Chapter 2: People. Love. Family.

Did you know my road trip was going to be broken down into chapters? Me neither.

Chapter 1: Ride. Rinse. Repeat. (That was easy)

Since leaving Bentonville on 6 May, there has been very little riding, but my restless heart is full with gratitude for all the amazing friends and family I've been able to spend time with. (Stacy Craver, if you're reading this, I know I'm not supposed to end that sentence with a preposition. Put your red pen away.)

My first stop on the People-Love-Family tour was Leavenworth, Kansas, to spend a few days with one of my first Army friends, the legendary Stephanie Rose Cooper Einhorn (the girl collects names like I collect stickers for my water bottles). Steph and I met in 2009 when we both worked at Army Litigation Division in DC and we haven't seen each other since 2016. This was the first time I had met her husband or either of her kids. Of course, they are all delightful humans, even if they are Yankees fans.

I tried to go for a ride, but it was Missouri in May, so the trails were a mud pit. But the campground we stayed in had lots of walking trails, so the pups and I got a few good hikes in. Not being able to ride also gave me "permission" to spend a day exploring the cute little town of Weston - a place I never would have discovered if I hadn't been there to see Steph.

*Weston, MO. Blink and you'll miss it. Worth the stop if you find yourself near Ft. Leavenworth.*

The next stop was Fort Riley, Kansas to visit Lisa - another first-Army friend from LitDiv. Lisa and I have been able to see each other more frequently over the years, and I just love her family. I camped at a great little state park campground on Milford Lake just outside of Manhattan, KS.

The highlight of this stop was the afternoon on Lisa & Dave's boat. Can you believe I've never been pulled in a tube behind a motorboat? Well, when the 13 year old kid dares you to try it, you don't ask questions, you just jump in. There was much hooting and hollering to be had!

https://videopress.com/v/bKxi4Us5?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

*Water is to Lisa what mountains are to me. I love seeing this woman so happy!*

I am so incredibly proud of these two women. Both have achieved the rank of Colonel in a highly-competitive branch of the Army, but more importantly are phenomenal leaders, mothers, lawyers, Officers, and friends.

*2010 Run to Home Base at Fenway. We haven't aged a bit.*

The next stop was the Denver area. At the time, I had no idea I was going to be buying a new camper while I was there. The purpose for the stopover in Denver was to reunite with my cousin, Patti.

Most of you know that I don't have a big non-chosen family on this planet. I'm an only child & my parents are both gone. I have one maternal cousin in Atlanta (not high on my locations to visit), and a smattering of paternal cousins spread across upstate NY and NC, with whom I don't keep in touch. Patti is part of the large Sawyer clan, the daughter of my father's brother, Billy. Since I moved to Colorado, we have tried to get together on multiple occasions, but Ouray and Denver are separated by the highway-from-hell, I-70. As they say in Maine, "you can't get theah from heah."

*Having both been raised by wolves, we share a secret language. :)*

I had never met Patti's daughters, Annika and Michaela, who are both super-athletes and soccer stars. They were so much fun to hang with, and Patti's husband, Steve, shares my sarcastic sense of humor. Although I only had one night to spend this time, we have plans to spend more time together when I'm back in Denver next week. I have so much gratitude for Patti wanting to reconnect after all these years.

Keeping the vibe of family alive, I headed down to LaVeta, Colorado to spend a way-too-short week with my BFF, Aliyah. I met Aliyah the first winter I lived in Ouray, and we became fast friends over pottery, dogs, and our mutual love of the mountains. Two years ago, she decided to sell her house in Ouray and move to this random little town that nobody had ever heard of over in the Spanish Peaks of Colorado. I've visited several times since she moved, and flirted with the idea of moving there, too. But this is the first time I've seen the incredible home she just finished building. I am so so so so proud of her for following where her soul told her to go, and sticking to her values with this building project.

*The view from her front yard. The long rock formations are called* *dike walls*.

We had a great week hiking, mushroom hunting, drinking beer at the Mountain Merman, and catching up on all the things. I only rode once - on some new trails in Trinidad (the elevation kicked my ass, but the ride was sweet.) This area of Colorado is stunning - albeit windy as hell. Every morning, I woke up and listened to songbirds and chipmunks (and the dogs barking at the chimpmunks.)

