Making Adjustments

It’s well headed into April. I thought the last time I posted was in October, 2018 but when I checked again, the last post was actually posted in August. My bad. Obviously, I have been busy with traveling for fun and also just feeling extremely burned out from work. I’m not the type that does New Year Resolutions but as I entered the new year, I realized I needed to make a lot of adjustments and I’m still in the process of doing so.

Last October, I went on my first real solo trip into the beautiful Southwest. I spent 2 months planning the trip. I know there are some people that plan it way more advance. However, I wasn’t trying to win the lottery to hike Half Dome or get my spot on The Wonderland Trail, I felt like 2 months was definitely sufficient in planning the trip (besides, I was able to snatch up some amazing camp spots).

Initially, I wasn’t planning on visiting the Mighty 5 in Utah because I didn’t think there was enough time. The premise of not having enough time is still valid because I definitely thought I flew by all the parks and wish I had spent more time at each one. Nonetheless, there’s always a reason to go back. Plus, it was my first excursion into the world of camping. I grew up in a very urban area - despite having lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost a decade, I recently discovered how much camping has to offer. I ended up stopping by the Mighty 5. My first stop was Zion, then Bryce Canyon, I almost skipped Capitol Reef but then I was already right there on Highway 12 which essentially cuts through the park a little bit (did a short hike, but the view was well worth it!), then I made my way to Canyonlands and ended my trip in Arches. Having been in the PNW for so long, it was really nice to experience the different types of geological features Utah had to offer. On my drive back to Seattle, I realized how much I wish my trip was longer.

I visited REI probably more times I would visit the grocery store. I went in not knowing what I wanted either because you know, when you’re looking for a 2P tent, I believe at least 10 options show up. It’s overwhelming but REI has amazing staff that are truly passionate about selling you gear that works for you. At the end of the day, I walked out of the store with a tent, a sleeping pad, and a bunch of other stuff that would kickstart my first camping trip. As I was counting down to the trip, the excitement was really building up. I finally decided to tell my parents and sister about the trip. My dad was worried but with good reasons - traveling solo, having to drive 16 hours just to get to Utah, and camping were reasons why my dad was particularly worried. I promised I will keep them posted everywhere I go and even sent them an itinerary of where I will be headed to.

What I’ve learned is despite how much planning you’ve had prior to a trip, you have to be able to make adjustments and be flexible when the time comes. I love traveling solo sometimes because I can quickly make adjustments and not have to worry about other people. At times I did miss having company because when things get tricky (mainly starting a fire at a campground), you’d always have a friend to turn to. Nonetheless, the trip was amazing. I felt like I really challenged myself in various different ways. I committed myself to doing at least one hike a day depending on the difficulty of the hike. I woke up at 5am on most days just to maximize my days and even tried to go on a sunrise hike (it kind of worked out).

I suppose the whole point of this post is to pave the way of how I perceive life now. I’m not going to go super deep into the past and even the current situation. But I’ve learned that by leaning on myself for strength, the outcomes are far more superior than relying on materialistic things. While I’m not a minimalist of any sort, I realized that living with less is generally the same as living with more. Having spent a few days bombarded with dark skies and silence were truly amazing. I was alone but I didn’t feel lonely. For the first time, I felt like I was really having a conversation with nature (sounds cliche, I know).

I can’t wait to go on another trip similar to the one I did in October of last year. But in the meantime, you’ll probably find me exploring all over the upper left corner of the US because there are tons of beautiful places I have yet to experience. Plus, I don’t want to let my investments in camping gear go to waste, right?