Blake Rowe Music

The day arrived for Beth and I to part ways, her to the east and me (soon) to the north. We really got to know each other, sharing deep conversations by the campfire, soaking in the warm pond and successfully cooking and baking together in a very tight space. Now I have a new friend, and once again travel alone. Beth collects friends like priceless jewels and maintains regular contact, whereas I tend not to reach out so much. I'd like to be better. If I haven't reached out to you, feel free to reach out to…

I dropped Kenny at the airport, thrilled to have had my first travel companion for a week. We had great conversations, shared meals and beautiful vistas. 
Now I was in SLC, and had coordinated a rendezvous with Beth, a friend I made at the Escapees RV gathering in Lake Havasu. We had been in touch here and there, and we realized she was heading east while I was heading north, so let’s hang out! I’m only beginning to be part of the ever-changing fluidity of the nomad “community”; keeping track of people I…

I knew the road from Ouray to Durango was a beautiful, curvy scenic drive which I didn't want to miss, as I had done it once before with my kids, but I knew nothing of the storied history of the “Million Dollar Highway”. I picked up bits and pieces from historical markers, but finally found this PBS documentary that really added context to the drive. Only in retrospect can I imagine the hundreds of workers exploding the mountainside, the economic boom and bust of silver mining, the expulsions of the Utes…

If you have followed this blog, you know that a big part of the journey is about connecting with people; old friends, friends of friends, and people I meet along the way. Recent days have been about connecting with friends of friends. So the distance is three hours away, who cares? I visited friends of friends Karen and Craig, and Lauren and her friend Kim. Suffice it to say many stories were shared, new connections were made, and I'm reminded how wonderful people are in general. We shared stories of family…

Bandelier cliff dwellings. Roswell. Los Alamos. Georgia O'Keefe. Santa Fe. Taos. Every day brings new impressions, history lessons, museums, scenic vistas and always more miles. Also every day I'm learning new things, I'm very interested, and then retain maybe 2%. It's all grist for the mill.

I had a sad, nostalgic first night in Santa Fe. I was remembering our young family; Julian was two and Sharon was just pregnant with Eva. We had planned to go skiing in Switzerland, but I insisted on a safer vacation…

It seems it's always a 30 hour trip to New Zealand or back, no matter from where you leave or return. I stayed with niece Care and her husband Greg for a few days in Denver, then flew to El Paso, then took Amtrak to Deming. I'm very proud of Care and Greg as they build their lives together. I'll skip the details of Denver and getting to Deming. But one thing to mention, which I sort of already knew, was that the only way to get to the hotel from the train station was to walk four miles. The sidewalk was…

Aotearoa, aka New Zealand, seems to call it’s population inexorably into Nature at every turn; it’s mountains, rivers, lakes are all beckoning to be immersed in and appreciated. After we came out of our four day adventure in Greenstone Caples, the very next day we hiked up Mt Iron in Wānaka. I had checked into my quite luxurious AirBnB, and Eva and Josh moved in as well. Jenn left the following day. I'm so glad to have gotten to know her. 

Other outings: Eva and I had an almost-eventful kayak in Wānaka. We…

This post is “diary style”. I appreciate your patience and interest if it seems a bit long-winded. It's just what I would have written in my journal anyway if I had brought the 1.5lb notebook along..

4/1

The “home” month is over. I’ve been wined, dined, supported and loved by friends every single day. I was with friends on Sharon’s birthday and death day. Aside from needing a “deep cleaning” for my teeth, my skin, colon, eyes and blood are all doing fine.

I left at 8:00am for a 4:00pm flight out of Newark…

Full-Timers refer to stationary living structures rather smugly as “sticks and bricks”. “Home” is a concept. My sticks and bricks structure is occupied by my tenants, but I am still “home”; with my friends, my community, my neighborhood. I don’t need GPS to get around. I know the restaurants. But if I’m being honest, “home” is still in quotes. It is strange, and strangely normal to be here for the month. I did a scheduling blitz before I arrived, and booked every single night with friends and family, except…

It has been a minute. I didn’t want to do a new blog post until my situation changed. Stuck at the Quality Inn in Deming, NM while I awaited the van repair, I had to create a schedule for myself or go crazy with boredom. There was a movie theater, so I saw ALL the movies. I often walked the three miles to La Patrona, a great Mexican restaurant recommended to me by Beth, a friend I met at the Xscapers Bash. But other than that, there was absolutely nothing to do. So my schedule was as follows:

Coffee and…