A Roadtrip Across the US part 1

I put the plan in motion. I opened my mind to the idea, and everything fell into place. I ended up having a friend who was able to come along! Within a week, I had all of our travel arrangements set and everything mapped out. We would be driving from Central Florida to Arizona and Utah to see the Grand Canyon and Mount Zion, and then all of the way back to Florida with a pit stop for a few hours to check out New Orleans, Louisiana. All in the course of eight days.

We drove seventeen hours straight the first day and ended up in Fort Worth Texas (not a fan). Day two was fifteen hours and got us all of the way to Flagstaff, Arizona (which I adored!). The day after that we drove for about three hours into the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was like driving around on another planet. The landscape was so alien to us! Where we are from everything is flat, brown and green, so the foreign reds, oranges and steep hills and canyons were so incredible to see in person. Pictures and videos just do not do it's grandeur justice! Temperatures were in the low 100's and we definitely felt it when we took a pit stop. But as hot as it was, it was still a relief to experience the dry heat compared to the humidity we are used to in Central Florida.

Once we drove through the canyon area, we ended up having to drive some fifty miles up into the mountain where the landscape completely changed again. Everything started to look straight out of our favorite fantasy movies or video games (picture Lord of the Rings, Elder Scrolls, The Witcher). Miles of pine trees, majestic little meadows! The temperature dropped, and the closer we got to our camp site, the further we seemed from reality. No more reds or oranges, just an abundance of every shade of green. 

We arrived at our camp site, a perfect little spot maybe 500 yards away from the north rim trail which had an incredible view of the Grand Canyon. Neither one of us have much experience camping as adults and our neighbor realized this as he watched us fumble with the tent we borrowed from my friend's father in law. He kindly came over and helped us set up, thank goodness! We got settled in and finally did some exploring.

 Later on while hiking along the north rim trail of the Grand Canyon, I can't stop thinking to myself "I am in my element!".This is all I have ever dreamed of. Hiking high up in the Mountains across the country, in new terrain and environments, hearing the chirping birds and the wind blowing through the canyons. Feeling completely at peace. Feeling strong and brave. I DID THIS. I made one of my dreams come true! I pushed through the obstacles I knew would arise. I have been anxious and scared and I have also been fearless and exhilarated.

Camping over night was hard. I had anxiety all night long. I couldn't breathe. I was afraid to get up and walk to the bathroom by myself. My back was killing me. It was very cold and I was worried about getting sick. I maybe got 3 hours of sleep? But as hard as it was, I'm glad I did it. It was an amazing experience, sleeping surrounded by nature. Sleeping 8 thousand feet in the air on a mountain! I haven't gone camping since I was a kid growing up in Wisconsin so it was very nostalgic for me. And it was so surreal being in so deep, being far away from things you're so used to and comfortable with. It was such a rewarding challenge that I will never forget.