A New Chapter
“Life is about change, sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's beautiful, but most of the time it's both.”
-Kristin Kreuk.
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Well, I did it. Two days after the last email, I took off for Arizona with little planning. When trusting life and the forces orchestrating it, there is a saying that when you leap, the net will appear. I put this to the test, and it worked out well.
My trip consisted of 10 days, 3868 miles, and 66 hours in the saddle. I traversed eight states, two of which I had never visited: New Mexico and Kansas.
I am happy to say that I found the place I belong to begin the next chapter. It is a unique little town with quite a story, both its own and mine and Wanda’s. I wouldn’t bother with a blog post if there weren’t a backstory here, and a cool one at that. But first, just a few photos of the trip west.
You always hear about how flat Kansas is but you can't appreciate it until you see it. The cirrus clouds that day were like a painting.
The only tree for miles.
While taking pictures here, a lady pulled up in a battered old car and asked if I was OK. I said I was and that I was just admiring the view. She looked a tad confused and then told me she lives here, somewhere out there over the horizon, and has her entire life. It made me aware of the immense variety of available human experience, simply based on where you were born. How far from New York City is this place in every conceivable way? How far from the thick, dark, endless northern forests? Or the gray, moody Pacific Northwest, the sky-piercing mountains of Tibet, or even the relatively nearby Rockies? How foreign would those places be to someone who has lived here their entire life? I find it astonishing that all these places exist on one planet.
On day three, while crossing eastern Colorado, mountains suddenly appeared in the distance after days of flatness, signaling a welcome change in geography. (Please overlook the bug-splattered windshield).
I will say that when traveling alone in places like this, your memories will find you, whether you like it or not. There were times I was acutely aware of the empty seat next to me and the wonderful woman who used to fill it, and other times when I was brought to tears, comforted by a loving presence I can’t describe.
I avoided the interstates as much as possible and was rewarded with roads like this. At over 5500 ft., but not looking like it, this area was mesmerizing. Up ahead, there was a pullout with parking and a sign signifying this as the location of the darkest night skies in Colorado because of how far it is from everything. There, I sat on a nice flat rock for some time, seeing only a car or two, and let the vastness swallow me. It was the quietest place I have ever been, unnervingly yet refreshingly so. I could have stayed there all day.
From there, the road rose sharply into the San Juan Mountains, culminating at 10,230 ft. at La Manga Pass. Autumn comes early at nearly two miles high.
The skies were so blue. This was one of the prettiest drives I have ever taken, and my soul was soothed and soaring.
It’s hard to believe that people actually live in places like this.
This is on the other side of the pass just before the big decent down to the valley floor and the New Mexico border. The mix of deciduous and evergreen trees creates a wonderful and vibrant texture as the colors change.
And then the landscape changed dramatically once again to red-rock buttes and arroyos. This picture was taken on Navajo land and it had a mystical feel, as if it was alive and somehow aware. As the wind gently rattled in my ears, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was being watched.
And then, my final destination and new home-
Jerome, Arizona
Population- 464, give or take
Altitude- 5066 ft., give or take.
Founded in 1886
This is where the story gets interesting. Over 30 years ago, before we were married, Wanda and I passed through Jerome to go to nearby Sedona. I remember it well. From the west, Jerome is approached from above after miles of tight, winding road. It is impressive as the view opens, and suddenly, you come upon this town in the most improbable of places, clinging to a steep mountainside as if dropped from space.
Wanda had been there in the past and talked about how much she loved it. For her, it was just one of those things when you are attracted to a place and can’t explain why. Was it the dramatic setting, the history, the ghost stories? I suspect it was all of these things and more, and for the next 30 years, I often heard how much she wished we could live there. I never took it seriously because I didn’t think it was possible.
Rentals are extraordinarily rare in a town where a new dwelling hasn’t been built in over 100 years. And when I headed west, living in Jerome was the furthest thing from my mind. But while in central Arizona, looking in other areas, a listing popped up, and through some crazy luck, coincidence, or perhaps a little help from beyond, I got it.
In a eulogy for my brother Joe, I said that we honor those who have passed by living well and doing the things they loved to do with them in our thoughts and hearts. And I feel I’m doing this, and by the way it all worked out (it really was one in a million), it points to the fact that there are forces in our lives that we can’t comprehend, but we can honor with gratitude while embracing the mystery of it all.
An old copper mining town, Jerome is a unique, charming, and interesting place, similar to many of the areas we have lived. I am going there to get back to life and live the best way I can as I continue to heal and grow. It is a tourist town of artists, art galleries and studios, hotels, restaurants, and bars, and I intend to become acquainted with every inch of it.
It is supposedly one of the most haunted places in the country, so much so that its nickname is ”Ghost City”.
The view to the east goes forever. I stupidly didn’t take any pictures of my view, but this is very similar, sans the ugly white building. From my place, you can clearly see the red rocks of Sedona, over 30 miles away. The sunrises and moonrises will be incredible, and stargazing should be fantastic. I am going to have to get a telescope.
My new start is behind those white doors.
Thanks so much for reading!