Coming back into my "normal" world after the week spent in Montana with Amazon Heart and the Blackfeet Indians has been strange. I haven’t been able to fully articulate to anybody what my experience was like. When people ask me how my trip was, I think about the response I want to give and come out with something inadequate like, "Great. It was great."
Where do I begin to talk about my new friendships with the amazing women in our self-named tribe, "Warrior Women of the Big Sky?" How do I begin to thank all the beautiful and generous people who made the week so incredible, cooked our meals, and shared their stories?
I struggle to find the words to describe the events of my Odyssey:
Purpose-filled days spent on the building site bonding with everybody over sawdust and hammers, healing and insight gained through smudge ceremonies and sharing stories around a circle or campfire, learning about the beautiful Blackfeet culture and how to create works of art from nature, drinking holy water from Running Eagle Falls and capturing the healing Medicine Stones, and many hours outdoors under the Big Sky soaking in sunshine, energy, and fresh air at places like Glacier National Park and the buffalo jump.
There truly are too many special moments that really have to be experienced because they defy description. Maybe that means I won’t ever be able to adequately answer the question, "What was your trip like?" Or, perhaps I just want to keep my treasured memories to myself.
Brandi
I was so glad to see my family when I arrived home. After some travel delays -- the flight that I was on with C and Audra was delayed by almost 3 hours, so we all missed our connections -- I made it back to Cleveland and they were waiting for me at the airport with a big poster the kids had painted.
When I first arrived home, it felt a bit odd to be inside the house, after a week of living (mostly) in the great outdoors. And while I appreciate the beauty of nature here, there was something magical and deeply spiritual about being on the Blackfeet land and about contributing to the effort to "set things right."
Ray likes my "new" name, but prefers to call me something else that refers to a certain action I took in our tipi. He shared in Deb's and Audra's horror!!!
In some ways, it's been hard to put into words the intensity of the experience that we shared. I have so many images floating in my head. Mostly, what I've brought home is an incredible sense of inner peace...and a strong desire to go on another AH Odyssey! Megan and Meredith are the best. And the Warrior Women of the Big Sky will be in my heart forever.
Melissa, a.k.a. Horse of the Rising Sun
