day 02.
Morninggggggg! I woke up and felt silly for being anxious about staying in the camper. It. was. lovely. The bed was perfect. It was a bit cold after having the car off for a few hours thru the night, but other than that I was completely comfortable and rested. I woke up, explored some of the rocks by the campsite (it was always a surprise waking up after arriving after dark). Seeing the sun rise in Utah for the first time had me feeling super excited and ready to dive into this pool of adventure. Even though I bought bacon and eggs, I realized that me actually making breakfast was a stretch (even for me in the comforts of my apartment in Atlanta). I opted for tea, cereal and a banana. I took the scenic drive through Arches National Park and it was everything I imagined it would be. I had the constant “wowwwww”’s going through my head with every stop.
For the most part, driving through these amazing parks took me about 3 hours. Stopping to take pictures or stopping to go on short hikes to gorgeous overlooks. I was geeked to use my tripod, and at first, I tried taking flicks using the remote it came with, with my phone in portrait-scape. But it was so windy, it was constantly falling over, which I didn’t care about until my back camera shattered (I know, devastating, and you probably *gasped* reading that, cause wtf, it was my first real day of the trip). God was with me, and somehow it cracked perfectly around the lens of the camera, and I could still use it. Now that I’m home I can’t even imagine all the pics I would’ve missed out on if it cracked the actual lens. This reminds me though, lemme make an appt with the Genius Bar lololol.
On my last stop out of the park, I met a v nice man. Prior to arriving in Utah, I told myself (and my loved ones) I wouldn’t tell *ANYONE* that I was traveling alone. That (unfortunately) quickly changed. My advice here, is just use discernment. I never offered up that information, but to the people that actually asked, I went off pure vibes on disclosing that information. Anyway, I digress (shoutout to Mr. Salley, my homeroom teacher/track coach who always said this). He was v kind, and asked me if I was traveling alone because his daughter was v eager to travel alone, but didn’t have any idea about how to plan out an itinerary. He gave me his business card and asked me to send him my iterinary for his daughter, (another which reminds me I need to send it, cause I definitely wasn’t going to until I finished it). I dropped my phone in a puddle while talking to him, and once again, thank goodness God had me covered, otherwise idk what would’ve happened if I had water damage.
I thought I might have been able to go back and get through Dead Horse State Park, and that was ambitious cause, you know I was “behind schedule.”
From there I drove to Monument Valley. I got there too late to do the scenic loop (closes at 2 pm in the winter and 4 pm in summer). After arriving after dark the night before, I decided to go to the campground and peep the lay of the land in daylight first this time. Check in was smooth, full showers and hookups @ Goulding’s RV Park. The girl behind the counter suggested Forrest Gump Point for sunset, and I listened! It was beautiful!!!
I had gotten some firewood when I checked in…trying new things, amiright?! So when I came back, I deadass got a fire started. No fire sticks or fluid!! I felt like a true camper at this point. Lol. I cooked some dinner (read: soup), and sat by the fire and ate, then journaled and prayed and knocked out early.
I started this myself!
I am a fire sign, and I do have a lighter business, but it never dawned on me how much I like fire. How fascinating it is. I made this fire, and journaled my heart out to myself, before my next year of life.
It was special, and I really loved this night.
THE BIG DAY WAS ONLY A FEW SHORT HOURS AWAY!! =P
