11/6/25

Hello from Waterford, Virginia! I am here for about a week with my parents, looking forward to (very low-key) celebrating my birthday the day after tomorrow, on the 8th.

I’ll be sharing photos soon from the scenic train ride here from Chicago, and of course some photos of the homestead here, as well.

But I’m behind on documenting my travels, so today, I’m sharing the splendor of Warrenville, Illinois, about 30 miles (50 km) west of Chicago.

I had visited Warrenville once before, in 2022 during my year of travels. My Warrenville friend Gill had introduced me to her friend Terri, and Terri’s husband Jim, who graciously hosted me for nearly a week back then. This time I was on a bit of a deadline to head east, then south, trying to outrun the chilly fall weather in various regions. So I just stayed for three nights and two full days.

When I was here that first time—in summertime—I found myself enchanted by all the nature preserves surrounding this small city of 15,000. There are beautifully graded and maintained bike baths running through them all. I was doubly impressed when Terri told me that many of these nature preserves had previously been garbage dumps, in decades past. One would never guess it now.

This year, I arrived into town—and later, exited—by way of these paths. I landed in Naperville on the Amtrak Southwest Chief train from Galesburg in the afternoon, which was perfect timing to catch the sunlight through the trees as I pedaled about seven miles (11 km) north to their home. Seeing the paths in the fall season added a new layer of magic to them, and the air temperature was quite pleasant.

The next day, I climbed into the van of my friend Gill and her husband Jeremy, who live nearby, to once again visit the Morton Arboretum, outside of town. The arboretum had some cool displays, including beautiful autumn veggies and an artist’s installation of large sculptures of native animals.

I got a kick out of noticing how color-coordinated I was with the squirrel!

The snail stole the show with its vibrant rainbow coloration. (Both Gill and I identify strongly with rainbows and their colors, so it seemed extra poignant to pose in front of it.)

Terri has volunteered in cat rescue and fostering for many years. I was happy to see that she was fostering two cats during my stay—Angelo and Sasha. Both of them greeted me enthusiastically shortly after I entered their bedroom.

On my third and final morning, I embarked on my bicycle journey to Chicago’s Union Station. The route was to take me 34 miles (55 km) and I hadn’t biked more than about half of that in one day for many months, possibly even years. The route was almost entirely flat, but I secretly worried I might be pretty out of shape, and hoped I would be able to make the journey OK without struggling. Terri generously offered to come and rescue me if I were to get stuck in any way, but fortunately, I biked it all easily, and was thoroughly glad to have undertaken such a scenic ride, along the Illinois Prairie Path. I had made the ride in reverse when I visited them in 2022, but in the fall everything looked totally different.

At one point, I realized I would need a restroom stop. I found a trail map at a resting point with a bench, and it showed that there was a public restroom just about three blocks later.

I searched for it—heading left off the trail onto a neighborhood street—but couldn’t see any sign of it. A suburban father was removing the cobweb decorations from his house since Halloween was over, and I asked him if he knew where the restroom was. He did not, but he very graciously offered that I could use his.

He held back the large dog, and pointed me to the bathroom while his young children looked on.

Upon opening the bathroom door, I was startled and delighted to see a framed image of King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King album cover on the wall.

What are the odds? You never know when and where you might encounter a fellow prog fan. All part of the magic of the journey…

Thus refreshed, I continued my trek toward Chicago.

It remained a beautiful ride until I got into the city, at which point there was a several-mile stretch that felt dicey, along a busy road whose drivers seemed quite unconcerned with the safety of a bicyclist, perhaps especially a slow cyclist towing a wide trailer. Fortunately, the last segment of the ride was calmer, on downtown city streets but somehow with calmer traffic.

The total ride—including a few short breaks—took me almost exactly five hours. Out of an abundance of caution, I had allotted myself seven and a half hours. Therefore, I had about three rather unremarkable hours to sit and chill in the first-class lounge at Union Station. I was surprised and pleased to notice that my legs and body didn’t particularly feel tired, though I also noticed that my mind did feel a bit overextended and sleepy. I dozed off and on until it was time to board just after 6:00 pm.

Photos from that overnight journey from Chicago to Washington, DC in the next post!

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After that lovely experience in Galesburg’s Stoney Lake Park, I prepared myself for a potentially ho-hum day in Quincy, to the southwest of Galesburg, about an hour and a half on the train. This was the first segment of track on this trip that was new to me, and part of my effort to complete the entire Amtrak map. (I expect the whole endeavor will take me several years.) But I didn’t know whether I would actually enjoy each leg of the journey.

I was so pleasantly surprised!

Leaving my trailer and its contents at the hotel, I headed back to the train station in the morning, enjoying the sunshine, crisp autumn leaves, and several blocks of red-brick street paving.

