Plan B

---

I normally like to start my day off with a cup of coffee, but three cups of coffee were in order on this particular day, 2 weeks ago. I woke up this morning to find that our van and trailer were stolen in the middle of the night. Gone. It’s one of those moments where you think to yourself, “Did that really just happen?”

Now, I think in my past life I might have cried or at least sworn a few times to let the magnitude of this problem come to life. However, Backroads style, I considerately woke my boss up at 6:30am on a Saturday morning to inform him that I filed a police report, while simultaneously working out the details of Plan B with my calm and collective co-leaders. All said and done, we pulled our trip start off, I re-grocery shopped for 25 people, and Day One felt just slightIy longer than the rest!

I would like to say this whole experience did not really phase me---but in all truthfulness, I felt responsible as I was the last person to drive the van before it disappeared. So, it was with great relief when the van and trailer were recovered 5 days later and the police report showed the van had been broken into and hotwired. There was minimal damage done to the vehicle and I’m sure whoever did this was bummed to find a trailer full of raisins and peanuts, wet wipes, excessive amounts of lunch meat and not much else. (Although they did clear out our six packs of local brews). My guess is they are not planning on doing this again, nor at least anytime soon, because they left their pickaxe on the floor of the luggage compartment….

Two combo locks and one GORP bin down, my walking trip in Yosemite this past week went smooth and felt like half the amount of work because it was half the amount of people—12 compared to 25. Your productivity level goes way down and plummets the moment you walk in the door of the leader house after having worked 2 weeks straight, 2 trips back-to-back. But, I am proud to say that I got out of bed twice today to take out the trash and make travel plans with my sister. Sara is flying into Oakland on Tuesday and we will be renting a car and driving to Lake Tahoe for a few days! I have never been and Sara and I have never traveled just the two of us, so it should be a good time!

Highlights: I am not the best at story-telling, but picture this scenario------We had just gotten finished after a long day of hiking with a lot of elevation gain so I thought it best to talk up the complimentary spa services at the hotel we wear staying at. I offered that our guests could get a massage, relax in the sauna, or take a steam shower. Well, this last option was heard by one guest as a suggestion on my behalf of a team shower…..You might have had to have been there, but you can imagine the laughter that ensued over a “team shower.”

Another highlight of this week was being able to spend a considerable amount of time hiking with a 72 year old woman named Phyllis. She was fascinating and endearing for sharing so much of her life with me, including stories of her love life with Martin, a man she recently met on Match.com. Being with her and taking her hand as she stepped up a large boulder or down a steep hill was really special knowing she was not only a friend, lover, and mother to someone else, but a grandmother too. And so I thought of my own grandma, grandma Bannon. I love you and miss you.

Love Keely

---