Joshua Tree Part 4

I want to not leave a hole in my trip, in this story, but I also want to keep most of my experiences in these middle days to myself.

It has been quite a profound experience, finding my people. First, coming across the country to a giant conference I have heard about for a few years, longed for, but coming alone, is quite a stretch of my inner self. I came as a step of faith, because I was stirred. Because I just knew that I would feel at home among these people. I knew that being with them would fulfill a need in me.

Forbidden Archaeology Panel at CITD

I struggled to tell people that I was coming to a UFO conference. There are so many ways that the concept of someone believing in UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon is the updated term by the way, as not all objects may be solid objects) have been made into a caricature. We wear tinfoil hats and believe in little green men, what a joke! If something was really happening, don't you think the government would tell us? How could they keep it a secret?..I could go on.

Huge crowds at the biggest venue at CITD, the amphitheater.

However being surrounded by people who believe, who know either because of personal experience or they believe because of research is such a balm for my soul. I don't have to explain anything, try to justify or rationalize in order to have a conversation. I am not judged for what I believe to be true, I am welcomed and invited to add my experiences to the mix.

Live Broadcast of Fade to Black at CITD

I struggle with "woo-woo" aspects of things like this, but the energy here is amazing. Walking around feels like a hug, and if you turn and say something to the person next to you they are happy about that. The entire experience of unity, of shared excitement, has been such a balm for my soul.

Impromptu jam at Faderhouse. I love this because there was impromptu dancing and singing.

Then...there are the Fadernauts. This lovely group of people I found by way of a radio show, and connected with over Twitter, they are just amazing.  It truly is a warm family. Corralled by Jimmy and Rita, these people come together in a really fantastic way.

Fadernaut compound..Jimmy and Rita are in the center in blue.

Last night I was at the Fadercompound for the big party. That was an honor! After sitting there for hours with my women friends, who I really came here to hang out with, the last session was over and cars poured in. I sat at my spot at the table and watched the enlightened, the experienced and the seeking all meld together. I watched speakers playing in impromptu jam sessions, I watched part of a podcast live broadcast going on in the back room. (Shift Happens. Cortana (one of the hosts) has adopted me as one of her mother's. She has many here) I sat and listened with big ears, to the amazing conversations going on around me.

Shift Happens live broadcast

It was FANTASTIC!

I could insert here a list of all of the speakers I chatted with, or eavesdropped on. I could tell you a whose-who list of last night, but I am not going to. I could tell you the stories I heard and the theories tossed around, but I will not. In part because "What happens at the FADERHOUSE stays at the Faderhouse" , but mostly because I was not there as a novice blogger wanting to share that incredible experience with the world. I sort of want to keep that night for myself!

However if you are someone who studies this phenomenon, you might recognize some faces in the crowd of my pictures.

So it is my last day here, and after a "breakfast for lunch" gathering at the diner, I have a workshop to volunteer at. Then, the quiet will descend and I will spend my last night in this lovely room.

Tomorrow the journey home begins. I don't want to make that drive already, and I don't want to leave my people.

Edited to add pictures of that last breakfast with my friends!

Me with Jimmy Church, my favorite podcaster.

 

These are just some of the friends I made!

Joshua Tree Adventure, Part 3 actually in Joshua Tree!

Well at this very moment, I am sitting in a lovely bed. exhausted from the most incredible but overly long day. I am worn out, really aching everywhere but in particular my back. My drive today from Flagstaff Arizona to Joshua Tree CA was 350 miles. That translates to being in the car 7.5 hours. That is a very long time for healthy bodies.

However the challenge of a body that tends to be in pain for no good reason, and doing all you can to mitigate that while stuck in the car for 7.5 hours is really tricky. At rest stops I was the strange woman walking laps around the informational display, and with by butt up in the air as I was stretching my back out in a "downward facing dog" position. I really think that the lack of bad weather (barometric pressure changes hurt!) helped make the eternal drive more tolerable.

I made it to my lovely AirBnB room around 5:30pm. That gave me just enough time to unload my car and gaze wistfully at the bed, then scamper down to the Meditation and Retreat Center for volunteer orientation. A quick glimpse around my home away from home shows me a lovely, peaceful home. It is situated high up on a hill above Joshua Tree, with a view that is pretty impressive. I can sit on a couch under the back porch and watch the stars if I wanted to stay here. It is a lovely place to be. There are 3 other "guests", one couple attending CITD and a woman from Holland here for a Music Festival.

