Reflections on year one of our RV Journey
of The Heart.  By Kay Seliskar
Kathleen and I have yet to begin our journey but each day brings us
just a little closer.  It is writings like the following that have energised
us to reach out and want to explore what is just around the bend for
us.  Here follows another Full Timers "Reflections" on their first year.  
It is hoped after our year one we can reflect in much the same manner.
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 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.
A little drop of "Ol' Man River" with us always