Ever wanted to be a part of something bigger than yourself?

Today I was. I'm in La Junta working on this feature I'm doing for a magazine. It's on the opposition to the Army's seizure of land for a maneuver site in Pinon Canyon. I am looking at the historical value of the land and talking to local archaeologists and historians in the area. The reasons for the opposition coalition are too numerous to name. The most basic being that this land has been in these people's families for hundreds of years. Their family cemeteries are on this land. Their livelihood and their past, present and future's are on this land. I am overwhelmed by the passion these people have for this cause. And this is no typical "We hate the government, the army and everything about America" kind of approach to the issue. In fact a lot of these ranchers are war veterans and are the most dedicated patriots you will find in this part of the country. One story that really got to me is that one family has their son, who was killed in Iraq, buried in their family cemetery, on land that could very soon be destroyed and overran by the very army that this young man served in.

As if the reasons above are not enough to stop the Army, I am learning about the cultural and historical richness of this area. They have surveyed a large portion of the area that the Army wants and have concluded that there are over 1,000 sites. This area is as rich, if not more rich than the Mesa Verde region. It makes me nauseous to think about the implications and consequences of the Army's occupation of this land. It just cannot be allowed.

I have a couple more days of interviews, along with hikes and a bit of road-tripping to do. Tomorrow I am going to meet with a rancher and hiking out to some ruins and petroglyphs. I am so excited for sunday. I get to sit down with two brothers in their late 80's who are both archaeologists and ranchers. It's going to be incredible. They know everything about the area and experienced the "treasure hunting" days of archaeology. They are the foundations of south west archaeology.

I talked to this table of 6 old folks, who were all in there 80's, after dinner at this Mexican Restaurant. They were amazing and were so excited to talk to me. My favorite part of the conversation was when they told me the that they didn't really like the 79 year old guy at the table and only kept him around because he could see at night. As they drank margaritas and ate taquitos they explained that he was their coined "designated driver."

Who would of thought La Junta could be such a good time? 

I am SO out of my league.

Wilderness

Being from ... my family has made habit of spending time together in the mountains during the summer. For as far back as I can remember, we have made sandwiches and driven up ... Road on Sunday afternoons. The road follows the creek that streams down from Helen Hunt Falls. We always park along the road and set up a picnic next to the water. My favorite part of these visits to the creek has always been walking up stream, moving against the soft current, being careful not slip on the polished stones, and ducking to avoid the aspen that crowd around the water’s edge.

I’ve made it my own tradition. There is nothing more picturesque than peacefully walking through nature on a warm summer’s day. It is beautiful the way the light reflects on the water and slowly reveals the multi-colored rocks: only granted their true beauty when immersed in water. The water is always cold, in true Colorado Rocky Mountain fashion. This is the most challenging part of the experience: getting yourself used to your feet and legs being numb to the core. However, the pain of cold limbs disappears at the sight of aspen leaves floating on the surface and whispering in the trees above. On several occasions I’ve run into a deer or two stopping for a drink. The birds are always around and occasionally, depending on the color of your shirt, you may get a visit from a hummingbird.

I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors, but no experience has been quite as intimate and peaceful for me as my time at the creek. The drive is short and it’s an easy escape to something fresh, quiet and beautiful. Nothing is more refreshing than cupping the cool water in folded hands, wading into the deep parts of the creek, and looking up at the trees as the yellow light engulfs me. In moments like these I want nothing to change and I feel blessed to have access to such a rich wilderness in the Colorado Mountains. 

Here I Dreamt I Was a Journalist

Today was the first day of my magazine travel writing class. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time. The professor does not consider us students. We are now his employees. If we are 30 seconds late to class EVER, he highly encourages us to drop the class. If we are late twice, he will make us drop the class. He's not messing around...

The best part though is that if I am serious about this journalism career this class will definitely put me at an advantage. At the end of the class we will have a complete magazine published. I will get editing experience, production experience, and of course writing experience. This should be fun - hard...but fun. 

And the best part of all? For every magazine he gets one of his celebrity friends to do an interview with his "employees." There is talk of that celebrity being Jimmy Buffet. That would make my life complete.

My first assignment seems pretty easy, but I'm sure once I start it will prove to be a challenge:

Write two to four paragraphs about an incident in which you interacted, personally and intimately, with some of the wilderness world. 

If I write anything interesting I will be sure to post it on here.

a conception of home, home life, lack of home, etc.

"Home" is slowly becoming a foreign concept. I have a home and always will. Mostly wherever my family is is where home is. But I don't have a room anymore. I don't have a place with music posters, pink walls, change and receipts on the counters. That is a strange thing to realize. I have a place to keep my stuff at school, but it is still foreign. I still don't sleep very well when I'm here. I don't feel complete when I'm here.

That's just something I think about a lot. Being with my family was a great comfort over the past two weeks though. It gave me a new idea of "home." Home is really just a feeling. My brother and sister and I were driving on the interstate listening to this playlist with songs that we all knew the words too. Songs that reminded us of our mom, of going to concerts, of having backyard picnics and sleeping out on the trampoline. I can tell you that in that moment I felt completely at home, without even needing a physical manifestation of the place. It's like that archaeological concept. A space is only made a place by the actions within that space. My family makes my home a home. We carry our home with us. For a lack of better words, we carry it in out hearts.   

It's just good to think about. Everything is moving so fast around me and it's nice to stop and know that no matter what I have this system, this glorious support, understanding, unconditional love, laughter. It's one thing that makes sense in this world. It is something to hold on to. To live for. To love for. No matter where the coordinates of this system may lay, they are always connected. They always form a home and always will.

See I'm Stuck in a City, But I Belong in a Field

I bought an album today for a silly reason.

It made me feel young. It gave me this feeling of innocence and made me think of my grandma's tiny hometown and driving on a country road listening to James Taylor. It made me think of all the silly things I used to do in high school like drink mate' and swing in the park till I got sick. It reminded me of wearing overalls and brown sandals and picking wild flowers in the mountains on one of our long past family camping trips.

It has been a glorious feeling that I hope doesn't pass anytime soon. 

What's the source of all this beauty? Chris Thile's "How to Grow a Woman from the Ground." I've been wanting this album FOREVER but just never really got up the courage to buy it. I was in the check-out line holding Spoon's "GaGaGaGaGa " and the new Band of Horses album and then this one. The other two albums are great, they just make me feel old. They remind me of how badly I tried to be cool in high school, going to local shows, buying skinny jeans and getting the "choppy" haircut. It honestly made me kind of sick. I didn't want to go to that place...not today. I put in the CD a few hours ago and was delighted to hear Chris' cover of the Strokes song "Heart in a Cage." I love this song, mostly because I was standing 12 in. away from a drunk Chris Thile outside of a local venue when I heard him play it for the first time by himself. That moment was magical. No joke...i felt like nothing could possibly be any better in that moment. It was so beautiful. It was a cool summer night and we were all gathered under a lamp post while Chris slowly swayed back in forth, his fingers gracefully strumming. 

Looking back I had so many perfect moments in my life. Not to say I haven't had those moments lately. It's just, in retrospect it becomes clear how lucky I've been. I've experienced some pretty amazing things in my life. They probably seem pretty silly to other people, but to me they have been nothing short of perfect. 

I love this line: 

"I went to the concert and I fought through the crowd 

Guess I got too excited when I thought you were around" 

it reminds me of the concerts I would go to in high school: looking for that amazing boy that just happens to love the same band as you.

HEART IN A CAGE

Well I don't feel better
When I'm fucking around 
And I don't write better
When I'm stuck in the ground 
So don't teach me a lesson
Cause I've already learned 
Yeah the sun will be shining 
And my children will burn 

Oh the heart beats in its cage 

I don't want what you want 
I don't feel what you feel 
See I'm stuck in a city 
But I belong in a field 

Yeah we got left, left, left, left, left, left, left, 
Now it's three in the morning and 
You're eating alone 

Oh the heart beats in its cage 

All our friends they're laughing at us 
All of those you loved, you mistrust 
Help me, I'm just not quite myself 
Look around there's no one else left 
I went to the concert and I fought through the crowd 
Guess I got too excited when I thought you were around 

Oh, he gets left, left, left, left, left, left, left

I'm sorry you were thinking I would steal your fire
Oh the heart beats in its cage 
Yes the heart beats in its cage 
Alright

And the heart beats in its cage.