Into the Wilderness – Page 6 – Walk the Moon/You're Only 39

3 years, 1 month, 1 week, 12 hours

Into the Wilderness: Part 29

The Truth

into the Wilderness: Story 27 Catina and I just finished listening to the Podcast musical “36 Questions,” featuring Jessie Shelton and Jonathan Groff (you may remember him as King George in “Hamilton”). Told in 3 Acts, the musical features a divorcing couple grappling with a broken relationship, lies and second chances using the 36 questionsContinueContinue reading “The Truth”

Lockdown and Lifting Off

Into the Wilderness: Story 25 Imagine spending 18 months of your life in a temporary stasis, your entire being protected by sameness and structure. Then one day, one you’ve prepared long and diligently for, your cocoon opens and you slip out into the air. You unfold your wings, allow them to dry for a fewContinueContinue reading “Lockdown and Lifting Off”

The Long Haul

Into the Wilderness: Story 24 Residential treatment was the long haul. Months and months of separation, broken up by 5-hour flights to Utah for parents’ seminars. Delayed flights and connections during which I walked the length of every terminal in the Salt Lake City airport over and over. It’s a familiar place for RTC parents.ContinueContinue reading “The Long Haul”

Longing for Acceptance

Into the Wilderness: Story 23 By Catina Humans are pack animals. We want to be accepted into a pack at all times, because we are animals with animalistic instincts. The reason why everyone wants a family is because that is a pack that they will be a part of. Friends are a pack you WANTContinueContinue reading “Longing for Acceptance”

Baking

Into the Wilderness: Story 22 Photo by Ignacio R I’ve been baking cookies. Nine different kinds, to be exact. Snickerdoodles, Linzer tarts, pumpkin bars, fruitcake cookies, chocolate mint crunch, kourabiedes (a Greek version of snowball cookies), molasses, magic bars (condensed milk, coconut, chocolate chips), and Christmas Crack. I have only four people in my houseContinueContinue reading “Baking”

You’ll Be Okay

Into the Wilderness: Story 20 I held a cup of ice chips in my hand, spooning each glistening piece into my mouth to melt slowly. On the television, Tom the Turkey, the Macy’s Parade mascot, floated by. Chuck lounged in a stiff recliner next to my bed. It was Thanksgiving 2018, and I was waitingContinueContinue reading “You’ll Be Okay”

The Pack

Into the Wilderness: Story 19 Catina’s backpack from her 91-day wilderness stay In front of me: Catina’s huge backpack from wilderness. It sprawled across my garage cement like a corpse. With pandemic lockdowns and limited socializing, I had cleaned and sorted almost every inch of my house. Now, I had turned to the garage, myContinueContinue reading “The Pack”

The spiral

Into the Wilderness: Story 18 Catina went to La Europa Academy, a residential treatment center in Murray, Utah, that uses the arts as an integral part of healing. I never regretted my choice. With Catina’s talent for music and art, this was an ideal fit. Not only did she receive almost nine hours of therapyContinueContinue reading “The spiral”

No Drama

Into the Wilderness: Story 17 Catina flung the car door open and collapsed onto the seat. School had just finished and the late afternoon light slashed through the windows and across her face. She wrapped her arms around her and scrunched down, lifting her feet onto the dashboard. She was clearly unhappy. I waited. InContinueContinue reading “No Drama”