The Last Blog

Let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for taking this trip with me, for caring about my life, and for giving me someone to write for other than myself. There are two more untold stories begging to be put on paper. But first, the end of the trip;

The time I spent with Erica and Flavio was significant. Not only did they give me a place to stay while I explored the Gila Forest, but conversing with them reminded me of something: Passion. Erica is extremely passionate about protecting planet earth and all life on it. Hearing her talk about the reasons for her passion was refreshing. It became clear to me that this world is full of people who have different passions that, when put together, fit like puzzle pieces making a beautiful picture. You know if a person is following their life’s passion very soon after meeting him or her. They have a light in their eyes and a tone to their voice that is fueled by regular exposure to what they love. These people fill me with awe and hope. Erica is one of them. She is saving the world and inspiring others to do the same.

The drive home was scary. Nothing had gone wrong on this whole trip, and that made me nervous, like disaster was due. I-10 is populated mostly by semis that could crush my little Camry like one of Erica’s recycled cans. It was a stressful 12 hours of driving, but I finally made it home. The second I pulled into the parking lot and put my car in park, I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I had made it back safely. More tears.

Two more stories of Tour de Polka beg to be told. The first is a detail of the legend of the prodigal moccasin. The night I realized I lost it I was filled with despair and frustration with myself. I told myself that I was foolish and careless. That was the first negative thought I’d had all trip, which was a nice realization. I then changed the thought to, 'Now I know. I'll do better tomorrow'. As I hiked out of the canyon, everyone I passed on the trail from Phantom Ranch asked me whether or not I had found my shoe. For the first two hours, the answer was no. I truly didn’t know if I’d find the shoe or not. But an hour into my hike, I hit a point of peace with the whole situation. Instead of being anxious and worrying, I was truly just interested in whether or not I would find it. I knew it would be a great story either way, and realized that my misfortune was serving a greater purpose of uniting a group of people that might not otherwise come together. It became a hunt, a game that everyone was invested in. I also knew that I’d be able to make the best of any possible outcome. This was not a typical feeling for me, but I can’t tell you how good it felt. I wish I could bottle this feeling like an elixir and take a swig every time I feel anxious about something silly. However, I also realized that this was not a random thought. This is a thought I have been training my mind to produce through meditation. The fact that it’s working in my mind excites me. I need more of this feeling in my life.

The second story/realization happened in the Museum of International Music in Phoenix. All throughout this trip I have received a consistent reaction from people when I divulged that I was traveling the Southwest on a hiking and backpacking adventure.

‘By yourself?!’ they say with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. It would have been nice to have company, but I am very glad I went alone. There is a disease in our society affecting young girls. The parasite gets in the brains of these girls and convinces them that it is necessary to have a man to be whole and balanced. It says that a woman who doesn’t have a man has something wrong with her and she needs to be fixed. These poor girls end up settling with a man who treats them like garbage because they are too afraid of being alone. Personally, I blame Walt Disney. That bastard. I am one of these affected women. It was very uncomfortable for me to be alone on my trip. I loved visiting people and having bouts of company, but the overarching out-of-my-comfort-zone experience was flying solo, without a significant other next to me or even on the other end of the phone. This brings us to the museum. When I was in the museum looking at exhibits from each country of the world, I realized that there are many wonderful (and attractive) men all over this world willing to treat women with proper respect. That was a nice and comforting thing to realize- another elixir for my shelf.

This trip has done so many amazing things for me. All I can hope is that this blog has inspired just a little bit of spark or passion in another heart-or at least that it was entertaining. Thanks again for reading. I love you all.

Darrah