Today is my first day back after a being gone for a week of adventure out west. I flew to Casper, Wyoming and got in my friend’s Jeep so we could head up to the Cody/Yellowstone area.

Yes. In the middle of a government shutdown, I thought it was a good idea to fly AND go to a national park.

The security line in Columbus was long at 6:15 a.m. last Wednesday. TSA seemed to be running with a skeleton crew and then I slowed things down even more with the two metal pieces in my knee brace. My leg got scanned and patted down and my hands even got scanned for residue but they evidently decided I wasn’t a risk and let me go. Ha!

Johnna and I explored museums and thrift stores, went Jeeping in the back country, saw some wildlife, and had a wonderful time wandering around. I had an especially lovely gloomy afternoon in a wonderful bookstore.

I ate badly, didn’t get enough rest, and needed far stronger moisturizer than I had packed. Holy cow. My skin wasn’t prepared for the dry air and winds that are trademark of Wyoming. The 60 mph wind we drove through Sunday is what locals call “a breeze.”

Travel scares a lot of people but I find it exhilarating and fascinating. The more time you spend in places where you encounter people who look, sound, and think differently than you, the more clear it becomes that the world isn’t so scary at all. Leaving your comfort zone and exploring this big world of ours is one of the most amazing things you can do for yourself and for your understanding of your place in the world.

I learned a lot this trip and have much to think about in the near future and I’m grateful for this opportunity. Stay tuned. I have lots to share and a few stories that may take me a while to mentally unpack. We’ll get there.

Meanwhile, if you need me, I’ll be here with my industrial strength moisturizer, trying to coax my skin back to life.