I had originally signed up to volunteer every day of the conference in exchange for a free pass. Then as my trip evolved, and I was working so hard to make it do able  for my body, I woke up to the fact that committing 4 hours each day to "working" could really impact the rest of my experience. Some days that could be all I would be up to doing, and I would spend all of my precious "spoons" on working with nothing left over. So I resigned that position, bought my own pass, but am still scheduled to help with one workshop on Monday as a volunteer.

I really enjoyed connecting with a few people at the training, and having great conversations over the meal we were provided, and am glad that I am still volunteering in a tiny way. I just enjoy being a part of things, and helping with the event I am participating in. It helps me experience it more deeply I realize.

My retreat, at El Corazon del Desierto. 

 Sitting in my bed, this is what I see.
 How can this stay not be transforming?

After the drive, and the training, I returned to my room and really REALLY wanted to crawl into that bed!

However my motivation for driving 1100 miles was not just to attend a conference. I was coming to meet my people!  I am part of a community around a podcast called Fade to Black. (Check out www.JimmyChurchRadio.com ) and this serves as their gathering point each year. I had "friends" messaging me from the bar, telling me that the party would not start until I got there. Well THAT is a new experience for this homebody.

So I bravely drove down to the Joshua Tree Saloon, and walked into a busy bar, hoping I would find my people.  I have to say that I had so much fun, stayed much longer than I anticipated, and I hugged a whole lot of people I was quite happy to be meeting! I was really touched when Rita, sort of the mama bird to the Fadernauts, pulled me aside and told me that she has read my blog.

While sitting in the bar I started chatting with a young couple across from me, who were just traveling through and not attending the conference. When I started telling them about CITD, and another person told them his abduction experience, it was so much fun to watch them discover that not only are there really cool, energetically awesome people all gathered to learn about the UFO phenomenon, but that there is so much to learn about it. Unless you have watched videos, read books and listened to speakers, you are probably quite conditioned to roll your eyes at the mention of UFO's and silly little green men.
They were both really excited, and considering staying in town to attend at least one day of the conference.

I slept the sleep of the exhausted, and let myself sleep in knowing tonight will be a late night too. I am going to get dressed, and go down to the venue to see what the day holds for me!

Today is a good day. A very very good day. I am open to receiving what it brings!

Joshua Tree Part 2

I am officially in new territory now!

My entire day was spent driving. I left my in-laws house around 8:30, and drove until almost 12 hours later. There were some stops to use the restroom, or to walk laps around a Kroger store since it was pouring outside and I needed to move a bit.

I chose a more winding route from Paonia to Flagstaff.( I will later insert a map here) I went south, creeping my way up and down mountains, around valleys and sneaking through small forgotten towns. I traveled through the Uncompahgre National Forest and the San Juan National Forest. I crept past little towns like Ames and Rico, skirting just past Telluride.

Uncompahagre National Park. Driving towards that snow covered peak in the distance.

I had every single weather possibility as well. In fact as a Coloradoan, I appreciated the constant moisture pouring down, but really would have rather not driven through hours of blowing rain, sleet, snow, and gloominess.

This is the light snow I stopped in after 20 minutes near white out conditions. In late May.

I think I observed every possible landscape as well. I started with some mesa type open expanses, moved to near timberline snow covered peaks, back through green lush valleys with small farms tucked in, eventually to the vast openness of the American Southwest. I marveled at miles and miles of what seemed to be just rolling expanses, waves almost, of a sea of rock.( I did not find a safe pull off point to get a picture of that, but it will linger in my mind.) There were endless proud jutting rock sculptures that were named for what they resemble.

I am so curious about geology when driving past pillars such as these.
 Why did it remain when everything around it eroded?

I did not stop to enjoy the different environments as I had planned because as I said, I had rain the entire way. Even when I did stop at Four Corners,  paying my $5 in order to park and then brave the wind and rain to plant my body in that spot. The many vendors were packing up when I arrived, as the wind had just worsened.

Here I lie in 4 states..

It was so windy, and stinging drizzle was hitting my face. But I persisted..

When I had been in the car around 9 hours I really started hating it. I felt like I just could not stand to be driving any longer. I was so tired, my back was so sore from 2 days in the drivers seat. I stopped at a City Market, changed into warm clothes in the bathroom, and then literally walked laps in the store for about 30 minutes, just to be moving. I had planned the long day with many stops to enjoy the outdoors. The weather sure foiled that great intention.

