Full Circle Moments are the Best ⭕️🥰⭕️
Travel really does shape a person! We're experiencing a full circle effect of our last couple of years on the road. Here's a look at the impact of our first year on the road.
When Jay and I started kayaking (and I do use that term loosely 🤪) in 2020 during the Covid lockdowns, we never imagined that we'd be traveling across country in a DIY-shuttlebus-tiny-home-on-wheels, with our boats strapped to the top just 3 years later. Our numerous conversations out on our local lake, dreaming of the future, had us talking about other destinations, and the experiences we could 'collect'. What would it be like to visit and paddle some of the most beautiful and iconic lakes in the US? Would we ever want to come back to Georgia? How different would we be if we went?What would become of us? Could we really afford to do this long term? Would the trail provide? And then it happened. We took the plunge!
April 2023 was our official launch across country, and it has changed, (and continues to change) our lives daily. Crossing the Mississippi for the first time and heading west through St. Louis provided us with a true since of American Spirit and tenacity as we set off into the unknown in our little modern wagon. Our pioneer quest was eased with so much comfort and safety compared to our 1800's counterparts, but the unseen road unfolding daily was exciting and unknown! Soon after, we narrowly escaped the impact of an F2 twister in Kansas! Big sky had made an impression, and we learned several important and valuable lessons from the Prairie. Getting off the beaten path also taught us that Kansas isn't just flat and featureless....the Flint Hills will always live in our hearts.
The Southwest was next with several weeks in New Mexico and Arizona, and we both fell in love with the Springtime desert. The azure skies of the Southwest are just different! That 'blue' will stick with me for a lifetime. 💙....and it won't be the last time I enjoy it in person. Gallup and Santa Fe were highlights on this trek, and exploring the desert on foot for miles of hiking was a delight!
Did you know that we considered not even visiting the Grand Canyon? 😱 Partly because we were hard pressed to make it Zion before the heat set in....and mostly because I'd had thoughts like, 'Ah, I don't know if it's really that important to me....I mean it's just a big hole in the ground....how exciting can that be?' In all honesty, I was SO focused on making it to the rockies that I devalued the opportunity. Thankfully, my myopic view gave way to the notion that we'd be remorseful after the fact. I mean really, how can you be a half day's drive away after all these miles and not at least 'look' at the big hole in the ground? 😜
Everything I thought the Grand Canyon would be....wasn't. Seeing the Canyon for the first time literally caused some type of ancient, metaphysical switch to go off in my mind and soul that I didn't know existed. The Canyon represented the deepest mystery and power of creation that I'd ever observed in my life. It was truly a spiritual experience for me to be in that place and try to wrap my mind around the beauty and gravitas of these ageless stones and waters. Standing at the rim was visceral, magical, and otherworldly... The 'void' of the Canyon is full of secrets, wonders, and wisdom.
We couldn't leave! We stayed in the area for 2 weeks, hiked the entire 14 mile South Rim, explored and found quiet ledges to watch sunsets and sunrises. We stayed awake till the wee hours to view the whirl of the milky way overhead....making sure to stay well clear of the rim after nightfall. We watched the Ravens and Hawks, and kept our eyes open for the elusive Condors that call the canyon home. We sat, hiked, watched, listened, and learned more about ourselves as we communed with this sacred place.
It's ironic that the location we'd spent the least time talking about leading up to our departure west, turned out to be one of the most endearing and life changing. My heart aches at the thought of having nearly missed the Grand Canyon.
Part of our original hesitation to visit the canyon had also been our cashflow at the time. A couple of teaching opportunities out west fell through and we were wondering how we would fulfill our plan to continue north to Glacier. At that point, we'd been depending on that income to get us there with the margin we felt comfortable with. The thoughts of missing Glacier were gut-wrenching, but as we were honest with ourselves, we knew had enough money to make it to the unknown of Montana, or just go back to Georgia to take advantage of teaching opportunities there. There we sat at the rim wondering if we were just fools.
We definitely consider ourselves praying people, and that's just what we did. A recurring theme in our spiritual lives is watching God repeatedly speak to us through nature. We were really asking for some confirmation about our direction. We'd come so far, and for the first time were feeling the pull of fear, rather than the embrace of risk.
As we sat on one of our favorite perches on the rim, not one, but two Condors rose up out of the canyon on giant wings and circled above us for several moments. Their proximity was astounding at first, but turned to concern upon seeing the sheer scale of these majestic birds! In terrified amazement, we sat motionless, and then watched them alter course and suddenly fly away in tandem across the abyss and out of sight. It dawned us seconds later.... they flew North. The next morning we stopped looking at the checking account and left for Glacier.
The days were getting warmer and we knew that we needed to make for Zion before the desert began to show off it's true heat. All our days on the rim of the Grand Canyon were contrasted by being down 'in' the canyon at Zion. It was an oasis. The desert is still harsh, but the lush growth nurtured by the Virgin River, has formed a likeness of Eden. We found ourselves pressed for time at Zion as the heat really pushed it's way in on our third day there.
We got back on the road to head north with Glacier National Park in our sights. Lake McDonald was calling. We'd been dreaming of paddling there since our first nearby boat launch in 2020. The ice cold waters of northern Montana did not disappoint, and we were finally getting to experience the Rockies! Finding ourselves 35 miles from the Canadian border really allowed us to feel the weight of our excursion. We were doing it! We were making it happen! We were on the road and trusting this process, and it was turning us into new people.
Our time in Glacier was coming to a close and we were still waiting for that income opportunity to open up, but we knew the only thing we could do was to lay in a course for Georgia, believing we'd done the right thing, and that the opportunities would come.
We'd made contact with one of my online art friends, Denise Jaunsem, who was living and working in Yellowstone. Denise had invited us to visit her and hang out in the park a few days before heading east. We agreed that Wyoming would be our last foray west till I could get more teaching opportunities.
As we were on the way to Wyoming, Jay was offered a summer job at the park through Denise's employer. THIS was the break we'd been waiting on; the break that would allow us to stay on track with our own version of 'westward expansion'! Fast forward to Fall of 2024, we find ourselves wintering in Georgia after completing a second summer in Yellowstone, filled with months of exploration, new teaching opportunities, painting sales, and new & returning painters in my watercolor membership, and tons of inspiration for my own work.
We're back where we started this fall in some ways, enjoying our local lake and scenery, but we've grown so much in this process. There's still so much we look forward to in future excursions in our tiny home on wheels. We're both excited to see what the next year looks like and I hope you'll connect and be encouraged to set a course for your own pursuits. 🥰
Check out the most recent episode of Think Like a Painter!
Imposter Syndrome....and what to do about it!
If you’ve ever felt less-than, defeated, disillusioned, confused, or any other negative emotion regarding your abilities as a painter, then you’ve likely experienced Imposter Syndrome. When it strikes us, the ensuing mix of emotions can feel overwhelming, even to the point of derailing us and causing us to abandon our creativity for seasons at a time…..Let’s look at what we’re actually dealing with, and learn healthy ways to meet Imposter Syndrome head on and get back to painting!
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If you enjoyed hearing about our travels, check my travel & art blog, Magical Musings...check out the Magical Musings Archive for stories of our first year on the road.
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