I had a dream about my grandmother during the summer of 2020 amidst the early unknowns of the COVID pandemic, before I moved into the van. In my dream we were laying on the floor looking over a map of Scotland and she pointed out towns that I should visit and highlighted a 100 mile route by tracing her finger roughly over the way that I should run. From my perspective in the dream the route looked to be on the east side of the country.
We called her Grams, at her preference, and once a summer we would get to go visit her at her southern California condo on the hill with the view and also share time at my Aunt’s who lived closer to LA. I remember her taking us to make jewelry and putting Sun-In in our hair at the beach. Each evening she’d have a brown drink with a large ice cube and we’d eat off of tv trays in front of the television. I only visited a couple of times once I was old enough to fly alone, and before I got too busy with sports, dance team and boys. She lived an independent, socially active life until she abruptly passed away at 76 when I was 18 years old, 3 years before I became aware of ultrarunning and the life that would unfold for me.
When I woke up from the dream it was as if she was still in the room. Her presence was so strong in my dream I could feel her reaching across my shoulder to point out specifics on the map. Before I got out of bed I ordered a map of Scotland.
I met a friend for a run first thing that morning and was so excited to tell her about my dream. She shared about her experience hiking the 100 mile West Highland Way and that I would love it! I said it sounded cool, but the route Grams pointed out in my dream was on the east side of the country. Maybe I could check out both.
A couple of nights later I lay in bed looking at the map of Scotland I remember feeling confused and a bit disappointed. The shape of the country looked nothing like the map Grams had showed me (in my dream). I couldn’t make sense of it. I tossed it aside to read my book. A couple of pages later, I went to turn off my headlamp (I prefer to read by headlamp where ever I am) and glanced at the, now upside down, map and was startled to see the shape unfold for me. I could make out the lines she drew with her fingers and recognized my perspective. This meant the West Highland Way was on the side of the map Grams had pointed at. My body flushed with goosebumps.
With the state of the world I knew I couldn’t leave as soon as I wanted, but this has been brewing in my mind since.
Fast forward to this summer. From July 8 to September 16 I helped two dear friends, John and Kathleen, as the fixer on their PNT thru-hike. I got to finish out the route with them along the Olympic Peninsula coast line mid September. On one of our long days of hiking they shared that they would only be home for a couple of weeks before heading off to Europe, including a stop in Scotland. My brain came alive and I shared the story of the dream. I have traveled to Thailand (where I was the magistrate at their barefoot beach wedding) and more recently (2019) to Iran with them. I promptly invited myself along and just as quickly they asked if they could join me on the trail.
Rolling with the inertia started on the trail I found flights and was able to use miles to purchase tickets and will continue to follow up on COVID travel protocols. I even packed my pack over a week early. I meet up with Kathleen and John in Edinburgh on October 20, and the way our days are planning out we should be on or just finishing the West Highland Way on my 44th birthday. I am so thankful for this opportunity to honor Grams.