January 1999 by Kay Seliskar
On January 4, 1999 we celebrated our first anniversary of life on the road. We wanted to pause and share our reflections on what we've experienced and learned. So here are some statistics plus a few of our memories that have been the highlights of our journey so far...
Some Statistics: Big Red has pulled the APPLE 16,167 miles. On top of that, Big Red also took us on adventures over an additional 18,454 miles of roads. We traveled through 38 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The longest day's drive we did was 732 miles (way too long!). The shortest move was 13 miles. We paid as little as $.799/gal. for diesel in Georgia and as much as $1.449 in Washington. We've lived at elevations from sea level up to 10,300 feet. We've experienced temperatures from 20 to 104 degrees. Our campgrounds have ranged from a low of $9 to a high of $32/night. The longest we stayed in one place was two weeks; the shortest was one night. We made our home in nine families' front yards (both relatives and friends), and we're grateful for all the hospitality.
The Sights: How does one begin to describe the endless beauty our eyes have feasted on? There were days of beholding the majestic mountains: from the rugged Colorado Rockies, to the craggy peaks of Glacier; from the awe inspiring sunrise at Mt. Rainier and to the golden sunset on Mt. Hood; from the desolate beauty of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona to the volcano scarred Mt. St. Helens; from the timbered slopes of the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho to the misty flanks of the Blue Ridge Mountains; from the pastel-speckled slopes of the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec to the gold and orange-kissed ranges of New England as autumn painted the landscape. Sun glistened off beaches of white, pink and orange while blue waters and white surf caressed the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We encountered wildlife including grizzly bears, wild buffalo, mountain goats, big horn sheep, moose, deer, raccoons, otters, ostriches, emus, eagles, seabirds of all kinds, alligators, armadillos, manatees and killer whales. We observed dolphins at play and watched the sun's golden orb rise and sink into the sea. We frolicked in fields of wild poppies in the deserts of Arizona, avalanche lilies in Washington, and blue columbine in Colorado. We were awed by dozens of waterfalls plunging from 2,000-foot cliffs in Zion National Park, emerald green cascades in the Columbia River Gorge, the thundering Shoshone Falls in Idaho and tremendous Montmorency Falls in Quebec. We gazed up into black velvet skies glittering with thousands of nature's most beautiful diamonds. We beheld the beauty of God in all of creation.
The Sounds: We remember the singing of the birds, the chattering of the squirrels, the roar of the surf, the thunder of the waterfalls, the gurgle of mountain streams, the whistle of the wind, the crackling of the fire, the serenade of crickets and frogs, the lonely call of the loon, the laughter of children, and the sounds of silence. (Okay, so there was also the sound of the vacuum cleaner truck in the Food World lot, trains in several locations, the drone of a nearby freeway on occasion, and the tap-dancers/rain on the roof. Everything wasn't perfect all the time!)
The People: The best part of this journey has been the new friends we've made and the old ones we've reconnected with. We believe this world is filled with friends we haven't yet met--and sure enough, we found quite a few of them this year. Every place we have gone, we have met wonderful people. We helped some out along the way and were helped in return. There were many who have left fingerprints on our hearts--you know who you are, and we're grateful our paths crossed. Our hearts are forever bound with threads of love. We will meet up again. And of course our visits with our families were special times for us, too. We love you lots!
The Laughter & Play: Our year was filled with playful moments of skipping on beaches, wading in the surf, picking shells, sending kites soaring into clear blue skies, canoeing through a Florida wilderness and shrimping on the Indian River under a full moon. We soared in a seaplane over the brilliant gold, orange and red autumn quilt in northern Maine while Moosehead Lake glistened like a giant sapphire below. We twirled and plummeted on the rides of the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. We hiked dozens of beautiful trails, conquered mountain peaks and forded rushing streams. We cheered at the International Burro Races at Fairplay, CO and enjoyed the old-time Miner's Dinner and Concert. We went 4-wheeling in Colorado and cruised the beaches of Daytona. We gazed into a crystal clear wonderland through a glass-bottomed boat at Silver Springs. We created a geyser, took an unexpected swim in the Juniper Creek and giggled our way through my cutting of Tom's hair.
The Work: I conducted over twenty training classes for American Express this past year in their various locations, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve them. I intend to broaden my client base in the next year and do a larger variety of presentations along with continuing American Express work. Tom, in his business ImagiNature Photography, focused on building an impressive portfolio of over 1,500 gorgeous nature photos this past year. He and a friend of mine, Sandy Alemian-Goldberg, are collaborating on a book of her inspirational messages and his photography. They intend to secure a book agent soon to present the concept to potential publishers. Tom will more actively market his work in the coming year.
