Leaving Homes

Bozeman, MT and there about- July 30

There is a tug each time I leave the comfort of someone’s home. It has been a hiatus from the solo journey- people to talk to, connection to be enjoyed.

I left Whitney and Lawrence’s home today, the first home stay I’d had in 13 days. They are friends of Kiva’s living in Bozeman who welcomed me into their home. Dinner out, farmers’ market- a treat of companionship. And then back in the saddle and back on my own. There is a tug.

Luckily, the adventure pulls me back in, and soon all is familiar in the newest of ways. There is a solo hike- I wish I could bring the scents and sounds alive, to partner with the photos. It is hot- dry, 90-degree heat, unlike most heats I have experienced. But in the shade of the lodge pole pines and spruce, with the breeze of the canyon rolling through, it is entirely reasonable. The trail switchbacks up, designed so thoughtfully to be a steady climb, allowing for thoughts other than shortness of breath and a beating heart to be enjoyed.

Then there is the river, the river of Hell Roaring Canyon, whose splash and thrum invite me long before I see it. That water that has become the lodestar of my hikes; like a magnet I am pulled to all forms it takes. And I feel its companionship as I traverse its shore up through the woods.

The very simplest of pleasures- scooping the cold stream to my face and neck, soaking my tired feet, plunging in to wash away the day’s sweat- in this dry countryside, there is this constant gift of water.

And so the discovery of the ‘next’ brings me back to the journey, and the fascination with what will unfold. Momentary loneliness gives way to ongoing curiosity. And always that tremendous sense of gratitude.