7/3/2016 0 Comments Don't Feed The FearsIt's no secret that I love to travel. I have fantasized about sharing my experiences with someone that I adore. My dreams have now become a reality thanks to The Drifter. He is currently traveling the western part of the country in his Casita trailer for an undetermined amount of time. We spent last week exploring Colorado. The Drifter is all about being off the grid and finding remote camping spots. I would say he succeeded with our first stop. Let me set the scene. We were somewhere west of Boulder and the road we were on gradually changed from pavement to gravel to a rugged dirt path while climbing up a mountain. It was a slow climb up and even though the view was totally worth it, the sweat from my palms made my grip on the door handle a little slippery to say the least. This was going to be home for the next 2 days. There were actually signs that warned you that you were in fact in bear country and to be aware of mountain lions. I was as far from my comfort zone as we were from civilization. "How would I get down from here if something happened to him?" "What if a bear can smell our peanut butter and claws it's way through the windows while we sleep?" "What if the trailer slips off the road on our way down and pulls the truck down with it?" I felt extremely vulnerable on the side of that mountain. I absolutely enjoy solitude but up there, I did not want to be left alone. I found it hard to truly relax because I like control and that was something I had very little of. We had no cell service and I have no knowledge of how to drive a vehicle down a mountain, much less one that has a travel trailer attached to it. I had to talk myself out of fearful thoughts and remind myself that I was in an incredible place with a wonderful guy and I was perfectly fine. The sunsets were magnificent enough to calm my nerves but your mind can really mess with you in situations like that. There were a few other brave campers that made their way up but for the most part we were on our own. We cooked meals, kayaked and enjoyed our time together. I never saw a bear or a mountain lion. Some birds and chipmunks were the only wildlife around. I have written before about how I haven't always been as adventurous and I used to get very anxious in unfamiliar situations. I surprise myself sometimes at how much that has changed. There were literally times during this trip when I would tear up out of pure happiness because there were moments that seemed unreal to me. The rest of the stops on the trip weren't nearly as remote and I loved checking out different areas. Golden, Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Buena Vista.
One of my favorite little towns was Salida, CO. We roamed the streets and checked out a local bar with live music. I spotted a wall mural and had to take advantage of the perfect photo op. The word DRIFT. (For those of you who know the story of us, this will make sense. If not, go back and read The Mermaid and The Drifter.) I knew then I was exactly where I needed to be with exactly who I needed to be with. The Drifter encourages me, inspires me, supports me and I admire him so much. He says you're only afraid of what you don't know. "Do one thing everyday that scares you." -Eleanor Roosevelt The lesson: Keep on drifting and avoid feeding the fears.
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