The Seeds: Our intent on this journey is to plant seeds of the heart...seeds of hope for the future, faith in humanity, and awareness of the continuous threads of the heart--each one bound to the next. We are grateful for the many opportunities that presented themselves this year. There were the times we stopped by the side of the road to help someone, times when we were invited to tell our story, times when we could lift the spirits and transform the energy in a difficult situation, times when we could encourage and inspire others. We discovered that all moments can be sacred and anywhere you are can be holy ground, including a dump station in a state park in Washington! All it takes is an open heart and a willing spirit.
The Learning: We are both amazed at how we are growing and changing in many positive ways. This has been a year of great learning...about God and His ever present angels who surround us with love and guide us daily...about ourselves and our highest vision of who we want to be...about our country and the beauty of her varied landscapes...about the family of man and our connection with each and every person...about the earth and our connection with and influence on every living thing. It has been a year of learning to live in the rhythm and flow of life--not trying so hard to 'push the river.' It has been a year of learning to trust the process…of not knowing just where we are going and why, but being open to the guidance which has never failed to take us to exactly where we needed to be, even when it didn't quite seem like it at first. It has been a year with time to 'be still and know,' time to absorb the beauty of life, time to learn to be at peace, time to just be...It has been a year filled with personal growth, spiritual growth, and a continuing growth of our relationship with each other.
The Future: As we look forward to the adventures this next year will bring, we know that we've only just scratched the surface of the beauty and the learning that are in store for us on this Journey of the Heart. We look forward with joy to experiencing the abundance of the universe. We believe that, contrary to what the media would have you think, the world is truly getting better. We each have the power to choose who we want to be in every moment, and if we keep that in mind we can transform our experience of this world. We believe that mankind is on the threshold of a major step forward, and that each of us can make a difference in creating a positive tomorrow through our thoughts, words and actions. Will you join in creating that new world vision?
We thank all of you who have been our companions in spirit on this Journey of the Heart. We appreciate your letters, emails, prayers and kind thoughts--keep them coming! Please note the new mailing address and phone number. (We will be selling the house in Burnsville soon, so that one will be invalid.)
Until next time...Love from the wanderers as the journey continues,
Kay & Tom Seliskar
246 Rainbow Drive, Suite #14614
Livingston, TX 77399-2046
Cell phone #: (612) 804-2544
June 22, 1998 by Kay Seliskar
New York City, The Big Apple, (as opposed to our APPLE) is not a place that feels like home to me. It is filled with people who stare at the ground or straight ahead as if they are protecting themselves in a tight bubble. No one smiles at a stranger. People are crowded together, yet they keep their hearts worlds apart. Don't they know we are all yearning for the same things? To love and to be loved. To have friends and a feeling of belonging. To be safe and secure. To feel at home.
He had black wavy hair and dark, sad eyes. He drove the cab that would take me to my hotel. At first we were both quiet on the long journey from the airport. Then the rain came down in torrents and gave us a reason to break the silence. It's a good thing we have weather to talk about. It gives us something to talk about, even with strangers.
He told me he had come to NY from Egypt four years ago. "How do you like NY?" I asked.
His dark eyes looked at me from the rear view mirror. "I don't." Simple, direct, honest. "That may surprise you," he continued, "but I hate it here."
He seemed so sad. I wanted to listen to his story and maybe, at least by listening, let him know someone cared, so I asked him, "What brought you to America?"
"Movies and television paint such a beautiful picture. I thought the U.S. would be like that. But it was all a fantasy. A bunch of lies," he replied bitterly.
I wondered what had wounded this man, so I asked more questions and the sad story poured forth. He told me how he had worked and saved to come to the U.S. He had high hopes to create a wonderful life here in "the land of opportunity." His dream was to find a good job, save his money and maybe even start a business. He looked forward to making new friends and falling in love. He had come with a heart full of hope.
He had gotten a job right away, but found it hard to make friends. People stayed in their tight little worlds and had no room for a stranger. He did fall in love and even married a woman. But lies and betrayal destroyed that dream, and a divorce followed. He thought he had made some friends, but later realized they had just been out to use him.
"All I really want is a true friend. One that really cares about me - not about how much money I have or what I can do for them. Someone who cares what is in my heart. Someone I can talk to who will truly listen. Someone I can trust," he said wistfully.
He continued on, " And maybe someday I could have a family again... A wife who cares about her husband and home. Someone I can love and take care of. Someone whose happiness is more important than my own. That is what I want. Someone to love." He paused for a moment, then sadly added, "But I don't think I will find that in New York."
"Then why do you stay here?" I asked.
"Because it is easy to get a job here and make money. And when I have enough, then I will get out of this place."
"Where do you think you might go?"
"I don't know yet. I like to ask people who ride in my cab about what it is like in other areas. What is it like where you are from? Are the people friendly there?" he asked.
"Well, I've lived all my life in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota," I replied. "It's very different than New York. The weather gets pretty cold there, but the people are friendly."
"I don't care if the weather is warm," he said. "I just want to find some warm, friendly people. I just want to find one true friend."
I tried to share some hope. "There are many good and friendly people in this country. Keep looking, and I'm sure you'll find them."
He looked back at me and said, "Thanks for listening, and thanks for your smile. It is nice to meet good people like you."
As the cab ride came to an end, I wished him good luck. "Don't give up on your dream. I'll say a prayer that you will find that true friend and a new home full of friendly people."
As I waved goodbye, I thought about how all people really want the same things
deep down no matter where we come from or are going to. We all want someone to
love and be loved by. We want a friend who will listen and care. We want to
connect, if only for a moment, so we don't feel so alone. Isn't sad that we
sometimes keep ourselves so tightly in our own bubbles that we don't even
acknowledge others around us? Sometimes all a person really needs is someone
to listen and to give them a smile. Will that someone be you?
June 27, 1998 by Kay Seliskar
I had come to NY for business and found myself with a bit of free time. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, so I walked the few blocks from my hotel to Battery Park, which is on the southern tip of Manhattan. From there I had a view of the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson River. This oasis of green was a welcome relief to the gray concrete jungle. There were people everywhere, walking, jogging, rollerblading, biking, reading, and picnicking. As I walked along one of the main paths I saw a sign which had some pretty good advice: GO SLOW, RESPECT OTHERS. It was ironic that the edge of the sign was bent, probably in a collision with a biker or rollerblader who needed a not-so-gentle reminder.
GO SLOW, RESPECT OTHERS. A couple of good ideas, aren't they? I thought of all the times I had been in a rush. All the times that I've missed wonderful sights or people because I was moving too fast. All the times I had tried to "get ahead" while driving on the road, walking on a street, or hurrying to a checkout line in a store without concern for others.
GO SLOW, RESPECT OTHERS. Somewhere I once heard that there really are only three moral guidelines anyone needs: respect yourself, respect others, respect the world. When you think about it, that just about covers everything, doesn't it?
Sometimes you find unexpected words of wisdom in the strangest places. Look
around. Pay attention to the signs.
It has been almost five months since we left our house in Burnsville, MN and embarked on our nomadic lifestyle. People sometimes ask us when we plan to 'go back home.' We simply reply, "We are home." Other people ask us where we are from. Tom and I sigh, look at each other and usually say something like, "Well, we used to be from Minnesota, but now we live on the road in our 5th wheel travel trailer. So, home is where we park it. Right now, home is parked at..."
Home. What does that word mean to you? Has it changed over the years? As I reflected on what home means to me, I thought back to all the homes I've lived in and what made them feel like home. There were some common elements that applied to each one.
At best, home for me is...
a familiar, comfortable place to relax.
a place where I keep my important "stuff."
a place filled with laughter, fun and music.
a place to share with friends and family.
a place to learn and grow.
a place where I belong.
where the heart is. (OK, so it's an old cliché. But I still agree with it.)
For Tom and I, our 31-foot New Horizons called the APPLE (Adventurous People's Portable Living Environment) has truly become our home. The transition really didn't take long. The first indication for me occurred in February. I was at the Phoenix airport waiting for a flight to Florida where Tom and the APPLE were waiting for me. I was smiling and humming. A gentleman near me said, "My, you're in a good mood. Are you going someplace special?" Without even thinking about it I replied, "Yep, I'm going home." The response was so immediate, it even caught me by surprise! In my heart of hearts, I knew I was going home. I wasn't going to Minnesota or the house in Burnsville we had called home for eleven years. I was going home to Tom and the APPLE--wherever it was parked.
The next test of the transition came when we flew back to Minnesota for some special family occasions in late March. How would it be to see the old house again? Would we feel drawn to it? Would a wave of nostalgia sweep over us and make us homesick for our old life?
