What life is like so far….

Life on the road is not what we thought it would be. I pictured our travels as a continuation of the first few days on the road. We set out on a blistering pace across the continent and reached the west in a couple weeks. That kind of traveling is busy and leaves very little time for leisure. We’ve definitely shifted into a lower gear on our ‘road warrior’ style but we’ve shifted into high gear on the life happiness scale.

Our daily patterns have changed a lot since we left. For one, we sleep a little later. Not because we are lazy but because we don’t really make ourselves go to bed at any set time. Some nights we are beat from hiking and swimming and other nights we stay up late laughing and counting satellites streaking across the Sierra sky. I haven’t found as much time to read or workout because that’s always been more of a “work” to do for me. Since I’ve been with Pamela and the kids so much, we are always playing together. So I guess I’ve traded one kind of working out for another. I’ll have to get back to some heavier lifting soon.

We look forward to every single day. The weather has been glorious. We haven’t seen any rain since we arrived here. Cool in the morning and swimming weather in the afternoon. By nightfall, the temperature is falling and we sit outside in the cool air and wonder if we really are doing this. We’ve been gone six weeks and we are relaxed, happy, and curious about the world.

We wondered how “alone” we would feel on the road. Would we find friendship and caring people out here? Well, so far the answer is a resounding “yes.” I can’t even count how many times I have sat, consumed with my thoughts about the interactions we’ve had with people along the way. So many times Pamela and I just look at each other and say, “My cup is full.” Full of gratitude that we are together and sharing this life.

We were invited to another neighborhood barbecue last night. We have met and become friends with so many people here we feel like we are a part of the place. It was barbecue ribs and tri tip night at Pete’s place. He’s the local fire chief and has done a lot in his life including being a pilot for a skydiving operation! His girlfriend, Wendy, was on the Delorean staff. The original freaking Deloreon car like in Back to the Future. She was working the day Johnny Carson got stuck in his Deloreon in Hollywood for an hour and a half while she dispatched the mechanics to save him! How can one place have so many cool people?

One night after Rob and I finished an intense game of cornhole, we sat with Pamela and Robyn just talking about our lives and enjoying each others company. Our young friend, Tristen was decked out in army gear and a Lego gun, Rabian had a flashlight and his salt gun, and Allyona had a terrarium with a giant frog inside. They were scheming around a pile of lego’s the size of a person about their next mission. The fun was tangible. They looked like a picture of summer from the 1980’s as they ran off into the dark woods laughing with all their random gear. It was a defining moment of the summer. The Summer of Fun.

Pamela and I went for a hike this week while the kids played with Tristen at the Frank’s cabin. We parked at the Round Lake trailhead and were spraying on sunscreen when we started chatting with some mountain bikers about the local trails. The had came over from the bay area for the day.
They said they would climb the mountain and then ride into the next town, Graeagle. “How will you get back to your car?” I asked.
“That’s an afternoon problem!” One of them replied. “Hopefully by some nice people like you.”

I thought about that motto all day and that’s the way I’d like to live. A little more free.

Pamela and I had uninterrupted conversation about our life and our goals as we walked through the massive Fir trees, rock mountains, and breath-taking overlooks. When the hiking got steep, the talking would stop and I’d hear just my breath and my thoughts. I watched my high-school sweetheart two paces ahead of me strolling along happily. With more than twenty years together I can see her not just in that space but in time. I can see the accumulation of a lifetime of decisions, of laughs and smiles we have shared. The good and at times, the not so good. I can feel her presence. The selfless, content, and compassionate lover that she is. Her persona is as powerful and timeless as the pristine forest we are experiencing. She is a force. An anomaly. A treasure. I cannot believe my luck in finding such a partner in this life.
We stopped at Round Lake on top of the mountain. Elevation 6,714 feet! I climbed onto a boulder six feet from the clear, blue water and got up my courage. I finally leaned in and jumped into the air. For a moment, I was flying. The shock of the icy punch slammed into my fingers and then my head and then in sequence my entire body as gravity pulled me into the lake. The freezing water consumed me in a second. My whole body was alive. When I came up, Pamela was on the bank smiling. To be in this place and looking up at the mountains. The clear sky, the cold water. It was electric.
I threw on my fins and swam to the bottom. I found remnants of an old mine cart track. This lake had a stamping mill hundreds of years ago. It was part of the California Gold Rush. THE California Gold Rush! Changing clothes when I got out, I timed it perfectly to drop my drawers when another hiker rounded the bend! No shame here, he chatted with us and kept on rolling. Of all the times I’ve had good luck, I had to eventually mistime it.

We picnicked under a huge, crooked tree near the shore of Big Bear Lake. The hot air blowing across the lake toward us was cooled by the water and by the time it passed us, it was cold! We ate pepperoni, onion cheese, crackers, ripe cherries, and a banana. I also managed to sneak in some junk food for myself. In the heat of the day, we were shivering when we got up from lunch. As we finished and started to pack up, the same person that saw me with just my watch on earlier in the day passed us smiling. “This is what I look like with clothes on!” I shouted. We all had a laugh.

Hours later Pamela and I passed through Graeagle in the truck on the way home. Coming toward us were three mountain bikers headed back up the mountain. It was our friends from the trailhead early in the morning. We turned around and pulled along side them on their bikes.

“Its afternoon now!” I shouted.

“Yes, it is!” The lead guy responded.

“Time to take care of the afternoon problems!” I said.

We pulled off the road ahead of them and one of the guys got in. Back up the mountain we shuttled their driver to where they parked their truck. They were pretty excited that we stopped but I think it did Pamela and I more good than it did them. It just feels great to make a difference in someone’s day. Maybe one day in the future I’ll need a ride back to the top of the mountain and hopefully, someone will be there to make it a little easier.

So, after six weeks, we are pretty content with our surroundings. Life on the road is in all measurable ways, better than we had hoped. There is no end in sight for now. Soon we will leave this perch on the mountain and find a new place with new people and with some luck, more good memories.