I pulled in to my Flagstaff Motel around 7:45, and was so happy to open the door to my quaint original Route 66 motel room!

I was far more exhausted than in pain. I had worn my TENS unit all day, and used my Yoga Strap back support off and on to get some relief from my back pain. My legs were sure aching, so I did a lot of stretching and walking whenever I stopped. I did have to use my rescue pain medication in the evening, but that is why I brought it along. Thankfully my exhaustion lead to a pretty good nights sleep. That is going to be key in today.

So I am about to drive out of Flagstaff, after finding a good breakfast somewhere. I have about 5 1/2 hours to Joshua Tree. I need to be at a Volunteer Training session at 6, and then to the Joshua Tree Saloon for the pre-conference party with the Fadernauts. (Finally getting to meet online friends!) I need to have steam to keep going far longer than usual. I am hopeful that I can get to my AirBnB in time to lay down for an hour, and that the elevation change and my excitement will carry me when my body is pooped.

So, with a click, here I go!

Joshua Tree Adventure Part 1

I actually started my trip yesterday! I struggled to actually feel like that 6 hour drive stretch was part of the adventure, because I have made that trip so many times over the years. There was nothing new to see, to explore.

However what was new was my ponderings and thoughts. I have not made this drive alone, in the quiet of a car with nothing but my thoughts. I had a really inspiring CD set that a friend made for me, teachings from someone he studied under.

When he handed them to me yesterday morning he asked if I knew what I was moving toward with this trip. I said I think I do. He said that was good, and told me what to listen to first. His teacher focuses a lot on intention, moving towards what you want in your life, instead of whirling about in the business that can take us away from living intentionally. There was a lot of talk about joy, living joyfully in every moment. It really resonated with me.

My drive was spectacular, crossing the Rocky Mountains. I did make myself take some pictures to share, and I stopped and took a long walk along the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon. I suddenly had just an unstoppable need to walk barefoot, to feel the ground under my feet. I know that was about needing to ground myself to the earth, to feel where I was.

Just lovely mountains.

My view with my toes in the grass.

Restored coal coke ovens near Redstone CO.

Coal Coke ovens near Redstone, CO.

A surprise waterfall due to spring runoff. Just lovely!

In the Now Now, Joshua Tree.

   I have been trying to get all of my previous adventures into the blog before starting to write about the trip I am about to take, but it is just not happening!

   I have dreamed of attending a conference, called Contact In The Desert (CITD), for a few years. Around the first of the year Dan really convinced me that I just need to say I am doing it, and intend it. So I immediately started planning, dreaming, and whittling down.

   This trip, with so much time to think, has really evolved greatly. In fact it is my greatest adventure yet, not only the coming trip itself, but the process of thinking and choosing carefully what to implement to be most successful.

   The dream started as: I would create a slightly elevated platform (in the back of my Ford Escape) in order to create a flat surface, and work to make a comfortable bed that would travel with me. (This is something I have been wanting to do, in order to be able to camp again, and take inexpensive trips. More on this in another post) I would "car camp" my way, driving the roughly 1000 miles from my Colorado home to Joshua Tree. My reasoning was that this would really help me, because I could stop at any point in my drive and lay down for a while. I could pace myself well, with naps if needed. I would of course sleep at night in my snuggly nest. I could set up a cute "glamping" campsite as my home base and have a blast.

   Because I volunteered at the conference I would have a free campsite there at the beautiful California desert Joshua Tree Retreat Center, where the event is held.  (I volunteered initially because I enjoy it, and I would have a built in way to connect with others, but it comes with a free pass, 1 meal and campsite) In my whirling mind I was being entirely reasonable, sensible. I was working hard to figure out how to sleep well and be gentle with my body while fulfilling a huge dream and saving money! 

The dream could be entirely sensible if it was not entirely enmeshed with 4 days of a fantastic content filled conference and hoping to socialize a lot too.

