Hello from The Road! Just over 3 weeks ago, my daughters and I packed up camping gear, rain gear, snow gear, books on Cd (thank u Calabasas Library), our favorite pillows and stuffed animals and more to head North with an intention to “see Lots of cool stuff”and visit loved ones. We were finally going to take advantage of one of homeschooling’s most epic boons – unrestricted travel. Many homeschooling parents fantasize about taking a year off from work, buying an RV and visiting National Parks, Historic sites and meeting people from all sorts of walks of life. Having the courage to do it is another matter. For my husband to take off for more than a 4-day weekend doesn’t work for us financially. But I gained courage and inspiration from wonderful Moms like Jen D., who takes off for weeks at a time with her boys in their camping VW. So 6 weeks ago, I started formulating an adventure that would take my girls through Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada before rolling back into town in time for our Parkday this Thursday, May 15th.
I contacted friends, in-laws and friends of friends whose homes would become our hostels between lighthouses, parks, factory tours, dams and animal sanctuaries. I researched and created personalized info sheets (aka curriculum) on the animals we would ideally come in close contact with: beach-bound Elephant Seals, migrating Gray Whales, and raptors of the Pacific Northwest. I planned a tour with a cheese factory and artisan creamery and compiled their histories and the science behind cheese-making. My favorite prepared pages consisted of the dramatic stories from the indigenous tribes that anchored our continent’s giants like Mt. Shasta in CA, or Crater Lake in OR, into Native American oral histories. Of course we learned about the geologists’ versions as well, but that wasn’t what had my girls mesmerized while seated in a life-size Yurok Indian plank house or a Miwok Indian upright Kotcha.
Usually the night before or after exploring a monument, sanctuary, factory or mountain, I read from my pages or a book (purchased at a NPS interpretive center) to foster imaginative and reflective conversations. The awe and sparkle in their eyes tells me that what they have been learning is far from memorized, but exists as a permanent experience catalogued by touch, smell, sight, and fun. All future learning will intertwine about their love and curiosity for this planet and their charged connection to its geology, biology and spirit.
Just because we went to amazing places and met amazing people, it doesn’t mean it was all happiness and self-motivated learning. And I was probably one of the biggest obstacles towards manifesting a positive experience. Before the trip started, I had a heart-to-heart with my Type A personality, imploring her to not only allow for spontaneous changes in our itinerary, but receive them in an authentically jovial way. I was seriously tested merely days into our adventure. My well-organized trip, that relied heavily on vigilant communication and coordination, came to a halt when my cell phone crashed just before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. All numbers, addresses as well as my most reliable map-reader had taken a walk-about on their own. It took me a while to embrace the Universe’s message. This was not to be a trip of technology, but one of organic flow to pick up on all the gifts put before and most importantly, a trip where I spent the maximum effort seeing, hearing and embracing my daughters and their experiences. I thanked the gods that planted the bug that crashed my phone (all returned 4 days later). That morning, instead of the forced agenda that had us up and out by 5:30 am in order to arrive for a tour I had set up at a 4-generation, family-run oyster farm in Tomales Bay, we stopped at a colorful Bagel eatery near the Golden Gate Park to shake off the 6am-7am car-nap – and my shock. In line, we chatted up a lovely local who suggested we visit the world’s largest Marine mammal hospital just over the bridge – and it was FREE (schoolers get giddy over bargains). And we didn’t go straight to that sanctuary. First we explored the gems of the GGPark, by leisurely strolling thru the Japanese Gardens, taking in a 360 degree view of San Fran from the De Young’s observation tower and opting into the CA Academy of Sciences gift shop. When we did arrive in Marin to meet the injured, rejected and needy animals we were incredibly impressed by the dedication of the hospital and staff, and we ended up donating $ for them to buy pounds of fish to feed their seals, sea lions and other rehabilitating mammals. But it doesn’t end there. Because had we not let the wind lead us vs my phone, I would have never recognized the emblem on the door of a white pick-up carting 3 giant animal cages a day later in Point Reyes. As a result of my forward nature, a quick sprint to stop the driver and the amiable nature of the Marine Mammal Center’s volunteers, we were invited to participate in the of releasing 6 recovered sea lion pups and one Endangered Guadaloupe Fur Seal. Opportunities of a lifetime like these continued to pepper our path.
We enter Yellowstone today, our 6th National park (our State Park number is even greater). Hopefully the girls will earn another Jr Ranger badge as well as a Jr Scientist badge as we EXPERIENCE the Star Trek landscapes of the crazy thermal and geysers. And we hope to see more amazing wildlife. I get high off witnessing my children’s amazement of it as well.
As Mother’s Day arrives tomorrow, I am steeped in Gratitude for the love I’ve received from my girls on this trip as well as the deepening love for Mother Earth this trip has augmented. The love my own mother sowed within me adds to the full cycle Of love connecting us all. May you all find ways to deepen the connection to your family as well as to nature this spring. Once back at home I will post images of our trip, for now u must only imagine the day-old Bison, or spring baby lambs or the CA grey whales migrating with their newborn. And imagine the song my 7-year old created on her pan-flute about Bison, Huckleberries, strawberries, faeries and Chocolate. Happy Mother’s Day to all the children of this planet.
With Mother’s Day around the corner (May 11th), let us have a parkday to honor Mothers. Kids will start a craft for Mother’s day and get a chance to get into the Pampering Mom’s Mood.
rful Mothers Over the four and a half years.
