...And the World cannot be discovered

 Wendell Berry once said, "And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, but only by a spiritual journey.  A journey of one inch, very arduous, humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet and learn to be at home." I suppose we only took that halfway to heart since we put on some miles, 4,920 to be exact.  It was in that journey though that one's spirit really can begin to deeper understand the world around them and the family they've been placed into. 

Reba and the kiddos spent a total of 19 days away from home. I trailed behind just a few days after and caught up with them in Bozeman, MT. Like many of you this year, we haven't roamed too far. This was our first foray out into the world in quite some time.  It was rejuvenating and invigorating on all sorts of levels.  The kids strapped on  backpacks in the Oregon Cascades and we discovered the joy of the simple life carrying everything we need on our backs.  We were blessed to have Fr. Dave join us for that leg of the trip! We then travelled farther west to find the mighty Pacific Ocean! Our days were filled with kite flying and beach combing.  We saw friends and family along the way and none of the crew wanted it to end.  Let the journey continue.