When we go hiking in the open space where I spent the majority of my marathon training, we find that the wildlife seems almost domesticated. This mother dear and baby let us get super close to them. In fact, they didn’t even budge when two runners ran past. It makes be wonder if there is a problem developing here. I mean, is there a point where they will be too used to humans?
We were in search of wall murals for our latest IG yoga challenge when YaYa told us about a secret place tatted up with graffiti. A quick internet search revealed a little history, the location, and one other fact. Technically, access to this [not-so]-secret place was off limits. In other words: Trespassing. Still, articles posted by radio stations and the like seemed to be inviting the curious cats to check it out.
Often fascinated by graffiti, I also wanted to check out this secret place. I invited theMAN to come along with me – although it went against my rule-following persuasion. We planned a trip mid-day to eliminate any doubt of the intent to simply check it out.
The place was cool but there were definitely a few sketchy areas where an unlucky fall would not fair well. I could only imagine kids drinking at night then trying to safely traverse the embankment or heading into this tunnel with a train coming. I found that even I got sucked in, forgetting to weigh the dangers more heavily than the coolness. It was like a woozle-effect of sorts.
There was a specific part of the trail which I’d seen in photos and was seeking to find. The graffiti in that section is more beautiful than all the rest. It would be the location of my IG challenge pose for a backbend; the arch in my backbend would align with the arch of the bridge above. I never did find this particular spot and the day for the backbend has come an gone. I did find another cool location here to stop-drop-and-yoga.
There’s a part of me that really wants to go back…and another part of me that says “once is enough.” Most likely, I’ll listen to the second.
It’s a short flight from Northern to Southern California. We peer out the window on the hills below us. This trip we are on was not the trip we’d planned. Although it was a completely different sort of vacation, we were hopeful that it would be a good one nonetheless.
I case you didn’t figure it out, our backpacking trip to Clouds Rest didn’t happen. It seems that all of the rain and snow we had back in the winter had not yet melted away by the beginning of July. The snow that had melted flooded the trails below. The ranger’s words were, “Umm…you can’t even get to that trail right now.” [Read more…]
YaYa’s high school days ended with a freak accident in his weightlifting class. In the process of reaching a new max in the bench press, the attempted lift of 270 pounds came crashing down on him. To be exact, it came crashing down on his FACE. He had a spotter, however several small nuances the of the lift going wrong were not noted. From what I could gather from viewing the lift video, YaYa enlisted too much leg strength which ended up pushing the legs of the bench off the floor, thereby shifting the weight above his chest, and leading to the eventual loss of control of the weight. That’s just my theory and I am NOT a weightlifter.
Fortunately, YaYa emerged relatively okay from the event. In the emergency room, I commented on how Someone up above must have been looking out for him. YaYa said, “Yeah. I think it was DAD.”
So today, as I sit in the front row of my youngest son’s graduation, I think about how lucky we are to have this day. When the choir sings the song “I Lived” by OneRepublic, I cannot help but let the tears flow down my cheeks. I fell in love with this song, four years earlier at the Monarch Madness Rally held by the Catholic School where YaYa began his high school education.
Tonight, as I sit at the commencement ceremony from the public school he ended up transferring to in his sophomore year, I am so grateful. Not only was YaYa able to find his way amid an entirely new school system, he proved that he can adapt to whatever environment he enters and make it his own. Not only that, he is now a part of not one but two amazing communities.
And that is just the beginning…
Last summer’s trip to Kings Canyon National Park was one of careful evaluation of the messages my body was sending and constant modification. Each day, I woke with a Plan A and Plan B. The outcome would depend upon what my body would allow. I remember feeling disappointed and frustrated. I felt bad that I was hindering the expectations that I set for the trip with theMAN. Not being good enough, strong enough, and tough enough is definitely not big on my list of qualifications. A fellow yogini/hiker likened the process as similar to the yoga practice; you do what you can but modify when you need to.
Yet, the trip ended up being wonderfully fantastic. Our modified plans allowed us to take in the sights around each place we set up camp. We were able to practice yoga each day, take time to journal, go for picture walks around camp, and got plenty of rest.
With this summer’s adventure a little over a month away, I am already assessing the need to revise the plan. Set aside the fact that I have not hiked as much as I would have liked, the biggest issue this year may be the amount of snow on the ground where we have our wilderness permit. I have been doing a little research (reading blogs, updates from the rangers, and even emailing them) and are now exploring other options. Unfortunately, with the dates falling on a national holiday, the options are limited.
Once again, it’s time to go with the flow. To be honest, I am not going to get all hung up on the perfect trip. Recent events/hurdles set in my path have made me take note of what is most important to me. Count your blessings. Say “I love you” often, and mean it. Go with the flow.