Well hello friends! Figure I would do my last RTW post on my trip’s one-year anniversary :). Turns out lawyers work a lot, and there isn’t much time for, well, anything but billable hours. More reflection is needed on this truly transformative adventure. In time that will come. And I hope to follow up with a post. For now, I wrap up with the final hiking adventure I did with my family last November to celebrate my Dad’s 60th in Yosemite. As you will see, the autumnal leaves were striking, a reminder of how change can be so permanent and yet fleeting.

Through thick and thin, family — however you wrap your arms around that concept — provides roots. We keep one another grounded in name and in spirit. And when we pass, as my mother’s mother and father’s father did this spring–within just three days of another–our roots grow deeper, creating a bond with this earth that pollinates our inspiration to leave this world in a better place. And my grandparents did so in their own powerfully unique ways. My grandmother, through her purity, embodied the value of unconditional love, and my grandfather, through public service, the value of empowering the underserved. It’s no wonder, that the manner in which they passed symbolized these values–my grandmother hung on to her heart–recognizing me with it when other faculties had fled–and my grandfather stood by his mind–challenging me to use my own wisely, so that I may serve others well. What a powerful combination of influences, for which I am eternally grateful.

A beautiful, deep hug of appreciation for my family’s support throughout all my trials and tribulations as I circled the globe.

My mom — caught in a moment of bliss before Yosemite Valley opened up before us: