The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Tony Palacio will tell you he’s not a writer; not even a storyteller. But the ground he’s walked, people he’s met, and places he’s laid his head are rich with stories. Describing himself as nomadic, Palacio grew up in broken homes, foster homes, and shelters.

“Being nomadic became natural to me,” he said.

His journey to Oregon began in Florida. He knew if he didn’t leave, his life would spiral beyond his control. Before it was too late, he gathered a small kit, which he would later realize was insignificant, and headed west. He had a plan, but he soon understood, the universe had another.

He learned listening to inner wisdom revealed unknown paths with better destinations than he could imagine. His journey away from a difficult past was circuitous, puzzling, and affirming. He met lifelong friends, spent time with generous strangers, and found a walking partner in the small bundle of a wise, rambunctious puppy he’d later name Nature.

As he grew, it was clear that Nature was a natural-born therapy dog. He has worked with veterans and folks who are physically challenged, and loves visiting local retirement homes.

Palacio’s odyssey with Nature crossed desolate territory with landscapes that tested their endurance.

“Near Winnemucca, it was one hill after another. We’d get to the top of a hill and realize there’s nothing there.”

All he and Nature could do was start down the other side and hope the next hill would lead them to a safe place to rest.

“You’re up and you’re down. It’s like an analogy for life,” said Palacio during a break at his job at The Lodge in Sisters.

At The Lodge, Nature visits residents and Palacio works in the kitchen. They’ve lived in Central Oregon for the last 10 years, except when Palacio is doing work as a wildland firefighter.

Memories of their adventures on the road are still fresh for Palacio.

“I look back on our walk and the trials and tribulations we went through,” he said. “I learned if you keep going, you get what you need; if you trust in whatever you believe in. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, the Universe will say, ‘Here you go.’”

Palacio left Florida right after Valentine’s Day in 2011. Newly single, he knew it was time to leave.

“It was suddenly just me. My mistakes, my own blame and sorrow, and a big pity-party were running around in my head,” he recalled.

No stranger to being alone and moving often, a walk across the country seemed like a good way to find answers.

Before his walk across the U.S., he had a little computer business in Florida. Not really happy with how his life was going, he knew his choices hadn’t been the best.

“I knew there was something else out there, but I didn’t know where I’d find it,” he said. “Obviously, I wanted to find it in myself and challenge myself a little bit. It got to the point where I had two options. The first option wasn’t a good one at all. The second one was the one I went with, which meant heading west.”

Palacio packed a backpack that he got from Walmart with what he thought he’d need on the journey. He carried basic survival supplies, like a snakebite kit, an emergency shelter, some canned goods (which he learned was a really bad idea when you’re walking hundreds of miles).

“I didn’t have a tent, but I did have a sleeping bag. I had a gallon jug of water and that was my kit. I just started walking,” he said, laughing at his first attempts at packing.

After walking through Florida, Palacio went through Louisiana, where he saw all kinds of activities going on after Hurricane Katrina. He helped out for a week, then walked to Texas, and up in New Mexico. He decided to live for a while in Taos and Ruidoso, where he met some new friends and found out about wildland fire work.

Some memories remain fresh, like the pain and pleasure of a cold drink while sitting next to burning asphalt. He was walking between Roswell, Arizona and Ruidoso, New Mexico on Highway 70. He’d probably walked 15 miles that day. The blisters on his feet were so bad he had to force every step. All he wanted was to find shelter before it got dark. The highway was long and extremely desolate with nothing on either side except fences, cow pastures, and hills. The miles and miles of nothingness went on forever. All he had to look forward to was ascending the next hill and the hope it led to someplace to sleep in peace and safety.

“I was sitting on the side of the road when a road construction crew drove up and asked if I was okay. I said I was and that I was just resting. They mentioned they’d seen me walking the prior day but couldn’t stop. The gentleman asked if I was thirsty and of course I said yes, because even at 6 p.m. it was 80-plus degrees… or at least it felt like it,” he said.

The man reached into a cooler and tossed Palacio a can of very cold soda, with bits of ice coming off it. He said goodbye and took off down the road.

“I sat on the side of the road in the heat, with sore legs, an aching back, and those damned blisters, but nothing mattered once I popped the top and took the first sip. Let’s just say it was beyond refreshing,” he said.

Sometimes, Palacio tried to hitchhike but also just wanted to keep walking.

“I felt if I hitchhiked, I was still looking for someone to help me again,” he said. “I really wanted to do it on my own. If I really needed help, I would definitely ask for it. I met a lot of amazing people across the United States, some who are still great friends of mine. I talk to them more than most people locally. For some reason, those random people that I met on my journey are still there and we still communicate, which is awesome.”

Palacio is heading out next month for a job in Idaho doing wildland firefighting. Palacio will be protecting subdivisions and possibly doing engine work. At 41 years old, he’s ready for a job that doesn’t require keeping up with 18-to-20-year-olds. Nature will remain in Sisters while he’s away. He’s looking for a caretaker for Nature while he’s gone. He’s not sure of the duration; that all depends on how fire season unfolds.

Nature and Palacio are a forever family. Only work can separate the two. Palacio knows Nature will provide love and comfort wherever he’s living. That’s his gift, given freely to everyone he meets.