Tribal Journey Diaries - Part 1: On the Road

Being a part of a canoe family and having to follow on land is a different experience. Still rewarding in its own right, but it feels as though you are only 1/4 of the full family. You unload and unpack all the gear of the family, you set up the kitchen and the tents and then you wait.

Your mind wanders, bringing worry into your heart and fear into your mind. It takes hold of you and brings you on an emotional roller coaster; feeling the strong winds and wondering how hard those kids have it on the water, seeing all the riptides out in the ocean and hearing that the canoe is bucking the currents with all it has. But then you see the canoe in the distance and it pulls closer and closer and closer and you know in your heart that their oneness as a family can and will see them through the biggest of waves. In the morning, when everyone has packed everything they need, they’ve all eaten breakfast, and have been honored by the host to leave their shores, we see them off with strength and prayers and send them on their way. We head back to camp and ready our thoughts and minds to the task at hand: leaving the place better than we found it. This is a teaching that resonates through our minds as we clean every section of camp, even if we didn’t make the mess or leave the garbage laying around. We show a great honor to our hosts by carrying ourselves in this way, but also within our own being, we build our character and integrity and follow in the footsteps of those that came before us. Onto the next destination... ready for another day...