Back Where I Began

Home, finally home, and what a journey. It is hard to believe it is over. I don't think I have really come to terms that it is, actually, quite finished. On the other hand, it was such a radical, life-changing experience that I guess it will never be over; it will always be a part of who I am, and so in a small way, I guess the journey continues.

I feel Tahoe was such an appropriate place to end this trip, a place to come full circle, not just in physical location, but in a sort of personal and spiritual sense as well. We all carry our homes with us, all of the good, all of the bad. We know the best spots to go to eat, to hang out, as well as to hide. We know all the exciting things to do, but that didn’t keep us from getting so bored at times; when the time came, every one of us was itching to leave home behind, even though that didn’t mean we didn’t still love what we were leaving behind. One of the blessings of my life was to grow up in Tahoe. It is truly a very special place. I don’t say that to dismiss anyone else’s home, as I know it means the world to you. It is a special thing to get a glimpse into a home that someone loves, especially when you have been able to do it all over the world. However, Tahoe just offers things that other places cannot, but while the imagery may be different, I think you will find the sentiment familiar.

I find the idealization of memory a curious thing, as the negative just seems to fade away while the positive stands firm. I think this is my memory of Tahoe. Sometimes in the present moment I find the same feeling as I do in nostalgia, especially when I am out exploring Tahoe’s beauty. Other times, as our already small community continues to diminish, and the inevitable tide of change comes rolling in, I can’t help but feeling like something precious has been lost, and it is only a matter of time before it is consumed entirely. Still, even though the subtle changes fashioned slowly over time may render a scene unrecognizable if you look away for long enough, look harder, and you will find hidden behind the veil of the past what new beauty has arrived. Through my idealized lens of memory, this is what home means to me (all photos are from Tahoe, although most are from before my recent wanderings):

Home is a big blue lake, too cold to swim in, but that doesn’t stop you from doing it, even in mid February;

Home is smiling to yourself when you hear people in grocery lines and in passing bragging about their epic weekend at Tahoe, or their planned trip up to a friend's 2400 square foot "cabin," knowing you live there, you grew up there, and the magic of the place is not just a weekend jaunt or an investment: it is your life, and it is you;

Home is warm summer days and cool summer nights. To us, 70 is hot, 80 uncomfortable, and we comfortably wear shorts when its in the 40’s...or just whenever;

Home is knowing how to make a fire without lighter fluid, and taking survival courses when you are 8 years old;

Home is Snowfest parades, ice cream eating contests mid-winter, and polar bear swims in the lake;

Home is a green forest blanketed in white after a winter storm, the snow clinging to the trees as if afraid of the heights at which it finds itself;

(I believe credit for this photo goes to Barry Jones. Nice shot)



Home is where the water is a brilliant blue in the deeps, an emerald green near the shore, so clear you can see down nearly 70 feet, so fresh that it tastes better out of the tap than any bottle of water you will ever buy in the store;

Home is colored clouds and alpen glow;









Home is an early morning sunrise setting the mountainsides ablaze;

It is a sunset run rampant in the sky, mimicked by the perfectly still waters of a serene mountain lake;

Home is having just as much fun sledding at 23 as you did at 7;

Home is never having a black night sky. A full moon will blaze brightly, its dull rays nevertheless cutting sharply through the forest canopy, making it one of the best times to go on a hike. A new moon yields the reign of the night to the glory of the stars, and a glimpse of the Milky Way will leave you breathless every time;

Home is the mountains. The clarity and beauty of their aerial views are gained only by struggling to make the climb, their heights only appreciated by the depths of the valleys beneath them. What an analogy to life;

Home is the patchwork of snow and trees on a mountain landscape;

Home is sitting next to a warm fire, caught up in the magical way the snow flutters to the ground. With the anticipation of no school, every snow-day turns you into a kid on Christmas morning…and even if there was school, we lived by the old proverb of it being better to ask forgiveness later than permission now;

Home is enduring the winter cold, snow removal, wind-burned cheeks, chapped lips, freezing lift rides through howling wind, all for the reward of a few turns in the fluffy, white powder;

Home is cutting your line through virgin snow, whooping out shouts of joy and bellows of involuntary laughter as clouds of snow engulf you with every turn. Here, a face shot is not a dirty word, and you wonder what people are chasing at the office rat race across the world: between two boards and a steep pitch of powder, you have found heaven on earth;

(not my photo, but an amazing shot)

Home is having a wilderness for a back yard. It is where heading out into that wilderness is not getting away from it all, but getting back to it;

Home is holding on for dear life on wicked tube ride across choppy Tahoe waters;

Home is catching a river trout in a mountain stream, grilling it up on well used pan over a wood fire, kickin’ back to enjoy the view of the setting sun, and enjoying the best tasting meal you will ever have;

Home is that peaceful, easy feeling on a colorful summer’s day, the tranquility of fall after all the tourists have gone home, the crispness of the winter air, and the rebirth of life as spring sheds its winter coat of snow;

Home is sharing all the wonder with friends. It is the bond between friends who still stare speechless at Tahoe’s beauty even though they have seen it a thousand times, and it is watching the emotions go through the face of one who sees it for the first time;

Home is Tahoe. And I’m back home.

This One's for You

Dedicated to every single person I encountered on my travels - local or traveler, rich or poor, good friend or just a passing face. Let's do it again sometime.

