I hear the humming of a washer and dryer in the background, and I’m sitting on the king size mattress I’ve called bed for the past three nights. The house is almost empty, the last two of the other eight humans are about to embark on a canyon adventure.

Today is my day of cleansing. Of all the things I could have anticipated happening on this trip, none lead me to believe that I would get sick. But sick is what I’ve sort of been these last two nights. I’m coughing. Sneezing. Achy. I’ve been taking every precaution I can, but still, communal living is tough on the system. In a lot of ways its great, accept when someone catches a bug, then there’s a lot of people who just might get sick.

They all think so positively here. I’m not sick, they’re not sick, that’s what we say. The truth is, I am sick, and some of them will be sick too. Not all of them, but some, and I’ve heard some coughing, sneezing, things like that, over the past 12 hours. It might not have helped that we went to the Hot Springs yesterday. It was great to sit in these really soothing, natural hot springs, but it was not so great to have to get out of the springs and back onto the earth. The body chills came on right after that. Now I’m feeling much better. Still, I’m not sure the hot chocolate with a combination of regular and skim milk, which the idea of for some reason sort of grosses me out - like you’re not supposed to mix two milks, I’m not so sure the hot chocolate is really the best idea for my stuffy nose.

I’m drinking it anyway. Staring out onto the New Mexico ground while the five of the remaining eight members of the troop are off skiing and snowboarding. I thought about going with them but
a) I’ve only skiied once in my life and I suck BIG time
b) I have no ski pants nor did I want to buy any
c) I’m sick - remember?…and I have to get better

Instead, I’ve opted to stay here, actually get some yoga stretching in, and chill out until part of my New Mexico community returns at around 5PM. Communal living is fun. It would be ideal if we all had our own separate large-sized apartments with a common living and eating space. Then we would all have our privacy and our community, and we’d still be able to help each other out. Cooking. Cleaning. Taking care of each other. This has been the first time in forever that I didn’t want to (smack upside the head/maim/kill/beat) even one person in our group of 15 people. Incredible. Amazing. It’s been better than I thought possible. I want to live like this. It could be great for a couple of years. But who knows when a couple of years will be.

Gosh, I sound cheesy. Maybe it’s because I sort of ‘em. Today, by myself, is the perfect way to end this part of the journey. Tomorrow it’s off to Los Angeles, and then Wedesday morning I jet off to Vegas. I can’t be sick there, it’s not allowed. Will recirculated oxygen make me feel better? How come I only cough at night? Do you think they’ll ever do a Greatest American Hero movie? Just thought I’d throw that in…

I hope life stays beautiful for a while. Cause, today, right now, it totally is.