While traveling last month, it was too challenging to post here at JS, so I posted some at Facebook. These entries are choppy but still a good overview. I spent a lot of time with family and loved every moment. I still haven't organized my photos and words featuring my 6 days of train travel. The entire trip was a success. I know it's odd, but some of the most memorable moments of my trip were the ordinary observations I discovered.

I've added quite a bit to this portion of my journey - additional information about my seatmate.

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The last leg of my trip to LA was by bus from Bakersfield to Union Station in LA. I type while nestled in a comfortable lounge chair, sipping a cold beverage, and about to peel an orange. All my machines are recharging. My lungs' insatiable need for supplemental oxygen can become challenging, but I always manage to find a place to plug in.

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As we crossed the Grapevine, I'm reminded that years ago I fell in love with California long before I saw the ocean.

Zooming along with Boris at the wheel of our bus, I felt my ears popping and realized we were reaching elevations when supplement oxygen would be required. I found the nosepiece of my cannula on the floor of the bus. *sigh* You couldn't begin to imagine the places I've dragged my nose piece through. I simply wiped it off and installed it.

There was a time years back when we drove the Grapevine - when Christo dotted the mountains & canyons with yellow umbrellas. I love this rugged & scrubby landscape.

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My companion on the bus trip was a very very frail man. I learned he was recovering from a heart attack. I could also tell he was recovering from a broken heart. My intuitions were correct.

Dan Tanner is an Army Veteran. He served in Korea and Vietnam. This past April 6th, 7th, and 8th is was one of 75 people on the Kern County Honor Flight to Washington, DC. They all received the Wartime Medal, but Dan was the only soldier to receive a Purple Heart. He was so surprised. I scribbled furiously as we were jounced and jostled in our seats so some of the following may be inaccurate. He was a member of the 8th Army Tomahawk TDC Korea when his eyes were injured. Bless him. He was so excited that I was interested in is story and accommodated my requests for photos.

I felt so privileged to be seated next to this humble man. He lost his wife two years ago. He lost a daughter, too. And several of his other children are not doing well.

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What I didn't include in my post is that this man was fleeing a bad situation. His daughter died from meth addiction and his two sons are also addicts. The two sons have stolen just about everything of value from this shattered man - they even tried to sell his Purple Heart medal. *sigh* After his heart attack, elder abuse became a problem. So, he simply walked away from his home and was traveling to Colorado to live with another son.

I gave a broken person an unbroken moment. I treated my seatmate with the utmost respect - genuinely attentive as he enthusiastically talked about the grand experience he'd had in Washington DC and the awards received. It was at the end of his story that he told me about the meth addiction that has devastated his family.

His life is so tiny.