Winter is Approaching. What!

House!

Just moved into an adorable house with all the essentials- good friends, a porch, a garden and a spacious kitchen. I said goodbye to my home in sugarhouse, thankful for its introduction to Salt Lake City. I cannot say that I will miss the drainage issues, unsocial roommates and hostel-like feel of a place that was more a storage unit than a home. 

I am overjoyed to be with Emily, Alicia, and Chynna in a house that welcomes soup nights, evening fires and an open wood floor that is perfect for dancing. 

The library!

Santa Claus at the local thrift store. 

Taking the trax to visit my long time life friend Allison north of Salt Lake. Super fun hanging with her and her cousin at her house warming party!

It's the Little Things

I am reminded this week that the best moments, the most meaningful intentions are those that we own for ourselves. I have been exposed to a plethora of different "ways of being" this summer from adventurous people that inspire me with their endless energy to push themselves and see new experiences and their quirky, off the wall personalities. From the start of my position, I found myself looking to all these amazing people to name my dream for me as they discussed their plans for adventure and where to go next. While the excited chatter circling my mental landscape was admirable to witness, it left me unsettled. Where did I fit? Where did I want to go?

After three months of pooping in the woods, being called every horrible name you could think of, sharing laughter over delicious soup, exhausting days and climbing rocks, I have found the gumption to claim it for myself. What does that look like you ask? 

Well, it looks like vibrance. It looks like spliting off to create my own adventure. It might even look like riding a greyhound bus to Durango. It could be re-commiting to a gluten and sugar free diet, both on and off trail. Perhaps it is spending a night writing many overdue letters and words of encouragement. It just might even be a dance party in my room. 

Whatever shape it takes, it boils down to the feeling that comes from small successes happening over and over in different areas. Small successes are what we have to put into practice each day in any which way. I rejoice in them. I reclaim myself. I restore a sense of being centered in myself, in god. 

Transience

Transience is the name of the game. On trail. Off trail. On trail. Off trail. New faces, interactions and experiences every which way. It is a tug of war between living in the present and playing catch up with time. 

My last off shift, my friend Alicia was guest cook at my house for soup night. The soup, her family recipe called "Zoopa Soupa", was a hit. Not a trace of it left by the end of the night. These special gatherings are a testament to the notion that you CAN eat soup in the summer. 

I also went canyoneering for the first time in Escalante National Park. 

After another interesting week on trail, I made my way back to Virginia. My family welcomed me at the beach with a crabfest and dance party. 

All Over

Third bi-monthly soup party! We had taco  soup that turned out to be a hit. These are the nights that make me feel most at home. Meet Chynna and Addison below. And Aaron and Alicia. 

 Causey reservoir for cliff jumping and slack-lining over water. Craziness. 

Meet Emily with a mouthful of cherries!

...and rainbow gathering. Aka hippie central. Nothing like the travelers that make trail life a full time gig. 

Amidst all the adventure, Utah seems to be piecing itself together for me a bit at a time. It just lies to me to slow down to take it all in as it comes gradually as well as overwhelmingly fast. 

On Trail

Coming out of my third week on trail, I can conclude that time is a weird warp in this wilderness gig. It is quite similar to my bike trip, but now the timeless existence of living moment to moment, of confusing the days and memories that are all going faster than one could handle is mashed into an attempt to make it s regulated lifestyle. With that I remember with joy one of the Six Truths of Life as coined by Liz Coates, Allison Wickham and Lisbeth Rasmussen, which is: There is No such thing as time, there is only the Eternal Moment of Now. Duh. 

Over the course of my first three trail weeks, I have been successfully made fun of for being a walking mess with the worst pack system Utah has ever seen with a backpack too small, a daypack too big and a food bag dragging my arm to the ground. Today I shout a big hallelujah for the two new packs I bought today with the help of my Guide Buddy Chynna that should remedy my pack annoyance. Most importantly, one of them is hot pink. 

