The Inuksuk...

You know, had I never had the opportunity to travel through Canada like I have, it's doubtful that I would've ever been exposed to the Inuksuk.

The origins of the Inuksuk are rooted in the Inuit culture, going back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The word comes from the morphemes inuk ("person") and -suk ("substitute"). They were often used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for travel routes, fishing places, camps and hunting grounds, among others. They let travelers know that others had come before them, and that the passage was safe. 

 

It's also believed that the Inuksuk would serve as a companion for a solitary traveler.

 

It is with this in mind that I now have this hanging from my rear view mirror:

This Inuksuk pendant now hangs from the rear view mirror of the Explorer...

 

So, earlier today, I got to spend some time with a good friend of mine, Pamela Howe. Pamela does traffic and news for KPRI 102.1 in San Diego nowadays, but she's been a fixture in San Diego radio for years. We met at Bad Ass Coffee in San Diego's North County:

And, if you must know, yes, it was bad-ass...

I told her about all the changes in my life, what my concerns were, but also what my hopes were. I've never known Pamela to not be really positive, and she always has a knack for seeing the bright side of things. She looks for what's good in any situation, and I admire that.

Hanging out with my good friend Pamela Howe...

Given what I'm preparing to do with my life, it was good to have a sane mind (well, relatively so) to bounce ideas off of. Of all the things we talked about, making the drive alone was one of the things I wished I could change. Maybe just talking about it influenced things. Maybe mentioning it was what was needed to change it.

I don't know where I got the pendant; probably somewhere in northern Alberta or British Columbia, but I originally thought I'd wear it around my neck. I just never got around to wearing it, though, and actually lost track of it for quite some time.

As I was packing things, though, I found it.

 

I have to believe there's a reason I found it.

As I'm starting a new chapter of my life, much of the journey will be made in solitude. As nerve-wracking as this will undoubtedly be sometimes, the Inuksuk will be there, right before me, hour after hour, mile after mile, to remind me that I'm not the first one to make this journey, I won't be the last and I'm not alone on my trip...