An Adirondack Journey

My favorite movie is The Sound of Music. The songs, scenery, and story always seem fresh somehow, and I watch it at least once a year. There's so much I could rave about—a story of love, family, devotion—but today I'm going to focus on a trait that the two main characters possessed: the courage to step into their destiny despite great risk and loss. (Spoiler warning ahead, but I'm sure most of you have seen The Sound of Music). Maria walked away from her life in the convent to marry the Captain, become a mother to seven children and enter a world so different than the one she left behind. The Captain broke his engagement to the Baroness because he fell in love with his children's nanny. Then he left Austria with his family to start over in Vermont after refusing to serve in the Nazi army. Although most of us don't need to make major choices like these, smaller changes can seem monumental when we are faced with them.

It's easier to stay the course, than to walk into the unknown. Your heart and soul may be telling you to "Go" and at the same time your security is quivering with fear. Saying farewell to people and places  you love to embark on a new beginning is simply hard, but change is also an ingredient for rich living.

My dear friend Janice is about to make a career change that involves a major move. As excited as she is, it means leaving the home where she raised her son, her friends and her beloved Adirondack Mountains. These mountains were more than just trees and lakes to Janice. They were her spiritual sanctuary. She climbed all of the park's 46 peaks above 4000 feet, meandered on the tranquil paths, and kayaked on its waterways. Although the Adirondack Park won't be a short drive away any longer, Janice is taking many memories with her, and this natural playground will always be there with a warm welcome when she comes home. Here are a few of Janice's photos that she captured over the years while exploring the Adirondacks of New York State set to the music of  Michael Hedges. I'd like to share this gift to Janice with you. Sit back and enjoy the beauty.

KICK BACK SONG OF THE WEEK:

The song playing on the video above is The Unexpected Visitor by Michael Hedges.

KICK BACK BOOK OF THE WEEK:   

An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, which takes place in the Adirondack Mountains.

From Amazon Reviewer, Tom Weikert: "Its unparalleled depth defines An American Tragedy, listed by Time magazine in its 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005 list. A multi-leveled latticework of themes that includes everything from Freudian psychoanalytic theory to the ills of capitalism and its attendant social climbing in early Industrial America, this epic novel reminds me why I love great literature."

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: