Coming down the line...

A great deal has been poppin' here for me as I witness my final week of prep dwindle down. Last night marked the 1 week and counting mark. I could not be more thankful for the excitement ahead! I sometimes wonder if my thankfulness expressed in written reflection was apparent in my demeanor in the moments passed?

I cannot say I am a man who wishes very much. I've seen too many people wish for things they do not have, only to be disappointed with the outcome of their wish in the end. So in this, I feel comfortable with myself wishing to be thankful to those that have helped me along the way. Take for example, the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course I took this past week at a residential summer camp called Indian Head, just north of Honesdale, PA.

The other 11 students (varying in age from 20 to the mid 40s), and 2 instructors, compiled a uniquely engaging and satisfying concoction of wilderness medicine. The interesting thing is, which brings evidence to how life gives us what we truly need, is that I was slatted to attend another WFR course in West Virginia until it was cancelled and I was left with 2 weeks to find a new course.

The Indian Head course was a bit more money and further travel time, but in the end it was the exact dose of what I needed. This amazes me; again, how life hands us what we need! Often we cannot truly be understanding of these moments until they have passed. In this post-activity reflective space, I smile. There are powers at work in this world that are just under the consciousness of our cognitive minds.

So, in addition to learning medical treatment skills, protocols, and care for backcountry crisis, I got to meet a handful of cool people. A few of them happen to even live near the trail in Vermont and New York, and the Northeast portion of the AT was an area I had yet to make contacts with. I am amazed by the cascade of events that led me to the far side of Pennsylvania to meet a cool bunch of folks and instructors, who ended up enriching my life then in the moments shared, and after in the spaces to be filled yet in life.

Many thanks again in this reflective space for the gifts that people have shared with me. I hope to portray thanks for those that take time to help me shine a little brighter in the world - even if they didn't realize they were doing it.

So, happy summer time! 6 days and I'll be north-bound on a Greyhound bus for Maine. I hope to post before then as I round out the final stage of prep and packing. After that, look for updates and pictures every few weeks (and if you haven't, follow the Experience by Email - box to do so is to the readers' right).

Be well in the happiness and sunshine we choose to embrace,
Al

:)