​Other than thanksgiving I have not had a lot of time to spend with either of my Brothers so I was super excited when my oldest brother and his youngest daughter said they were going to join me and my mother on a camping trip to New Glarus, WI. 
 
For my family New Glarus holds a very special place since our lineage goes back to the founding of that community. But it is also where my Grandfather was raised by his grandparents and eventually got ordained, at the Swiss Church, now a UCC congregation.  His Great, Great Grandfather Hilarious Wild’s Trunk can be found in the Swiss Village. 
 
Both Friday and Sunday were wet and muddy, but Saturday was glorious. We went into town to see the Swiss Village, we had lots of Swiss Sausages, and found some filets for dinner on the fire. And we hiked, so much both Joy and I were limping, but it was fun! 
 
Even Sunday when it rained until 6pm, we made the most of it finding a pavilion to cook breakfast under, and going back to town to meet up with another long lost friend. My mother’s very good friends daughter who I had preformed the marriage service for 20 years ago.  It did dry up for dinner time so more sausages and talking around the campfire followed by another walk through the woods. 
 
Though it was short, it was such a delightful time and I look forward to connecting more this summer.

For the last couple days I met an old clergy friend at a campsite outside of Madison, WI. Tim and I along with my good friend Steve did the Newly Ordained Clergy Seminar many years ago together, back when that was common. Tim, now retired, has been bugging me for years to meet up and I could not pass up the opportunity to do just that, so I found a good campground that worked and made plans. 
It is interesting how quick it is when connecting with an old friend to pick up on where you left off. And we did just that! It was fun to talk and catch up.  Sharing stories of our crazy presbyteries and the wonderful churches we work with.  
We also took advantage of this beautiful state to take a drive and see what was there. While we were staying in Lodi, our drive brought us to Baraboo. I wanted to go do the distillery there. I don’t know if it is the official state drink or not but the old fashion is a staple I have seen most of the distilleries 

in the early 1900's my grandfather's large catholic family left Germany for better opportunities in the US, selling everything they had in oder to finance the trip. Upon arriving in Chicago the two oldest bothers left the family to continue west while the rest stayed together in the city. With his first wife dying in childbirth he met my grandmother. Eventually my Grandmother wanted a better life for my Father and insisted they move out of the city, so the four of them, my grandfather, grandmother, father and his bother (from my grandfather's first marriage) moved to Lake Villa.  After my grandfather died my grandmother continued to live there until the early 90's when she needed to move to a senior "assisted" living apartment.

I was not as close to my Dad's parents as I was to my mother's but there were good memories at that place. Of course as a kid my favorite thing was being able to walk to the gas station a block away to get candy.   I also remember the twice a year chore of cleaning out the gutters and since I was the smallest I often got thrown up on the roof because I could reach down the downspouts, maybe that is why I am afraid of heights? Hmm. 

Also, there is another significance to me for that house. Though my parents deny it, I am partially named after the street. Seriously, when naming us my oldest brother Brad got my dad's first name for his middle names, Steve Got my Dad's middle name for his middle name, and I got James, the street he grew up on, I really should have been a comic, you can't make that stuff up!

In Chicago I had run out of Water and with the prospect of rush hour decided to leave early for my next stop, Illinois Beach. So I went to the Y for a swim and refresh and took Joy to a Dog Park, she needed a free run. After that, we went to the House my Dad grew up in.  I could not help but laugh since there is now a Walmart super center across from the Gas station. Walmart was my grandmother favorite store! After driving by that house, we went Kenosha to get Gas (literally $.50 cheaper per gallon), Joy got a bath at petsmart and I got a much needed hair cut.
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We got to Illinois beach in time for more rain and wind, but that was OK as this was really a scheduled time to write and reflect and Tuesday was absolutely beautiful with a nice cool breeze. I had to laugh as I walked to the beach behind my site and the memories flooded in when I saw the now abandoned bathhouse.  Of course my Dad also tried to convince us that Lake Michigan was just like the Ocean. It's not, though it is very pretty and with the wind we even had some little waves.

