We recently had a wonderful trip to Nevada. Though full disclosure I make concerted efforts to see everything as wonderful ;)! The trip was for work (an incredible training!!) but I dragged my entire family along because I just couldn’t bear to leave them for almost a whole week and I figured it could be a makeshift vacation. Plus I wanted to make sure my two year old had a chance to touch as many airport surfaces as possible (and then put his fingers directly in his mouth). And the timing seemed just perfect to get out there and explore how resilient our immune systems really are! ;)
This is Pyramid Lake just outside of Reno; a very otherworldly vibe out there!
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I really had no idea of what the Reno area would be like and my knowledge of the geography of the west part of the country was quite lacking. My knowledge of the west has pretty much been limited to reading Larry McMurtry novels. I honestly didn’t even realize Lake Tahoe was in the neighborhood of Reno/that we would be a stone’s throw from CA until we were on the plane lol. I guess it had been awhile since I took a good look at a map ha! The only preparation for the trip I did was to google what the weather was like; I saw that the highs were in the 60s so we mostly packed shorts.
Thankfully the pool was heated ;). To be fair it only snowed one day and it did get quite warm most days;) And fortunately we did pack enough warm things to be comfortable!
This dried up lake (Lake Winnemucca) is home to the country’s oldest petroglyphs! I wanted to go find them but the kids thought that sounded pretty daunting/boring.
We all have our different tastes in rocks.
As we came upon Lake Winnemucca I wanted to keep heading north toward Black Rock Desert and have our own little impromtu Burning Man moment, but they were kinda over the endless vistas of nothingness by this point and were ready to get back in the pool, have lunch. We all did find the landscape; the vastness of it all to be mesmerizing.
The kids got a kick out of crossing the border into California.
And they enjoyed the resort and I got the opportunity to explain to them what gambling and prostitution is so it was also educational!
Running through the different areas of the hotel and sliding on the carpet was a favorite evening activity! I enjoyed perusing the produce aisle at the local grocery store; they had lots of aloe there and some other unique items. I liked the little things like that during this trip; it has been ages since I’ve traveled so I forgot how fun it can be to explore a very new place!
I was THRILLED to see humpbacks out in the desert. I often feel like a humpback whale in a desert!
Some of the sights in Reno reminded me a bit of Old Orchard Beach!
While I was most mesmerized and intrigued by the desert landscapes, the kids and Smoochie’s favorite place was definitely Lake Tahoe.
I, quite frankly, found the beauty to be a little droll. More mountainous scenic vistas? Yawn. Ha! Living in Maine really makes one very spoiled ;).
I was just really feeling the WEIRDER places!
One thing we all always agree on is that we like rocks and that nature NEVER disappoints!
Lake Tahoe’s beauty was retina-searing in its obvious awesomeness. I did manage to find some little details to focus on so my head would not explode with all that grandeur.;)
I’m so grateful to have had the experience of this trip and training (and just under the wire of all the mass cancellations)! The best part of the trip was how much I learned about oxygen utilization, metabolism and mitochondrial function (and I got certified in ozone therapy and prolozone yay!). I obviously take health very seriously; I’ve devoted my entire life to helping others be empowered to promote health and prevent disease! I also take humor and silliness very seriously; in fact I think taking humor seriously is a big part of health! I have long been lamenting about the status quo of healthcare; the great (and largely unnecessary) dependence on prescription drugs, how vitamin and mineral deficiencies are utterly overlooked, how unequipped many providers are to get to the root of symptoms and improve health issues without medications or surgery; even when patients are adamantly requesting non-medication based treatments.
Rising suicide rates (especially on overdose on prescription psychiatric drugs is very disheartening), autoimmune diseases and chronic diseases are rampant. 2300+ people a day die of heart disease. Even many of the “leading” specialists can’t figure out how to get rid of simple symptoms like heartburn or headaches without meds (and it’s usually pretty simple to do; go find yourself a functional medicine doc if you have a symptom to get to the root cause!) And anyone doing ozone and/or IV vitamin C treatments has great protocols for treating viral illnesses (and other health issues); check them out in your area! Sadly, since most of the more gentle/natural treatments aren’t big money makers like pharmaceuticals/surgeries these things aren’t mainstream. However, because of the magnitude of COVID-19 I am PRAYING ozone and IVC can be fast tracked into hospitals; they are such safe and effective (and economical!) options for treating viruses (among many other conditions!). I am so thrilled my office is fast tracking these treatment options to offer them to Mainers; we’ve been very busy; it’s all quite a whirlwind! But as always I am filled with hope, joy and faith that everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to! I definitely couldn’t face all the horrors and grief of this world with joy and a lighthearted spirit without my faith! This time is a reminder for many that the only thing we are ever in control of is our own thoughts, beliefs and behaviors. We have tons of power over our health and life! Letting go of the illusion of control over anything else beyond ourselves can be so empowering.
The “it’s going to be ok!”, the “It’s all going to work out just as it’s supposed to!” sentiments go A LONG way right now and people really appreciate reassurance! So I hope you know that it is! That it will! The world is certainly out of control and loaded with horrific problems (as it always has been); but no matter what; peace, love and joy are ALWAYS possible! Facing the tough stuff with kindness and light is what we were born to do! Praying for you all to find these things in your lives and much love to everyone!!
Spy Garden 