First things first, and the most important thing first: this airline gets me!!! ➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️
But seriously, the polarity of this journey that goes from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other in a nanosecond, I had to take a picture of it.
Well, we did it! We survived and, may I dare say, enjoyed another week just the three of us. And his absence is still acutely felt. I imagine is like a puppy that has lost a leg and is now learning to walk on just three.
Ok, back to the trip and it was wild! Not like party-until-6am, with way too many drinks, and a handful of questionable choices. Wild as in, we went to completely different places, had a completely different kind of vacation, and got totally out of our comfort zone.🚵🏼♀️
For years, I had been telling my husband that we needed a vacation to the Southwest. I had been to the Grand Canyon as a child and wanted us to experience that as a family. I also lived in New Mexico where my romance with the outdoors blossomed. But this mega-urban family, living smack in the middle of the nation’s capital, would arrive at our time off exhausted from over scheduling, overachieving—ok, trying—and overstimulating our lives. We were always too tired to do that kind of vacation. “Someday,” we’d say.
So this girl 🙋🏻♀️, by some miracle from the gods of the teenage universe, got her teenagers to agree to it. We would do it: hike, bike, ride horses, stargaze. I was really nervexcited before our spring break. So excited to finally be doing one of my favorite things, and so nervous to do it alone, the only adult responsible for driving, coordinating, and the CEO of this trip- Chief Entertainment Officer. If you have teenagers or have been around teenagers you know, that job is not for the faint of heart!
That is wild.
This girl right here 🙋🏻♀️ drove almost a thousand miles between Phoenix, AZ, the Grand Canyon, Page, AZ—Antelope Canyon—Zion National Park, some hot springs, and back. What you need to know is that I NEVER drove on road trips. My baby knew I didn’t like driving long distances, at night, or in the rain. I would help here and there, but this was NOT my job. I almost couldn’t believe it, but I did it 🚘.
That is wild.
I especially loved the parts where there was no internet signal and the kids would start to freak out. “I told you, we are in the middle of nowhere”—insert imaginary evil laugh 😆— “Look at the mountains! Nothing I can do 🤷🏻♀️” I would say, secretly doing a yes! dance.
Being in the presence of the majestic masterpieces of nature does something to my soul. It’s like I can feel that inner joy exude from the inside out. The sights, the breeze, the sun. We biked around the Grand Canyon and it was glorious. We bathed in hot springs in the middle of the desert. We hiked Antelope Canyon. We drove and hiked through Zion. We rode horses up and down a mountain. And the kids enjoyed it!
It was wild!
The night we got to Zion I sat outside our cabin with a glass of wine, turned off the outside light, and just sat there by myself, marveling at the night sky. I thought about how it would’ve been. The two of us, the hubby and I, sitting there talking about everything and nothing, laughing, cuddling. I talked to God. I talked to my husband.
I miss him so much every day ❤️🩹.
As I sat under that million-star sky, I wondered: When did my life get so busy that I had to travel thousands of miles just to marvel at the night sky?
That is wild.
By no means was this a perfect vacation. There were a few meltdowns, arguments, and “Ally McBeal” -imaginary- moments where someone got punched in the face. (If you don’t know who Ally McBeal is google it and watch!)
And we created memories. And there was a little more joy than sadness. A few more good days than bad. A bit more ease than difficulty.
Maybe you need to read this today, from someone who didn’t think life was worth living without her person.
Hasta la próxima! Until next week
Peace.