Other notable moments so far-

-a student accused me of stalking him. My response: Well, yes. I am your guide who is paid to literally make sure you never leave my sight. 

-a student half succeeded with licking my arm for the fun of it. This same student also managed to spray her toothpaste spit all over me in effort to demonstrate her improved skills. 

-I used lines from the snail movie Turbo to motivate a student to mountain bike after FIVE hours of refusing to cooperate

-I carved a tiny mini wooden spoon-WHAT

-A 2-3 hour planned activity turned into a 20 hour day that included strenuous exertion and going ten hours before eating a meal. Talk about stamina building 

Otherwise, my focus has been to take the opportunities as they come and find some calm in the chaos that has ensued upon my life. 

Last but not least of this year long post, about two weeks ago my bicycle was stolen on a Sunday night before I went on trail the next morning. My Immediate reaction: Shock. Heart break. Loss. Confusion. Independence gone. Freedom of riding taken away. 

After sitting with it a bit, I appreciate my bike for all that it taught me, the freedom it provided for me and the sheer amount of sweat, emotion and empowerment that I poured into my bike. I have skills I would not otherwise have. I say farewell and thank you to my surly disk trucker with hot pink handlebar tape knowing that the partnership and experiences will always stay with me. Thank you to my family who acknowledged and know how much my bike and the loss of it mean to me. 

A photo taken whole touring Park City with my adopted SLC mom named Liz and her daughter. Met them at a yard sale one fine Saturday morning. 

Xavier Rudd concert. The man has the lungs of a superhuman. Powerful presence. 

A bowl being carved in the works by one of my amazing co-guides on trail at skills camp. 

New packs. (Note the importance of hot pink)

P.s. dyed my hair with kool aid. 

Salt Lake City

I finally find myself in Salt Lake City. Tomorrow will be my first day on trail. Many things have aligned in an extraordinary way to get me to this moment. First off, I arrived to the greyhound to find an open bike shop INSIDE the station with one stand on the floor for public use. I was able to put together my bike immediately upon arriving. No time at all passed before I was able to explore at will around and equip my new room with all my needs. 

Things are slowly but surely falling into place and now my focus is to keep out trust in the knowledge that it will all work out as it needs to. So many firsts for me right now! Wish me luck on trail :)

Utah, Colorado, Texas

After jumping into a fellow tryout's car to ride to Boulder, CO, I began a mini grand friend visiting tour! 

1st Stop-

Estes, CO; Rocky Mount National Park

I was reunited with one of my bike trip sisters Annie Long at her place of work nestled right next to Rocky Mountain National Park. Not a day after the end of my tryout the side effects of it kicked in: an addiction to trail mix, a snow spurred snot filled sickness, rancid smelling camp clothes and an overwhelming tired stress over all of stuff I needed to figure out. Annie was my life saver. As per usual!

While slamming myself with home remedies, we ventured around the national park, hit up the local scene, made a late night visit to the hot tub on a cool night, took a day trip with her awesome work friends Abby and Jamie to Breckinridge and talked endlessly.  

2nd Stop-

Fort Collins, CO

Then off to see my good friend Allison where she is going to Grad School at Colorado State in Fort Collins. After one awesome day of warm sun, the weather turned cold once again. We hibernated together sharing a bitter disdain towards the cold. But that didn't stop us from having a good time! In a few short days, we basically became regulars at a taco place, ventured into the drunken abyss of downtown, witnessed the red moon and biked in full layers. 

3rd stop-Texas

Last but not least, I caught a flight to jump into a Del Castillo family visiting frenzy to see Natalie. First her parwnts were there ans then her siblings Margie+Jacob and Ricky joined the following weekend. As per usual, Mr. D was a Party Animal, Natalie knows everyone in Austin, and we ATE A LOT of food. Things I discovered:  Texas Rocks. Austin has a fun laid back personality- the Lone Star and strung up christmas lights are debuted everywhere. Texas BBQ cannot be matched. And while I was there, I found Housing! phew. It was a somber departure when I got on another greyhound to return to Salt Lake, but I took with me the warmth of all of my good friends and the promise of a new beginning. 

