Wandering near…

My travels this past week have been close to home, both literally and figuratively. I had a colleague shadowing me for the week. First stop was the iconic Westside Drive In for some classic Boise food: Steak fingers and ice cream shaped like a potato. The ice cream potato looked so real I had to touch it with my finger to be sure. Guy Fiero visited the Westside when he came through town and it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It has been in operation since 1957.

Next up was a short trip to Weiser, Idaho about an hour outside of Boise. Weiser is a small town of around 5000, and is seated at the confluence of the Weiser and Snake Rivers. It is famous for being the home of the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest and Festival - which apparently I just missed as it’s held the third week in June.

My colleague and I then made a day trip up to McCall, ID to visit a customer. This was my second trip to McCall and the drive through the mountains was just as breathtaking as before. We had some time in the afternoon to ramble through downtown and encountered this sign.

We also discovered Ice Cream Alley - the best ice cream in town (as evidenced by the long line) and the biggest scoops I’ve ever seen! The signs weren’t kidding. One of the servers mentioned that two scoops equals an entire pint of ice cream!

The weather was gorgeous, if a little windy. And we did encounter summer rainstorms on the way back - with a few breaks to stop and enjoy the sights. I always need a little time spent in nature in the mountains to fuel my soul.

I needed that peaceful interlude as my figurative wandering has been internal this week. I would like to share with you that I am battling complex PTSD. It is not an easy journey to work through and periodically I find that I need help navigating the effects of trauma on my person. I am huge proponent of removing the stigma of mental illness - which is why I’m choosing to share this bit. I hope that it will encourage others on their own journey to health and wellness. Part of that journey also led me to the semicolon project. (Look it up if you don’t know what that is.) And I got my very first tattoo at the age of 58 to mark my journey.

Along those lines, I am looking into equine assisted therapy - which, for those who know me, is just perfectly suited for me. I hold a bachelor’s degree in horsemanship, and used to manage amateur-owner hunter/jumper barns around the country. Sadly, I drifted away from horses and haven’t ridden more than a hand ful of times in probably 20 years. So I can say that I am truly thrilled to have purchased my first pair of paddock boots in over 25 years.

Slipping them on felt like putting a missing piece back in my heart. So many memories of barns, horses, shows… I can smell the horses and the hay vividly. I can’t wait to see what adventures I’ll have in them. So I hope you’ll continue to follow along. There’s so much more to come.

As always,

Thanks for reading,

Gypsy Jules