Journey into Sobriety...

[SKendall]

Journey into Sobriety...

Hi Neil, hotels aren't all they are cracked up to be via their advertising are they?

I remember Sheridan, WY and a short time away I actually saw cowboys with chaps, etc. herding cows. Much fun.

Stay safe my friend.

Hilary

[xtexan]

Journey into Sobriety...

Lt. Columbo

Oh yea, just one more thing (like Lt. Columbo. Some of you older members may remember Peter Falk played that character, and always said before leaving, "Just one more thing.")

I will try to post pictures of a few things, when I get better situated here. I am on the mad dash, and probably on the return legs, can post those pics. I also took more video, and can extract a few digital stills from the digital video, but that takes a while to do right. I forgot to load the camera software on my little laptop, but I may be able to download the program since I have the keys stored on a PDA.

Montana here I come!

Neil

[gabby]

Journey into Sobriety...

Neil, Northern Colorado is my stompin ground. I'm a Colorado native and grew up near Denver. I know what you mean about the Rocky Mountains bein an alter. Absolutely GODS country here as I will always honor it as that.

That ride of Montana up to Canada is absolutely beautiful as well. Like Precious - wish I was sittin shotgun with ya right now. Geeze....I could use the break and good conversation.

Keep on enjoying and thanks so much for sharin your road trip. : )

[xtexan]

Journey into Sobriety...

DAY 5- Revelation and the Big Sky.

Greetings LTA?s:

Well today made up for yesterdays difficulties?.in spades.

Let?s start last night. I had another nightmare, of a common type I have had off and on for the last several years. Most of the time, I forgot what the situation was, but it always revolved around a central theme. It is pretty deep down in the infantile brain, so I won?t go into the specifics. This time, I woke up with a start in the Wyoming hotel room about 3AM. I immediately remembered, and understood what my sub-conscious brain was doing this time. This time, I understood it. So, I did the EFT thing on it, and WOW. I hit another major hot button this time, but unlike other times, I fell into a very deep and peaceful sleep afterwards. Takes time, but the truth shall be revealed. The inner work takes time and patience.

If I have gotten anything out of this trip, that was well worth the price of admission. I needed to shake up the systems. Hang the rugs over the line, and beat the dust out of them, so to speak. A major psychological impediment is on the way to being removed. Still need more work, but the revelation was I finally understood the issue.

I made a hard charge up to Billings, MT, and on up to Great Falls, Montana. Have you ever been someplace where the energy feels right, and you know you belong there.? I sort of have that feeling now. Everything clicked.

I did stop at the Little Big Horn National Park, and finally saw the battlefield. I did not realize it was so close to the interstate, but there it was. Thanks to my fitness program, I walked up the hill to the main monument at a brisk pace, while others 10 and 20 years my junior were huffing and puffing, and taking it slow. YES!! The work has paid off. Took a bunch of photos and video.

Stopped in Billings, MT to get some supplies, and refuel. Always refuel every chance you get out here in hard core west of America. The Dakota truck is perfect for this territory. It made the charges up the elevations without even straining (Magnum V8).

So I made a reservation early this AM in Sheridan, at a different hotel chain. The Maestro GPS system made me take some strange turns, but lo and behold, it got me here fast and without error. This has been a good day for Neil.

Saw a very interesting wind turbine farm. Biggest wind turbines I have ever seen between Billings and Great Falls. Wild, open country, and I love it. I begin to hear the trout fish vibes coming from a little further west.

The hotel is first rate. Excellent wireless, and the pool and spa are just a short few steps from my room downstairs. I just did a triple pool plunge, with 5 minute spa warm ups between plunges. Excellent! This is great.

Great Falls, MT seems to be a progressive place, unlike some of the places I passed through, so it agrees with me all the more. Many things went so very well for me today, and I would write a thousand more words just to go over them, but I will leave it at this.

Tomorrow, I will drive to the Glacier National Park, and see the disappearing glaciers. They are almost gone folks. They say global warming is melting them fast, so if you want to see the last glaciers in the lower 48 states, better hurry. I read that the ones in Alaska are going fast too.

Hope to see moose, elk, or bear somewhere tomorrow. I have not seen one bison on this trip so far, but maybe tomorrow. By the way, my totem animals, (for those into such things), are definitely the dolphin and the penguin. My Mom?s are the bear and the tortoise. Do you have totem animals? (Some of you may know, and some others may have no idea of what I?m talking about!!). You have to have a little native American in you to know this thing I think.

Tomorrow: Coeur d?Alene, Idaho

Neil

[SKendall]

Journey into Sobriety...

Neil, I am so with you on this trip. I can imagine every mile you are driving and love it that you want to share it with us. If you get a chance on the way back, Please see Mount Rushmore. It is such a wonderful monument and architectural marvel.

Hilary

Be safe my friend.

[lushy]

Journey into Sobriety...

I have family in Couer'd'alene and spent many a summer there. Small town but the lake is beautiful!!! Keep us posted!

[panadol]

Journey into Sobriety...