I knew I wanted to spend some time in Chicago, but there is one problem, there is no camping spots anywhere close to the city and navigating my van down most of the streets, let alone find parking was going to make the visit near to impossible. So, I went on the web and did a bit of research finding that I did have an option, McCormick center allows RV's and Busses to park there interspersed with the Semi's at the marshaling yard.  Not the most comfortable of place to stay, with a price on the higher end of what I have been paying, no amenities and it was HOT sitting on the asphalt parking lot It did allow me two full days in the city on what had to be one of the downright most beautiful weekends in Chicago. 
With my bike I was able to cruise up and down the lakeshore going into many of the neighbors by the lake and hitting some of those cool places in Chicago. I did make the choice not to hit the museums, that is what I initially wanted to do, but that seemed like it would be a shame with perfect weather and so many out door places to explore, some of which were either not around when I was growing up or had not been developed like Millennium Park or the remodeled Navy Pier.
I think the thing about Chicago that I found really amazing was how clean it was.  OK, I was mostly in tourist areas, but even on the Southside and the neighborhoods around where I was staying there seems to be a lot of pride in the communities, though you could see the poverty that is endemic of many urban communities. But even though the beaches were packed, by the next day everything had been cleaned up ready for the next groups to come and enjoy.
For me it is not a trip to Chicago without Pizza and though I was pleased to see that Geno's East had moved back to its original location I chose to go to Due's instead. Geno's was the place we always would go as kids, and I had a lot of memories there with family and friends, but Due's also holds memories as my Mother and I would often go there after my "procedures" at the University of Chicago. So along with the Home Run Inn Pizza I wrote about before and The Deep Dish from Due's, I also had a Stuffed Pizza at Giordano's and a Tavern (we called is flat growing up) pizza from a pizza place on the south side. They were all SO GOOD!!! I also ventured to the Famous Billy Goat Tavern for a quick burger and had to be a total tourist and get the Chicago Mix at Garrets Popcorn.
Of course the only bad thing about the situation I was in was Joy. I needed to keep coming back to check on her and make sure the van did not get too hot so I did not spend as much time in some areas I wish I could have explored more, though who knows, maybe later in the summer I will figure something else out who knows!

After a month and a half on the road it was nice to head down to my parents house and hang with my Dad and their Dog  for a few days. Mother was in Greece this week with my oldest Brother. I got to do a super deep clean as well as upgrade my bed to which I am VERY happy about.  For the most part this week was all about a vacation for Joy to play with Aldo, my parents dog, and run free. She did not want to leave. Though you have to love the quirky things in central Illinois, whether the heart shaped biscuit at Hardees (Carl's Jr) or the "Nude Beach" at Sheets Creek one of my favorite new restaurants there is a real sense of making the most of what life gives. It is something that you see a lot in farm based communities, the realization that you're not always in control and you need to make the most of what you have.

On Friday, on my way in to Chicago for the weekend, I needed to use a dump station and with a free one on Downers Grove, not too far from where I grew up, I thought it would be fun to see what has changed since I was last in Naperville. I drove by my old high school , It was fun seeing the seniors practicing for graduation on the football field, one of those ageless traditions that made graduation fun, especially since when I was in high school you’d get in more trouble for stepping foot on the football field then you would if you skipped school.

From there I made my way over to Knox Presbyterian Church, where I grew up. It really had changed a lot. With a new sanctuary, and the ginormous gymnasium that was completed just before I got into High School had been changed to be more of a gathering place which makes sense as many church leagues that had been so popular had died out over the past decades. It was fun reminiscing with the Facilities Director there about the spaces and what they were and what they are now. It was also great to know that they are still part of the PCUSA, I did worry about that.

I figured that it would also be fund to stop by our old house in Lisle, but on the way I had to laugh as I drove through MY stoplight at the cross streets of Naper and Cullpepper. I had to jump out and get a picture thinking about how many people question why there was a light at that corner. Well, the story is pretty simple, I was biking to Jr. High on the sidewalk, something I don’t do anymore, and got hit by a teen on his way to school.  My accident was the last of a few that happened at that intersection, but became a rallying point for the community to demand a light there before someone actually got killed, so It may not have been all me, but I had a part and the legacy is there.

It is always strange seeing your home that you haven’t for years. It looked so small compared to what I remembered. It also looked wired without the van at the end of the driveway that was always there when my mother was home. 

The strange and probably sad thing about growing up suburban was that nobody I know lives there anymore, To me Naperville is a place that was, it was a place of memories and not a place where I have relationships anymore. But I also realize that those memories are a big part of who I am and the relationships I had while there helped craft me into the person I am today.

After hitting the dump station I went to a place my dad and I would often frequent when my mother was away. Home Run Inn Pizzeria, yes the same as the ones you can get at a grocery store, but the fresh is so much better and the memories were good. Home Run Inn Pizza and the Old Country Buffet that used to be across the street were places my Dad and I would go to every few weeks when I was in High School. When we were there nothing was more important then that moment and it was a special sacred to to just be together and laugh and talk and just be.

Tonight I am off to Chicago where the plan is to stay in the RV Parking Lot at McCormick Center, we’ll see how that goes!

 I have a few points in my life that read like a coming of age story, most though have to do with my reaction to bad or difficult things like my health.  But one summer, late in middle school a bunch of my friends and I went to summer camp and the former camp owned by the Chicago Presbytery in Saugatuck.  

