Journeys, Big and Small

[Note: This is from an entry I made in my journal a few years ago, when I was in the throes of big city life.]

When my mind, spirit and soul have been numbed by routine, I have to break away and embark on some sort of journey. Journeys on foot, journeys by car, long journeys or short.  The longer, the better.  Journeys take us out of familiar surroundings so we cannot merely endure our days on autopilot. They break us out of our doldrums and awaken our minds and senses. They distance us from the stranger we have become in our day-to-day lives and help us get back to our true selves.

My journeys were always to Montana or to Yellowstone, which is mostly in Wyoming. Friends were more than surprised that I chose to drive the 24 or more hours it took, but to me the drive was part of the journey. It takes time to get your mind out of the city and to get slowed down to a natural rhythm. The road trip was a sort of cleansing of the mental noise and stress, making me ready to appreciate the wildness, ready to be there, in the moment, when I arrived.

Even though I live here now, it is still one big fantastic journey.