Smokey Mountains - Tennessee

Camping at a primitive campsite in the Smokey Mountain National Park. It's my first time camping at a primitive site and I have learned a lot. I now know that when you don't have a shower accessible you can use cotton balls & hydrogen peroxide to kill any bacteria, who knew? Met some great people already and did some great hiking. Stay tuned for lots more pictures, and stories, about my adventures in the Smokey Mountains.

Going Back is Difficult!

   As soon as I crossed into Memphis, Tennessee, many things as I knew them were different. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area so I had pretty much always been surrounded by diversity. Don't be fooled by what that means though. When I dated a black man (guy) for the first time my junior year of high school, my parents were not happy. Fast forward to 5 years later when I told them I was going to marry a black man & was pregnant.....my mother flipped out and all but threw me out of the house. I have seen plenty of racial discrimination over the years (& honestly thought my ex-husband was just exaggerating & being dramatic many times when the topic came up of places in other states we shouldn't go and such) and I saw way more  segregation and racism than I care to admit in the US Military but.....being in the south (staying in Alabama now for 10 days) has been, let's just say, eye opening. I go to bed many nights with a very heavy heart. There appears to be so much racial anger in what seems like every city down here and it seems even more prevalent amongst the young people. It pains me to see so much segregation and what seems to be anger from both the white and black side. I had interesting conversations tonight with my friend's son who shared some of his beliefs. I was glad he opened up and shared but he is definitely not open to hearing another view or challenging his beliefs. So many people treat their beliefs, that have been taught by their families or society, as law.

   The friends I am staying with also had a friend and her niece over for the night, both of whom were born and raised in Alabama. They both sat up with me for a couple hours looking at my pictures and talking about "the way things are" in Alabama from paddling in schools, to the common views of the different races, to interracial dating, and much more. It was fun with these two getting to know them and them getting to know me. They were very interested in my travels and open to hearing about life outside of Alabama and far more open than my friend's son to possibly see things in a different light, which makes me sad because I thought the next generation could make some powerful changes but that does not seem to be the case down here. I even got some great suggestions for places to visit in Alabama to see plantations and other historical monuments and things.

 I am learning so much here. I always thought I was lucky to have grown up in such a diverse and open area but in a way it makes me feel like I grew up very sheltered. The Bay Area feels worlds away from here and this is just the beginning of my time in the south! I am not sure how deep to delve into the south and the way things are here because it pains me to see the way things still are down here.  It feels like what I only imagined life was like decades ago and it makes me feel like I am going backwards and not forwards. It would be great if I could plant even the smallest seed for even a person or two here and show them a life of more love for everyone!!!

Beautiful Alabama!

   I never thought I would use beautiful and Alabama in the same sentence. That may not sound nice but being from California, and living there most of my life, I just never imagined it would be so beautiful and would have so much to offer. I was floored when I saw the Welcome to Alabama sign. I recall myself thinking, "Beautiful? Really?" Well, it really is!!

   I am staying with my friends, Darin and Jacque who were stationed in Japan the same time as my (ex) husband (1994-1997) and Jacque was my BFF. I had not seen them since they came through California 14 years ago. 

   I suppose my opinions thus far, of Alabama may be biased by their spectacular backyard. I could quite possibly stay in their yard forever and be content. It has a wonderful covered porch right out the back door, which has a fan so it never really gets too hot, and of course the beautiful pool that Darin keeps sparkling clean and then the wonderful lake/pool. I have not determined yet for sure if it is a lake or a pond. There is a debate amongst Darin and Jacque about that technicality but I think it is magnificent none the less. Just across the lake from their house is a landing of grass and on the other side is a fabulous creek that runs for miles and miles in either direction. Darin took me canoeing across the lake which was my first time ever in a canoe, and we went exploring down the embankment and into and down the creek, walking through it the whole way. It was about 85 degrees out at the time but the trees blocked the sun a bit and made the temperature quite pleasant. We were not able to walk for as long as I would have liked because it was getting dark and we did not bring a light and would have been eaten alive by the bugs but we were lucky to get back in time to see the glow of the sun still on the water.

The dock behind the house!

Enjoy the pictures from my little adventure and first time canoeing. Hopefully you can feel a bit of the tranquility I do every time I step foot out of their back door! Priceless!

So peaceful!! 

View of Darin and Jacque's house across the lake

Just a neighbor's house that I thought looked cool!

Alabama clay!

Millbrook, Alabama ~ August 28, 2014

Karma got me....

