Wyoming is stunning! The drive along Hwy 26 is breathtaking. This route needs to be declared as a scenic route! I love the horse ranches I pass along the way. Here is another dream I hope to one day make a reality. I want to be a wrangler! I want to learn how to ride a horse and ride toward the sunrise and sunset.
Very quickly I lose service, which means I lost my music. Well, it turns out I am driving in nowhere land. I decided to keep the welcome silent so I could concentrate on the beauty unfolding in front of me every mile I drive.
Hold on, am I back in Utah? The red rocks to my left are a total contrast to the green grass mountains to my right. This is insanely beautiful and the colors are incredible!
I am losing my mountains and earning the vast open land, which brings to mind a book I read a few years ago, "The Four Winds." The story takes place in Texas, but the wind I am experiencing right now and the landscape I see, reminds me of this story.
Open land, open skies! Far in the distance the skies are very dramatic. The rain clouds are softening from the sky, creating the feel of an elegant shear curtain. This is truly amazing!
Opening Google Maps without any research on my route is not the smartest idea. I didn't realize there are areas in Wyoming that are just land, so when I finally get to a gas station, I fill up. I don't need to, but I am not repeating my Texas experience. After a few hours of no service, my phone returns to life. I can check out what my options are for tonight. I planned to drive until six and think about a place to call home for the night. It's already past six, and honestly, I don't have a good feeling in my body. In one of the online courses about women's solo travel I took before leaving home, the instructor talked about the "gut feeling" we are all experiencing and how important it is to listen to it. So I decided to push the gas peddle for another one hundred miles until I got to Casper.
By seven-thirty, I get to Casper and stop to check my options for a campground. The closest to me got the best rating, so I drove to check it out. It may be the best rating for this area, but it is far from what I hoped. It will do it for tonight.
I get out of my car and greet my neighbors Jan and Chuck. I always write as life unfolds for me. As I am writing right now, I get a sense meeting Jan and Chuck was meant to be. Jan and Chuck are from southern New Mexico. Chuck is a pastor. Unfortunately, we don't have much time to talk, but with the little we do, Chuck reminds me of the powerful importance of sharing our stories and how it can be a healing tool for someone else.
Jan and Chuck invited me to come and visit them when I am back on the road again. I definitely want to explore New Mexico. The week I spent in Santa Fe was not enough.
I need to find the courage and I need to share my story. It is a topic that needs to be widely open and talked about. I know I am not the only one.
So now I am in Douglas, Wyoming. This morning, I spent my time in the library until they closed. Now I am sitting in my hotel room so I can have a desk and Wi-Fi to catch up on all my writing and push the publish button.
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