I've been preoccupied!! (aka, the Olympics were on...)

I said I was going to make an effort to write more frequently, didn't I? Well it's been a month since my last post. Oops. In my defense, I've served as a dedicated living room cheerleader to all...ok, most...of our American Olympians. I could list who and what I'm proud of, but that's just obnoxious and not what this blog's about, so I'll simply say, USA! USA! I've also been traveling around northern Colorado and Wyoming where internet connectivity is a bit sketchy.

 

My travels since July 16th have included driving from Window Rock, AZ down to Tucson, AZ, over to Las Cruces, NM and Ozona, TX, then on to Austin and Dallas, up to Colorado Springs, CO, Fort Collins, CO, and on to northern Wyoming. I'm back in Colorado Springs for the weekend now.

 

I've gotten far enough behind in my blogging that the last months on-goings will have to be posted in segments. Sorry. Here's the first installation:

 

 

The previous blog was written the night before the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) summit meeting with several of the Navajo nation's leading health representatives. I thought I would be co-presenting with Dr. Bender out of Chinle, but when the time came to speak, he and his Indiana Jones-style fedora were nowhere to be seen. So there I stood, backed by a floor-to-ceiling projection of a PowerPoint presentation designed by the CDC, with a microphone and laser pointer for company. I was nervous at first. I said "OK" too much. Mid-way through I felt more comfortable and was able to answer most of the audience's questions. If I didn't know the answer, I simply referred to the table on my left which was surrounded by CDC representatives. By the end of the presentation I was feeling pretty good! Even when Dr. Bender magically appeared to my right and started eagerly fielding the audience's questions, I maintained my ground and answered right along with him. Overall, I think it went really well. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to participate in community education/awareness and also hear about other professionals' knowledge of and efforts against RMSF.

The clinic staff and I went out for dinner that evening and then my time in Navajo was over. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. The people who I had the pleasure of meeting and working with blessed me beyond belief and I look forward to seeing them again in the future.

Left-to-right: Anderson, Landon, and Carmelita "Carm" Lee, Naomi, Patrina "Sowa" Begay, me, Adrian "Age" Catron, Meranda Laughter, Glenda Davis, Mia, and Kendra.

Randomly ran into Miss Navajo Nation 2011-2012, Crystalyne Curley, at the bank one day!



Standard Tucson saguaro photo!

I spent the next day driving down to Tuscon where I stayed overnight with long-time family friends, Terri & Mike Sullivan. Terri, Mike, and their 2 dogs, JoJo & Loretta, toured Cheyenne and me around their Saguaro-covered city in their RV camper that evening. No, they don't live in the RV. Yes, our fuel-efficient cars were available. But they decided many years ago that their RV would no longer be a driveway ornament, and if they had it, they would use it. I thought it was brilliant! Terri and I sang The Beatles "Get Back" over Blue Moon's while Mike shuttled us to and from the dog park. Cheyenne sat up front with Mike to act as co-pilot if needed while JoJo & Loretta curled up under the table where Terri and I were sitting. We spent the rest of the evening eating delicious pizza, playing guitars, and talking about pets. Very relaxing.

Me, Mike, and Terri

I met Judy (the friend who I stayed with on my way to Window Rock) in Las Cruces for a late lunch the next day. I gave her the highlights from my month and she again shared stories from her time as a foreign services employee. I love Judy's stories. They are always full of color and life and beautifully depict her life before retirement. Her stories feed my soul's foundational desires to travel, find community on a global scale, and share the intrigue of other cultures with everyone I know. If only I could possess her sharp memory and gift of storytelling!

I crossed into Texas after lunch, and as soon as I was east of El Paso I was surrounded by rainbows. Seven rainbows. In West Texas. Where it never rains. I could only think it was God's way of telling me I was back in a promised land. I'm not saying Texas is the only promised land or that it's better than anywhere else, I just felt like I was back in the state where I'm meant to be and God was simply highlighting that fact.

 

 

The day ended when I pulled up to my dad's cousins' house in Ozona ten hours later.

 

To be continued...