July 2, 2015 – Crosslake, Minnesota

Better the devil you know…

…or is it?

I’m fully enthralled in conversation between Dallin, Kaia, and myself. We’ve taken a slight break from a lazy afternoon boating on the surrounding lakes. Cocktails flowing, we get into a discussion that touches on various subjects: our time together thus far, my life plan, and their daughter. Most significant in my mind, however, is the amount of effort it took from Mari to persuade Dallin to host me this summer.

I don’t ask him, but I wonder…why such hesitation? I try to imagine being in their position. They come from a completely different time in this country. They’ve worked hard their whole lives to achieve the American dream, and now it’s their time to enjoy their well deserved retirement. Socialize with friends. Focus on family. Would I take a chance in having a less enjoyable summer with some strange man living on my property?

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”

This mindset is why the idea of what I’m doing is so absurd and foreign in this country. We can be very afraid of change. Afraid to try something new.

But then Dallin tells me how happy he is with his decision. They tell me about how their friends, after hearing about our arrangement, are becoming jealous. Whether or not they are jealous for the right reasons doesn’t matter. What matters is that the idea is spreading. Maybe in the future, someone they know will host a traveler. Maybe the experience will change that traveler’s life. Maybe it will change their friends’ lives.

What a remarkably powerful thought.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi