Back “Home”

I don’t have any immediate family left in New York State these days, but I have enough people that still feel like family. They’re the type of friends you fall back into rhythm with like a musician picking up an old guitar that’s been in a dusty closet for a year. It takes a few minutes to tune, before returning to a state of natural familiarity.

I also return to fish the Delaware River because it’s still the most challenging river I fish and there’s just something about the reward if (and it’s a big “if”) the challenge is met.

The rain in New York this spring had been relentless so I mostly fished out of a boat. Wildlife was plentiful and I always forget how green the east coast is compared to Colorado. I floated old haunts with companions of my past and even found a new one, which I hope to see another year if water levels are favorable.

There are just some people you meet in life who stick, for whatever reason. It could be due to common interests or goals, or perhaps they’re just people you know you’ll have a good time with no matter their line of latitude.

For me, summer is a time of reflection since I honestly just have more time to think. What lessons can I learn so I don’t make the same mistakes when school rolls around again? What discoveries can I make in the coming weeks about myself and the people around me?

I already learned that although I know the pace of things back “home” and the reasons I left 10 years ago still track, there will always be a place in my heart for the people, nature, (and river) that still make it a very special place.