Being teens, I don't think any of us were too thrilled with being stuck at church camp for the week. But somehow almost all of my church friends were on this trip.  When we got to camp we found out that our cabins were going to be a bit away from everyone else, on the corner of the property right by the public beach famous for attracting gay men. As we settled in our counselors welcomed us and told us that the beach was a gay beach and we would be raped if we tried to cross it (yes they actually did) knowing that it was a straight shot to get to town.

Of course as teens we focused on the realization that we could escape camp and really did not buy into the fear they were trying to sell. So that is what we did, we figured out the timing of everything and every morning we disappeared and ran into town crossing the dreaded beach. Surprisingly, we were able to do this every day.  
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The home base for our fun was the drugstore, a beautiful relic of the past complete with a soda fountain in the back, it is still there today.  We spent the week exploring, running around town, talking, playing and pretty much being young teens experimenting with everything our teenage brains could imagine, succumbing to the impulse of our freedom. 

Of course, we realized  silly it was that the counselors thought we would be afraid of Gay people. We were aware enough to know that people just did not go after kids like that and honestly being in our generation anytime we were fear bated we basically did what they were trying to keep us from since we knew it was usually full of ****. For us it really reinforced the knowledge that when adults wanted to control us they laid out fear and created a tension of both acceptance of being gay along with a realization that it was something that needed to be kept secret, at least as a 13 year old.

Unfortunately, there is always that one who went too far, and someone ended up in the hospital and  we had to be questioned about everything we did. I know if anyone was punished, but I do remember sleeping for like 24 hrs when I got home. For me it was one of the best weeks where I really got to learn about life and look at things from a very different perspective.

That is why it was important for me to come back to Saugatuck and remember that time.  On Friday, I went to the drugstore that was our base and told the story to the lady minding the store. It was funny as a tear came to my eye remembering that time and sharing it with her. Of course, She laughed and said that was what teens do and though annoying, they deal with it all summer and chalk it up to kids being kids. She also told me that we probably were not as bad and rebellious as we thought we were, probably true.

The rest of this weekend I spent at a camp outside of Saugatuck, another LGBTQ camp. This was another fun weekend meeting people and listening.  The camp was typically midwestern with an emphasis on hospitality and welcome for the very different groups of folks that were here and even though we did not know a sole here we were invited to a doggie birthday party where joy got her fill of doggie cake, other treat, toys and playtime. It was fun to see. On Friday night though we had a truly spiritual experience. That night they had a bonfire and wennie roast followed by a talent/karaoke show which was so much fun! As that was winding down we were beckoned outside to see something cool, the amazing northern lights (picture is above). What an amazing experience as we all stood in wonder at the beauty.  At that moment, no other conversations happen beyond the reflection on natures wonder.

For me, like the eclipse, it was another reminder that God is ever-present. The feeling was not exclusively because of the lights but to be surrounded by the diversity and welcome of strangers.  It reminded me of that time when I was a child and my mind was opened to learning more about myself, though this time it was not about exploring what was new, but reinvigorating the need I have to embrace aw and wonder, to spite looking for what I think I should.

I am not sure how much I will have next week, today I am going to head to go to Ikea outside of Indianapolis to look for a new bed topper, and I am going to stay at a local distillery with harvest host then Tuesday I will to my parents house for a couple days to hang out with dad, get an oil change, sort through stuff, and restock the van.

This week was a little different as the rains and Mud had completely overwhelmed the van to the point I needed to do a deep clean so I found a full service campsite (usually expensive, but it is still pre-season so my discount worked) where I could flush my tanks, do tons of laundry and scrub every square inch.  But On the way to that place I thought it would be important to go to Flint.  As many of you know Flint has been in the forefront of social justice issues and there happened to be a brewery right downtown where I could stay. 

Driving through flint was really interesting as you knew instantly what type of neighborhood you were in to the point that some of the roads barely could be called roads. Being that Flint was only a few hours from where I was in Canada, we got in before noon so I figured I would try and find a dog park for Joy to stretch out in. I went to google and found a park not too far from where I would be staying and it had 4.5 stars, so we went. Well, the dog park has three sides of a fence and the park itself looked like nobody had been there in years.  Thankfully we had time so we drove out to the suburbs and found one, but it was sad to think about how much disrepair there was, though there was lots of construction in the downtown area, and the brewery I was at was probably the coolest place I've stayed so far and the YMCA there, while dated, you could tell the love and pride in making what they had work and looking past the rust it was clean and cared for, When talking with folks they were excited about the future and the possibilities in Flint.

