Sky City

For me, the overwhelming theme of this trip has been gratitude. The kindnesses of so many people have made this trip possible in the first place, and daily my life is deeply enhanced. Yesterday Ancona grandparents Miriam and Robert welcomed my family into their lives. I am not going to be able to put into words right now the significance of the time spent with them. For now I'll just say that we were all deeply affected. I can say that they helped me to understand experientially, rather than intellectually, the importance of place. Walking on top of the Mesa at noon was hot until the first real rain of summer started to move in. We watched the storm clouds move across the open sky as we walked down the stone steps, pointing out lightning to one another. As we descended the steeper section, I put my hands in the holds carved in stone by someone who thought to make the way easier for those who would come after. The narrow path widened suddenly to show huge rosecolored boulders, and my heart opened like a flower. Comfortably quiet in Miriam's truck later, we saw a snake sliding across the wet road. A little later we were sliding down the road ourselves.