Rambling is Good for the Soul

Traveling for renewal

Let’s be clear on one thing: I do not like the desert. I only appreciate that it was a warm get away. I liked to come down and not question what to wear. (“Hmm…it’s May – do I wear a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, or a turtleneck sweater??????”) It’s hot and dry (also not my favorite). I’m not staying here, but am glad that I visited.

In many respect, Arizona is home for me. I was born here. There is something in my core that connects to the mountain areas. Don’t get me wrong, I love Michigan and I’ll always call my 90 acre farm home. But to drive up into the mountains and visit with my “grandparents” (the people who babysat me when I was little) brings back a core connection.

I spent some time in the valley – Phoenix. My aunt, uncle, and grandparents. It was fun to hang with the cousins and the kids. My aunt was amazingly generous and doubled the number of suits in my closet. This will be helpful when I get a job.

Then, the big drive up the mountain, which always takes longer than I think that it should. Driving up I found that the gas was cheaper up than in the valley (not a normal state of affairs). Then, the dreaded sight – the broken guard rails along the windy mountain roads. Someone said that it was a cement truck that fell over the edge.

Now, remember, when I was little going up the mountain – there were no guardrails. It used to scare me to death as I looked over the edge of the cliff. Once on the mountain, there were no Wal-Marts, movie theaters, or, well, pretty much anything. I stayed with “grandparents” played in the creek, played with “cousins”. I suppose that there must have been a grocery store – but it wasn’t a Safeway. It was an undiscovered mountain town. That was before the ski lodges… I think that I used to like it better.

The best part of part of the drive up the mountain is seeing the breathtaking views – that have been static in my eyes. It has always looked like that with the cacti and the shrubs, and the pine trees. No houses in some of the forest area (yet) or any other human interference except for the road.

This trip has revived my soul and made me ready to start working again. I’m all ready to return to school and work and get ready for graduation.

Posted by Heather Voss at May 12, 2004 11:45 PM