I was digging up weeds, shaking out the soil from their roots, noticing the abundance of worms on this fertile piece of land that I call home, when the truck pulled up with my box of books. The driver put it in my outstretched arms and I felt the weight of it.

These weren’t proofs or my initial author copies (both of which were exciting when they arrived as well). These were the books I would be sending to my hosts and family. This was the book that would be available globally starting next Wednesday, March 20, the one-year anniversary of when I left on this journey.

This was the book I almost didn’t write after I returned from my 10,000-mile/16,100-kilometer journey because I didn’t think I had a story to tell that anyone would care about. And yet, there it was. It wasn’t just my story anymore.

I dropped my head into my hands and felt the tears come immediately. I almost quit. I almost quit the journey so many times. I almost quit writing. I almost quit life.

And yet, here we are.

Here we are.

Thank you for joining me.

Trust the journey — Pattie