Eastward bound

As much as I love being home in Wyoming, my next adventures will take me a bit farther east to the capital city. I'll be trekking that direction next week in a major road trip. 1,875 miles and 3,018 km later I'll be in my new home... However, the adventure is almost always more in the journey than the destination, so if you find yourself remotely near my route, be sure to drop a line or give a holler!


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Highlights

Here are a few glimpses of some Americana and the best captured moments of my stay "home, home on the range"!



The city-wide pancake feed at the fire station for the Fourth of July





Waiting for the parade to start!





Biking to Spotted Horse, WY with my parents and Uncle Steve



Celebrating Grandma Fern's 83rd Birthday (YEE-HAW!) in Hettinger



A fantastic reunion with my best childhood friend and her beautiful family in Casper



Hike to Harney Peak in the Black Hills



Looking at the incredible five-state view from Harney with Uli



A 1930s style lantern tour of Jewel Cave in the Black Hills





Four-wheeling on my Dad's land near Sundance



Camping with the family



My giggly niece, nephew, and Skip the wonder dog



And the best of all possible endings... a sunset over the prairie

The land is within me

From 2008-07 (Jul)...

It has been a tumultuous month full of good-byes, hellos, and welcome homes. The reluctant departure from my two-year home in Tartu and my exciting arrival back to Wyoming. My sentiments have been too complex and my fingers to lazy to blog about all of my findings. One thing I have thought a lot about since coming back is about our human connection to the land. Although I can appreciate verdant meadows and thick forests and wonder at daily drizzles and rain showers, I acknowledge that a piece of my soul belongs here on the prairie. Stepping off the plane from my two-day trans-continental journey from Estonia, I knew the moment that I breathed in the dry sweet-smelling air that I was home. I am not sure I can describe very accurately a scent that I have always known -- a crisp mixture of sweet clover, sage brush, and wide open spaces. The landscape here could not be more different that my home-that-was and my home-to-be on the East Coast. Rolling hills and breath-taking horizons, you can sometimes see over 100 miles into the distance. All of this space is unnerving to some, but I think a small part of the prairie was planted inside of me and, as it is every time I visit, I just know intuitively that parts of me will always be more at home here than any other place.

From 2008-07 (Jul)...