After the kid left us in Jackson, Wyoming we stopped in town for breakfast at Café Genevieve and gave the third bicycle away to the waitress. We seem to have a history of giving away bikes! (see post giving away a bike )
Then we headed for some boondocking in the forest near the Grand Teton National Park. Thanks to iOverlander and other Vanagon owners we found a spot with a great view, flat space and privacy.
Mike and the dogs hiked to a rocky outcropping for a different view.
Now that we were alone, we spent some time reflecting on what had happened in the past few days with our passenger. Anytime another person is added to van-life it brings about changes. Many van travelers have reported this. Having another person along changed our travel, our eating, even our interpersonal communication. We felt the changes and attempted to adjust to them for everyones comfort. But it wasn’t enough.
The final 24 hours together were tough. It was an emotional time for us, and ended very painfully. We gave and gave and gave, yet received no gratitude in the end. There was not even a “thank you” as we parted ways. We were reminded that sometimes we open our hearts and feel rewarded by it. Other times we open our hearts and end up hurt. Even as older adults we feel the injuries. All of the kids that have entered and exited our lives have left marks on our hearts. We still love all of them and wish the best success for each of them; we just learn to be more cautious in our interactions with some of them.
After the reflective downtime, we hit the road again. We passed through the backside of the Tetons into Idaho. Read the next post for more about parades, hot springs and then on to Montana.
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Linda- These words rang true and deep for us. We really appreciate your wisdom.
Thank you for commenting! We are happy to be rolling on our own again.
Thanks Susan! We are having a blast….. again!
So sorry to hear your adventure with the kid did not work out. Looked like you were having fun, but you never know.
You guys sure do get around. it is beautiful where you are. Nice to follow you on these wonderful adventures. Try and have some fun now.
As a person who loves people but needs space I can appreciate your situation. Given the chance i would travel with you just so I could “see” what you see. Still hopeful our paths will cross again 😋
Sorry it didn’t work well with your guest, but a road trip in a small area is more than some can handle, for sure!
I’m really sorry it didn’t work out with S like you had hoped. You tried to help him though, which is more than what others might have done in your situation. You guys have always gone the extra mile to help others.
A reminder from my BBBS days…………keep in mind that often the sense of gratitude comes much later in a young person’s life and you might not even be part of this process with him as he recalls your time together but has no way to contact you. Or it might come in the way he/she interacts with other people along her/his way……….
Linda “*There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” Lenin *
On Mon, Jul 11, 2016 at 6:26 PM, Its not a slow car, its a fast house! wrote:
> genevasaintamour posted: “After the kid left us in Jackson, Wyoming we > stopped in town for breakfast at Café Genevieve and gave the third bicycle > away to the waitress. We seem to have a history of giving away bikes! (see > post giving away a bike ) Then we headed for some boond” >
And the bike you gave away in Mexico that made a little girl very happy!
Jessica
>