#429: SPOTLIGHT: Corey Loftus

#429: Corey Loftus 

June 3, 2025

A Backbeat of Community

Question for Corey:

Can you recall a specific moment in the last four months that you were in what you would consider to be “nature” and thought or felt for at least a split second that “maybe all is actually right with the world” ?
 

Corey's Response: 

I was in Japan with my family over New Year’s. One of the imperative itinerary items was visiting Jigokudani Park in Nagano Prefecture to see the Snow Monkeys. We'd all seen photos of them before, and it was one of the first things we all agreed was a must-do.

We woke up early, stopped in town for breakfast, then took the bus to the main park entrance. It was a 45 minutes bus ride, then a mile walk to the pedestrian entrance. The big gates (photo) invited us to start on the actual trek in the park to the monkey hot springs.

It was sunny, but boots or crampons were essential for the longer walk; it was still snowy and icy from the overnight flurries. Up to this point, the whole journey had been about getting there. The world beyond the gates was magical: the air was crisp and fresh, the tall Japanese cedar trees emanated peace and grounding, and the pristine path created a sense of order and direction. The time all four of us spent walking together included snowball fights, deep talks of future hopes, and shared loving silence.

I appreciated the time spent on the journey. Seeing the monkeys was cool -- having deep quality time with my family made it even better.

(Of course I'm including photos of us with the monkeys, as well)