Monday, 18 May 2009
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vacation report
I’ve been home from vacation for over a week and have yet to blog about it. My trip was wonderful! Northern New Mexico is a great place to escape to.
I spent the first couple of days in Taos, where I stayed at a hostel and did a lot of hiking. In one day I was on a snowy mountain trail and in a hot, cactus-filled Rio Grande gorge. It was on those hikes that I was finally, completely sure that I am myself again. I am whole, I am healed, and I am fantastic just the way I am.
Most of my week was spent at a farm just a mile off of the Continental Divide. There I was surrounded by a warm hospitable family and several other WWOOFers. Each day fell into a joyful rhythm.
Morning chores were my favorite part of the day. We fed the animals, milked the goats (a first for me!) and then walked the goats out to pasture. There were always more of us on the walk than necessary just because we all found it so fun.
For the rest of the day we’d work on whatever projects needed doing. The most ridiculous task was carrying an outhouse down a hill:
What I appreciated about all of my companions is that they were equally content to have passionate, interesting conversations and to work together in silence. We enjoyed both.
The ranch had some beautiful hiking, too. I got to visit Valley of the Moon, which is partially owned by the family I was visiting and partially by Dennis Hopper. The place is amazing and bizarre. It definitely had a very spiritual vibe about it—it was something I could sense in the wind, as if it was speaking a language too deep for me to comprehend. On occasion I find such places, where nature just resonates with an amazing power and depth.
Every evening after dinner I would take a walk to watch the sun set and the full moon rise. The ranch’s wonderful dogs always accompanied me whether or not I asked them to.
I’ve realized that I give a lot in my life—a lot to work, a lot to my community, a lot to my loved ones. I’m okay with that, but finding balance is hard. It wasn’t until this vacation that I realized how little I’ve taken for myself lately. Having a week in which I didn’t really do anything I didn’t want to was marvelous.
Speaking of enjoying myself… I’m only getting around to this entry because I’m at a conference this week and currently relaxing in my hotel room. Wireless, cable TV, and—best of all—a king-size Sleep Number bed all to myself. A girl could get used to this.
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