From the Redwood forests...

I left Eureka, CA this morning, taking a bus down Hwy 101 to San Francisco.

That’s quite a cultural as well as a geographical leap, so forgive me if I have a bit of a lag. Giant redwoods and craggy rock formations of the wild Pacific north coast gave way to wineries, wider roads, and way more cars as we approached the Bay area.

In Eureka, people perpetually look like they just got out of bed and layered on whatever was laying on the floor. More men are bearded and people wear their hair longer. There is a reason for that. The days start chilly or just down-right cold, and they can warm up or re-chill at a moment’s notice. People don’t shower every day, because it is just too darn cold. Besides, they don’t want to waste water. There’s a drought on, you know. People up there are very aware of the environment because they can see it. Right there. It’s visceral. There is not a blanket between them and the natural world. When you see the ocean, mountains, and trees every day, you don’t forget they are there and need protection.

 The bus drive down reminded me of how stunningly beautiful the natural world can be. I sat in the front seat and just admired the scenery as we drove. I get carsick, so I can’t read or look away. I had hours to just be with the passing view. There are few towns out there with wide open spaces between that are filled with trees, rivers, and rocks. The road mostly follows the rivers. One can easily imagine what it was like before people started building stuff.

That’s much more difficult to see in a highly urban area like San Francisco.

After we crossed the bay, the road was full of cars and the scenery was much more consumed with man-made objects. On the walk from the bus terminal, downtown buildings reached for the sky instead of the giant redwoods I hiked through just yesterday. As I watched out the BART window on my way to the airport, I saw the crowded streets of San Francisco. Prime real estate, the houses are lined up in row upon row with no space between.

People here are different too. Cleaner. Stylishly dressed. Urban.

I’m not saying one is better than the other. Just different.

Tomorrow, I will be in Austin, Texas. That will be different, too.

I'm glad I have had a chance to see how other people live and experience their environment. It's changed me, changed the way I look at life. 

Namaste’ ya’ll.