The train ride was beautiful! Much more scenic than I had feared. I took many more photos than this, but you can get the gist from these.

As soon as I got to the station in Quincy, I looked on the map and spied what looked like an extensive bike trail less than a mile from the station. I pedaled toward it, and sure enough, a beautiful wonderland awaited me! The trail stretches for nearly three miles (nearly five kilometers) most of it paved. I marveled at the skies, leaves, and creek, and learned some things about “hobos” as well.

When I emerged from the forest onto the road south to town, I found my way to the one place in town that was listed on HappyCow as vegan-friendly enough to have vegan waffle fries. I enjoyed a double order of said fries, along with a seasonal drink special called the Drunk Ghost martini ($6!) It was a glassful of effervescent coconutty goodness.

After this repast, I crossed the street to the park on the river and enjoyed the view of the suspension bridge.

Then it was time to head back to the train station, along the same trail in a later light.

When I got back to the station, I found both it and the parking lot next door bathed in magical light.

Back aboard the train, the sky and clouds and light continued to impress me.

Sadly, I discovered too late that a high school friend lives right between Galesburg and Quincy, in Macomb—the one other stop on this Amtrak Carl Sandburg train segment. A visit will have to wait for another time, but this tidbit was a reminder of how small a world we all inhabit.

The train returned to Galesburg after dark, and my bike ride back to the hotel began with a festive nighttime downtown street scene.

I am thoroughly enjoying my travels.

Next up: Warrenville, Illinois!

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After that amazing experience in Boulder, I imagined that no other city experience could come close. In terms of all the wonderful human connections, that may have turned out to be true, but in terms of natural splendor, I was pleasantly surprised by autumn’s glory in another new-to-me city, the town of Galesburg, Illinois (population just under 30,000).

I enjoyed a pleasant overnight train ride from Denver—after unfortunately getting soaked in an unexpected rainstorm right on the way to the train station—and arrived in Galesburg in the late morning of October 28th.

I hadn’t been able to find any Servas or other hosts in this area, so I booked a hotel just north of town for two nights, since the following day I was to take the train to Quincy for a day trip with my bike.

After arriving on the train, I walked across the street and enjoyed a healthy snack of tabouli at Cornucopia Natural Market and Deli, an all-vegetarian, locally owned natural foods store. From the deli, I called the hotel to see if they could receive me early, since it was now noon and my check-in time was scheduled for 3:00. I was happy to hear that they could accommodate that. I headed out on my bike in pleasant mid-50s weather… but within the 30 minutes it took me to get there, I got soaked in another sudden rainstorm.

Admittedly I was not thrilled to be so drenched, especially because when the woman who checked me into the hotel caught sight of my rig, she made me wait another half hour for them to prepare another room for me, so that my bike wouldn’t sully their carpets.

Eventually, however, I got into the room and dried out my clothes (thank goodness for fast-drying synthetics!) and within an hour, the rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds. This was my one daylight opportunity to experience Galesburg, and I could see on the map that there was a nature park nearby.

I pedaled out toward it, finding myself mostly in rather drab, open-prairie surroundings. But as I neared Lake Storey Park, the scenery changed dramatically. I entered a magical October wooded wonderland!

Here are the photos from that several-mile ride through the park. What a thoroughly satisfying excursion.

Next up: another beautiful bike path in Quincy!

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

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10/29/25

Wow.

Boulder had been on my list of cities to visit for close to 20 years.

I finally made it there, and I had one of the most perfect experiences of a city in my life.

The weather was perfect. (Not before nor after my time there! But consistently during it. Warm and sunny.)

The people were amazing. I stayed with two Servas couples (shoutout to Leslie & Sam and Erin & Eric!) and also met up with a Servas “day host” (shoutout to Alan!) all of whom were incredibly warm and welcoming. In fact, Erin and Eric hosted an impromptu dinner party the night I arrived, and invited Leslie and Sam, my previous hosts, whom they had not met. We all had a wonderful time and great conversation, and one of the other dinner guests is now seriously considering joining Servas.

Also, Alan is now in the process of organizing a local Boulder-area Servas hosts meetup! I love to see all this networking, and I love that I got to be a part of it by raving to each host(s) about the others. I hope that Servas hosts/members in other cities can also find ways to get together amongst each other. They are always such interesting people, but often meet only the guests they host, and/or the hosts they stay with as guests in other locations.