Dallas, TX- Botanical Gardins!

Fort Worth, TX

Austin, TX

The Salt Lick (BBQ in Driftwood, TX)

One Crazy Week

I am still alive! And, to reassure you cousin Tracey and any other concerned ones, I have yet to join the mormon religion. I had the honor of meeting 12 awesome individuals piling in from all over the country during my week-long tryout--which consisted of snow, learning to embrace backpacking food (that's for you dad), shelter building, smelly clothes, shivering, laughing, yoga, hiking, water treating and so many things to introduce me to the world of wilderness therapy. I have A LOT to learn. Note: best camp meal=polenta and rice noodles. Who knew?  

What sparked me the most is the shared love and passion of the people in the field for one another and for the students they are working with. Let me also just say that showering after eight days of being in the woods and desert is basically an encounter with God. 

And I got the job! My second success is that I almost peed my pants only once- key word ALMOST. 

Now ensues the scramble of pulling my life together in Salt Lake City and prepping for an insane amount of learning.  Upon completing my paperwork, I currently transported with my tryout buddy to Boulder, CO to make some visits in the state before buckling down.  

Wish me luck and prayers. 

Mt. Pleasant, Utah 

Made it.

I was pleasantly surprised as I was nearing the end of a relatively low key ride, only 6 hours left, and the bus was running on time. 

Lo and behold, not an hour after losing service, and three hours away from Salt Lake, the bus driver pulled the bus over at a gas station saying he needed to check the oil. The back of the bus was covered in oil--no mechanic, no driver able to pick us up--our driver warned us it would be a while. About 6 hours later, after we had all deliriously loitered around the gas station and made fun of each other enough to lead us all back to sleep on a dark bus, a mechanic came to fix it enough to get us up the road. 

Informing us of our 5am departure time, the bus driver lead us to the hotel greyhound was providing for the night. Eager to rest, I quickly got into bed only to find I was adjacent to the room of guys on the bus that were throwing down for a wild hotel party. I don't know how the entire hotel slept through the loud shouting coming from their room. Shortly after finally falling asleep, a loud knock came at 3am from the driver shouting the other bus arrived and we had to go NOW. 

We were all scrambling. I am thankful to report I have made it to salt lake on time, just two hours to spare and to find my luggage had arrived already! It always comes together somehow. 

Colorado

Salt Lake City, UT. Greyhound. 

Westward Rebound

After my experience on the bus trip home this past October, I declared to myself that I would never take the bus again and I would never go back to Salt Lake. I now find myself on a bus to Salt Lake City, UT. Never say never. 

It has not even been a day and the greyhound fun has already begun including an at-capacity bus in Pittsburgh that myself and 5 other ticket holders were denied access to board. Reluctantly, I separated from my luggage, my bike and gear, as it was already loaded to be re-routed for a different bus. I am convinced after my last experience that Pittsburgh Greyhound and I just don't get along very well. Never a dull moment. 

I will reach Salt Lake to essentially get my butt kicked during the tryout week at my prospective job. I am not sure what the west will have in store for me this time around. As a lost wondering Frenchman in San Fran told me, all I know is that I don't know and that the plan can change.

However, I leave Leesburg a bit more equipped than last time and with a full heart from all of the people that have showered me with love over the years and full confidence that I will be paying a long overdue visit to Britney Spears in vegas! What more do i need? A wonderful thank you to my parents for throwing the sweetest Bon voyage party. Along with my mom's best tomato chickpea soup, the first ever gluten free coconut cake was successfully served in the Coates household with the help of the expert baking Sutton girls. 

Washington, D.C. 

Chicago, IL

My special travel tokens given to me from  my best friends Lindsey and Reagan.