I went to upload some new pictures and create a new folder last night when something weird happened.  The 700+ pictures I’ve taken since April when I took to the road that I so carefully place in labeled folders so I could recall all the where’s and when’s and what’s freakishly moved to the same empty folder.  Now they are all mixed up without their own captions.  My first response was less than pleasant.  Not wanting to go there, I closed down my laptop and closed my eyes.   I started to recall all the kinds of questions I’ve been asked along my journey so far and then something even more interesting happened…I realized that I hadn’t known the answer to most of them!  So, I began to question my mind’s ability to recall information.  What DO I remember?  This is what I got after quite a while of quiet.

                                                                 What I Remember

“Wow, what did you see?”  “When did all that happen?”  “Where was that?”  “What body of water was that?”  “How old was the theater?”  “What was the name of that style boat?”  “Which battle was fought there?”  “Was that a state or national forest?”  “How tall was that beautiful lighthouse?”

                                             “I don’t remember.”  “I really don’t.”
                                                       “What’s going on here?”

I felt inspired watching a rushing body of water completely surrender to gravity as it gloriously cascaded over the cliff.
I smelled the passing of time in the slats of the lattice covered bridge and heard the symphony of clopping horse shoes on the wooden floor planks.
I felt the cool mist of the ocean on my face as the waves came crashing against the rocks and the salty water tickle my tongue.
I heard faint voices in song seeping through the worn velvet curtains embracing the stage and caught a whiff of a good cigar.
I marveled over the workmanship of the sea-soaked fishing rig and wondered how many sunrises had warmed its hull.
I imagined what loyalty and compassion that soldiers must have felt for each other.  I felt saddened at how many young lives were lost and found my heart aching for the families who lost their loved ones to greed, anger and fear.
I meandered in awe through paths lined with trees and bushes of various species living peacefully side by side.  I thanked them for their gifts of oxygen, shade, sustenance and beauty.
I noticed the music created by the dried autumn leaves beneath my hiking boots.
I wondered just how a sailor after many weeks/months at sea must have felt to finally catch a glimpse of the rotating light that whispered, “You are almost home.”
My life has been enriched by the many “Bright Spots” and those smiling faces that told their beautiful stories to a ‘perfect stranger.’
I am grateful for each moment of my life that has brought me to this grand adventure.

This is what I remember.