By the way, if you are reading this, and enjoy either hosting travelers and/or staying with local hosts when you travel, I highly encourage you to consider joining Servas. You can read more about it at the link, but it is an international peace-and-justice nonprofit founded in Europe in 1949, in the wake of WWII, with the explicit mission of helping people to get to know each other—especially across international borders—with the goal of preventing future wars. The joining process includes an application, letters of reference, and an in-person interview, and yearly dues of $33 (US—I assume it is comparable in other countries). The hosts I have met have been consistently warm, passionate about life, interesting and fun to talk with, and well traveled.

Another thing I loved about Boulder was its bike-friendliness! Of course Portland is also well known for that, but the way the two cities approach it is different. Much of Portland’s bicycle infrastructure consists of bike lanes along streets and roads. In Boulder, almost all of it is on wide, usually paved, car-free paths. One can get almost anywhere in town by bike within about 20 minutes, and with very minimal interaction with auto traffic. Like Denver, there were many scenic creekside underpasses, which always delighted me with the sunlight and splendor of nature’s color on the far side as I rode through.

And in general, the scenery in Boulder took my breath away. I missed the aspens (too late in the season) but yellow trees were everywhere, both in town and on the couple of excursions I took on the edges of town.

I’ll walk you through the photos:

The cover photo is one of the most dramatic pics from the day I was stopped on my bike in a park, looking at the map on my phone to decide where to go, when a cyclist who introduced himself as Leslie pulled up and said, “Oh, a Brompton!” (This would become quite a theme. Not only does Leslie’s wife own a Brompton, but so does my Servas day host Alan—pic to follow later in this blog! And when Alan and I met up for our bike ride at a coffee shop, another Brompton rider happened to pull up at just that moment. Later, after that ride, as I was heading back to Erin and Eric’s place, a man rolled by me on the bike path next to the creek, pedaling a pedicab with two elderly ladies in front as passengers. When he rolled by my bike, he paused and asked, “Is that a Brompton?” Turns out he has one too. The funniest/most interesting part was, each time I talked about the bike with one of these various folks, they claimed they rarely if ever see Bromptons in Boulder!)

Anyway, when Leslie found me in the park, we got to talking. First, he suggested I someday visit Reston, Virginia, where he grew up, since it was a planned city and he said the bike paths there are many and beautiful, winding through lots of wooded areas. Some of you will know—although of course he did not until I told him—that I also grew up near Reston (that’s where my orthodontist was) and I will be visiting the area within a few weeks! In fact, the niece of my friend Ron, with whom I had lunch in Denver, is my “Portland” friend Michelle, who now lives in Reston! I’m looking forward to seeing her when I’m in the area… and now I know to also factor in some time to ride the bike paths! (Last time I did so was in 2019, when I biked through Reston on the 45-mile Washington & Old Dominion [W&OD] bike path, also with Michelle’s help—read that blog post if you want to hear about more amazing serendipities!)

Leslie then suggested that I explore a particular bike path on the southern edge of Boulder. He started explaining how I could get there, but although I tried to be polite, smiling and nodding, inwardly my eyes were glazing over because I knew I’d never be able to remember his instructions. We kept talking, though, and finally he said, “Why don’t I just lead you there? It’s not far from where I’m going. Follow me!”

That was one of the early indicators of Boulder magic. He biked me for about five or ten minutes—thankfully, because indeed, I would not have figured out that route on my own—and dropped me off at the start of a well-graded gravel path that snaked a few miles through stunning grassland, with lovely turning trees along the creek and the ubiquitous yet breathtaking mountains in the backdrop.

The next few photos are from my initial ride from the bus stop in downtown Boulder to Leslie and Sam’s house on the east edge of town. I could hardly believe my eyes as I pedaled in that afternoon light. (Oh, and it is worth mentioning that the bus from Denver to Boulder—a comfortable coach with plenty of room underneath for my rig, and a driver willing to help me load and unload it—cost only $2.75 each way! The one-way ride was nearly an hour. A similar journey from Portland to Salem, via a similar bus provided by Amtrak, costs me $10 each way.)

The next few photos depict some of the sights I saw in town. The first was the Dushanbe Teahouse. I’ll let the photo and hyperlink fill you in on the amazing details if you’re curious, but it is a beautiful landmark in downtown Boulder, gifted to the city by people in their sister city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. There at the teahouse, I met up with Elizabeth, a local friend of my Portland friend Cheri, and we had a deep and delightful conversation (an in-person magical meeting!) as we enjoyed our meal at an outdoor table next to the creek.

I took the next photo on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder (“CU”) right in the center of town. What an absolutely gorgeous campus. I could scarcely believe my eyes when I found this peaceful bench on which to rest and gaze upon this bridge and reflection.

Next up is a fun one: the Mork and Mindy house! It is listed on Google Maps as a landmark, so I decided to swing by and see it. I hadn’t remembered the house looking like that on the series, but when I checked the credits on YouTube, sure enough, that was it!

