4 years is a long interruption...

It's been nearly 10 years ago that I spent the summer in the Tetons.  I was fortunate enough to serve as a Chaplain there in the summer of 2005.  I find myself missing those wonderful mountains and all the special places I would go in the Park...places that called to me when I wanted time alone or time with God...time to ponder the beauties of this world and time to seek answers.

Here I am 9 years later, still pondering and seeking, longing for the grandeur of the mountains, the serenity of the lakes, and mostly for the peace and solitude that comes with wide open spaces.

Recently, a friend suggested that I am really a soul who belongs in the West.  I think she's right. Places like Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Oregon and even the red rocks of Arizona and Utah seem to call to me.  So this week, I find myself wondering about where I really belong in the grand scheme of things.  Where...on so many levels.

One thing's for sure.  I'm a lousy blogger.  This is my first post since 2010.  In that time, I've learned that pilgrimages can be 2,000 miles away in the Tetons, 6,400 miles away in Israel, or 64 feet away in my own backyard.  Pilgrimages are more a state of mind than a location.   For that, I am grateful, because it means I can make pilgrimages often.  I hope to make more pilgrimages to distant places where I can learn and experience new things.  But I also hope to relish the chance -- each day -- to go on a pilgrimage of learning more, growing more and loving more.  And I surely hope to take some folks along on these journeys.