Hi Neil
I'm enthralled with all the details of your trip! It's fascinating for me to hear about all of these places I've never heard of over the other side of the world. I looked up the website that you posted and ended up drooling over the beautiful houses for sale in the Colerado area. I find it astounding that so many bathrooms are required in one house!
You write beautifully and your openess regarding your personal journey is very inspiring. I have every admiration for you. Keep safe and I look forward to hearing more soon.

[irishlady]

Journey into Sobriety...

Neil, what can I say, I feel like one of those trout, well and truly hooked... This sounds as if it is not just a vacation journey for you but also one of personal discovery and I wish you well..

Have you ever thought of giving up the day job and becoming a travel writer, you'd never starve thats for sure..

Drive safely and keep us posted..

Louise xxx

[gabby]

Journey into Sobriety...

Hi Neil, I got to thinkin. Without lookin back in your posts as I am pressed for time. (I work weekends) I think it was your birthday yesterday. No wonder you had such a nice day. Hope I have this right cuz I'm gonna post on general discussion. And gonna look back in your posts later. Much how I live my life. Leap.....and the net will appear!
: )

[xtexan]

Journey into Sobriety...

DAY 6-Change of Plan, and God's country

Hello yonder there:

Instead of going to Coeur d?Alene, I headed south a ways. Reason? Well, I found out that the ?Going to the Sun Highway? in Glacier National Park was closed. The winter was hard there, and avalanches wiped out sections of the road. Retaining walls were breached as well it seems. They are patching it up, but won?t be ready till next month. They also talked about doing a major rebuild on that road as well. So, if I can?t drive the world famous highway, then I will wait until it gets fixed. Maybe I can catch it before the big glaciers melt too much more. It is astounding the amount that has melted in just the last 50 years (my lifetime).

So, I headed south to Pocatello, Idaho. Very glad I did that, as the drive on I-15 was amazing scenery. The Missouri and Boulder rivers cut through some incredible mountains, and it was very satisfying. Another thing, was the hotels at Coeur d?Alene were pretty high priced. I don?t mind paying a premium price for a premium room if that is what I want, but when it gets premium price for moderate hotels I flinch. Just the penny pincher in me. So I found this current room, excellent for median price, which is OK. That situation in Sheridan, Wyoming is still leaving a bit of a bad taste, and the hotel chain has not responded to my email complaint yet. Doubt if they will.

So, I ran the video camera while I was driving when I could find a straight stretch. Not many of those on that drive, even on the Interstate. I saw one place that was out of some fairy tale story just south of Great Falls, shear granite cliffs plunging into a crystal clear river, and gigantic evergreens everywhere.

Stopped in Butte, Montana to check it out. I was there in 1991 I think, and it has grown quite a bit. They have a big mountain at Butte full of copper, silver, and gold ore. It was half gone in 1991, and now it seems almost mined into a flat spot. I don?t think there were but a dozen hotels there in 1991, now there are 3 times that many I think.

So what is on my mind now? I made reservations in northern Nevada, and now I think Yosemite National Park may be on the plate here. I must manage my time here appropriately, as I don?t want to end up making excessive hour drives in a mad dash back home. A little planning on the computer helps a bunch.

Pocatello is a neat and clean small town in southern Idaho. I saw the massive potato fields being irrigated north of here at Idaho Falls. Also saw the most unpleasant trigger of my life I think. It was a very large quadruple grain elevator, which had a gigantic Budweiser logo and the Kleisdales pulling the wagon on the side. Must have been a 100-foot (over 30 meters) high. They really know how to hurt a guy.

Beautiful scenic drive today.

Tomorrow, Nevada and stop for a little ?adult recreation" maybe. Don?t ask, please.

Neil

[jane rees]

Journey into Sobriety...

hi Neil

sure am looking forward to hearing about your road trip! sounds like something out of a movie !!! Please keep us posted,I desperately need the diversion.
Good to find you Irish lady...wondered where you had gone? I think 8 months is deserving of a posting on the longterm abstinence board.Well done to you. XX
I am 40 something days and my life has become confusing with the myriad of changes...more of that when I am in a more positive frame of mind.
Meanwhile, i'm on my holidays with Neil :H
Jane x

[southernbelle47]

Journey into Sobriety...

Oh ok............we won't ask.....

[YoungAtHeart]

Journey into Sobriety...

Boy, a lot has happened since I last checked this thread. Thanks again for posting it, Neil. I think you already have a magical mystery bus, and we're all on it.

Your description of the scenery, and espec. your speaking of your inner journey as well, is very engaging. And no, I won't ask either (but I am guessing:H ).

Travel on!

Kathy

[irishlady]

Journey into Sobriety...

Well I'd like to ask, but, I'll just use my imagination... The way you are describing this trip Neil all I can see in my minds eye are crystal clear rivers, tall mountains and forests, beautiful..

Jane, thank you for your kind words and big congratulations to you on 40 days AF, I know what it takes to get there..

Louise xxx

[lushy]

Journey into Sobriety...

Adult Recreation is legal in Nevada. But I am not asking about it either. Don't want to know.