From the West to the East, and Back Again

Almost thirteen months after our departure on our excellent adventure, we flew east from New Mexico on Thanksgiving Day, landing in Boston in time for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Keith's brother's cozy home in Somerville. With our niece visiting from Port-au-Prince where she works with the Haitians on rebuilding their country, and our nephew on break from college in Washington, DC, it was like "old home week", made even more delightful by the presence of our son and daughter-in-law who had flown from Albuquerque to Boston just two days prior to us.

Our lovely daughter-in-law Bevin and handsome son Rene

Our good friends Deborah and Nancy

Keith and his brother Ken

Having ten days to see everyone we wanted to see and do everything we needed and wanted to do, it was a tall order to accomplish it all and manage to be fully present for each encounter with family and friends without allowing our minds to wander too much to the next destination.

The first few days in New England were relatively easy, and our time in Boston and Manchester-by-the-Sea flew by. Walking on Singing Beach in Manchester with our dear friends and visiting with our god-daughters was joyful, but we were still quietly daunted by the next leg of the journey.

With our friends Maria and Vint

Keith's goddaughters, Andi and Vikki

A five-hour drive to New Jersey on the Monday after Thanksgiving delivered us to the hospital where Keith's father was dealing with some serious health issues, and we were closely involved in his transfer to a nearby rehab facility. Unfortunately, our itinerary prevented us from lingering too long, and it was most difficult to leave him in the rehab, miserable and lonely, as we made our way to Brooklyn in order to visit a very dear friend who is waging a battle against metastatic ovarian cancer.

Having only twenty-four hours with our friend was bittersweet, but we were quickly able to adjust to her skeletal body and see that her spirit is intact, and no matter her outer appearance, she's still "in there", with the same sweet smile and loving manner. Being entertained by her delightful grandchildren, the two cherubic children were an antidote to our weariness and opened our hearts for a visit that lifted all of our spirits, even as Keith became ill with apparent bronchitis and our subsequent destinations beckoned us away.

Exhausted, we drove north to Western Massachusetts and our beloved Pioneer Valley, spending the night at the Pioneer Valley Cohousing community, a stay made all the more enjoyable by the hospitality of good friends.

Once in the Valley, Keith's illness became worse, and it became apparent that Mary would need an emergency root canal. As if orchestrated by powers beyond our control (as it most likely indeed was), Mary was able to undergo urgent dental surgery by the best root canal specialist in Massachusetts, surgery that immediately resolved the pain that had been incrementally increasing over the last few months, coming to an excruciating head during our visit. (Thanks to this masterful oral surgeon, Mary was able to avoid the astronomical pain that the high altitude of the flight home to Albuquerque would have certainly caused.)

During our few brief days in Western Mass, we were able to revisit the home of our friend David who took his own life last November several weeks following our departure, as well as spend some time with an elderly disabled friend who brought a joyful lift to our spirits.

David, one month prior to his death

Amidst Keith's illness and Mary's pain, our very dear friends hosted a heartwarming and wonderful party in our honor, and we were able to spend an unforgettable evening with more than 20 friends who arrived with delicious food, drinks, smiling faces and open arms. The conversations and sharing were deep that night, and a circle towards the end of the gathering allowed many to share life updates, memories and stories with the entire group.

Finally, as our ten day sojourn came to a close, it was time to face the ultimate test: our 10 x 10 storage unit. Sorting and repacking the flotsam and jetsam of our lives in the damp, cold New England air was no picnic, but we were able to successfully fit everything into a 6 x 8 x 10 space on an 18-wheeler moving truck which will deliver our worldly goods to our New Mexican storage unit in just under a week. It was a Herculean effort, but it will bring us great peace of mind to have all of our things where we can access them, rather than sitting in a damp storage bin 2,000 miles away.

Even though it was a stretch, to say the least, dealing with our stuff now clears the way for more uninterrupted quality time with friends and family during future visits to the East Coast. We look forward to certain special things being once again in our possession, including our super-duper juicer, German vacuum cleaner, and some beloved art that will soon grace the walls of our casita.

We are so grateful to our friends and family who hosted us, treated us with such love, and who made this trip wonderful despite the physical and emotional challenges that confronted us along the way. We honestly had some trepidation that our visit to New England would engender some wistful nostalgia, perhaps triggering the feeling that completely relocating to the West was not necessarily what we ultimately desire. However, what resulted from this trip back East was the cementing of the notion that we can continue to nurture and grow the many wonderful friendships that will no doubt mature into lifelong connections regardless of geographic distance.

Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder, and this also applies to our return to New Mexico. Flying over the breathtaking mesas and mountains, we did actually feel like we were coming home, and Tina greeted us happily with a wagging tail and her ubiquitous and unending desire for treats.

It wasn't easy, but the trip was extremely successful, and we feel incredibly blessed and grateful for the wonderful people in our lives. Now we will settle in for our first New Mexican winter, and continue to allow our lives to unfold as they will. It's good to be back.

Sweet Sweet Spreedom

This week we had the fortunate blessing of meeting an adventurous young couple---Ainsley and Karl---who are on a summer road trip with a mission.

Ainsley and Karl aren't just road-tripping---they're sinking their teeth into the real America, taking their time to get to know people, volunteer their time, search for community, and experience life far beyond the trappings of tourism and roadside attractions. They are members of their generation who believe that there's something good happening in the United States behind all of the bad news and propaganda, and they want to know what those good things are and communicate that to their disenchanted peers. 

Their blog, Sweet Sweet Spreedom, is as sweet as they are, and offers views of America and American culture through the eyes of two young people who are curiously making their way across the West with eyes and arms wide open. 

We were so happy to connect with these two special travelers, and we wish them the best as they continue to embrace the uncertainty and magic of the road. 

Santa Fe Friends

Mary and our friend Kate who moved to Santa Fe from Western Massachusetts a few years ago

Keith and Abigail, a high school friend (of Keith's) from New Jersey who moved to Santa Fe a decade ago

Keith and Mary M, a friend who we both met last year on a wonderful online spiritual community

Mary R and Mary M

Our friends Rosemary and Dick, who live in La Cienega, a beautiful rural part of Santa Fe



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Hallowe'en in Honesdale, PA

This afternoon we landed ourselves in Lake Ariel, PA to pay a visit to our homesteading friends Carla, Barry and Raven, who raise goats, chickens, ducks, honey, organic vegetables and berries, living off of their fertile 72 acres of Pennsylvanian land.

Trick-or-treating in Honesdale, PA was an unmatched experience of community and enthusiasm. Dozens of homes were festively decorated, with the occupants themselves dressed in costume, waiting on their front porches for trick-or-treaters to arrive. Since all of use were dressed in costume---both adults and children---we were all treated to friendly hospitality (and many treats) as we roamed from house to house throughout this quaint little town.

Being here in the hills of Pennsylvania makes the fact "hit home" that we have truly left New England. Driving west on Route 84 in our rig was an experience of realization that we have really done it, we're on the road and on our way. It's the road to nowhere, and nowhere feels just fine.

---Keith

The Woodward Family in Bozrah, CT

Paul, Joanne and Paul, Sr.

We're Finally on the Road!

Well folks, we did it! We spent our final night in Western MA, packed up our things, dropped off our car for a friend to sell for us, and made tracks to Bozrah, Connecticut. We are ensconced in the lovely home of Paul and Joanne Woodward, the parents of our dear old friend Woody, and are thoroughly enjoying a relaxing evening of take-out Chinese, herbal tea with honey, good company, and a touch of medium dry sherry for my lungs as I recover from a cold and cough.

The rig---"Scottie La Blanca"---is now our only vehicle and our only home, and we are amazed that this day has finally arrived!

---Keith

This new life on the road and our new and lighter lifestyle will be sinking in more once we are no longer in our beloved New England. I am glad and grateful that it has been an amazing time of special last visits, loving farewells, some tearful embraces, and astonishing serendipitous meetings with people that the Universe/Spirit/God meant for us to see again. That confirms for me how I can be "in the zone" and experience the oneness and connection that feeds our spirits. I have asked for this spiritual support for the trip and have been blessed with receiving it well before the journey began.

We promise to share some pics and videos of some of our final days and moments in Western MA but will first need to decompress from the flurry of goodbyes and logistical preparations and learn how to post from my new flip video camera. I am good and tired, and look forward to a good night's sleep with dreams to transport me where they will. Many blessings, dear ones, and sweet dreams to you---or good morning, glories if you're reading this by the light of day!

~Mary

Saying "Adios" to My "Hispanic Mother"

Here is a copy of a blog post written for my other blog, Digital Doorway, and posted today.

Yesterday, I visited an elderly woman for whom I served as visiting nurse about a decade ago, and with whom I have maintained a sweet connection for years. We have kept in touch throughout the years, and although I no longer work in the city where she lives (about 45 minutes south), we talk periodically and I visit when I can. I had already explained to her that my wife and I have sold our house and are going traveling for the foreseeable future, and the need for a last visit was too strong to ignore or postpone until it was too late.

