Life After Peace Corps - Govenment Shutdown

Government Shutdown

Nearly three weeks’ government shutdown allowed me to stay home and do nothing.  Except a few days visiting friends in New York, for the entire time, I was idle.   At first, I thought I would be bored, but contrary, I was happy to be “inactive”.  

Actually, the three weeks went by fast.   I was discipline enough to rise early in the morning.  Around 5:30am, got up and practiced yoga, then, showered, had breakfast and watched news for an hour.  After the morning routine, the entire day was free.  Sometimes I cleaned house, sometimes I read and wrote, sometimes I cooked, and sometimes, I just sat and watched my plants bathing in the morning sun, nothing unusual, but I found contentment in doing them.   Afternoon, after I finished watching PBS or Judge Judy (I love how she yelled at idiots!), I went for a 4-mile run. The run stimulated my appetite, so I prepared myself a hearty home cooked meal.  By the time I finished dishes, the day had nearly gone. When darkness came, my body reacted naturally; sleep came easily and I would be dozing off by 10:00pm.   For the 16 days, my life was so uncomplicated, so relaxed, so at ease, so peaceful, so “primitive” and yet so delightful.  It reminded me the two years I lived in Azerbaijan and the time I spent down in the remote canyons of Utah.  

Now I am back to work again, I have to rush to work and spend less time doing nothing.  So when weekend comes, I deliberately to slow down, take my time enjoying my morning tea and coffee, spend more time nurturing my plants, count each flower bud and inspect the new growths with excitement.  When I sit down and write about my weekend, I realize how much happiness I have by doing nothing, or I should say by doing simple things.

For those folks who caused the government shutdown, I urged them to take a few days off, de-tangle the complicating things and make thing simple.   Life would be much rewarding that way.

The Queen and Magic of the Night

 

I probably have observed the “Night Blooming Cereus” flowered more than a dozen times.  Each time, I felt honored to witness its bloom. I love flowers, but Night Blooming Cereus is my most beloved lady.  Nowadays, my garden would not be complete without her present.  My summer will not be whole if I miss her bloom.

From an infinitesimal flower bud grows to be a foot long flower stem, and eventually open up to a magnificent flower.  No flower of any kind entices me as the flower of Night Blooming Cereus.  She is the queen and the magic of the night.   

Contentment I found in Backpacking

After the Cummings Mesa hike, I begin to realize why this trip is rated 4 out of 5 stars. Every night after reaching camp, I cannot wait to get off my pack that has tortured me, rush to take a canyon bath to relax my stiff and sore muscles.  Later at camp, I have an almost insatiable appetite.  Once I crawl inside my tent, I appreciate the luxury of lying down.  My extreme fatigue soon yields to the quiet and rest of my sleeping pad, engendering a drowsiness that proved irresistible.   My mind drifts on until at last I succumb to drowsiness.   These experiences, I discover are giving me unexplainable delights. 

For the past 10 years, I have trained myself to a point where the outdoor life is not too much for my strength.  I can walk on difficult terrain, hike miles without stopping, sleep on hard floor and bath in creek, sit on rock, eat simple foods, and tolerate scorching sun, freezing wind or pouring rain.  In exchange, I see beauties, taste freedom and solitude, experience life that was rustic and simple but yet, happy and satisfactory.

This trip has given me the same sensation.  Every morning, I am energized by the morning call, the sweet melody of Richard’s flute playing.  Magically, fatigue vanishes, strength resumes, and smile appears on my sleepy face again.   I look forward to a new adventure lies ahead, just live and enjoy every day as much as possible.   I forget about the outside world.  It does not exist; all my existence is this beautiful wilderness. 

Facing Many Unprecedented Challenges

I had been at the top of Kilimanjaro; I had carried a heavy backpack for 2 days and climbed up to Mt. Rainier.  I had camped 22 days in freezing cold to reach Mt. Everest base camp.  

 But I had never ever carried a 40 lbs backpack, swam across a deep pool, rappelled down to a cliff face, and used a rope to lift myself up to a rocky hill.  I definitely had never ever carried a heavy back for 13 hours straight, hiked from dawn to dusk, and suffered a severe pain on my back and shoulders for days.   

This trip, I experienced them all and as crazy as it may sound, I enjoyed every moment of it!

My trip to the Rainbow Bridge

Returning to the Rainbow Plateau

-         into the Forbidden Canyon

Standing by the Round Rock Trail head, I wheel to gaze out and down to the somber and compelling landscape.  The Forbidden Canyon appears lonely, wide and grand.  Nothing moves below, but a raven sails by, black as coal, uttering a hoarse croak.  A southern author, Irvin Cobb once wrote:

“I’m reasonably sure that one of our species will ever get down into Forbidden Canyon or, having got down there, ever get out again.  So you see it is appropriately named…..Birds fly above it but it is reasonably certain that no living creature, anyway no two-footed or four-footed creature exists in it”

The unfathomable terrain, billows of bare red stone, carved and scoured by wind and sand, reaching mile after rocky mile into the intricate network of white, red and yellow canyons, creates this seemingly impenetrable labyrinthine maze. Beyond the horizon, nonetheless is this wonderful mystic haze of distance.  Four years ago, I was here.  Six of us were not prepared for the hardship.  Unexpected and prolonged rain worsened our situation.  Suffering from physical exertion, we eventually turned back.  



 

 For four years, I dreamed

about coming back. 

Today, the landscape before me is as rugged, desolated and bare as I remember.  The peace and silence, openness and freedom are also as overwhelming as I felt four years ago.  I once again have this peculiar kind of excitement……      When time to go, I swing my pack onto my back and walk down to this unforgiving ancient enigmatic land. Returning to the Rainbow Plateau not only is my dream, it is my destiny. 

September, 2013

Chi Chan