At another point, I visited the local cat café, Purrfect Pause! They have adopted out more than 600 cats since their founding in May 2022, and the café has capacity for up to 20 cats at a time. There were ten when I arrived, and I enjoyed meeting and interacting with all of them. In the interest of limiting the flood of photos in this post, I am keeping it to two, showing four cats, but you can trust that all the others were equally adorable.

When I met up with Alan at the coffee shop on the pedestrian Pearl Street Mall, he took me for a beautiful ride into the Boulder Canyon Trail, on the west edge of town. We stopped short of scaling the peak, but the scenery along the trail was incredible.

The next couple of photos are from local parks where I walked or biked; I loved the early-day sun on the uphill one, and the late-day light on the other.

In closing, I wanted to share two photos from a sunset excursion Leslie generously insisted on taking me to—by car, thankfully, because, oof, what an elevation!—a spectacular viewpoint called Lost Gulch Lookout. It was the perfect way to close out my incredibly perfect experience of a new city.

If you ever get a chance to go to Boulder, do it!  

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

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10/26/25

Hello! I’m writing to you from Boulder, Colorado. My first time here, and it has been absolutely incredible! I’ll make a post about Boulder soon, but meanwhile, I’ve been having such an amazing time that I realized I hadn’t yet posted about my breathtaking train ride from Truckee to Denver, nor a few scenic shots from my two days so far in Denver. (I’ll have one more day there tomorrow, before I depart on the train for Illinois.)

So, here is a brief photo essay of that train trip. We went through Nevada, Utah, and the Colorado Rockies. I had some great conversations, as usual, in the lounge and dining car, while watching the natural wonders go by.

In Denver, I spent two nights with wonderful Servas hosts Kellie and John, who live in a cohousing community called Hearthstone. I got to meet a number of their neighbors—human, feline, and canine—and even got to attend one of their regular community meals in the common house.

I had a bit of drama when I dropped my phone and shattered the screen on my way to their place (oof! $150 and some stress as I feared the phone’s “guts” might have been affected too) but was able to get a speedy repair just a block away from the beautiful Sloan Lake Park, so while I waited that hour, I pedaled around the park and rested on some scenic benches. Here are some of the photos I took on my second lap, after retrieving the repaired phone.

Although I seem to have missed the seasonal window for aspens (so glad I got that chance in Lake Tahoe!) Denver did not disappoint with many glorious yellow trees. Here is one of the best.

While in Denver I got a chance to meet up with my friend Ron for lunch at longstanding vegetarian spot City O’ City, and afterward, on my way to Union Station to catch my bus to Boulder, I got to experience the beautiful bike paths along the river, with gorgeous color and light bursting forth from underpass after underpass. I’ve been so blessed with beautiful weather here in Colorado.

Stay tuned for Boulder pics!

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

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10/18/25

Today was No Kings Day, throughout the United States. I was disappointed not to be able to take part in the events, because I boarded the train just before the Truckee event started. However, my Servas hosts Roz and Russ went straight from dropping me off at the station to the event with their signs, and later reported that the event went wonderfully. I’m including a picture of their signs (and Roz’s ingenous way of attaching them to a Swiffer mop for easy carryability and swivelability—check it out for your future protest sign opportunities!)

I’m seeing in my Facebook feed that many other cities—including Portland, of course!—had wonderful, well attended marches and rallies as well. Many of you turned out for them, and I loved seeing the pics of your faces and signs. It heartens me to see this defiance of authoritarianism and support of immigrants’ rights, as well as the joy and creativity that so many people across the nation are bringing to the resistance. Let’s keep up the pressure, as well as the love, joy, creativity, and community building. Goodness knows we all need it.

I’m on the train now, about to stop in Elko, Nevada at about 8:30 pm. My next destination, at 6:30 Mountain Time tomorrow, will be Denver. I’m looking forward to it!

But first! OMG. These past 48 hours were my first time in Truckee, California and Lake Tahoe, and the natural beauty was truly mind-boggling.

Roz and Russ were wonderful hosts. They picked me up at the train station, drove me to their stunning lakeside (Donner Lake) home; took me to a local museum where I learned more about the history of the area, including the tragic story of the Donner Party; took me up to the peak of the nearby mountain where we could look down on Donner Lake; and shared a wonderful dinner with me.

The next day, we marveled at the morning mist on the lake as the sun rose in the sky. This was the view from their back deck.

Then, we set out for Lake Tahoe. The lake itself was breathtaking, and we stopped at several places around it, including a picnic lunch at Sugar Pine Point State Park, where we walked down to the water’s edge and I got to see how staggeringly clear it is.

