Chasing Adventure

Since the time when my kids were little, I have learned to take an opportunity for adventure and respond to any desire requiring additional energy output. Justification for not doing things will always be present, and it's far too easy for me to conclude that duty ought to override pleasure.

But not this time. If I were not mindful of how fleeting these days are with each of my kids, and how soon my opportunities will change, perhaps I would not take a chance at epic memory making. An unusual summer is making way for unusual opportunity, and one such opportunity was to spontaneously take a trip to Zion National Park.

Andrew was the perfect companion and the only one available, since spontaneous vacation from work weren't possible for Jon and my older teens, and Jacob was still recovering in a knee brace. But really, Andrew was the PERFECT companion in every respect. We had the most perfect time adventuring together. In all likelihood, he will be joining the workforce next summer and won't have the same flexibility for such trips again, so that alone was motivation to just GO!

In the midst of all the Covid-19 closures, and all the resulting limitations, we made our best plans, devised some hardcore adventuring strategies, and took off with confidence that no matter how our plans unfolded, there could only be good times. Truly, closures and limitations provided some significant risk that we would not accomplish what we had set out to do, but we prayed expectantly and watched the kindness of God unfold in the most extravagant ways each and every day. This kindness of God– along with the majestic display of his splendor in creation– was the primary takeaway of our trip.

We packed our food, listened to tunes, drove fast, and stopped when we wanted for pictures as we crossed through four states. We maxed out our time and slept minimally. The following pictures were from our first day (which was mostly travel) and some romping around after official park hours. 

No camera could capture the splendor. I urge you to go and see for yourself, if possible!

It felt like Andrew and I shared a brain. Not only were we very aligned on where to go and how to spend our time, we frequently discovered we were both thinking the exact same random thing at the very same time. It was easy to just be; easy to be freely at ease around him.

We wondered what every crevice must look like up close, how deep each cave might go, and how the views must be from every mountaintop. We googled "canyoneering" from the hotel.

Like me, Andrew has discovered the fun (and challenge) of being upside down. Also like me, we think normal poses are overrated. I stood poised by the truck for a moment until that seemed too ordinary.

We pulled over that first evening over and over again, too captivated by the beauty to simply drive through. Then it was back to our room for some re-packing and for the rehearsal of our game plan before a few hours of shut-eye...

I will try to post our second day pictures soon!

~Katherine