{"id":168,"date":"2015-11-08T17:30:35","date_gmt":"2015-11-08T17:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/philturk.net\/?p=168"},"modified":"2025-01-19T23:32:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-19T23:32:53","slug":"farewell-to-lei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philturk.net\/index.php\/2015\/11\/08\/farewell-to-lei\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell to Lei"},"content":{"rendered":"

The past few days yielded some great hiking and even a taste of adventure. \u00a0At the beginning of this year, I had the pleasure of meeting a young man, Lei Zou, through the Confucius Institute at Colorado State University where he was a teacher. \u00a0In short order, we got along really well. \u00a0With his appointment ending very soon and his return to China, we decided to spend a few days together in a celebration of our friendship.<\/p>\n

Last Friday, we went on an 11-mile loop hike at Red Mountain Open Space<\/a>. \u00a0About one hour north of Fort Collins, this area is characterized by lots of red bluffs, canyons, and washes, punctuated with open expanses of grassland. \u00a0The fall weather alternated between sun and snow as we circled from Colorado, into Wyoming, and back into Colorado again. \u00a0The only company on the trail were cattle off in the distance … this area is that remote.<\/p>\n

The next day was a far taller task, entailing a logistically difficult, lengthy\u00a0hike I had been longing to do ever since I arrived in Fort Collins last summer. \u00a0Early in the morning, we successfully convinced an Uber driver to drive us\u00a0several miles west of Loveland. \u00a0We set off along the Devil’s Backbone<\/a> heading north. \u00a0Lei is a really strong hiker so the pace was quick. \u00a0We passed tall cliffs to our right and zigzagged along the flanks and the bottom. \u00a0After several hours, we crossed into Horsetooth Mountain<\/a>\u00a0where the terrain opened up quite a bit. \u00a0The sun came out and warmed us as we continued north. \u00a0Eventually, we crossed into Lory State Park<\/a> and walked past Arthur’s Rock and Horsetooth Reservoir up to the visitor’s center. \u00a0All together, I’d guess this to be about a 17-mile hike, at least the way that we came. \u00a0Lightning struck twice as we were lucky enough to find an Uber driver willing to come out from Fort Collins to pick us up \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Saying goodbye, at least temporarily, is never easy. \u00a0However, I could not think of a better way to say goodbye to Lei than putting in some miles on the trail in the beauty of Colorado, basking in juicy conversation and plain silence. \u00a0We spent a lot of time together this year as Lei learned to drive and taught me Chinese. \u00a0I can get a good read on people, especially when I spend this much time with them. \u00a0While there are many positive qualities about Lei, two of them consistently shined brightly. \u00a0First, I have always been impressed with his integrity and commitment to his values. \u00a0He is unique in the sense that he really stops to think about what he stands for and what type of future he envisions for himself. \u00a0There is, and will be, no aimless drifting through life\u00a0with him; he has goals in mind that are fueled by his values and is keeping the target squarely in his sights. \u00a0Secondly, Lei is the rare, young person who is mature beyond his years. \u00a0He is progressing in all three phases of the game — mind, body, and spirit. \u00a0Beneath the surface of his calm demeanor, I can truly see someone who is starting to develop self-awareness and depth of thought, and will continue on this path.<\/p>\n

Sometimes in life, you are blessed and the right people come into your life at the right place, the right time, and, most importantly, for the right reasons. \u00a0I got lucky this year. \u00a0Time is flying by and, saying this respectfully, I am careful about how I spend this most precious commodity and whom I spend it with. \u00a0Thank you, Lei, for adding to my growth and making me better. \u00a0May the Universe bless you always …<\/p>\n

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