Traveling With Judi . . . .

I can’t believe it’s been a week since I’ve posted!  My apologies to those who were waiting for word from the Ranch!!  I had last Saturday and Sunday off (whew!!), but I spent most of that time doing laundry, reading, SLEEPING and relaxing to catch up from my long and exhausting trip here – followed by working 10 days straight!  And then this week, I spent most of my energy coping with those EARLY mornings!!  Waking up at 5:00 a.m. and working until 2:00 p.m. – followed by either a ghastly 3-hour nap (you know the kind where you wake up feeling exhausted, nauseous, confused and tired…and then you can’t go back to sleep when it IS time so you just lay there staring at the clock wishing you hadn’t taken that nap!!).  Or the alternative – trying to keep my eyes open until after dinner (at least) so I could make sure I fell asleep early enough to wake up again the next morning at 5:00 a.m.!! For those of you early birds who have been doing this for years – my hat’s off to you because i

So one of the things I had hoped to do more of while I’m here is get out in nature more – try and become more “hearty” when it comes to all the animals and bugs in nature and become more comfortable outside!  So far, between the crazy “dust bowl” and drought conditions (blowing dirt around so I can’t breathe), the spring allergens (again – can’t breathe very well when my nose is running), and now the cold temperatures and SNOW (which although cold, took care of the first two problems!!)….needless to say, I haven’t started exploring the outdoors (yet)!! In addition, I’ve heard some very interesting stories about the wildlife that comes close to the lodge!  Rattlesnakes for one….they like to hide in the “cattle grate” in the driveway between the lodge and the administration building (which I have to go across each day when I work the morning shift to get the mail….yikes!!). Fortunately, there’s a “walking gate” to go through so I don’t have to cross the cattle grate – and my supervisor

I saw the most gorgeous sight today – HUGE, beautiful snowflakes falling on the dusty ground that’s been making my nose run for the past few days!! It was one of those peaceful sights where as far as the eye could see, snow was covering everything  – t he trees, the land, the bison who were grazing on the dry grass, and the mountains in the background. For awhile I could have sworn in was winter, but then remembered it is SPRING!! They’ve been dealing with drought conditions here for the last few years, so any sign of water (rain, snow, etc.) is a VERY welcome sight!!  It’s the only place I know of where people are HAPPY to see snow in April!! The first group of Turkey hunters is just about done and will be leaving in the next couple days, but there are still a few of them who have not shot their turkeys – and they’ll be heading out in the snow in the wee hours of the morning (Brrrrr…..!!!). Oh, and did I mention that it’s supposed to get down into the teens (and probably below WITH

I’ve now been here 5 days, but it feels like much longer (but in a good way)! Working in a remote “hospitality setting” means shift work – and my options are either 5:30 am until 2:00 pm (ugh!!) or 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm (better!!).  So this week I get the late shift (woohoo!!) but next week is the early shift (ugh!!).  Our supervisor wants to make sure we are all cross-trained in opening and closing, so we have to work both shifts – but I’m hoping after next week, those REALLY early mornings are not in my future! The elevation, dry winds, and early mornings have thus far wreaked havoc on my body (alternating dry and runny nose due to dry winds blowing around lots of allergens), but I’m trusting I’ll adjust pretty soon and be able to enjoy the ranch more fully on my days off (which won’t be for another 6 days)! There are lots of places to walk and hike, but you have to watch out for all the wildlife – bison, bear, elk, deer, snakes, and even a few mountain lions thrown in occasionall

Most of my friends and family who may read this blog already know that my new adventure began about a week ago, traveling by plane, then bus to New Mexico to work as a seasonal Front Desk Associate at a remote hunting and fishing ranch!  The flight was uneventful until the last 45 minutes when we hit 40-mile-an-hour winds and bumped around like we were on a roller-coaster ride until we landed in the Denver airport!  Whew….made it off the plane and down to baggage claim where I found one of my suitcases had lost a wheel! Now this wouldn’t be a big deal except that I had a 50-pound suitcase, another smaller suitcase, and a backpack to bring everything I might need for the next 8 months (including sheets, a warm/heavy blanket for the cold nights in the mountains, and everything else I could think of for this journey)! A friend of mine who lives in Denver was going to pick me up so we could enjoy dinner together before she dropped me off at Greyhound (which didn’t leave until seven hou

For those who are not familiar with my Journey, I’ll give a little background before I share about my current travel experience!  In 2003, I left my job in Washington, DC and traveled to Guatemala to study Spanish, immerse myself in the culture, and just "take a sabbatical from life” as I began to explore more about the possibilities available to me!  Writing a travel blog at that point was impossible for me to imagine, but I did enjoy sending out emails to my friends and family – sharing not only the OUTER journey I was on in Guatemala, but a little bit about the INNER journey that was taking place during my sabbatical. Since returning from Guatemala in 2003, I have traveled, lived and shared my life with some very special people in Washington, Oregon, California, Indiana and Michigan….I even returned to Guatemala in 2010 to work on some writing! What I have found for myself is that life is DEFINITELY a journey filled with love, joy, sadness, tears, deep and profound meaning, a