A Puerto Rican woman about the same age as my mother, she likes to joke that she is my "Hispanic Mother", and for all intents and purposes, it's true. Obese and disabled, she keeps more than a dozen birds in various cages in her small apartment, and several of them are regularly perched on her shoulder (or on top of her head), eating sunflower seeds right from her lips. Her apartment is filled with knick-knacks (some of which I am guilty of giving her, I must admit), and our visit was punctuated with screams and applause as "The Price is Right" played loudly on the TV.

Although maintaining long-term relationships with former patients can be tricky in terms of personal boundaries, this friendship has been consistently special and it has only been occasionally burdensome to maintain. Our connection is intimate and sweet, and there was just no way I could leave the area without a proper "adios".

After an hour visit, we realized that it was time to say goodbye, and we hugged and kissed each other on the cheek repeatedly. After our second hug, both of our faces were wet with tears, and she held both my hands in hers as she gave me her abundant blessings for a long life, a joyful and wonderful journey with my wife and my dog, and she thanked me from the bottom of her heart for my friendship over the years.

I left the stuffy apartment and emerged into the bright October day, stopping under a resplendent tree bedecked in autumnal yellow. My heart was filled with love, tears streaming down my face, and I gave thanks for the heartfelt and soulful connections that being a nurse has provided me over the years.

As we prepare to leave this area where we've lived for seventeen years, there will be more tearful goodbyes. My "Hispanic Mother" is one who evoked very deep and bittersweet tears, and I have no doubt there will be more to come as we draw nearer to our very imminent departure.

---Keith

Final Weekends in New England

As our time in New England comes to a close, we find ourselves traveling every weekend, visiting friends, saying goodbye, and retracing our steps through favorite haunts. 

Last weekend, we visited Brattleboro, Vermont to make our peace with the town where our dear friend Woody was murdered. Comic relief was provided by my old art-school friend Harry Bliss, a famous cartoonist for The New Yorker and Playboy who gave a hilarious talk at the Brattleboro Literary Festival. We also connected with friends who we originally met in the aftermath of Woody's death, and their support and love is so very appreciated. It was a bittersweet visit in some ways, but a full circle was drawn, and we left with satisfied and healed hearts, especially after a memorable and positive visit to the church where Woody died. 

This weekend, we are in bike-friendly and beautiful Portland, Maine, spending precious time with our wonderful friend, Annie, previously pictured in this post. Memorably resplendent and brilliant foliage was a highlight this afternoon, and photos from that walk are pending uploading and editing, so stay tuned. 

Next weekend, while Mary is at Rowe Camp and Conference Center at a writing workshop with none other than Marge Piercy, I will be in Montreal to visit a friend who I have not seen since 1988 (who I originally met in southern Portugal in 1985) and who just recently found me on Facebook.

These are rich times filled with glorious autumn colors, wonderful friendships, and bittersweet goodbyes. We're so thankful for this time, these opportunities to connect, and the open road that lies ahead.

---Keith

Annie in Our Bunk

Here's our dear friend Annie, our third overnight guest in the rig, hanging out in the bunk over the cab, blessed by the Tibetan prayer flags.

Within Reach

Last night at the Sirius Community in Shutesbury, MA, we had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and Mandy, a spirited and wonderful couple who are "bike-packing" around the United States with the goal of visiting 100 intentional communities, using pedal-power and solar-powered computer equipment. (Randy carries a 20-pound solar panel for charging all of their electronics.)
During the course of the trip, this intrepid and inspiring couple are making a film entitled "Within Reach" about sustainable living in its many forms, and last night we caught a tantalizing glimpse of what that film will eventually become when completed. The film will be a feature-length documentary which will inspire ordinary people to take extraordinary steps vis-a-vis creating a more sustainable world.

Mandy and Ryan are now half-way through their journey, already having bicycled 4,762 miles and having visited 72 communities. Their website is worthy of frequent visits, and you can donate by the mile for $8.33, or simply send a sum of your choosing to support their trip and the making of the film. Within Reach is now registered as a non-profit, so your donations are 100% tax-deductible.

We were incredibly inspired by Mandy and Ryan's presentation at Sirius, and hearing about their adventures and ideas for creating a better world has lit a fire under us as we continue to plan our journey of discovery.

Coming home to our new mobile abode from that lovely evening, we realize that visiting intentional communities, learning about sustainable living, and bringing the gifts of Laughter Yoga and health and wellness coaching to people around the country is something we truly feel passionate about. Please join us in supporting Ryan and Mandy, and bookmark their website so that you can follow their progress as they complete the second half of their incredibly inspiring journey.

---Keith