I'm goin' back for MORE! My follow-up with Dr. Kolbo and the Mt. Rainier Clinic begins when I gently motor off in my own trusty steed on Monday, June 6th, planning some manner of in-between landing 'round about Grants Pass OR and then arriving in Lacey, WA Tuesday night for a Wednesday morning appointment. I love crafting this journey without the edginess of unwellness. Praise God for that!
Sometimes I need to unhinge my sticky thoughts and think more laterally. At first blush, flying is a no-brainer... it's less than two hours by plane from SFO to SEA and driving takes two days! However, the purported ease of flying turns into a very tiring 8-hour day from leaving my doorstep to arriving in the Northwest, with rides 'n shuttles 'n waiting 'n getting 'n sitting et cetera et cetera all factored in. Neither is eight hours of driving a picnic, however I prefer the coziness of my own car and not worrying about airport pat-downs and evil rental car agency shenanigans. Besides, I can not only pack my VitaMix for continued green smoothie fun but bring home a darling antique Scottish corner table I sold to my Seattle friend Annie years before.
So what's in Lacey, Washington? A prayerful alternative to posh and not inexpensive B&Bs: The St. Placid Priory. Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for staying in monasteries, convents and retreat houses when I travel. I don't think I even looked for the April trip, being as it was thrown together so hurriedly. With the luxury of driving, I began with my friend Google, and there opened the vista of exploration! I started looking in Oregon, where there are three obvious offerings in the Willamette Valley alone: Mt. Angel Monastery, the nearby Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey in Lafayette. What a wealth of community and worshipful riches! I plan to stay in at least one of them en route back to northern California.
After my week getting poked 'n prodded at the Clinic, I'm headed to a rustic retreat in Sedro Woolley that I visited last August, then called Cedar Springs and now called Thrive Wellness Center. While I'll be Herxed again whether I like it or not, heading to the hills for organic raw cuisine, juicing, classes, God in nature and an infrared sauna (the likes of which I've jonesed for for 18 months), wow - I'll glow! Now you know I love and give thanks for my organic, free-range and grass-fed animal protein, however a few days of high-enzyme living foods will be exceptionally healing and well-timed.
I'm praying my way through this journey, breathing...giving thanks... and getting excited! I'm headed back up North for a healthier follow-up rather than in an emergency scenario. If chocolate wasn't crossed off my list I'd celebrate with a truffle!
This sounds like a much better journey than the previous one! The car will allow you to proceed at your own pace and not be held hostage by a huge car (with the attendant huge gas tank). St. Placid sounds very peaceful, if a bit of a drive from the clinic. The very atmosphere sounds healing. And then to follow with a trip to Sedro Woolley to be immersed in organics and sauna! Well, it sounds like exactly the thing to maintain your health and blood counts. And perhaps by June, the weather will be more summer-like than the March it is now (though to be fair, it WAS 64 today). You'll miss Folklife, but the crowds are daunting these days.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll have an opportunity to see friends and just "be" for awhile. And a trip or two to St. Mark's wouldn't be a bad thing, either. This sounds like a lovely and healing trip for you. I hope it's everything you hope it will be and that it all unfolds as it should.
Hugs, blessings and wishes for a safe drive.
Thank you so much. After my 8 days with the Clinic (6/8-14) and 3 days with Thrive (6/15-18) I'll spend the weekend in Seattle bumbling around with friends and visiting St. Mark's - think I'll also make it the Sunday prior, even with the commute from (ulp) Lacey. Yes, indeed, this trip is feeling so fun... it seems to be starting already!
ReplyDeleteDiane
ReplyDeleteMake the most of your trip. Yet another adventure! I would imagine it's a beautiful time of year to be about a road and healing trip.
I've been thinking about how cool it would be to do a Monastery tour - divide the country into four quadrants and have four different tours - spend a day and night at each monastery and back on the bus. At each place have a talk or two by a monk, and some time for meditation/reflection.
You could be the tour guide for the northwest quadrant. What do you think?
I think this will be a great trip, full of healing and good food and friends besides. May you bring the good weather with you as you drive (safely) north.
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings for a lovely weekend. I hear it might be here, as well.
Summer is trying to arrive... I believe it! However we're only about 8ยบ ahead of you in the NW.... :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd it was so perfectly lovely today...until it rained. ;-) I have high hopes for the holiday.
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