Yosemite: Big Rocks and Big Trees

Now half way through our cross country adventure, we have found that we are surprised at every turn. We continue to pinch ourselves at this great opportunity to see this country and we offer more than an occasional thank you to Mr. Lilly. We have met people along the way, some of whom ask us what we're doing. Their eyes widen when we tell them that we're traveling around the country as a family for a month by train. They usually tell us that they've always wanted to do the same.

At the Grand Canyon and Yosemite we've seen many visitors from overseas and have heard countless languages spoken. At 17 and 14, Will and Lydia have already done a fair bit of traveling -- more certainly that Leslie or I did when we were their ages -- but my sense is that this trip has sealed their travel bug infection. Both Leslie and I were AFS foreign exchange students (me to New Zealand for a year in 1980 and Leslie for a summer in Austria the same year). I think Lydia is already plotting her exchange student pathway and Will is thinking about an intensive language book camp in Colombia next summer.

Yosemite National Park in California, where we have been for three nights, has been beyond words beautiful. The rock formations rise dramatically from the ground and the valleys are filled with meadows and trees. In mid-July, the famous waterfalls are still flowing. The one iconic view of El Capitan rock formation is almost gaudy it is so beautiful -- perhaps the most stunning natural setting I have ever seen. We walked among the ancient and giant sequoia tress at the southern most corner of the park -- some of them have been alive for over 2,000 years. They are said to have survived loggers in the 1800's when it was found that the trees shattered into many pieces when they were felled. Their weakness became their strength, as the loggers gave up and moved on to other trees.

Usually on family vacations I reach mid-way and begin to announce with great fanfare and sadness that the vacation is half-over. Not this trip. The experience continues to unfold in new ways and has reminded me of an important lesson: embrace the present. Don't look back with sadness about what can not be done again. And be thankful. Always.