On the way back, we happened upon a brilliant stand of golden aspens. I had been really looking forward to seeing aspens in Colorado (and I hope the season will line up so that I will be able to) but this was a wonderful preview.

Then this morning, Russ took me out on a bike ride through a nearby neighborhood, which was absolutely beautiful. All the pines and boulders in the area make for a rugged aesthetic that the 1930s and ‘40s housing stock blended into perfectly. (Lots of log cabins and A-frames.)

The weather cooperated wonderfully as well. It gets cold early in the season at that elevation (~6000 ft/1830 m) and they had had a dusting of snow the day before my arrival. But by the time I arrived, the warm sunshine had melted it, and highs were in the 60s F (around 15-20 C) and with the direct sun at that elevation, it felt at times almost too warm!

If you’ve never visited this area, I encourage you to put it on your list. (And take the train to get there! Also stunning!)

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

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10/13/25

Wow. My month here in Roseville is nearly up! My last blog post was three weeks ago. At that time, I was still getting settled.

My time here has been refreshing and restorative, and during this period I have been fortunate to have had a number of magical meetings, both in person with several locals, and by video or phone with other friends and contacts in far-flung locales.

To be honest, though, it’s also been a bit emotionally challenging, because although my material surrounds here are wonderful, and the six kitties are adorable, the outside world continues to roil, and it’s impossible to escape the many and various reverberations of that. Some of this time, I admit I have found myself stuck on the couch all day, bewildered and disheartened by it all.

I am heartened, however, by the frogs and unicorns, naked bicyclists, and suchlike in Portland. I’m not there to join them, but it warms my heart to see the denizens of my chosen city show up to counter this authoritarian regime with love, creativity, and absurdity.

Although I didn’t do a lot of active exploring here, I do have a whole month’s worth of photos built up! Sorry for the volume (and trust me, I culled many others, including some more adorable ones of these kitties!)

I’ll write a bit to explain them.

First, the felines! In order of appearance, please meet Katy, Mac, Luey, Lula, Tessa, and Charlie. (Mac, Lula, and Luey are littermates—you’ll notice the uncanny resemblance.)

Charlie is enjoying the persimmon tree in the magical “garden of Eden” here. Nancy and Kirk are amazing gardeners, and I’ve been enjoying many snacks, and even whole meals, from the fruits and vegetables I’ve found in that garden.

Beyond the household, within a five-mile bike ride, are Folsom Lake and various other oak-savannah natural spaces. The autumn skies have provided a beautiful backdrop to this classic California scenery.

In one case, I even encountered a group of turkeys!

There is a 35-mile mile bike path that stretches from Folsom Lake all the way into Old Town Sacramento (where the Amtrak station is.) I never felt up to the task of riding the whole length while I was here, but one day I did explore a segment of it, and was rewarded with views of the American River and Folsom Dam.

One day, I made a driving excursion all the way north to a quirky old mining town called Nevada City. There I met with a fellow (former) traveling pet sitter, Mariah, with whom I had had a video magical meeting before leaving Portland. Unfortunately, we didn’t think to get a pic together, but she took me on a lovely forest hike, even crossing a suspension bridge.

After that, just a few miles away, I met up with a Servas host named Shirley who lives in the area. I am so glad she suggested meeting up at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Rail Museum! We got an hour-long guided tour exploring the history and infrastructure of train and other transportation in this gold rush community, and got to see two passenger railcars—one that had taken five years to refurbish beautifully, and another that was in the midst of its own four-year reburbishment. We also got to see—and even sit in—a wood-fired steam engine!

This month has been a lovely “soft landing” beginning to my rail journey around the US. From now on, my stints will be shorter, and I will be mostly staying with hosts, similar to how I traveled during my year of travels a few years ago. In a few days, I will be moving on to Truckee, California, where I will be staying with a Servas host couple, and I hope to be able to visit Lake Tahoe for my first time! (The weather looks sunny and not too chilly—fingers crossed that holds.) After that, I will continue on to Denver and Boulder, then several towns in Illinois.

I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves, and taking whatever actions you feel called to take. I’ll plan to check back in after Truckee.

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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

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Want to support my vision financially? I am in a continual process of manifesting $50,000 per year in lieu of a “salary” for the unconventional work I do in the world. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

9/22/25

Hello, and happy equinox to all! Autumn here in the northern hemisphere (though it doesn’t feel like it to me here in California’s central valley, where the mercury is set to hit 94F/34C today) and of course spring for those of you south of the equator. It’s time for a new season.

This new season coincides—not by accident!—with the beginning of my rail journey around the country. I arrived here in Roseville a week ago Sunday, and I’m really enjoying the change of scenery and the beginning of my new adventure.

