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 dramas and discontent as well, both in their families and mine. one thing is for sure, there is no such thing as “normal”.
I'm back in Colorado, and I don't think I quite realized how much I missed the color green. As I left the Sonoran desert and moved into the mountains of Colorado, I felt a salve on my eyes as I came into verdant fields of lush foliage and rushing waters. Snow on the mountains, organic farms, grass growing naturally on the side of the road; heaven! I passed through Creede, CO and saw some old mining buildings that made me think of the labor and danger involved to extract a mineral that society decided was valuable.
I hit Black Canyon of the Gunnison, apparently the country's least visited national park. The road to the bottom of the canyon was so steep my brakes were stinking and smoking. Somewhat terrifying to put your complete faith in a piece of equipment.
I have just a few days of this climate, then I'm moving back into rock and dirt in Utah. My friend Kenny took me up on the idea of meeting me; we booked two AirBnB's in different parts of the state, and we will do day trips to visit geological wonders. Plus, I'm meeting up with another friend I met at the RV gathering in Lake Havasu. Astoundingly, my life is about as social as I could hope for while living in a van and travelling the country!
Tonight, I'm boondocking at Molas Pass, a rest stop south of Silverton, CO in the midst of epic peaks. The elevation is about 11,000, and I'm by myself as the tourists have moved on, the sun sets and the stars begin to sparkle. I felt the need for domestic pleasures tonight; I made banana bread, Indian stir fry with rice, lit incense, turned on my fairy lights and had a martini. I connected with a few friends back home, listened to some chill music and am feeling a nice vibe of contentment.
