Going To Cody

Got up early today for the drive from Salt Lake to Cody.  The terrain alternated from steep multi-colored canyons to vast flat stretches of scrub. I saw quite a few antelope running across the highway, and there were many signs warning motorists to look out for animals on the roadway. I often drove for an hour or more without seeing a town or even a house, so different from driving in California. The skies were threatening the entire drive but I only got rained on for a few minutes.

I easily found the retreat center I’ll be volunteering at for the next month and got myself settled into the ‘staff house’. Not long after I arrived I met Erin, the other volunteer I’ll be working with and we hit off immediately. She and her husband have been living a travel-work lifestyle for years and have worked or volunteered all over the US from Alaska to Maine and have done all kinds of interesting work. We had a fascinating discussion then she showed me around the property- it is an incredible place with lots of natural beauty – I can’t wait to explore it more. The clouds are so dramatic here, I know I’m going to love this ever changing scenery.

We had dinner with Rebekah, one of the retreat directors, and I learned about what we’ll be doing in the upcoming days. After dinner we went outside and saw a baby owl perched on a branch in one of the trees next to the house! We headed back to the house as the sun was setting, a wonderful start to this new adventure.