​Petoskey Bay was the opposite of Flint, a vacation resort community. This is where I spent most of the time cleaning and then stuck in the van because of more rain. but on Wednesday afternoon the weather broke and I took the bike into town and up to the beaches. It was a great ride looking into the Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. I tried to find a Petoskey stone, but unfortunately it was really cold but the water so I opted to buy a specimen to add to my travel magnets.  There was also a nice distillery next to where I was staying so I finish my ride there enjoying a triple berry martini.

From Petoskey Bay we went to Muskegon,  Muskegon should make San Jose blush as it was really amazing the resources they were putting into developing arts and entertainment. Again, it was a fairly short drive so we had a lot of time to explore the museums and other institutions. I also found out that Michigan has this thing called a social district where you can get a drink and walk from place to place within the designated area. While I was not in a huge drinking mood, you really could tell how this was creating an amazing environment with businesses that were fun and the the museums were really top notch!  I was also lucky to come on free admission day. And really was blown away with the art museum that, while it was going through a renovation and two of their galleries were being staged, held a great collection of unique art.  They also dedicated two galleries to the artwork of kids from the local schools. I truly believe that art is one of the most important expressions and to have that kind of support for children and youth is really incredible. 

When I drove across the boarder back to the us the Guard asked me why I went to Canada and the only response I could think of was why not! I am glad that I went to Canada, but it was a bit odd, a strange mix of midwestern culture with California prices (I had to include the gas fill from Costco in my pictures because it so amazed me) and ok food.  Of course the best thing in Canada was the bacon, OMG the flavor had a richness that I just don't find in the bacon I usually get. oh and the bacon in Canada is not a round processed ham :-).

As I alluded to in my previous post I stayed at a campground in Canada. this was a truly LGBTQ campground and really was interesting. Though most of the time there was a bust because of the weather. they still worked to make lemons out of lemonade and through a big bonfire to close out the weekend. it was glorious and a lot of fund. This was an interesting camp because it really embraced the whole of the LGBT2Spirit community. It was interesting learning why and where folks came from and what the camp represented to them. 

On Sunday we took off for another brewery Harvest Host site.  This was a really interesting site where the topic of conversation was the political divide in Canada. it was fascinating to be a fly on the wall listening to the back and forth realizing that with a few name changes the conversation could have been in the States.  Having not been in any other foreign countries lately, I don't think it would be wrong to speculate from the things I have seen in the news that similarities could be found there too. Of course the hypothesis that I have for all that is going on in the world right now is that people are enamored by the loudest voices and not listening to their neighbors, with quick judgements and fighting for the causes over justice.  But I digress. . .

On Monday, I made my way back to the US and headed to Flint, Michigan.  More on that later . . .

This week has been interesting driving through Ontario. On Tuesday we set off for the Canadian Falls. After being charge double to cross the bridge and the boarder crossing, always stressful. we were off to explore, and even though the weather was not perfect, It was a great day to see the falls on the Canadian side. I even splurged to go underneath the falls, which I am glad I did. again the power of the water was amazing, Though what really struck me was when I had about 10 min when nobody was in the portal looking into the falls where I could listen in silence. There was something amazing listening to the falls as if they were telling the story of movement and changed. It made me think of the still waters of the day before and how I know that the water was moving but I just could not see it until the rapids started, the story these falls were saying was that movement and change is going to happen and you can chose to embrace it or fight it.

The rest of the week I did a bit of a Canadian Beer tour staying at 3 breweries, I will be at a fourth on Sunday.  I also got out to a few more while getting lost thanks to the awful google and Apple Maps that kept putting me on roads not built for RV's.  One of the breweries I found was a hole in the wall called the Town Brewery.  It was interesting because as you walked in they had a statement of inclusivity. They also had that posted in the bar, and even above the urinals. I found it interesting that it was so important to post it especially as our perception in the US and a great reminder that other people exist and their existence matters too. 

This was interesting as so many of the interactions I have had here have been genuine and gracious. I won't say always accepting, there have been those moments where upon finding out I was American they didn't want to have anything to do with me, but those would be the exception.  On this brewery tour,  also found myself in some pretty odd places, to which I often got the genuine question of Why would I be there. To which my only answer was "why not? I am just exploring cool places."

This week I also was able to take advantage of my YMCA membership. Using Harvest Host sites usually don't come with showers so Going to the Y has been a blessing. not only for getting ready in the morning, but I figured that as long as I was there I might as well try to exercise. and boy did I need it, one month of little to no exercise outside of walking has not been good. I need to commit to at least three or four days a week. Though it is hard often being in different places each night.

Today I am at another campground, though it is not what I expected.  There is not much going on and with the rain up here the place is a mud pit. So much so I barely got my van in the spot and ripped up part of their lawn in the process. That being said it is Nic to stop and regroup. It is giving me some time to write and reflect one the first month of this adventure. If things go according to plan, I should make my way back to the US Monday going to Flint Michigan.