I was met by my wonderful hosts Nancy and Kirk at the Sacramento train station very early in the morning last Sunday. They are off on a month-long camino journey in Europe, but we overlapped for a few days before they left, and they got me well situated in their lovely home.

It’s such a testament to rainbow-network magic and manifestation that we found each other! You may recall that during my May California Rail Adventure, I made a post in the Sacramento Vegans Facebook group looking for dining company on the single day I was to spend in Sacramento. I wanted to enjoy the splendiferous vegan Mexican restaurant El Cantaro, and I posted a little about myself in the Facebook group to see if anyone might want to join me for lunch. Nancy saw my post and immediately reached out because she and Kirk love that restaurant, and they had also been dreaming up another camino trip (Nancy had completed five or six different routes already!) and were looking for a cat sitter. None of us were sure at the time whether we would be able to make it work, but we both held the vision for it to happen, and we stayed in contact… and now here I am!

The temperatures have been a bit warm for my outdoor-activity comfort, so I’ve done very little hiking or biking so far. But as we get into October, I suspect I’ll get out and explore Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma, and other nearby natural spots.

So what I’m mostly focusing on is spending time with the six kitties in my care, as well as reaching out to many folks—local and otherwise—for magical meetings. I really want to devote most of my energy, both on this journey and in general in my life, to connecting with members of the rainbow network. I love connecting with other heart-centered people who are focused on making the world a better place. I love energizing each other, supporting each other in celebrations as well as mournings and struggles during this moment in time, holding space for people as they unpack trauma (so many amazing and powerful people carry such heavy traumas) and introducing these folks to each other, as I feel guided by my intuition to do so.

I’ve had half a dozen of these connections since I’ve been here, both in person with local folks and by video chat with others. I’ve got several more lined up.

And today, my Facebook Memories showed me something really cool! Apparently, on this day in 2018, my friend Todd shared the following post, which I then re-posted because I loved it:

“[Buckminster Fuller decided to] devote himself to asking, ‘What is it on this planet that needs doing that I know something about, that probably won’t happen unless I take responsibility for it?’ He decided he would just ask that question continuously and do what came to him, following his nose. In this way, working for humanity as an employee of the universe at large, you get to modify and contribute to your locale by who you are, how you are, and what you do. But it’s no longer personal. It’s just part of the totality of the universe expressing itself.”

(Quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn)

I love how perfectly this encapsulates my own current approach to life… and it seems that I encountered this quote just a few months before my own “rainbow network epiphany” in San Diego, in January of 2019.

Synchronicities.

Also this morning, I saw an ad by someone I follow on Instagram, David Bedrick. A self-described “psychological activist,” he is the founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-Based Studies, and has developed a process he calls the UnShaming way.

For the past ten years or so, I have been fascinated and drawn by the topic of shame, and learning how it works in our individual lives and culture(s) at large, creating untold ripples and ramifications on virtually every level of human life.

I’ve also been fascinated and deeply compassionately curious about trauma, and the myriad ways it also permeates human existence.

Of course, trauma and shame are often thickly intertwined.

As I have held space for people in my listening and life coaching practices these past 15+ years, I have wanted to be careful in how I am able to interface with some of the traumatic experiences and ongoing psychological aftermath people have shared with me. Since I do not have an advanced degree in psychology or a related field—just my bachelor of arts—I have not taken professional trainings on this topic, but I have felt drawn to do something like that.

The ad I saw this morning was for a 7-week online course for “coaches, therapists, and healers” called The Trauma Clinic.

It begins in two days, on September 24th. It’s not cheap—$765—but I’m thinking it might be something I should prioritize. So, I’m going to hold a vision that if it is right for me, the money will find me to do it. (I’m also noticing, as I look at his site now, that he has some much more affordable recordings on similar topics, so I might start there.)

If not now, I’m trusting that at some point the timing will be right for me to take this course or a similar one. Becoming more trauma-informed feels extremely relevant to me.

I don’t know if I’ve written about it here in the blog before, but in the past few years I’ve been noticing a few trends in my life, as a healer and connector, and in the world at large. I notice that I very frequently find myself drawn to—or already connected with—people who identify as neurodivergent, often on the autism spectrum. I also notice that I am often drawn to people who have experienced horrific abuse or other childhood (and subsequent adulthood) traumas, including a high percentage of people who have experienced narcissistic abuse.

I also notice a significant overlap in these two groups of people.

The way I have visualized my role in the rainbow network, given these trends, is that I find myself often connecting with amazing, brilliant, creative, loving people, who sadly find themselves constricted—sometimes to the point of near-immobility—by chronic illnesses (which I believe both autistic masking and trauma often contribute to); current abusive relationships; extreme financial hardship (often intertwined with these issues, since well paid work can be hard to find and keep under these conditions); and overall depression and lack of hope for themselves and for the world.

