Map of the US= The Map of Us

Last weekend was the last of my extensive travelling that I’ve been doing this summer. Whew!  Despite my vast love of travel (hence that “Wanderlust” part in my blog title) I am happy to have some down time. I have many things in my house that have been neglected for an entire summer. And I’m not even mentioning my garden that has become a little shop of horrors.

I began to do a mental count of my summer in numbers, and came up with this:

8- states I traveled west through and then east again on my way to and from Colorado

7- beach weekends

12- books read

2- mountain ranges that I have slept in the valley of

1- Fourth of July Fireworks show attended in the Rockies

1- highest unpaved road in the United States travelled

1- five star hotel I’ve stayed at in Vale

1- horses ridden (well, he ran) while laughing maniacally through the Rocky Mountains

4000- miles put on my camper since its purchase in May

10,105- Uncomfortable, unforgettable, educational and spiritual moments spent with friends, lovers, ex-lovers and family



 I could go on, but when I did a Google search for a map to count states on, I had to input this into the little, all too familiar Google window: Map of US.

Now, on the surface, it looks like just what it was, me doing a search for a map of the United States. But then I looked again, and saw that it said “map of us”.  And it dawned on me that all of these numbers I was looking up were exactly that: a map to me, and to the kids and me.

I spent the summer showing my kids numerous valuable lessons without trying too hard, which I think are the best lessons.  I showed them that best friends are important, and they’re family. That you can travel across the country with them, or sit in the sand with them, it’s the time spent that counts most. I demonstrated that you can meet and be close friends with people who live thousands of miles away, it’s only geography. Sometimes kindred spirits can’t be limited by distance, and that people are brought into your life for a reason. 



We all lived the lesson that, even if it’s terrifying for a moment (or several), sometimes climbing up that unpaved pass up a mountain opens the door to you seeing things that most other people will never have the courage or privilege to see, let alone share with each other.  I got to see wildlife that only grows 14,000 feet above sea level.  And I shared it with my kids who will never forget it.



I taught them the lesson that hard work pays off, whether it’s by buying a camper and camping out with your kids or spending an expensive night at a five star, fancy shmancy place (as seen below!).  You have to work for what you have, and you can choose to have as much or as little as makes you happy.



I realized today that this map that I’ve drawn for myself and have helped my kids draw, is priceless… that they’ll look back and realize they can live fearlessly. They can make friends with strangers in campgrounds, they can cry over beautiful moments forever impressed in their memory; they can enjoy the simplicity that they find in quiet while swinging on a swing set in the Rocky Mountains. That they are free to enjoy the unforgettable sound of high white birch trees as they sway over their heads while on horseback.



And most importantly, they realize their map is theirs to complete.  Just as mine still is, every day. I make my choice of who my friends are, who I give my heart to and how I spend my moments every day. 

Your map is all your own, for you to find you own compass to navigate it with. Now’s your chance to pull out your highlighter and throw out your GPS and decide where you want to go next!