Este blog le dedico a cada persona que yo encontré en mi viaje - un local o un viajero, buen amigo o solo una cara pasando por mis ojos. Que lo hagamos otra vez. (Se encuentra español abajo)

Eu quero dedicar este blog a tuda a gente quem eu encontrei na minha viagem - locales ou viajantes, ricos ou povres, bom amigo ou simplesmente uma face de passagem. Disculpe que não me lembra português, e espero que voçes podem ler no espanhol, o que está abaixo.


First and foremost, thank you to all the people for sharing your lives with me;
Thanks to all of you who brought me into your homes;
Thank you for feeding me, giving me a safe and secure shelter, and treating me like family - that is a priceless gift to one so far from any place he can call home;
Thanks for challenging my ideas, my prejudices, my comfort, my faith, my personality, and my character;
Thank you for making me think and reflect;
Thanks for dancing with me at weddings, rocking with me to music, making fun of me, and letting me do the same to you;
Thanks for riding horses with me in the country, for helping me get visas, taking me places to do errands, sharing a meal with me, showing me your country, and sharing your culture;

Thanks for the terere, the mate, the wine, the café, the beer, and the ice cold water when I so desperately needed it;
Thanks for the conversations;

Thank you for walking with me through the mountains, staring in wonder at glaciers, lakes, and peaks;
Thanks for cooking with me, sharing a bottle of wine, and telling me your story;
Thanks for trying to be quiet in dorm rooms - those who sucked at that, I throw my shoe at you...and apologize when I sucked at it;
Thanks for cheering me up when I was down, and smiling at one of my weak jokes when you clearly weren't in the mood;

Thanks for patiently waiting while I complained selfishly about some situation you had been through yourself, then getting right on with enjoying our day;
To you all back home, thanks for the encouragement;

To my parents, thanks for understanding, and thanks for all your help;
Thanks to those who saw me when I got back - definitely one of the highlights of my trip;

To the latinos, thanks for tolerating us coming into your country, and thanks for making the experience so great. I will miss some of you greatly;

To all the travelers, thanks for braving the buses, the water, the toilets, the altitudes, and the attitudes of latin america;

Thanks for tempting death with me, in so many ways, and thoroughly enjoying yourself all the while;
Thanks for invites to stay in touch, sorry I am bad at it, but you are welcome in my home any time;
Thank you all for your ideas, your stories, your laughs, your struggles, your likes, your dislikes, your passions, your compassion, what makes you angry, what brings you joy, and simply what makes you, you;
Thanks for the hugs, thanks for the laughs, and thanks for the memories;
Obrigadão; muchísimas gracias; thanks so very, very much.
Much love to you all!

En primer lugar, les agradezco a toda la gente por compartir sus vidas conmigo;
Gracias por darme la bienvenida a sus hogares;
Les agradezco por alimentarme, por darme un refugio seguro, y por tratarme como uno de los suyos - todo eso es un regalo sin precio para un hombre tan lejos de cualquier lugar que se puede llamar "su hogar";
Gracias por retar mis ideas, mis prejudicios, mi comodidad, mi fé, mi personalidad, y mi carácter;
Te agradezco por ponerme de pensar y meditar;
Gracias por bailar conmigo en las bodas, cantar a música como estrellas de rock, burlarme, y por permitirme de burlarse;
Gracias por andar en caballo por el campo, ayudarme para conseguir una visa, traerme para hacer mis mandatos, compartir una comida conimgo, mostrarme tu país, y por compartir tu cultura;
Les agradezco por los tereres, los mates, el vino, los cafés, las cervezas, y el agua helada cuando la necesitaba tanto;
Gracias por las charlas;
Gracias por caminar por las montañas, por maravillarse a glaciares, lagunas, cerros, y torres;
Gracias por cocinar conmigo, compartir algunas botellas de vino, y contarme sus historias;

Les agradezco a los que no hicieron tanto ruido en los dormitorios - a los que hicieron mal, les tiro mi zapato...y me disculpo por ser mal en eso también.
Les agradezco por su ánimo cuando yo lo necesitaba, y por sonreír a algunos de mis chistes flojos, especialmente cuando uds. estuvieron de mal humor;
Gracias por su paciencia mientras me quejaba con egoísmo sobre algo que antes ya les han pasado, y por seguir disfrutando nuestro día inmediatamente después;

A todos uds. en los EEUU., gracias por el ánimo;
A mis padres, gracias por entender y por toda su ayuda;
Gracias a todos que les visité al volver - es uno de los partes más destacados en mi viaje;
A los latinos, gracias por tolerar todos nosotros que vinieron a tu país, y gracias por hacer nuestra experéncia tan memorable. Les echaré de menos a algunos tanto;
A los viajeros, gracias por afrontar los buses, el agua, los baños, y los altitudes y actitudes de latina america;
Les agradezco por tentar el muerte conmigo, en tantas maneras, y por disfrutarles completamente mientras lo hiciéramos;
Gracias por invitarme a estar en contato, lo siento que que lo hago malo, pero siempre uds. están bienvenidos en mi casa;

Gracias a todos uds. por todos sus ideas, sus historias, sus ríes, sus luchas, sus gozos, sus aversiónes, sus pasiones, su compasión, el que se enojan, el que se alegran, y sencillamente por compartir lo que hace vos, vos;
Gracias por los abrazos, por los ríes, y por las memorias;
Obrigadão; muchísimas gracias; thanks so very, very much.
Besos y abrazos fuertes!