   Around the time the conference schedule was posted, and I was then signing up for my volunteer shifts of 4 hours each day at the registration table, I started to see the immense disaster I was setting myself up for.  If I "worked" 4 hours each day, I will likely be pretty wiped out as I am the 2 mornings I work with seniors.
The chatter in my head got pretty loud! "Would I be able to actually attend any of the workshops or sit in on panel discussions or movie screenings after my shift? Well, if I get a good nap in the afternoon I might...how am I going to nap in my car, in the desert, in the afternoon? Will I even get any restorative sleep at night camping in my car? What will I do when I am curled up in pain from not sleeping well for days and having to keep going? How will I weather that flair in the back of a hot car? Then having anything left available to socialize, and be a part of some of the planned fun the group of online friends I get to meet would be the last thing possible. Why am I going?"

   Really, what is this adventure about? I remember trying to really think about my intentions. I felt really called to this conference, so why was setting myself up to not actually be able to not even have access to the experiences and people I am supposed to?  I had flipped the priorities and it was breaking me. I would pour all of myself into the least fulfilling pieces, just hoping there would be a little of me to spill over to what could really be life changing.

   So the trip that I will be on in one week looks so very different!

I am driving to California over 3 days. (So I can stop and move, or close my eyes. I can see things, be a little curious, and make those 3 days part of the journey and not just travel to "the event".

I am sleeping in real beds, in real rooms, the entire trip. A combination of generous family, motel rooms and in Joshua Tree a lovely AirBnB room will be my resting places.

I bought a pass to CITD, though I am still going to the Thursday night volunteer training, helping with a workshop on Monday (which I wanted to attend, so now it is free) and I will let them know if I feel up to helping for an hour or two here or there. Mostly I am an "honorary volunteer". I now no longer have the worry of not being able to fulfill my commitments, which is an aspect of chronic illness that frustrates me most. Now I can put all of my energy each day towards the experiences I will get the most out of.

This trip, this journey, is really feeling like a huge lesson in setting my intentions. There is an aspect of it that feels like I am also moving towards something really important, that this is going to be a journey that changes me, evolves me.

Will you come along?


 

I'm leaving, on a jet plane..flying.

                                                                     Wow, departure day really came fast,

since I only

 had a few

 weeks to

 get ready!

Let's start this chat talking about flying, and what not to do that I have done:

Unfortunately, because the NYC plan was hatched so suddenly, airfare was pretty pricey. I absolutely encourage you to get airplane tickets as far ahead as possible. 

We have been really lucky finding low prices by looking early, and selling our soul to one airline so we could accrue loyalty rewards. I think we picked up our Frontier credit card on our first trip to San Diego. We use that card consciously, almost exclusively to pay for travel, or strategic large purchases. We then pay it off right way and earn air miles for money spent. We have been able to find some really fantastic fares, often at a departure time we choose.

I encourage you to do some research on airlines before you settle down, or get one of the cards out there now that lets you use your miles on many different airlines. When we got ours we traveled rarely, and were not super experienced. Cheap was really most important in truth. However at this point Frontier has so many different fees, the seats are so tucked in there they took away the ability to lean back at all, so the seat is absolutely wrong for my body and very painful to sit in upright for hours with limited movement. I am not sure I can continue to fly on this airline for that reason alone.

At one point we traveled and I was not strong at all. I called ahead and arranged to have a wheelchair transport to help me get to my gate, trying to save my energy reserves for the rest of the trip. Weeks ahead I made arrangements. We arrived when told, then waited a really long time for the person with the chair, making us nearly late for our flight. The bonus is that the attendant bypassed all security lines and then waited while we went right through screening. We made it too late for the early boarding for those who need extra time, however I later realized that getting on the plane early just means you sit in those seats longer. 

So back to that afternoon in early November. Because my trip was such a last minute surprise my flight times were about as awful as they could be for me. I departed Denver at 4:40pm, arriving in NYC at 10pm. I am often out of steam by 2pm! My return flight was even later, so I drove to the airport and parked instead of making Dan collect me after midnight. Thankfully I was on a stretch of feeling pretty good, and moving to a lower altitude seems to always mean a break for my body and a bit more energy with little less pain, potentially.

My friend thankfully said my best bet, late and tired, was to hire a car from the airport in NYC. So I called a car company she likes. It was curbside pickup, not someone standing holding a sign with my name, but it still felt pretty fancy to me! The ride was fantastic, absolutely a perfect start. I flew into Laguardia, which meant I drove from one end of Brooklyn to the other. I went right past the brightly lit up skyline of Manhattan, and could pick out familiar landmarks.

