I am grateful today. My tent is on the edge of a lake. The sun is setting, painting an orange-pink haze above the trees on the opposite shore. Bird calls echo over the water– high-pitched, repeating the same sound on a loop over and over again. There are so many breathtaking moments each day that I am out here, and I wonder how I could be so lucky to have this experience. But it’s not luck. This trip is a gift.
A gift from my parents, who have always known when to keep me close and when to let me go. My mother said that they’re so happy I’m out here, that they’re jealous and living through me. I realized in that moment that the trip is a gift for them, too. Because of everything that they have given me, I get to do this right now – they know that I am doing something just for me, because it makes me happy.
It’s also gift from Rocío, who has shown me by example so many times that taking a leap into the unknown can be the right choice. We didn’t think that I’d be able to do the trip with my injury, and when we realized that it was happening – that we’d be apart for months – I watched her swallow that realization hard. She was sad, but she never would have let me do anything else. She wanted me to have this opportunity.
I thought about them a lot today. I couldn’t stop crying at one point because all I could think about is how grateful I am to have them. I have spent many hours worrying and anticipating, and I have already had some mishaps out here, but right now I just want to sit in this feeling. My heart is full.
Trails And Travels 