(note-you can double click on photos to see them larger) soooo, we left the berkshires saturday 7/11 to make our way cross country. pointed west and teary-eyed. hard to say goodbye, that's for sure, because inside i did not know if i was doing the right thing. and i still don't know. part of me is still there. it was an amazing six months with family. time with my parents, letting them know me as an adult was priceless and being there for them felt right, i was honored, humbled and grateful for all of it. and now, i am back to my "home", amongst friends and the familiar. it is comforting to be where everybody knows your name and know your way around. isn't that home? and because there is always the other side of every feeling i have, (how fun) i also wonder if moving back was moving back? i think subconsciously, i began to detach from this place. because now the question is, do i still live here? in my heart and soul? it is my nature to question. i really got to see that there are many ways to live, many environments and lifestyles to choose...while SF has been where i hung my hat for 16 years and i've loved every minute, 6 months somewhere new really opened my eyes. where is home? i began to see other possibilities...it is often hard to go back once you've walked through a doorway.
ok, so back to our trip! but first i must start off with a story. it is a true story, no one could make this up--i promise. back in the day, when my father was a bowler, he was on a league with some friends. as a special honor, he had a HUGE trophy made in his beloved father's name, for the winner of the tournament. somehow though, the trophy meant so much to him, he ended up keeping it (curious if this meant the winner ended up empty handed?!) and has kept it in his possession for the past 30 some odd years. until now. until casey and i are about to leave MA and the car is packed to the gills, and my dad turns to me and says, i really want you to have this. this most cherished trophy that is about 4 feet tall (ok, i only slightly embellish here, but it helps the story). really dad, i can't, it means so much to you, how could i possibly take this 4 feet tall trophy with me across the entire country?? (let alone, where would we put it should we arrive in SF with a 4 foot trophy???) but, i could see in his eyes, he was serious, and i could not refuse him. i find it impossible to refuse him anything and honestly, it really did mean something to him for me to take it. so, with some rope and a sense of humor, we strapped the sucker to the roof and headed on our way.
i have to say, that riding in a car with a large 1970's gold bowling trophy attached to your roof attracts quite some attention. tollbooth takers, gas station attendants and tourists marveled at the sight. not every day you see this. what's it for, they'd ask? casey always replied with something witty, like "Oh, I just won the East Coast Junior Championships!", or "I could let it go for a good price!" And we offered the award to those we felt worthy, but surprisingly, no one accepted!!
ok, so now i'll talk about the trip, really! first we visited our manatee friend, big tom in rochester. and boy, are we glad we did. tom is a brilliant fabric artist and every room in his house is an adventure in textures and patterns! not to mention the throne room-check that out!! gorgeous, tom. you are so talented and such a beautiful soul.
then we hit chicago, where we heard styx play in millenium park, so random and fun! we hit madison, wi, not a bad little college town at all. really good nepalese food! after seeing days and days of cornfields and finding just the right campsites along the way, we arrived in south dakota, so we could check out badlands, which is like a smaller grand canyon, or canyonlands. very pretty!
but that was only an appetizer, because when we reached the tetons after driving through picturesque wyoming, i knew we reached the mother lode. at first you think the tetons are only just these huge snowy mountains spread out in front of your eyes, but the national park is so much more. lakes and wildflowers and elk and valleys that go on and on. we hiked and boated and watched incredible sunsets. spending time here was unforgettable. i hope to return someday.
i hunted for moose, but they were oh so elusive! 
after the tetons and more incredible landscapes wooshing by the car windows, greens, yellows and blues (all i wanted was to paint what i saw), we arrived at yellowstone.
i had heard earlier that yellowstone is like LA with mountains, so wasn't sure what to think of going there peak season, but we had really good timing and great luck getting in and through the parks main attractions, avoiding some rainy weather along the way. my favorite was the geothermal pools in unbelievable hues-oranges, yellows, greens, turquoises.
i definitely reached my color quota that day!! spectacular steaming pools of watercolors. there is nothing more vibrant that what mother nature provides. then we waited for old faithful, and while it was about 20 minutes off schedule (old un-faithful), the crowds still delighted in watching it gush into the air. but the best was yet to come.
we were advised by many, to take the northeast exit out of the park and take beartooth highway. it leaves wyoming, dips into montana and then back out again. along the way, you climb to 11,000 feet! lakes, rolling hills lead into majestic snowy ranges - total wilderness except for this wild, curvy, zig-zaggy, switch-back road.
there were cyclists, bikers, cars, motorhomes and tour buses, somehow making their way up and over this amazing stretch of road. the most beautiful i've seen anywhere in the world. i highly recommend it! this remote area, would otherwise only be attainable by backpacking, and the views were to die for.
this is the end of part 1. stay tuned for part 2, when we fall in love with montana and then make our final descent back to the bay! feels wonderful to be welcomed home by friends and eat at our favorite restaurants and walk our well worn trails....it is old, it is new...it is a nice time of seeing with new eyes. and to all those who i wished i could have seen back east, or spent more time with, i hope to be back again soon, as my heart now lies on both coasts. love to all, jen
