Travelin' Shoes

I am on my way to Utah tonight via Lake Tahoe. I'm in Truckee at the Truckee Hotel on main street. It's a very old place and has a good vibe. In my room there are photos of Charlie Chaplin, a wonderful old dresser with an oval mirror, tall ceilings and a sink in the corner. Bathroom is down the hall. It's clean and comfortable. The rate was really good and it feels like I'm the only one here. Haven't seen one other guest so far. There is a cool breeze blowing through the window but I'm afraid I'll have to close it because the train is about a half a block away and sounds like it's coming right through my room when it goes by. I hope there aren't many night trains....my room is right up there on the first floor with a great balcony and lots of comfy chairs....

I'm meeting with my friend Rosanna tomorrow to do some hiking and then will spend the night with her in Reno before the long drive to Orem. I haven't seen Rosanna since I met her in October last year in Kathmandu. We were two slightly scared girls traveling alone to places unknown and were about to have experiences that would change our, at least my, life. I'm pretty sure it changed hers too but I'll find out more tomorrow....we were both on a similar journey: Rosanna had also put everything in storage and was planning to travel for at least 4 months. She had no idea what she would do upon her return either and it sounds like she's still trying to figure it out like I am. She spent time in Nepal and India before returning to the US this spring. We had some profound experiences together in Nepal and I feel very connected to her. She is quite a bit younger than I and people thought we were mother and daughter.

It sure feels good to be back on the road. I can't quite seem to get it out of my veins. I just want to be active and moving. I have no desire to settle down anywhere at this point in time. I still don't know where I'm going in the big scheme of things but that's ok. I have everything I need in my car and I can go anywhere. And that's a grand feeling. Maybe I should buy a mini van or a mini Winnebago. I wonder if they make hybrid winnebagos. Or electric winnebagos. I could see myself traveling around the US to parts I've never seen before. Maybe I can work for the National Parks as a roving chef or a roving trail blazer.

I went on a day long yoga retreat over the weekend and it was wonderful. It was in a little tent/yurt overlooking the pacific ocean. We spent the day in meditation, doing some writing, some chanting and of course some deep yoga. I loved it and felt so very lucky to be there. We could hear the sounds of the ocean waves the whole time. There were chickens crowing, a fire burning and a beautiful feeling there. After the retreat we hiked along the coast for a couple of miles just as it was getting dark. The air was perfect and the sounds of the waves hitting the shore was below us. It was a perfect Saturday.