 The big long bridges, the blackness of the water with the lights of ferry traffic. The Statue of Liberty from far across the water stood greeting me just like she greeting my ancestors coming to Ellis Island. (which I knew was right near that statue..). I looked and looked with such excitement that I can't quite express it!

The driver was just perfect as well. He was a Muslim man from Pakistan who had been in the USA for many years, raising 3 daughters with his wife. It was interesting to ask about how he was feeling being here, with the 2016 Presidential elections just days away. 2 of his daughters have married and returned to Pakistan, where they feel more comfortable. He was so very welcoming of me, proud of this city he has come to love. I am sad that he does not always feel as welcomed.

He helped me find the building I was staying in, and get my bags to the door, and suddenly I was quite on my own in NYC. 

 I entered the lobby and could not for the life of me find the elevator. There was one door that looked every so slightly different from the rest of them, but it was the same size and color. I finally noticed the buttons to the left of the door and the lack of a number. It opens and reveals a large closet sized elevator. Those are the sorts of details I love, and find so fascinating about travel. Well, about life in general. 

My hostess had carefully given details on finding this magical little elevator(which I forgot), along with every aspect of her house, her cats, and epic tips on how to get around the city and not be a dork or unsafe. She also left me her metro cards, a gift certificate for acupuncture and some other things. 

As you can imagine, I was pretty jazzed to be there, quite exhausted, and hurting a bit. So I set about trying to settle in, in the City that Never Sleeps I was supposed to sleep, when sleeping in general is really challenging for me!

New York, New York!

I actually stood on the Brooklyn bridge, by myself (surrounded by millions of course) and watched the lights of Manhattan turn on. How spectacularly magic and breathtaking that was.

However I should back up a little. I was suddenly given an opportunity to spend 8 days in NYC in November 2016. A friend would be out of town, and I could stay in her Brooklyn apartment, take care of her 2 cats, and explore as much as my body let me. Then we could spend a few days together when she got home. WIN!

Dan had talked it through with me, and encouraged me that even if I got there, and spent a week laying around in my pj's, watching cable tv, playing with her cats and ordering takeout, it would be a great adventure. I jumped at the opportunity, trying to cautiously dream big while keeping my options entirely open and feeling like whatever it was, it would be just what it was supposed to be.

It was so dizzying to read about what I could see and do, after a lifetime of longing to explore this magical history filled city. My budget was very little, so I was trying to focus on experiences. In fact I was reflecting on my journal to write this, and found my list of "Things I can actually do in NYC". It was a list written with a sense of awareness of my limitations while still dreaming.  I had crossed off "do" and added "experience".

 However by the time I left, I had really boiled it down (mentally) to a few things that I felt were entirely achievable and would leave me feeling wholly fulfilled by my journey.

Walk on the Brooklyn Bridge

Figure out the subway(bonus people watching)

Ride a tour bus around Manhattan

Get to know the Brooklyn neighborhood I was visiting. (shop there, eat there)

Spend time with my friend. (well, and her cats of course)

Many people have marveled that I was not afraid to go to NYC alone. The truth is about the exact opposite! I was excited by the opportunity to be alone with myself, with my thoughts. I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable, in spite of how fragile I feel sometimes. I wanted to have reasons to initiate conversations with strangers. I had taken on another country, with a giant city (with subways that I conquered) where I did not speak the language. I wanted to feel like that bold adventurer again. To pick up where I had left off.

There is also a fair amount of guilt wrapped up in days I can't function very well, lost to pain or fatigue. I am the wildcard who will probably flake on those evening plans, or even plans at all. I am not always dependable, not always ready to go explore. That long walk you wanted to take, well cut it in half and maybe I could do it. Having the luxury, the wonderful guiltless extravagance, of just doing what I want, when I want, without anyone else being disappointed, was so luxurious. Guilt free, self centered care centered adventuring. In NYC even!

I will do a blog post at a later date about my travel journal system, which is pretty much "Stick up ephemera you want to save and jot a few thoughts" and BAM! You have a lovely way to remember your trip, day by day. Not intimidating, not overly fussy, and just such a handy way to make it easy in the moment.

Stay tuned to read more about the trip!

Traveling Training Wheels

I have always wanted to see the world. I spent my senior year living in Mexico as an exchange student. I was disappointed that it was not Italy as was first planned, because getting to Europe was my dream. However learning to love the Mexican people and becoming a functional Spanish speaker has benefited me both personally and professionally my entire life. I would love to return to Mexico, and explore other Central and South American countries, and finally get to Europe. If I was healthy and money was no option, I would have a passport booklet full of stamps.

