'Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.'-Joan Didion I have usually used this Joan Didion quote in reference to grief and living a life in the before and after. A before and after I have had for nearly 30 years. But this year, it took on a deeper resonance and one filled with joy … Continue reading A Life Changing Year
'Though the road's been rocky it sure feels good to me.'-Bob Marley I have been very far behind on all thing The Next Great Adventure and for good reason...a major life change...again, ha! I have been an adjunct professor for ten years and have moved states and regions over that period. I always applied for … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: I Moved…Again!
'Mama always said dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn't.'-Forrest Gump One of the reasons I was so keen on coming to Monument Valley was my deep love of the film Forrest Gump. It is my favorite film and by a significant margin. In my opinion, it is the perfect movie. … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Forrest Gump Point
'The landscape of the American West has to be seen to be believed and has to be believed to be seen.' - N. Scott Momaday Due to Covid, I have spent the last two Christmas' at home...alone. So this year I was determined to hit the road. As I saw my dad in October and … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Seen to be Believed
'I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.'-D. Bowie I can honestly say that where 2021 has ended is beyond anything I could have imagined. In January, I was going through a hard time. Covid had made things uncertain, I missed my family, live anything, and trying to … Continue reading A Year in Review: Life Changes
'And now I'm glad I didn't know/The way it all would end, the way it all would go/Our lives are better left to chance/I could have missed the pain/But I'd have had to miss the dance'-Garth Brooks (Lyrics by Tony Arata) I wanted to do a lot of things on my first real visit to … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Bluebird Cafe
'Follow your heart. That’s what I do. Compassion is something I have a lot of, because I’ve been through a lot of pain in my life. Anybody who has suffered a lot of pain has a lot of compassion.'-Johnny Cash Since I had Saturday to myself, I packed in as much as I possibly could. … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The History
'I get the same feeling walking into the Opry House as I do when I see one of my heroes.' — Blake Shelton That I was going to a show at the Grand Ole Opry was something that took a moment to grasp. As a kid, I remember watching CMT and TNN and seeing commercials for … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Grand Ole Opry
'Sometimes its tough traveling around/But who I wanna be still seems so far away/But I know I'm gonna get there someday...'-Dierks Bentley (this is my favorite Dierks song) I love country music and have since I was quite small. Growing up high in the mountains near Los Angeles, in the early 90s, I remember getting … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Mother Church