Summary

In “Change,” Kate dismantles an altar she has put together to honor various individuals and spirits in her life. Kate does this because she senses something in her life changing, particularly due to her age. She recalls how, on her fiftieth birthday, her knees began to creak. She compares this change to her lover, who is still physically unbothered by his age. Kate thinks of selling her house and contemplates how she cannot seem to get any work done. As a result, her concerned friends tell Kate she should find “a real river somewhere in the world” to travel (14).

Kate packs a small amount of camping equipment and schedules her trip to the Colorado River. Traveling with Kate is her friend, Avoa. When Kate leaves home, her lover, Yolo embraces her in goodbye. They both seem to acknowledge that when she returns, their relationship...