Kata joined our traveling family and then we pointed the car East and began driving. We quickly fell into a rhythm, working together to meet the children's needs and checking in regularly to make choices that worked for us all. I was invigorated by her enthusiasm to learn about and better understand our country. She chose to make the US home years ago but just recently became a citizen. We were fortunate to have her journey with us!  Please read her thoughtful reflections below.

Road trip with Kyla, Annabelle, and Ryan -  July 5-13, 2018

by Katalin Borocky

Denver, CO (pick-up) - Fort Collins, CO (Jonas and Pete, Nadia) - Wilson State Park, KS - Pittsburg, KS (Vonnie and Gene) - St. Louis, MO (Emily and Sheel with their kids Avi and Samira; Poli, Shaila, Jessica) - Nashville, TN (Michael) - Somerset, KY (Margaret and Merve) - Pine Top, KY (Chris and Mark) - Oak Hill, WV (Jess and Stout)

My community on the road was Kyla and the two kids: Annabelle and Ryan. They adopted me and made me realize that family is the community we first experience. Our home was the car where we were able to have conversations about the people and the places we encountered. The time for reflection was limited, the vastness of information overwhelming, which was most apparent in Annabelle's increasing need to be left alone. As an adult, I knew I just needed to get home and I was certain I can digest all of it eventually. A six-year old child can hardly calm herself that way. We were all lucky to be able to slow down at various points of our travel: Jonas arranged a biking tour in and around Fort Collins, we camped and watched the sunset at Wilson Lake, Vonnie and Gene welcomed to their beautiful home and yard, Emily put us up in her in-laws' empty house, Margaret and Merve fed us amazing salads, Chris and Mark hosted us in their old house that has seen so much history, and at the end, Jess and Stout arranged a gentle day on the river for us.

Throughout our travels there was music, an essential for me on any trip. Annabelle taught me the words for the central piece in Sound of Music, and Ryan, the three-year old with endless positive energy, requested to listen to the musical multiple times. I learned that I enjoy the musical Wizard of Oz much more than the book. What an opportunity to realize this while driving through Kansas! Also, I fell into a much needed resting state of reflection every time Kyla played "the sleepy song" in the hope Ryan would nap. Above all, and unforgettably, Gene entertained us with polkas and waltzes on his accordion and Mark left us speechless with his storytelling accompanied by his dulcimer play. These wonderful men told us about the life of immigrants lured to this continent by the mining industry in Kansas and Kentucky, respectively.

To me, Kyla's project, namely to interview people about their sense of home and community, added a whole different layer to our trip. Have you ever spent time near a person who makes you feel humble and at the same time inspires you? I thought I was a good listener... Kyla showed me how I can do it even better, just by being herself: busy as one can be with two small kids on a road trip, still, never too tired to turn an open heart and mind, with no judgements, toward the people she meets. I admire how she is able to talk about the issues she cares for passionately without putting pressure on her conversation partner. Together we encountered wonderful women who, in their own way, put significant effort into making other people's lives better. I am glad I had a chance to engage in conversation with all these women, and, perhaps not surprisingly, these experiences are helping me shape ideas about what my personal mission is and what I would like to do myself.

Even if we spent merely a day in some of these places, I created an image immediately. I feel better connected with my adopted country already. Just this morning, as the issue of closing hospitals was mentioned on NPR and how it impacts women in Missouri, I thought of the moms in that state who are very committed to fight for more sensible gun laws.

My faith is in communication. What worries me most is the ever widening gap between groups of people, enhanced by fear-installing politics. My goal is to facilitate communication among all sorts of people. I think it starts with listening and learning. I think I need to share some ideas soon with Kyla. :-)