Dear Diary,
Today is Sunday, May 5, 2024. I am finally caught up with my writing. I am leaving shortly for three and a half days of travel to get closer to the border of Canada. I will cross the Blue Water Bridge in Michigan in a few days.
I have one more stop in mind that I am looking forward to.
At the end of last year's travels, I received a beautiful email from Alice, who has been following me from the beginning of my journey. Her email touched me, so I reached out to her, and we started conversing. Part of her email was an invitation to host me if I were ever in her area.
Alice is a sculpture artist working with bronze and copper. One of my wishes is to be an artist who creates art from different materials, like wood, metal, and glass. Well... maybe in my next life. Visiting Alice and getting to know her and her art is a great privilege.
I am thrilled to be in Boulder and spend time with my boys. It is a source of comfort, pleasure, and pride. Pride in being who I am around them, pride in what they are doing in life, and pride in our open, loving relationship. I appreciate Adi and Ron taking time off from their busy schedules to spend time together.
We spent our time hiking up Sugarloaf Mountain. The high altitude is slowing me down, but who cares? It is so white and peaceful that taking my time is a gift.
We hike to Lost Lake, but only get to the waterfall section since at that point, the snow is still falling. The ground is very slippery, and we are getting hungry. We will need to come back at another time to find Lost Lake, as it is still frozen at this time of the year.
We explored the little town of Nederland, and I am taking notes. I am searching for the little town where I will one day set my roots. We sat at a local favorite, Busey Brews Smokehouse & Brewery, and enjoyed a delicious meal.
When we stopped at Boulder Waterfall, the lighting at that time of day played its magic on this beautiful spot. Now I can appreciate its power as it was frozen during my last visit.
We get a front view of the sunset from Lost Gulch Lookout. Oh boy, what a fantastic spot!
I love that Ron feels comfortable sharing glimpses of his life in Boulder. We joined Ron for his friend Max's birthday picnic celebration, which gave me a chance to meet his wonderful friends.
After Adi returned to San Francisco, I stayed longer at an Airbnb in North Boulder to follow up with some loose ends. I also need to prepare for my adventures in Canada and continue to do my "homework".
Until now (this year), I have been traveling with the wind, which means no set plans or reservations. It also means I am flying against my own wind. My personality feels secure with structure and planning, but where is the chance for growth if I don't try something new?
Traveling in Canada will be a mix of some planning and reservations and some traveling with a spontaneous spirit. It will give me a taste of a style that will work best for my future travels.
Most of the time, I sit in front of my laptop, icing my foot and resting. I spent the rest of my time with Ron, taking easy hikes. Although hiking in Boulder can be excellent practice for some of the hikes I plan in Canada, I try to be wise and not push myself.
My Airbnb host, Nick, is a cool guy, and we have many deep conversations. It is a pleasure to meet his many friends at his birthday party, which he invited me to join.
His neighbors welcome me, and I feel at home. Linda, Nick's next-door neighbor, is another adventure lady. She converted her minivan as well. I hope that when I am in my seventies, I will still go camping as she does.
One unexpected reunion got me excited at the end of my visit. Last year, when I visited Boulder, Diane, a follower from Facebook, reached out, and we met for coffee. We stayed in touch throughout the year. I know Diane is away traveling, but since I changed my plans at the last minute and spent extra time in Boulder, we made it happen and met again.
Diane and I share a deep understanding of the peace and silence that nature gives us. Diane has a little cabin up in the mountain where she escapes to find that treasure we both thirst for. To my delight, she invited me to come along and check it out.
Now, I have the perfect image for which I can manifest. Diane's cabin is my dream little house, with a creek flowing by to feed my soul. It is simple and barebone basic, just the way I like it. Thank you, Diane, for sharing your little heaven with me.
The Airbnb gives me a quiet corner to get on two Zoom calls.
I am a returning guest on The Boomer Woman's Podcast with Agnes Knowles. (https://boomwithabang.com/podcast/). How cool! I was voted the most listened-to Podcast on her show for 2023. (https://boomwithabang.com/the-boomer-womans-podcast-gila-melamed/). It is a pleasure chatting again with Agnes. Agnes's questions take us into a deep conversation.
The second podcast is The Feminine Millionaire Podcast with Polly Alexandre. (https://www.pollyalexandre.com/the-feminine-millionaire). What a delightful time we had! Our conversation went past the interview time, allowing me the privilege to get to know Polly and her work.
I sincerely appreciate Agnes and Polly's mission and commitment to sharing diverse stories to inspire others. I will let you know when they both air.
It is time to pack my van. It takes time to put things back in their place. Being organized is a significant factor in living in such a tiny space; luckily, I am an expert by now.
Truth be told, I wasn't looking forward to my next stretch of drive. Traveling on Rt 80 through Nebraska and Iowa is boring—no matter how you slice it. Am I starting to be a snob traveler?
Well, now I can't wait to get on the road. At the last minute, two exciting visits await my adventures...
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