So, I had a fabulous night camping last night...making S'mores over a campfire, having a drink, talking & laughing, with a new friend from Florida who was camping a few sites down from me. I went to bed pretty late and just loved laying in my tent listening to the river flowing and a train or 2 passing by. I was content & happy & peaceful until a noise outside my tent woke me up at about 4:30 am. I carefully rolled off my air mattress & reached for my flashlight. While doing so I heard my water jug, that was sitting on the picnic bench just outside my tent, topple to the ground. Ever so quietly, & quick like a Ninja, I unzipped the top window-like part of my tent to peak out through the mesh w/my flashlight. Well right there at my picnic table was a HUGE raccoon. 

         Of course this is not the actual    

        raccoon. The one from last night  

                     was much bigger. :)

I could see that he was trying to get into my nylon cooler. I tried shushing him away but nothing. Then I tried shining my flashlight in his face but nothing. He just kept peering at me while clawing at my cooler. I had to do something & since I was too scared to get out of my tent in case he decided to charge at me (come on, it was before daylight & I was half asleep & scared) I did the next logical thing and grabbed my mace. Yes, you read that right, I grabbed my mace. I did not know what else to do and like I said, I was scared. He could have eaten me after all!

I carefully shone my flashlight on my mace to ensure I was pointing it in the right direction and I peeped back through the mesh window and.....sprayed. The big, mean raccoon was not quite close enough for it to go straight into his eyes but the spray must have been close enough cuz he shook his head & started tiptoeing off. That was all good except like I said, I sprayed the mace through mesh so....I think more of it sprayed back on me and IN the tent than on him. My eyes stung & my throat itched & I began coughing. Still though I was able to stumble out & rescue my cooler & bring it in the tent to safety w/me. For the next couple of hours, as I tried to go back to sleep, I cocooned myself in my sleeping bag, careful to bury my head, trying to stop inhaling & being affected by the mace in my tent. 

The best part of all this....I now know that my mace works & I know how to use it! Poor raccoon! I hope he's okay. I learned my lesson. No more leaving my cooler out & no more macing innocent animals even if they are big and scare me!! 

Going with the flow...(part one)

I already know this one is going to be long so please try to follow along and hang in there with me to the end. The message is REALLY simple but takes (took) some weeding to get there.

I believe in the power of the Universe (Universe can be substituted for God, Buddha, Krishna…..insert any word as you wish) and on this Soul’s Journey I am on I am doing my best to be connected to my center so that I can get the messages needed to follow the guidance as to where best my soul will be nourished for the growth I not only desire but believe I am being called to acquire. I am not just on a “vacation”. I still have bills to pay and need to make money while on the road. I am on a journey of the deepest self-knowledge so that I may then be the best teacher for others. This trip is not just about or for me!

My intention is to gain the best sound psychological insights in order to gather innate wisdom of the psyche. My own journey led me to study the art of self growth and counseling, in graduate school (a couple years ago), with an emphasis on transpersonal psychology which is the study of human nature and behavior which lays particular emphasis on spiritual aspiration and the search for higher meaning in life. I have been lead to continue such studies on the road!

Let’s go back to a few days ago in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I had planned on staying there for one day and night to somewhat relax and re-ground after spending 5 days with my son in his home. When planning this trip I could not wait to get to his house. Since he joined the Air Force, almost 6 years ago, I have only been able to see him once, sometimes twice a year. On the last couple of days at his house I was feeling frustrated with the nagging feeling that I was feeling ready to move on. This frustration spiraled into me feeling frustrated that I was feeling frustrated…lol…you get the point. It took just two minutes of me talking to my Soul Couch and friend to bring me back to center enough to know that when feeling frustrated you are not following your intuition and I definitely was not. I “fell back” into mom-mode and tourist and was doing the things I felt I was “supposed” to do and nothing was feeling intuitive. I was energetically feeling low and with no energy and sleeping more than usual so I decided to stop off in Sante Fe before heading to my next adventures in Colorado. 

Me and my son Kenny (Drew) at his softball game the night I arrived to Alamogordo,  New Mexico.

My son and his girlfriend took me out to line dance.

One of the difficulties I have had on this trip is feeling anxious to move on and see all that I can so I took a “detour” to Sante Fe to kind of regroup. I got a cheap motel room so I could just hibernate for a night on my own and to meditate and write. Well, my computer would not connect to the hotel’s WiFi so all night I felt antsy and….frustrated. I set out the next morning to a diner to eat breakfast while I jumped on my computer and that was great. I sat there for about 4 hours (it was also raining outside) catching up on lots of work I had to do and researching where to go next. I was torn between going to Taos, NM where I wanted to CouchSurf with a lady (a Medical Intuitive) who I found out that morning would not be available until the next night, or to go to a town called Abiquiu in New Mexico to go to a lavender field. Since this trip is largely about me getting outside my comfort zone to expand and grow I thought I would check out the hostel in town, I learned about while researching on the Internet at the diner, to stay there so I could hang out for another day to be available to stay with the Intuitive the next night. I felt like it must be a sign that she would house me for free and that she might have some insight for me. I had always been curious about staying at a hostel and although the idea wasn’t all together comfortable for me I thought it would be an eye opening experience. I had always wished I had backpacked through Europe when I was much younger while staying at hostels. People have told me that US hostels are different and I have been tempted to try. 

