10/21/2021

What am I doing in Michigan, hiking along the shores of Lake Superior in 39 degree weather? Well…it’s a long story. A lot has happened since I last posted to this travel blog last July. A lot, a lot. So much that I don’t feel like putting it into words right now. But hopefully I will tomorrow or soon, because there is new philosophy going on in my brain at the moment, and a lot of changes are occurring in my life as a result of that new philosophy. The abridged version of what has happened is this: after a decade-long career as an attorney and educator in Northern California, I have elected to move away and start fresh. I have liquidated my assets and moved on.

Where am I going? Where do I end up? I don’t even know at the moment. But I know that life needs some combination of a location that gives you energy, a career that gives you joy, and a person that shows you love in order to remain happy (more on all of that later…). God will carry you through when you do not have the above, but you need to find the above if you are to find any satisfaction in life. Towards the end, I no longer saw any of the above in California. My hometown’s institutions were deteriorating and the town was constantly trapped in extremes of homelessness, drought, wildfires, and floods (Sacramento certainly wasn’t doing anything to help, nor will it following the September re-election). My teaching career, that thing I truly loved, was in shambles after Mercy High School closed. And the person I loved didn’t seem to love me back. Within a period of 15 months, Red Bluff sadly went from being my everything and my vocation, to being just a place to hang my hat after work. It no longer felt like home.

Unfortunately, I’m so exhausted after my long day of hiking that I don’t think I can write much more for this blog entry explaining the “why” behind my move. So here are some pictures from my day. After all…we all know that you love the pictures! And this place that I chose to kickstart my next, cross-country road trip (Pictured Rocks up in Michigan) is absolutely, intensely gorgeous. The perfect start to a journey, and a must see for any venturer in this country. Oh, and the small town of Marquette might be one of my new favorite places in America. Enjoy.

Cheers,

-Rob