Day 18-
I am going to change my life.
I like signs.
I wanted to know what the speed limit was. I sure found out - I got pulled over for speeding Wyoming. They searched our entire van. They were really kind. It was the first time I ever sat in the back of a police vehicle. Maybe it was the hoops in the back of the car, my green hair, and the tie-dye I was wearing.
I still broke the law. They left us with a citation and let us go. I learned. It was exactly what I needed in my life. A reminder. Treachery of beauty. Distractions.
Take your time to enjoy the scenery. Enjoy your surroundings. There was no rush. Nowhere to be. We had actually configured an extra day - that time was spent with Wyoming State Patrols in the middle of nowhere.
Our day began early at Devils Tower in Wyoming. We complete an early morning hike before getting on our way towards Yellowstone National Park tonight. Devils Tower was impressive. A sacred sight, it scared me and set the tone for the day. I didn't quite understand how it was standing. Land eroded around a magma plug for thousands of year. I learned that many of the sites we drove past were dated to their prehistoric existence. Dinosaurs began to make sense.
Once upon a time, there were rivers, oceans, volcanoes. Today we have mountains and plains, valleys and creeks.
I drove the entire day, we drove through 3 scenic byways: US-16, US-212, US-14... not sure exactly in which order.
We stopped by a lake shore to rest in Big Horn National Forest. The field of flowers was gorgeous. Purple and little white flowers filled the field by the lake. The sun was shinning and everything was perfect. Families were fishing. We sat by the lake and reflected on life. Fear of the unknown. being both scared and excited by all that life has in store ahead.
Carrying our excitement and taking in all the beauty, we continued on the journey. Life was so beautiful and amazing that I failed to find the speed limit. Life felt limitless. I learned how to use the speed cruiser. I thought that the speed limit was 75~80 mph. I was wrong.
I accelerated and passed the wrong car. I forgot to adjust the speed back down and had to pull over when that car began to flash lights behind me.
It was okay. I found peace during the situation. The officer was doing his job. I was thankful for his care and leniency. We had both gone to the same University. After the entire ordeal, I smiled. I was happy. Sure a citation is unfortunate but I accept it. It was ironic and hilarious. It was what it was and everything happens for a reason.
During the ride, after adjusting my outlook on life, I began to attach new memories to an album that has had heavy emotional significance to me. I let go of past memories. Grateful for all of them. Grateful for their significance. Now I saw life ahead of me. On a journey. Heading west. Staying illuminated. The future was out there. It was bright and oh so beautiful.
"My dearest friend, you'll soon begin to love again."
Devendra Banhart - My Dearest Friend - Thunder Rolls Down Smokey Canyon
History was behind us. Life is amazing. I am thankful.
(Moment hit me as we drove by the Jim Bridger Trail)
4 hours left, we proceed down the most beautiful route in the United States. Turns and curves, ups and downs, snow covered mountains, deep valleys - it became our own self guided tour of America. That is what this has really always been. Forging our own path. Every turn presented a different perspective on our landscape. I understood everything. I knew nothing.
We listened to Devendra the entire time. It was exactly what I needed in that moment. I felt so happy.
Eventually, we arrived to Yellowstone. We explored and wondered. We adventured, trying to find a campsite for the night. Now, here I am with a beverage in hand, sitting under the stars with a flash light. We saw beautiful bison! I had been getting depressed for the past few days knowing that the plains that had been dominated by them were populated by cattle instead. Bison were hunted to near extinction. The best part was seeing A BEAR IN A FIELD OF WILD FLOWERS AT SUNSET!
Tomorrow will begin our first full day of adventure at Yellowstone National Park. Tonight I will sleep in my makeshift bed across the back seat of my minivan. Our second night in the van.
Showing posts with label Devil's Tower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devil's Tower. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2014
7.4.14 American Independence Day!
Day 17-
Driving overnight from Wisconsin to South Dakota was miserable! We completed so much on the previous day with little rest. There was very little rest on this night too. I began to see things in the distance. Even when we traded we driver - passenger/sleeper roles, I had strange visions in my dreams. One of which was a faceless Virgin Mary. I blame that on Rene Magritte. We saw the sun rise over the plains.
