July 1

We have been in heaven, in Iowa now for a week. Traveling from the Bhavana Society to here wore me out. After a few days rest though I’m feeling better. I get the sense it will take me a few months to slowly build up my stamina. Dr. Jerry called me with the blood work resuts right before we left Lafayette. The tests all showed "norma.l" It is nice to know my condition is probably only mono.

Austin’s family is great. I’m a half-generation between Austin and his siblings to their parents. I’m twenty years older than Austin’s sister Paige and nineteen years younger than his father Jerry. I’m thirteen years older than Austin and fourteen years younger than his mother Fern. I think this allows me an interesting perspective. They have a very close family and I’ve been welcomed in to the clan.

They live in a very peaceful neighborhood. The woods that Austin wrote about in an earlier journal entry are real:huge white swamp, burr and pin oaks plus a few elm trees, forest a deep ravine just yards from the house. I can easily imagine Austin and his brother exploring these woods and swimming in the small pond just down the road.

In the evening after the heat and humidity drops, we have taken a few short walks through the neighborhood. Austin points to thirty-foot tall trees and says, “We used to be able to jump over that tree.” Most of the neighbors have beautiful lawns with mature trees. It is easy to imagine them as barren lots with grass seed just being sown after the houses were built.

Last night as we were walking a young man drove past and slammed on his breaks. He yelled out to us, “Are you guys going to a toga party?” That was a first for me.

The days have been unusually hot for Iowa so we have stayed inside most of the time. I’m staying in Austin’s old room, which is in the basement. It feels like I’m living in a cool dark cave.

Tomorrow we leave on a bus for Minneapolis, Minnesota. Several of my friends from high school are planning to meet us and take us out to a Thai restaurant. On July 3rd the Common Ground Meditation Center is having a gathering and we will get to see several people who have been in contact with us during the walk.

On July 5th Father William is planning to pick us up and take us to St. John’s Abbey.

I am looking forward to our time in Minnesota and I’m looking forward to getting to Arrow River.