(Let me digress for just a moment to fill in a bit of background. For those of you who don't know, when we left Minnesota we turned our house over to our son, Marc. We got rid of almost everything except the furniture as we never plan to live there again. Marc and his roommates are making the house their home until we sell it sometime in the future. We would be guests in our old house during our visit.)
As we drove through the old neighborhood and pulled up in the driveway, it did feel very familiar. There were a few things that did feel a bit strange as we stayed once again in the house we had lived in for eleven years...like living out of a suitcase and sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room. The feeling that this house was no longer home really struck me the first morning when I opened the refrigerator to find something for breakfast and realized that none of the food was ours! We headed to our favorite supermarket, bought a supply of our favorite coffee beans and other goodies, and remembered how much simpler it is to shop in a store where we knew where everything was. At the same time, we missed the sense of adventure and discovery that accompanied our more recent forays into uncharted supermarket territory.
During our two-week visit, we enjoyed getting together with family and friends. That was the best part of the trip. We also did some business and ran lots of errands. As Tom and I discussed how it felt to be back in Burnsville, we both said it felt familiar, but also a little bit boring. Neither of us wanted our old life back. We don't miss the traffic, commuting, housework, yard work or old routine. We never felt excited to see any of the "old stuff" we had left in the house. (Strange to think how much time and money we had spent accumulating all of that and now we don't even miss it!)
When we returned to Phoenix and got the APPLE out of storage, we were grateful to truly be back to our "Home Sweet Home." We feel comfortable and relaxed when we are in the APPLE, wherever it may be parked. Almost all of our truly important "stuff" fits in its 290 square feet. The APPLE is filled with laughter, fun and music every day. It is a place that we enjoy sharing with the many new friends we meet along the way. We look forward to visits with old friends and family members, too. Every day we are learning and growing in ways we're only beginning to understand. The APPLE is the place where we belong.
While we will always have a special place in our hearts for the other homes we
have known through the years, the APPLE is truly our home in every sense. It's
where our heart is. Even though our neighborhood changes regularly, it's nice
to always be at home on this Journey of the Heart.
After nine days of clouds and rain, the glorious sun finally broke through. What a welcome sight it was! We took off to explore Oregon in Big Red, our truck. We were headed to Lolo Pass when we turned a corner, and there it was. Magnificent Mt. Hood loomed in front of us. At 11,239 feet, it is the highest peak in Oregon. Its snow capped majestic peaks left us breathless. We stopped to take some pictures and to soak in the beauty. Then the time came for us to 'get on down the road' and see if we could make it to the mountain.
We headed down the road in search of the mountain. As we traveled, Mt. Hood would occasionally be lost behind the trees. Sometimes clouds floated in and blocked the view. Frequently it was the twists and turns of the road that headed us in different directions and kept the magnificent mountaintop from our view. Yet even though we would lose sight of it for long periods of time, we knew it was always there, beckoning us onward. Other high hills and small mountains stood in our way at times. Once we had to turn around and find another road. In spite of the delays we kept moving onward...getting closer and closer to the mountain. Occasional glimpses of the peak reinforced our resolve to keep going until, finally, we were there! We had arrived high on the side of this tremendous mountain. From there we could see for miles and miles. Emerald forests and blue lakes dotted the surrounding landscape. The view was wonderful.
As I reflected on the vista in front of us, I also realized that the entire journey had been filled with scenes of beauty. There were brilliantly colored wildflowers, towering evergreens, and gushing streams. There were even a few potholes just to make sure we were paying attention. As we slowed for the many turns, we got a closer look at the gifts of nature around us. I was really glad I hadn't missed the trip.
Often times life is very much like that journey to Mt. Hood. One day the clouds of confusion break, and the sun shines on a promising new dream for us to pursue. We rejoice in the revelation, the clarity of insight. We drink in the beauty and excitement of it all. Then we must 'get on down the road.'
As we travel onward, we may lose sight of that dream, our personal mountaintop. The road of life sometimes twists and turns, seemingly taking us in other directions. But every now and then, we get another glimpse that reminds us of what we're headed for, what we're meant to do. Then we'll continue on the journey with renewed vigor. In spite of the clouds that block our view, in spite of the hills or obstacles that get in our way, we need to keep that vision alive in our hearts and keep on going. The potholes may be huge. The road may be steep and narrow at times. But as you slow down for the obstacles, remember to enjoy the unexpected beauty and gifts along the way.
When you reach your dream, your personal mountaintop, you'll be able to look
out and see farther than before. You'll look back on the journey and realize
the person you've become along the way. And you'll be thankful you didn't miss
the trip.
