The Peregrinos - Pioneer Spirit

As mentioned in my previous post

I crossed paths with the Peregrinos who renewed my hope and fascination with life this summer
I was reminded that there are always choices in how we react to situations
That we can complain, dwell and crumble in the face of adversity
Or do something about it
~

Traveling out West by train gave me a chance to bond with a few travelers
over shared beers and hours of talk
In an earlier post I mentioned the partially blind gentleman with cancer
who spoke about facing each obstacle with determination

About Nick who was leaving his home on the west coast to travel to the east coast in search of work
And Deena who was doing the same in the hopes of making a better life for herself and her children
People who are feeling the effects of a poor economy and pursuing other avenues

That train out West was filled with guys from different parts of the country
who were traveling to and from the oil fields in Williston, North Dakota
The small town now swelling with 'transplants' there to fill the many jobs available
My new buds, Bob and Dean, patiently described the process of fracking
where they drill down and horizontally into the rock where the oil is trapped
and shoot water into the rock through pipes to create cracks to release the oil
I won't bore you with all the details but let me just say
I was fascinated and my buds patiently answered all my questions

When my hubby and I headed East on the motorcycles we stayed in Towanda, Pennsylvania
another small town experiencing a boom in workers because of the natural gas found in the shale rock
Again I received a lesson in fracking
And this time I was able to experience the atmosphere of such a town
It feels like what the old western towns must have felt like during the gold rush
The only way to describe it is 'an electrically charged atmosphere'
that sense of something about to happen
Our hotel resembled more of a boarding house because of the amount of guys
coming and going during shift changes
We listened as the cop and bartender described how life has changed in this once sleepy town
how cramming so many 'transplants' from around the country into one tiny town
creates huge problems as well as great economic opportunities

Bob and Dean spoke to me about the various jobs they've held
construction contractors, dairy farming, cross country truck drivers, managers
how they've moved around the country in pursuit of better opportunities
and even love (yep, they have a soft heart)
What I found in my travels was that I don't have to listen to the doom and gloomers
That there is a pioneering spirit in this country
That it's fascinating to hear the stories and meet these people
That I'm in awe of how resilient people are
And have a renewed sense of pride in my own parents who came here from Mexico

About a week ago I heard from one of my new buds

He's moving again...to start a new life with his lovely lady

He admitted to being nervous but is taking the chance

Because that's what life is about isn't it?

We grow by taking chances

Each step moving us forward in this wonderful journey