July 17~23: Road trip, 2 of 2

From Big Sur up the coast to Carmel. We saw Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) flittering about in the city park on a sunny day...

 Then up the coast through the artichoke and strawberry country, an afternoon at the Elkhorn Slough and

Sunset at Sunset Beach State Park!

 With the waves and birds cruising by in front of the northernmost point of the Monterey Bay... Santa Cruz

 And a day driving through the WORST traffic this Californian has ever experienced. But we made it over the Golden Gate Bridge finally... and had a fabulous view of everything.

 Smile!

 Up to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Didn't spend nearly enough time here, but boy was it inspiring. I took off my shoes to enter a grove of trees because it felt like entering a holy temple.

 Giants, indeed.

 Towards Redwoods National and State Parks, north of Eureka and Arcata, CA. The coast was rough up here!

Good thing that Michelle is so pretty. It might distract you from how grey my hair looks.

We made it up the coast and I've been back in Washington for two and a half weeks. It has been a fun adventure living with Codi and Jimmy (GREAT FRIENDS!) who have put me up for the time. We have moved them into their new home and cleaned up the old one and I have been doing a little bit of work around the yard too. I enjoy my time with them and they say I am welcome to stay for a bit, but I am getting the feeling like I'll need my own thing soon. Still plotting and planning as usual about cool jobs and places to live. But no clear direction yet. My feelers are out and I am applying myself though the future remains slightly cloudy. I can't see what exactly it will look like. It has made me anxious over the past week and will probably continue to do so. But that tension might be a helpful driving force in getting the next step/adventure underway.

I think I may take a break from this blog for a while. I have caught up and posted pictures and words. And it is time to slow down again, after a wild and awesome post-graduate school break, to settle down and into a place and rhythm in which I can explore more peace in myself and a community. I may get more philosophical another time, in a later blog, but I feel confident that I have left this in a good place for now.

Peace to you. Stay in Touch.