Jessie and I have shared a balance of new experiences and reflective moments on the road. One of those new experiences was camping. I should clarify. I have been camping before, once or twice. But, did I have to do any of the packing or setup? No. Did I even have to think about it? No. Was it cold out? No. Did I still complain? Whatever.

We made our ascent from Wells, Nevada to Angel Lake just after sunset. The 3,000-foot climb was stunning. I won’t even try to describe it. Behold…

If you couldn’t tell, it was COLD. Temperatures dipped into the mid-20s that night.

As we pulled into the campsite, an instinct arose in me that I haven’t experienced before, at least not to this degree, and it was this: I need to protect Jessie. It was my job to get the tent up as quickly as I could and make sure she was inside and well-insulated. Butting up against this instinct was my lack of experience, which made for a stressful half-hour. Eventually, we were settled in and warm.

That night felt big. Maybe those of you who camp often have become comfortable with sleeping outdoors. Comfort was far from my experience. The air was thin and sharp, sending me into moments of panic as I tried to drift off. Katabatic winds, flowing down from the nearby icy peaks, seemed wild and untamed as they rushed through the sparse trees and hearty brush. Really, I felt small and vulnerable as we attempted to sleep.

The full beauty of the area was revealed in the morning glow.

Have you ever played the game, Hey Cow? The idea is to yell “Hey Cow!” at the top of your lungs and then keep track of how many heads turn your way. Whoever received the most looks at the end of the day wins. Credit for the game goes to Caitlin Smith. Thanks to Caitlin, we have yelled the obnoxious greeting to many a bovine.

One of our victims was the bull below. Majestic in his stance, we almost dismissed him for a statue as we came down the mountain from our campsite. When we realized he was living, we pulled over, and I got an easy point to Jessie’s disappointment.

We headed east from Nevada toward Salt Lake City. We made one stop along the way at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Nothing too eventful happened here, we just wanted to share the remarkable landscape.

Salt Lake City holds a lot of significance for me. Four years ago, I was gearing up to attend the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. I would have been studying meteorology, attending the Honors College, and living in the Marriott Dorms.  I would have joined my Living Learning Community for rock climbing, hiking, or camping every weekend. I even had my classes picked for my first semester. It meant a great deal to me to return to this place four years later to remember what I felt the first time it sunk in that this could be home.

Honestly, there’s not quite the word to describe the experience of realizing what could have so easily been the path I took and comparing it to what has been my journey these past four years. I have come to know and love Bellingham, but I could have so easily come to know and love Salt Lake City in the same way. I have undergone immense growth spiritually, emotionally, and functionally in my time at WWU, but I could have so easily have undergone a uniquely transformative time at U of U. I have made great friendships and experienced beautiful and healthy communities in the city by the salty bay, but I could have so easily made other friends and experienced uniquely rich communities in the city by the salty lake. Maybe you have experienced this as well. I don’t really know what to do with these realizations and the emotions that arise, except be immensely grateful for what has happened. And that, I am!

The walk down memory lane ended with a hike in the Wasatch Mountains above campus. You may have read about the intricate details and emotional toll of this hike in “We Must Go On,” all of which was 100% accurate and true…

We want to close this blog by giving a shout out to Darla! She very kindly let us stay in her home near Salt Lake City, despite never meeting us in advance. We have been surprised by very kind people throughout our travels and Darla is a standout example!

It’s been hot for the past several days in Clark. On Saturday the heat index read 107 degrees. More thunderstorms are possible later this week. Details about the second half of our travels are soon to come.