Summer's End

As the summer reaches as end, one season fades to another and reminds me of all that has passed. I reflect on the previous months and realize I've had a very busy and productive year so far.

Travel played an important role. In February, Rhonda and I went to Hawaii to perform Gary and Linda's wedding. By spring, I flew to Washington DC to help facilitate the Ecuador Youth Leadership Exchange. In late June, Dakota and I attended a sundance ceremony on the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta, Canada. And perhaps most importantly, Rhonda and I traveled to Ecuador in August, and even spent several days in the Amazon Jungle. We visited a very diverse set of destinations.

I also met two celebrities this year: Hillary Clinton as she made a campaign stop in Spokane, and Blake Lewis from American Idol.

Major projects and life changing events also made their mark. During the spring, I helped organize the youth leadership exchange, and during the Labor Day Wellpinit Powwow I received my grandfather's wardance regalia. My brother Bradley came for a rare visit, and my sister graduated from Eastern Washington University.

It's been a big year on many levels. Of course, it's only September, but with the end of summer vacation and the beginning of a new academic year, I feel inclined to reflect on where we've been over the previous months and weeks. And then my normal schedule resumes and I find myself visiting my old hiking trails again. I've been all over the world, but the mountains and trees welcome me back as though I've never been away. That is the nature of my home; my spirit is connected to this place forever.