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Published: December 29th 2011
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The recent pipe explosion in our bathroom has inspired me to write a blog post because it is long overdue. So, please forgive any grammatical errors as I type this from my floating bunkbed.
Lesson learned: Despite what your parents always told you, do NOT pee one last time before going
to bed. This will only delay your getting to bed and your bunkmates will strongly dislike you for waking them up and hurrying them to lift their suitcases off the ground!
I’m glad I just finished the house laundry today so there was a fresh, clean supply of towels to mop up our bedroom floor….although I have to say, it was not my quickest reaction time. Backroads has an annual Staff Ride as a show of appreciation which was this past week, and brought a lot of traffic to our little leader house---I’ve never seen so many Eagle Creek bags gathered in one room! I missed the ride as I was leading my last trip for the season in Northern California wine country. Because I have not posted anything since my trips in Yosemite I thought I’d share one day in particular that stands out in my mind.
It was a rainy day and all but one of the twenty-two guests decided to call it quits at our lunch stop. Fine, no big deal, but I did find myself a little irritated to have to switch gears when we thought everyone was shuttling from lunch to our next lodge at Bodega Bay. Logistically, it would mean a little more shuffling around to quickly get back on route to support
one person. One stubborn man who wanted to ride in the pouring rain, by himself! (You can probably tell where this story is going and who the stubborn one actually is).
Later that afternoon, I drove the route backwards and did not see Richard…..so I drove some of the country roads again….still no sign. I started to worry as it had been over two hours since Richard took off from the winery on his own. I felt like a schmuck for being the slightest bit irritated that our guest wanted to ride his bike, on a cycling trip nonetheless.
What if he was lying on the side of the road somewhere, bloody and injured? I let my co-leader know I could not find Richard and she
started calling local hospitals----I drove the route back to the hotel and still no sign. Richard rode up shortly thereafter and boy were we relieved to see him! What follows made me laugh, loosen up, and learn to appreciate the moments in life when others can catch a slice of euphoria for themselves. And I too, was euphoric for Richard.
Upon seeing me, he exclaimed, “Keely, I am so sorry! I saw you drive by and knew right away that you would be worried! I ducked behind a barn to take a leak, and ran out into the middle of the road after, furiously waving my arms to get your attention, but you didn’t look back. I know you were worried, but just so you know, I had the best time of my life. Riding in the rain, by myself, I felt elated and starting yelling out to the cows! The cows listened to me singing, laughing, and muttering different utterances as I rode past. It was beautiful and I so needed that. Thank
you!”
Highlights:
• I am so thankful for my family whom have all made an effort to come visit me, here in Berkeley. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, my Dad came out to give me a loving kick in the ass (which I requested). My sister flew out in late August and we drove to Lake Tahoe together for a girl’s getaway. My mom recently came out to see me on one of my weeks off and we drove up to Point Reyes National Seashore for 3 wonderful days of hiking, my first oyster experience, and some intense games of Boggle. (Lucky for my mom, the game was tied…and don’t you worry, will be continued).
• Experiencing my first earthquake---two of them for that matter. Mother nature is oh so powerful and can be a strong reminder of our place in this world.
• Beautiful fall leaves from the Midwest---upon hearing that I missed the seasons out in always sunny, beautiful California, my Dad sent the Fall in Illinois TO ME!
Lowlights:
• I’m going to put this out there---I snore---and apparently LOUD! Loud enough that it has been brought to the attention of my boss. Only with a job like this one would you ever have a 20 minute conference call and brainstorming sesh with your boss about snoring---awkward……
• This qualifies as a highlight and lowlight----there is a steep learning curve with Backroads. To the point that just when I feel I am getting the hang of this job, my role, and my presence as a leader and orchestrator, I am reminded. I am reminded to work smarter, not harder. I am reminded that judgment calls are tricky and should not involve cutting corners. I am reminded that I love the challenge that comes with such a self-directed position.
Silver Lining:
You could say I have
finally finalized some winter travel plans. Starting with a 3 week Spanish language school in Nicaragua. After the new year, I will be traveling to New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, and Fiji from January 11th-March 10th. The wonderful part about community is that we are all at different places in our lives---with our careers, living situations, obligations, and commitments---while striving for an equilibrium that honors our need for independence and fulfilling our dreams and following our passions. So, if you so happen to find yourself in a place to join me in any part of this journey, know that I would absolutely love to have you join me and would delight in your company! Or if you have been to this side of the world, I would love to hear your story!
Cheers, Keely
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