Coming back to Utah and discovering a few more National Parks has been quite a different experience from a few weeks ago: this time I didn’t have to go backcountry to find quiet, in the middle of nowhere, challenging but rewarding hikes.
Canyonlands NP ended up offering one of the most fun so far (despite the blazing 100 degrees) in a surreal landscape of red rocks: marked only at intersections, following the cairns felt like a treasure hunt with a grand finale view at the top - I’m happy to report I didn’t get lost, although inadvertently added 1.8 miles to an already quite long 11-mile little stroll.
I’ve then seen more Arches than I ever want to see again and I’ve had a good fix of sunrises, so I’m ready to move on to a new state with more trees and rivers for a change.
Hikes and drives apart, not very much is happening in my little mobile world. The simplicity of life on the road and the necessity to focus on the essentials (finding a place to sleep, making sure I have enough water, gas, food and ice) suits me for now - I also happen to feel calmer, healthier, more creative, especially when it comes to problem solving (my current specialties include but are not limited to duct tape and safety pins), my mind seems clearer (for the most part), and I also realize that I enjoy writing although I haven’t found the time or the platform to do it more.
On the other hand, with so much time to think (and yet so little time to be bored), it can be hard not to worry about what’s next - so I keep practicing mindfulness to recentrer on the present when my mind wanders a little too far or a little too crazy, and I trust that things are somehow coming together in the back of my brain.
#myepicamericanroadtrip