Fires ablazeApproaching from all aroundWe climb and push throughto meet on the other sideYou wrap me in a sheet of protective white filamentand disappear from sightas I linger in the attempt to escape A woman passes me on the street, issuing a haunting reminder to get out nowI’m on itEven as desperate and soulless figuresContinue reading “Lingering in protective white filament…”
Author Archives: Jeanie Stephens
Perhaps another time…
I travel like I’m on cocaine. Not that I have any personal and real experience with drug use, mind you…..but travel is, in itself, like a drug to me. I wake early, run around trying to see and experience everything, and I crash fast and hard at the conclusion of each trip. My use ofContinue reading “Perhaps another time…”
Little Gloria…
In 2021, I sold a 38-foot school bus and (with the proceeds) bought a home-built square-drop camper. It wasn’t too cozy at first, but I had a vision…. and completely transformed the interior. I also added bigger tires and a few decals on the exterior, but the trailer never really made it out of IowaContinue reading “Little Gloria…”
To the West…(2022)
Red Cliffs Recreation Area & Zion National Park Kings Canyon, Sequoia, & Yosemite National Parks Pacific Coast Highway ~ California Avenue of the Giants Pacific Coast Highway ~ Oregon Astoria (OR) & La Push (WA) Olympic National Park (WA) & Multnomah Falls (OR) Idaho & Wyoming from the Roadside Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
The Florida Keys…(2022)
Relaxing at the Resort To Key West & the Hemingway Home Botanicals, Wildlife, & The Everglades Coral Castle
Suddenly and just like that…
A little under a month ago, a friend asked me to meet for coffee….and today, I pick her up in Sacramento for a five-day trek up the Pacific Coast. I feel good about it. After leaving Kings Canyon National Park a day earlier than planned to have my camper inspected (I mistakenly thought I spiedContinue reading “Suddenly and just like that…”
You’re my favorite…
He’s not showy or pretentious. He’s not the tallest tree, nor does he have the biggest base. In fact, he’s not a big sequoia at all and one might not notice him at first where he’s tucked into a spot along the bank of a roaring river. For, it’s definitely the river that gets allContinue reading “You’re my favorite…”
Removing the beads…
Traveling alone can be scary in specific moments. Take, for instance, my current hike up the Virgin River in Zion National Park. All is fine when I begin, as there are many people still traversing the canyon waters. However, it doesn’t escape my attention that most people walking the river are returning from the northContinue reading “Removing the beads…”
Different moments await…
At age 20, I would have never slept in my car in a department store parking lot. At age 50, the story is different…..and hence, the reason I find myself camping at a Grand Junction, Colorado Walmart on a Monday night. Granted, I tried to stop at a campground about 10 miles out of town.Continue reading “Different moments await…”
The start of something great…
The road can be good for clearing the mind and I am no stranger to taking a drive…..short or long. However, heading west from St. Louis yesterday, I didn’t feel the freedom and sense of adventure that often comes from travel. Music didn’t move me as much in the car, either. I’m not sure why,Continue reading “The start of something great…”
One can sure hope…
The reasons vary….why we hold back and don’t say the things we think or feel. And yet, at the core, the reasons are always the same. We’re afraid. We’re afraid of what someone might think of us, that we might hurt others with our words, or we might be the ones to get hurt. We’reContinue reading “One can sure hope…”
Goes without saying…
You saved me yesterday. You walked by as I struggled to remove my rented kayak from a rushing river. It was full of water. I was full of cuss words and pain. You were…..there…..at just the right moment to help me hoist the boat up on an embankment of log stairs. I didn’t notice itContinue reading “Goes without saying…”
Building the foundation…
To say that travel is in my blood wouldn’t quite cover it….my never-ending lust for new places, shores, and horizons courses through me and fuels my beating heart probably more than anything else ever could. Like most Americans, I am where I am because my ancestors weren’t afraid to venture from their homes and motherContinue reading “Building the foundation…”
So out of my control…
Busch Stadium….opening day. I’m excited. I get to spend the day off work with my kids watching the Cards do what they do. And then, I could have sworn I saw you on the field playing for the other team…..and later, in line at the concession stand. But it wasn’t you. It was just someContinue reading “So out of my control…”
Maybe you…
Projects…..I’ve been happily buried in them since my hiatus from my seasonal job commenced mid-April. I did, however, take a week to vacation in Key Largo with my mother at the end of the month. A wonderful and meaningful time spent…..although, I do believe we were driving each other a bit crazy the last dayContinue reading “Maybe you…”
Jeanie Unbottled 