Within the rainbow-network framework, I visualize these folks as Christmas-light bulbs whose exterior has been coated in such layers of dinge and tarnish that they often don’t even recognize that their true essence is that of a glowing light, immensely powerful in their own right as well as a crucial part of the healing-and-inspirational “grid” that is the rainbow network.

I visualize my own role in the network as 1) identifying these folks in the world, via my own intuition and my connections with others; 2) holding space as a witness for them to share both their traumas and their dreams and visions for helping the world; and 3) helping them to see their own power, and to clear away the dinge and tarnish so that they can shine brightly, for their own benefit and thriving as well as that of the larger collective.

So… learning more about trauma and how to “work with it” is foundational for me. I will find ways to do so.

Wow.

I had not planned to write about all of this today. But it feels very right to do so, so if you’ve read this far, thank you for witnessing me and holding space for me to share it.

I’ll leave you with some photos of five of the six kitties (Tessa is extremely camera-shy, so you may not get to see her) as well as the beautiful garden where I can enjoy tomatoes and other tasty treats… and even a pic of some goats who were “landscaping” a nearby park while I strolled there the other night. What interesting creatures.

But before I sign off, I’d like to ask your help in manifesting magical cat sits in three upcoming cities! You don’t have to know anyone there looking for a sitter, but if you happen to know cool people who might be aligned with my vision and way of life in any of these places, perhaps you could connect us for a magical meeting (video chat)? Then they might be able to keep their ears open to see if anyone in their area could use a cat sitter during the times I’ll be there.

*Denver/Boulder: October 19 to 26 (give or take a day or two on the later end)

*Charleston, South Carolina: Roughly November 10 to 17 (flexible on either end)

*Savannah, Georgia: Roughly November 17 to 23 (again, flexible)

Thank you! Thank you all so much for witnessing me, following along, and being awesome!

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? I am in a continual process of manifesting $50,000 per year in lieu of a “salary” for the unconventional work I do in the world. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

9/17/25

Hello from Roseville, California! My seven-month rail journey began a few days ago, on the 13th, when I departed my SE Portland cat sit with the lovely Sabrina (last kitty pictured) and pedaled down to Union Station to board my overnight train to Sacramento. I’m still settling into my new sit now, so any California adventures I am yet to have will be covered in future posts. I’m nervous but excited to be embarking on this new journey!

But several weeks have passed since my last post, so I wanted to share some of my favorite memories from these last few weeks in Portland. It is so beautiful in the summer.

When I returned from my last Olympia sit for the season, I had one night in Portland that I needed to stay in a hotel. I lucked into the only streamline moderne hotel I’d ever seen, let alone stayed in! The room was unfortunately rather musty, but the architecture—inside and out—was a fun throwback to midcentury times.

Then the marathon of Portland-area sits began. In order of appearance, I cared for Bowie (and his camera-shy brother Max, and outdoor brother Darryl); Tom Tom; Quinny; Zazzi; Rocket; Einstein; and the aforementioned Sabrina.

At Zazzi’s place, I experienced a retreat-like setting, all the way out on Larch Mountain, near the town of Corbett in the Columbia River Gorge. The setting was serene, and the views were spectacular.

Then, at Rocket & Einstein’s place in Happy Valley, I was startled one day to see a guinea pig running through the back garden! I wasn’t sure what to do, but it seemed clear that a guinea pig should not be on its own in a suburban neighborhood with dogs and coyotes nearby. I knocked on five or six doors of neighbors, none of whom said they had a guinea pig. But at the last door—the house on the other side of the fence from the back yard—the woman said she had seen it in her own back yard, a couple days earlier. She had fed it some carrots, but had not been able to capture the piggy to try to take it to a shelter. She had also canvassed the neighborhood—amazingly, knocking only on all the doors I hadn’t—and hadn’t found anyone to claim it. We decided to collaborate, and within the next 24 hours, she had captured the piggy (and named her Charlotte!) and I had identified an adopter from the Portland Vegans Facebook group, after also receiving various helpful advice from my Facebook friends all over. Charlotte is now happily enjoying her new home.

And I enjoyed the Oregon late-summer nature! I got to cross the beautiful Clackamas River on my tried-and-true bike-and-pedestrian bridge, on my way to catch the train in Oregon City to visit Johnny in Salem for the last time in a long while.

Later, I used my generous hosts’ guest passes to visit both the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden.

My sister even came down on the train from Seattle to visit me once more before my travels, and she accompanied me to the Japanese garden, and then to the Hoyt Arboretum, where we stopped to marvel at the magical redwood grove.