*Hiking near Raspberry Mountain, on top of the "claret cup wall".*

I've been on this planet for 53 years now, and I can count on one hand the friends-as-family that I have. Aliyah is one of those. She's my emergency contact. IYKYK.

After our week came to a close, I made the trek back up to the Denver area for an entirely different experience. The mapping of this part of my road trip was bookended by this event, and I am so grateful for chosen-family Pete & Kat for letting me driveway dock at their house in Arvada.

*Pete of Pete & Kat fame. Kat couldn't join us out, and I failed to get a picture of all 3 of us.*

Many of you have heard me yammer incessantly about my streaming on-line yoga community - Gina Caputo’s Yoga Potluck. I first met Gina at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival at Whistler in 2018 - and I fell in love with her style of teaching, humor, energy, and hands-down acceptance of all the things. Gina's online platform has grown so much over those years, and now is a real community of yogis all over the world who come together most weeks via Zoom to practice together, participate in soul circles, and unpack some of the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of our being with each other. After many cries of "we need to all be in the same room!", Gina made it happen.

We started at the Yoga Jam at Red Rocks on Friday afternoon. Gina taught a few hundred people in a yoga practice accompanied by Michael Franti jamming away on his guitar. It was one of the most uplifting, community-building times - in a stunning location - with lots of strangers who left as friends.

*Gina leading yoga, Michael on guitar, and a few hundred friends doing yoga in the sun! #QFA*

After the yoga, we all dispersed to the parking lots so the crew could reset for the Franti concert. Have you ever been to Red Rocks Ampitheatre? Its one hell of an experience. I was enjoying the moment too much to take pictures, but trust me, its the bomb. If you have a chance to see a show there, do it.

*Michael Franti spreading all the good vibes. The set went for almost FOUR HOURS!*

The next day was the actual Yoga Potluck meetup at a yoga studio in Golden, CO. This was the first time many of us had ever met in person, and it was incredible. So much love. So much vulnerability. So much gratitude for each other and for Gina.

*Gina being moved to tears before the asana, acknowledging her gratitude for our community.*

Gina led off our soul circle with the question: "what change is asking to be acknowledged and acted on for you right now". Not just "what do you want to change" or "what's your resolution", but "what change is asking to be acknowledged..." Everyone in the soul circle let their guard down and was completely vulnerable with their contributions. I invite you to ask yourself the same question.

Between Gina's embrace of #QFA and Michael's super positive music, this weekend was a great boost at a time on my roadtrip when things had started to feel a little weighed down. All I have to do is put on a little Michael Franti (esp. this one) and sing along in the car, and I'm back to Tiggering my way through life.

*The whole Yoga Potluck Fam, with Gina lounging in the front, HS volleyball photo style. :)*

There is one last People-Family-Love reunion that I have to share. It was unexpected, but so so so good.

*Rose (all grown up), Johnny and me, after stuffing our faces at the* *Golden Diner*

To add to the short list of people-I've-known-forever, the Sinkus family is near the top. I first met Stephanie & John in 1999 - I was walking my lab, Maggie, past their house in North Conway, NH when their lab, Juno, came out to say hello. We've been through some good times, and a whole lotta shit, together in the 25 years since. I took care of Juno when their first daughter, Rose, was born (someday, ask Steph how I thought I killed Juno that week), and frequently stayed with Steph to help with the girls when Johnny was traveling for work. Well, Rosie ..... ahem ..... Rose, is all grown up now and getting ready to enter her senior year of college as a Physics major. (Yes, physics ... she's smarter than all of us put together). Rose is doing a summer internship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is part of the US Department of Energy, in Golden. While she did a great job explaining exactly what she would be doing, I was not smart enough to retain much of it, but I know I was impressed, and that her work will make a difference in the human race surviving global warming.

I am so proud of this kid - and her little sister Juliet, who is transferring to my alma mater, BU, in the fall. And I am beyond grateful for the decades-long friendship I have with this family. Chosen family is a real thing, y'all.

Next up: Wyoming.

Chapter 2: People. Love. Family.

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