 I was such a young adult when I had my first baby. My ability to be a young wanderer was happily set aside for motherhood, which I loved. Having 3 children was an adventure all its own, but it comes with some sacrifices. Financially, travel ends up on the “someday” list, and taking 5 people somewhere is pricey. We did things like camp at Mesa Verde, attend family reunions in Kansas or visit family in West Yellowstone, getting to explore the park.

 In more recent years we have had opportunities to travel with our youngest, or just my husband and I, which served as a foundation for me to figure out how to travel successfully while managing my chronic pain and fatigue.

  2009 San Diego, CA. 3 days. Loved the climate, pain was more moderate. While Dan and Josh went to LegoLand, I rode a Hop-on Hop-off tour bus around town, and realized that bus tours are fantastic for me. Was pooped when we got home, but not in a flair.

Imagine napping with this as your view.

  2012 San Diego CA. 4 days for a wedding. I had less down time to rest than I really needed. Worst lesson was spending last day without a place for me to land and rest. We checked out of hotel, went to a family brunch, toured the USS Midway, which is walking, and then went to lunch, and then to the airport. I honestly spent most of that flight in tears. Dan quietly asked a flight attendant to arrange a wheelchair at the gate, and we were the last ones off. I sobbed my way up the aisle.

This carpet is the first sign you make it to Portland.

Newport, OR

 
Corvallis, OR, and Oregon Coast 2014. We were visiting while considering a relocation, so it was a combination of job interview, exploration of the area, and a side trip to the coast because it was so close. I found this climate to feel great in my body as well. I was able to rest a bit more on this trip, go at my own pace. I do remember the last day of the trip being difficult because again, I had no place to land to rest and we were flying out in the evening. We did end up using Google to find a coffee shop with couches for us to spend a couple of hours at before we got on the plane, but my pain did get quite amped up, and the airplane ride home was really difficult.(I believe we also had seats that did not recline those few inches, meaning the seat is all wrong for me) This trip I also discovered how awesome a chair massage in the airport is before getting on the plane.

Public art, in Portland

 

  Portland, OR 2015- This trip was for a writing conference my husband was attending, and a chance to explore a city we had just gotten a taste of. We decided not to rent a car, and instead use the plentiful public transportation available in Portland. What I did not really think about ahead of time was how much walking you have to do in order to use public transportation. Especially challenging was trying not to overdo it so I had enough steam to get myself home. I had to plan walking to a bus stop, waiting, riding(never a quick ride), and then walking more. I did give myself a “lay around and read” day in the middle, which was very valuable in the long run. It helped me feel good enough to borrow a bike and ride it around Portland for a little while, which may be my favorite memory. This was our first AirBnB experience, and while the particular place we chose was a bit more “2 buddies who need a place to crash” and less “2 adults getting away without kids”, we loved the experience of it. It made me realize that because I need more than just a spot to crash, I need to be good about choosing a place to stay that meets all of my needs and isn’t only cheap.

Rockaway Beach Reflections

My crew and support team

 

  Portland and Rockaway Beach, OR. Clearly we have a strong love of Oregon! This trip was special, because we took all 3 of our kids (2 of whom are out of the house) and made some great memories, had first experiences, and introduced them to the area we hope to move to eventually. We rented a car because with 5 people it was easier. We spent 2 nights in Portland, in a fantastic basement apartment we found on AirBnB. Then we drove to the coast for 2 more wonderful nights in an home right on the beach. (AirBnB) On that travel day we chose our route in order to go by a lighthouse. It ended up being about .5 mile walk from parking, all downhill. I kept thinking I should turn around, but no, I ignored my instincts. The walk back up was quite difficult. However even worse was the terrible pain my calves were in the following day. I have never experienced that sort of debilitating spasm,and I could barely walk. Our “home” had steep stairs, and to get down to the beach were even steeper stairs. I missed out on any time scavenging after the tide went out because I couldn’t get down to the beach. That made me recognize that I really have to make a priority list for myself when I travel. If I had thought ahead I would have absolutely saved spoons for the beach!

That sums up my "training wheel" adventures. Next up will be my awesome November dream trip to NYC! I rocked that city.