal is to sail away from Mexico and move around the world on his man-made land. He has friends who are more than glad to circumnavigate the world with him: two cats, a dog, two chickens, and a duck, who he claims is the “heart of the island.” See, you were worried about his loneliness for nothing.

Now, the only thing Sowa is missing is a floating beer pong table…oh, and I guess a partner. I call dibs on next game!