I drove by the hostel and…I just could not do it. I drove in the parking lot and cruised around looking at the building from all sides. Although it got pretty good reviews, it looked so run down and “nasty”. I internally beat myself up for a few minutes when I raced out of the parking lot because I was not “brave enough” to stay there. After all, this soul’s journey is to step out of my comfort zone and connect with others. This internal beat down lasted a while as I drove around Santa Fe looking for somewhere with Internet to fire up my computer again to look for somewhere to stay that night. I must have circled that damn town for, no joke, 3 hours. It was raining and the roads were crowded. I punched Starbucks into my Garmin and it took me 15 minutes out of the way and to a location that was NOT a Starbucks. It re-routed me back to where I started, I got to the Starbucks and it only had outdoor seating and it was still raining so I looked and found yet another location. It took me another long while to get to that location but I was thrilled to find it and that it had seating inside. I bought myself a drink , sat down, fired up my computer only to find out their Internet was down. UGH!!! Now where? I pretty much stomped to my car and drove to the closest McDonalds. In there I was able to get on and saw there was a KOA in town (yay!). It was still raining so I booked a little cabin and I immediately felt excited at the idea of my own cabin for the night. In order to stay on the road as long as possible, to see all I want to see and learn all that is “needed”, I not only need to make money but I need to conserve it as well and spend as little on lodging as possible which is one reason for not staying in hotels. Hotels are out of my price range and there is a lack of connection in hotels. I like to seek out CouchSurfing opportunities (to stay for free) wherever I can then an Airbnb but both take a bit of planning ahead which I have not yet mastered while on the road. So, I left McDonalds and stopped at the closest gas station to fuel up before heading to the KOA. While at the pump an older man started conversation with me when he saw my car had California plates. I told him where I was headed and he suggested a restaurant for me (Joe’s Diner: http://joesdining.com) that had farm to fork food and that was out of this world. 

I thanked him and headed to the KOA where I checked in, unloaded my stuff and headed back out to that restaurant. I sat at the counter at Joe’s while my food was being prepared, to take back to my cute little cabin, and the nicest waiter started talking with me, or wait….maybe I started talking with him….lol Either way, he gave me great suggestions for where to go the next day with one of the things being the Lavender Fields I had been contemplating about going to. He even drew me a little map of that area with where I had to grab some lunch and a spot to stop at a lake. I was excited about his suggestions and knew that was the way I was going to go the next day. I brought my grass fed BBB burger (Bleu cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce) back to my cabin and had a party in my mouth. That is the term I use when the food is totally scrumptious!!!

The next morning I packed up my stuff and headed out towards Abiquiu to go to the Lavender Fields. As soon as I got there I went straight to the restaurant he suggested, which was actually a general store with a kitchen in the back (Bode’s: http://www.bodes.com). Who am I to judge? Hee-hee! I ordered a vegetarian sandwich with a side salad and OMG it was fantastic. So fresh and yes, another party in my mouth. While I was sitting in the little back room of the general store devouring my food the strangest thing happened. A lady walked by me and gave me a little smile. I swore I knew her but couldn’t place her for the longest time. Finally it hit me that she was the spitting image of my grandmother (on my mother’s side) who passed away when I was a little girl. This lady looked younger than I ever remembered my grandmother but I would swear it was her, or at least her identical twin. I left wishing I had spoken to her but I was in a bit of shock when I placed whom she looked like. The experience felt beautifully eerie!

I headed down the street to find out the lavender had been harvested just a few weeks prior leaving no lavender to be seen. I was about to be frustrated with myself for not researching the place prior but I had the feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be regardless of the lavender. I took a short walk to the tea house and sat with some lavender iced tea and lavender gelato. Still again I felt antsy sitting there for too long although the view was spectacular and so relaxing.

I sat for a few minutes then headed into the shop where I began talking to the guy who worked there about the surrounding area. As do most people I meet on the road, he gave me a suggestion as to where to go next. Actually, this guy did not only give me a suggestion he told me that I absolutely could not leave the area without going to the Georgia O’Keefe center just 16 miles up the road. I told him I never even heard of her and he teased that I might be the only human that hadn’t. Have you? Anyway, I told him I had about one hour of exploring I could do before I had to head out to get to the campsite in Colorado before sundown that I was aiming for. He told me to just go…..to be continued…..I told you this would be long!!  

Thanks for hanging in there with me! ;)