I've never left the continental United States and as such, this trip marks a tremendous departure for me. I've seen a great deal of my Turtle Island and really, have so much gratitude to come from a land of such abundance. America is amazing. There is so much space here, so much time, so much land, and so much beauty. A lot of which, however, goes unnoticed. I am from some of the most beautiful land in this country, Jackson Hole, WY, and am so grateful to have been brought up with a real dialogue with nature and the natural world.
I have been, however, looking forward to this trip for some time. My ancestors being Scottish, there is a lot of digging into the past which I hope to accomplish in Scotland. My mother's father, my grandpa Jack, is the lineage to this part of my past and with him I feel a tremendous connection psychologically and spiritually. He is a wise and beautiful man who has lived a full life and accomplished just about everything one could hope to with their time on this earth. His contribution to this journey of mine is indispensable and I offer him so much gratitude and thanks.
Up until now, the reality of this trip has really only been in paperwork and travel plans, whereas now, the journey itself is started to loom before me. I am shaken with anticipation but remain grounded in the present, seeking to accomplish everything I can in the places I find myself. I left Boulder with a feeling of complete triumph, and I knew I'd completed my stay there for the time being. I left everyone and everything in that town with gracious gestures and beautiful promises, thank you to everyone who has been there with me. Boulder, CO is a truly beautiful place and I am so glad to have lived there. It has been, alongside Naropa University, a perfect container for my evolution spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I've been challenged in just the right way the entire time I've lived there and all of the circumstances fall into place in my mind as being the perfect opportunities for this story. Thank God.
From Boulder I have come to Boise, ID. The place of my youth and my adolescence. Although I am from Jackson Hole, I grew up in Boise. This place never ceases to amaze me. It's completely unpredictable though, and I feel that the heart of this town has a great degree to do with one's own ability to live spontaneously. I know that the more that I can sink into the moment with whoever I am with here, something great happens. Although that happens everywhere, there is something so sweet about home that it feels all the more unique and majestic. It is a quiet great here though, one that doesn't necessarily need explanation or aggrandizement. In fact, it is a great that is almost like a secret, and for those who are in on it, there is really little else to say other than the inane banter which is the heart of my dialogue with this town.
I've had some tremendous ups and downs in the past few years here and I was a bit reticent to return. I felt that I would be stuck here, that there would be nothing to do and instead my pre-Findhorn vacation would either be spent completely idly, or I would be traveling around the Northwest. Neither of those possibilities have happened. I have sunk, shall we say, into the bog of Boise and am really enjoying myself. This was the least desired of all outcomes but because of that, I think, the most important. The reality is that this is a small town, and that's about it. A lot of people, including myself, would like to think that there is a lot of progressive thought happening here, a budding art scene begging for an artistic revolution in the vein of Seattle or Portland. Unfortunately, this is not the dialogue that I foster with this place anymore. In fact, I don't think there's a damn thing going on in Boise, but that's what makes it great. It's so fun to not have anything to do for an indefinite period of time. I've been saying this a lot, but Boulder has a pace. There is a lot of stuff going on there, tons. Art, music, spiritual practices, parties, the place is a total scene. Boise usually falls short in all those categories and only the most dedicated of practitioners keep these outlets alive. I find that I usually end up at the bar at the end of the day, and that has never really felt more fulfilling. Ahhh the sweet medicine of home.
I've never relaxed like this before. I walk around and my chest just releases everything, I will take a complete breath, and in that moment there is nothing, but there is everything, and I find release. These experiences are emotional, sexual, psychological, spiritual, and above all, it is simple. My experience here continues to be punctuated with this simplistic ecstasy. The people that I love and have fallen in love with are my friends. I see them and know such a powerful story, and the context continues to deepen as I see these passages grow and develop into the world. So much heart, so much soul. I go with these people, I am these people, like wind in the trees our stories are scattered all over the world and we know together that we are all indispensable. Thank you for this story.
I wanted to begin this blog with a little update on my recent travels. This is to be a travel log, and I intend to use it to keep all my friends and family informed on my experiences abroad. I want to make writing a habit again, and also a release. There was a time when it was all that mattered but has been a dormant passion and art for too long now. I can't stop thinking, I can't stop talking, and I can't stop loving this life, so for everyone and no one, here is a testament to the tragedy, a testament to time, and a toast to eternity. That we may all find the path of fragrant flowers.
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