Despite the constant undercurrent of endless unimaginable horrors unfolding both domestically and around the world—which I’m sure disturbs all of your minds and hearts as much as it does mine—my last month in Portland was beautiful, and I savored every day. Now, the season is changing, and it’s time for new experiences.

Thanks, as always, for following along with me.

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? I am in a continual process of manifesting $50,000 per year in lieu of a “salary” for the unconventional work I do in the world. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)

8/12/25

Hello again, all! It’s been a while. Aside from the obvious horrors surrounding us, I have had a pleasant summer in the Northwest. (I continue to contact my reps and attend protests when they occur, and I hope you’re doing what you can to resist as well—we need all hands on deck!)

I’ve cared for many cute kitties, both in the Portland area—and even Albany, Oregon—and here in Olympia. (Photos at the end of this post.) I haven’t been checking in here because there hasn’t been much to report, although I have had a few great magical meetings—those always continue to be bright spots in my life. Oh, and above is a pic of the Rainbow Rails bridge here in Olympia from the other day. (Two of my favorite things!)

I’m writing now because I have something to share: I’m starting to dream up my next big rail journey! Once again, I’m seeking to follow the sun during the cooler and rainier months in the Northwest, and this year I have a great jumping-off point: a one-month sit for six(!) cats in Roseville, California, outside of Sacramento.

This Roseville sit came about because of a very impromptu, in-person magical meeting when I was in Sacramento for less than a day back in May during my California Rail Adventure. I made a posting in the Sacramento Vegans group, asking if anyone would like to join me for lunch at one of my favorite vegan restaurants in the area, El Cantaro. A lovely couple took me up on this last-minute invite, and we had a magical lunch during which they told me of their plans to take a long Camino trip in Italy(!) We set an intention there for me to be their sitter, although there were some logistical concerns/hurdles on both sides as to whether they could take the trip, and whether I could do the sit.

We continued to hold the intention for it all to come together smoothly, and we checked in from time to time. And now… it’s going to happen!

And this timing and location is the perfect starting point for my new rail adventure. I’ll list my possible itinerary below; of course, as always, it will remain flexible as life unfolds.

I’d love your help! My vision is that I find mostly one-week-long-ish paid cat sits in each of the following locations, with occasional short hosting situations (maybe 2 nights?) to fill in as needed. I’m also dreaming of simply meeting up with interesting/resonant/like-minded folks in each of these locations; visiting various kinds of nature parks and/or Japanese gardens and/or botanical gardens or arboretums in each place; and possibly biking on rail-trails. So, if you know anyone who might be interested in any of those things in any of these places, I’d love an introduction! As always, I’m especially interested in connecting with people who are working on inspiring projects to help the world, and/or for me to be able to offer emotional support to anyone with visions for a better world who may be struggling with our current state(s) of reality.

Here is my preliminary itinerary:

*Roseville cat sit mid-September to mid-October

*Denver/Boulder area late October

*Galesburg and Quincy, Illinois late October (also possibly Princeton, Warrenville, Chicago?)

*Visit my parents in northern Virginia around my birthday week in early November

*Charleston, SC (my first time!) mid-November

*Savannah, GA (my second time! I’m excited!) mid-November

*Raleigh, NC area late November

*Charlotte, NC late November

*New Orleans early December

*Mobile, Alabama and possibly Biloxi, Mississippi early December (my first time, and I will be riding a new Amtrak line that just opened!)

*New Orleans again, at least long enough to transfer trains

*San Antonio mid-December

*Tempe, Arizona for possibly up to a month or so Dec/Jan/even Feb. (One of my dreams is to do a cat sit at Culdesac Tempe! Do you know anyone there I could talk to?)

*Probably SoCal afterward for a month or two

*Make my way back north to Portland around April

I’m so excited to see how this all unfolds! Stay tuned for updates as things develop, and please let me know if you have contacts in those areas I should meet! If you know of anyone in any of those areas who might be looking for a cat sitter, feel free to share the link to my cat sitting page with them.

I’m also needing to manifest some more funding. (Train travel ain’t cheap!) So if you know of anyone who might be interested in life or travel coaching (especially train, bicycle, and/or “meaningful” travel of any kind) feel free to send them to my coaching page.

I’m also, as always, open to one-time or recurring donations. (I so appreciate my Patreon patrons, fairy godfunders, and contributors at any level! Thank you all so much!)

And, thank you all again, dear readers, for witnessing me and my journey, and following along! The support of my community means the world to me.

Please enjoy these nature and kitty highlights from this summer in the Northwest.

—

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? I am in a continual process of manifesting $50,000 per year in lieu of a “salary” for the unconventional work I do in the world. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)