Day 14-15

The Spruce Runners were the highlight of the last few days. This is a group of 15 or so buddies who RV together for a week. The first trip started with 1 couple in 1972.  I was trying to wash dishes before we set off for our 3 nights “off the grid.” I was trying to hurry so we could get a 6 mike hike in before I had a work call that afternoon. This has been my constant struggle- stressing so I can make all the work commitments and show I am a team player, but trying not to stress and remember why we are doing this. I had to remind myself that talking to this crew and letting Kolton give some love to all the grandparents missing their babies was way more important than rushing to a hike. These people were adorable. They all traveled together for a week a year, and after 36 years, were still laughing.  They loved chatting with strangers on the way, teaching me that people should come before itineraries every time in my book. Narendra’s book looks different, which we are learning about each other. 

This also takes me back to the guy at the laundromat in Missoula who cited me (well Kolton) every poem he has ever written - despite me talking into my headphones on a work call. He was honestly pretty good, and he was certainly an interesting character. 

This is what technology has done to me- I am trying to be efficient all the time and do more with every second instead of sitting down and listening to this man’s poem and appreciating the beauty of his words. The world is tugging and vying for our attention everywhere we turn, and sometimes it is good to just shut everyone up except the crazy old people who want to smile at your baby. It has turned out there are a lot of these!

On the same theme, I find myself trying so hard to prove myself at work that I stress myself, give less time to Kolton, and don’t laugh at Narendra’s semi funny jokes.  Maybe skipping a hike and enjoying peekaboo with Kolton is my new epic day, and that’s going to be ok. It’s a hard mental shift for me, but I am working on it.

I still loved my sunset bike ride on the Olympic Discovery Trail weaving through yellow crunchy leaves, pink skies, ocean views, and crisp mountain air. This was a happy place. This was the same day we hiked the Hurricane Ridge in ONP and chased the sunset over the ocean.  Then Tuesday night we did a hike to Marymere Falls, where I got a trail run in that was so beautiful, I felt like I was in a movie like Alice in Wonderland. This was a win for improvisation because we were so excited when we left that we forgot any carrier for Kolton.  Hence the baby in the diaper bag photo.  It was good for about 0.75 miles. 

And today we did an awesome 6 mile hike to Sol Duc Falls. It was another movie like setting where the trees were covered in green moss, they soared overhead, and we saw some beautiful waterfalls - again.  We are getting spoiled with these ONP waterfalls.

 

We are aiming to do fun adventures everyday, but I have almost equally enjoyed watching Kolton roll around in the blankets or hearing him giggle for no reason.  (This is genetic, and we call it the Burchett giggle. It comes on late night, and it is contagious.). 

Whether this road trip is work or play or adventure or boring, I love who I am doing it with. I had that thought on Lover’s Trail today- man I am pretty lucky to have these 2 boys along side me for the sunset mountain tops and the rainy nights on the couch.  They both make me laugh- Narendra usually at myself and Kolton usually at him. They remind me not to take life too seriously, which I need reminded of. And they deal with my singing and dancing in confined spaces. As I learned from the Spruce Runners- it doesn’t matter where you are going but who you are going with. Although we are on an amazing adventure in beautiful places, I am just lucky to be doing life with these 2.