silver lining

soo i made it!

sock monkey and i at the new mexico border (we took the scenic route)

i successfully conquered the midwest, was not killed by tornadoes, duststorms, or blizzards, nor mugged, robbed, or run-off the road by a tractor trailer. i cannot say that i really had any real 'hitches'... except for my AAA tow from middle-of-no-where southern colorado (somewhere in the desert between co springs and pueblo), no pun intended. all in all, my one car-incident was minor, after the tow, i was able to get a free examination at jiffy lube, who determined the cost of my car's blown radiator cap (and thus, the problematic release of all of my car's radiator fluid onto I-25) was a mere $6.00. so there, there is a god.

driving into the black mountains, nm

but why am i focusing on the one bad thing, when SO MUCH GOOD has happened on this trip? there is no good place to begin, nor really a good telling of an end of this joyful story of happenstance adventures. highlights: driving through the mountains of west virginia after a fresh snowfall; meeting my godmother for the first time in st. louis; running through forest park in st. louis; gaining appreciation (if not becoming converted) for KU basketball from mamma mahlburg; becoming intoxicated (maybe hallucinatory) by the vast skies of kansas; seeing how well 4-wheel drive really works in colorado snow; a quick foray into my past-life as a denverite--including trips to my favorite neighborhood, washington park, lovely visits with my best friends, snowshoeing in RMNP, and a memorable dinner at city-o-city; waking up to another beautiful morning on sunrise lane with my family in boulder; crossing the new mexico state line; driving through scenic taos and sante-fe (yay for canyons and mountain passes!); trail-running along the sandinas outside alburquerque at embudo canyon; devouring a "christmas" chile burrito; driving through the desert and seeing many a tumbleweed as i harnessed my car's horsepower amidst 40 mph winds; winding through gila national forest at sunset, and seeing the sunset four times as i ascended to higher-living in silver city.

view from the snowshoe trail at wild basin, rocky mountain national park

view of gila national forest from emory pass

here, in silver city, life is made up of nothing but the simplest joys. to imagine a life where you might spend your days in the high desert, hiking, biking, art-making, gardening, and just loving on this earth is what i have appreciated from the mindsets of those whom i have met sofar in silver city.

the chino mine, seen from gomez peak

in silver city it is not unusual to plan your day around hikes and bike-rides, schedule sunset-appreciation daily, hear music from random corners of town, read articles on yogic lessons for the common-man in the local paper, strike-up a passionate conversation about saving the gila river (new mexico's last wild river!) with anyone you pass on the street, shop at your local coop, realize that there are more people living off-the-grid than on it here, get invited to enjoy private hot-springs communities, see dogs at the bar or coffee shop, admire other's prayer flags on front porches, hang your laundry to dry in your back-yard, tell stories of the "monsoon season", and remind yourself that it probably won't rain for three more months. 

view of silver city, nm from gomez peak

an environmental calling card: the choya cactus

here, in silver city, i have so much to learn still, as i have only been here for three days now. but magically, in this short period of time, i have felt more love and kindness from the community here than anywhere i have ever been. for me, the pleasant welcome that i have received from silver city thus far has given me the awareness that i am exactly where i need to be in this world... and even if it is only for a short-time (i already feel a year will be over before i know it), my instincts tell me it is going to be a good time. there are so many opportunities for me to extend myself into the community, learn from the way of life offered here, and appreciate the fullness and richness of the simplest and smallest everyday things. 

as much as i have wandered over the years, i have suddenly have seen my own shadow here in the high-desert sun--i have caught up with my own self, and just like in "peter pan" when peter catches his own shadow and runs into never-never-land, i have yet to discover where this adventure in my own version of 'never-never land' will take me. 

life is just too awesome and weird to tell.