Utah

I've been home less than a week, but it already feels like so very long ago! 

The landscape in Utah is totally foreign to me and it lifts my spirits to see it. I loved spending time with my girl, and seeing her relate to the other women in an independent way. I had several enjoyable conversations with the other gutsy women on the trip, including (as sometimes happens) a few notes that have stuck with me and changed the way I think and act on a few subjects. I had trained for the trip, walking and hiking and even practicing up and down rocks and hills with hiking poles, and was perfectly capable of going the distance. It was good to get away!

 

 But, this trip was good, very good, but not fabulous. The travel out to Utah was tedious, delayed, full of angst about catching flights or missing connections, with rental car problems. The first day I had a migraine. There were too many people, and that led to much standing around, and a lot of noise. (Imagine five vehicles pulling into a park parking lot, twenty-five women who have been hiking or running all morning pile out, and there is a two-toilet bathroom there.) The weather was unseasonably cold and very changeable, and so the group itinerary was continually and confusingly updated on the fly. The trip home was very long but at least calm and uneventful. And all the time together out there was joyous and good-natured, and I am glad we went.The time with my girl was priceless.

I dream of getting the whole family out to this area, perhaps combined with a couple days in Las Vegas. We could have a few days of just us staying in our own place, guided by the woman who has organized this, Shanti Hodges of Wild Utah Tours. This is a very do-able dream, and I'm going to start working on it.