Sand in my shoes

My folks moved a lot – long after my father’s honorable discharge from the military.

My dad served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific during World War II; my mother taught English in high schools wherever we lived.

Both my parents were descended from families who had lived in the same area for generations. Maybe it was the war that changed my folks’ attitude about leaving their home communities.

They routinely decided to “up sticks” and moved six children along with all our household possessions every year or so. I used to resent being the new kid on the block whenever we moved.

My parents chose to come to Grants the summer before I entered fifth grade. It was our first time living in the Southwest and I fell in love with New Mexico. I still remember my best friend, Esperanza, from that school year. She had the most beautiful red hair that fell to her waist and she had pierced ears. I had never met anyone my age (10) with pierced ears. No, I don’t remember any other classmates or my teacher.

Now I see that I learned a lot of geography from those long cross-country travels plus I discovered the cultural differences that are woven throughout the tapestry of America.

Those childhood experiences have contributed to my own wanderlust.

I graduated from a small high school on the West Coast and then attended college in New Mexico (Silver City), and later in California (San Jose), and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Looking back – I have lived in 13 states over the years. My careers have included working as a reporter for three newspapers, creating and overseeing the operation of a family-owned business, teaching school (public and private) in four states, and operating a small organic farm. I have served as an elected official. I regularly volunteered for numerous activities to improve my “home” communities wherever I have lived as an adult.

Other adventures included touring Washington, D.C., visiting every state east of the Mississippi River except for Maine, and traveling in every western state. I never made it to Hawaii or Alaska but who knows the future?

I have gone from the Pacific to the Atlantic, traveled along the Gulf of Mexico, and visited the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls plus countless other national parks and monuments.

My fond memories of living in Grants, especially those of my best friend and attending fifth grade, were why I decided to return in 2009. That choice has not kept me from enjoying numerous trips within the U.S. and to other countries.

I count international travel as one of life’s blessings and have been fortunate to explore seven countries. My most recent international travel was in January 2019 – long before COVID.

My wanderlust is the result of many experiences in different geographical locations, but almost my entire life has been spent in rural settings. It is interesting to explore large cities, but I am most comfortable in a small-town setting.

‘What a long, strange long trip it’s been’

I have always believed that the phrase “sand in the shoes” refers to someone who never found any place to settle down or someone with a case of wanderlust.

And that description fits – I have called many places home but the desire to explore new horizons is a lifelong trait.

Now the distant horizon calls again. It is time to say goodbye to the warm-hearted community of Grants, the generous people who inhabit Cibola County, and the many people who have become friends.

“Sometimes the lights all shinin on me;

Other times I can barely see.

Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been,”

from Truckin’, which has become a cultural icon since the song's release in 1970 as part of the American Beauty album by the band Grateful Dead. The classic lyrics are associated with the blues and other early 20th-century forms of folk music. The album was designated a national treasure by the United States Library of Congress in 1997.