Eventually after multiple shifts, we arrived to the Badlands of South Dakota. They were beautiful! unreal! I couldn't comprehend. How did all these formations exist?
We walked around a loop and then found the Notch Trail. It was fun to pretend we were on a treasure hunt, searching for trail markers. I don't have much experience hiking but I am interested. We walked along the trail not knowing exactly which direction to go, knowing that we would soon find an answer. Life. That is how it is. once we reached the end of the trail, Christina faced her fear of heights and began to climb higher. It was a good experience. We were free to explore at dawn.
After Badlands, we continued to celebrate Independence day at Mount Rushmore. I was not a fan. I did not understand why someone would carve these faces on this mountain of all places. There were so many people. I didn't care enough. The carving techniques were interesting.
We stopped by Gillette,Wyoming for food. We needed more salad in our bodies. We found Smiling Moose Deli and spent a good two hours eating our Ancho Chipotle Lime Salads and relaxing. We needed to restock on supplies before we headed into Yellowstone National park the next day. We found an amazing sale at Rue 21 across the street. I found pants for $5. I was refreshing my wardrobe for this year. I intended to let go of the majority of the clothes that I brought with me in this trip. I had to throw away some pieces and I had a lot to give away. I am ready for new beginnings. We also stopped by Walmart. I love dehydrated veggies, almonds, and dried mango. I liked Gillette.
Once ready, we drove to Devil's Tower to camp for the night. We arrived and didn't know where to park or where to go we just pulled over along the side of the road with other spectators. we were not aware that they would host a firework show at Devil's Tower. We were exhausted and saw the explosions from our car. I got dark and we decided to sleep in the car. It would be our first night sleeping in the minivan. Stars were amazing in the open night sky.
Driving overnight from Wisconsin to South Dakota was miserable! We completed so much on the previous day with little rest. There was very little rest on this night too. I began to see things in the distance. Even when we traded we driver - passenger/sleeper roles, I had strange visions in my dreams. One of which was a faceless Virgin Mary. I blame that on Rene Magritte. We saw the sun rise over the plains.
Eventually after multiple shifts, we arrived to the Badlands of South Dakota. They were beautiful! unreal! I couldn't comprehend. How did all these formations exist?
We walked around a loop and then found the Notch Trail. It was fun to pretend we were on a treasure hunt, searching for trail markers. I don't have much experience hiking but I am interested. We walked along the trail not knowing exactly which direction to go, knowing that we would soon find an answer. Life. That is how it is. once we reached the end of the trail, Christina faced her fear of heights and began to climb higher. It was a good experience. We were free to explore at dawn.
After Badlands, we continued to celebrate Independence day at Mount Rushmore. I was not a fan. I did not understand why someone would carve these faces on this mountain of all places. There were so many people. I didn't care enough. The carving techniques were interesting.
We stopped by Gillette,Wyoming for food. We needed more salad in our bodies. We found Smiling Moose Deli and spent a good two hours eating our Ancho Chipotle Lime Salads and relaxing. We needed to restock on supplies before we headed into Yellowstone National park the next day. We found an amazing sale at Rue 21 across the street. I found pants for $5. I was refreshing my wardrobe for this year. I intended to let go of the majority of the clothes that I brought with me in this trip. I had to throw away some pieces and I had a lot to give away. I am ready for new beginnings. We also stopped by Walmart. I love dehydrated veggies, almonds, and dried mango. I liked Gillette.
Once ready, we drove to Devil's Tower to camp for the night. We arrived and didn't know where to park or where to go we just pulled over along the side of the road with other spectators. we were not aware that they would host a firework show at Devil's Tower. We were exhausted and saw the explosions from our car. I got dark and we decided to sleep in the car. It would be our first night sleeping in the minivan. Stars were amazing in the open night sky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)