I was an emotional wreck seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. Turns out I'm not alone.
Before we launched back on the road for 2023, I told Anthony, "I want to see the Grand Canyon and I want to see Glacier National Park. Everything else is just a bonus." That just shows how high of a priority the Grand Canyon was. I had never been, but it's a place I had wanted to go for as long as I can remember. Anthony had only been once when he was young, and he was ready to appreciate it from an adult perspective. However, working a Grand Canyon visit into our plans was tougher than we imagined. You may recall from the last post, we ended up camping in Williams, about 50 minutes away from the Grand Canyon's South entrance for a few reasons. We heard some of the boondocking spots might close in April for wildfire prevention (that didn't end up happening). We also thought our dog might need a vet appointment (that didn't end up happening either). Turns out we made a good decision staying in Williams anyway, because we had some gnarly winter weather roll in and needed a good place to hunker down for a few days. This also delayed our visit to the Grand Canyon by 3 days, due to slippery road and trail conditions in the National Park.
We were supposed to go as part of our epic road trip in 2020, which we then had to cancel. So we were already waiting for 3 years. What was another 3 days? Well, a lot, apparently. Between my dreams of going, then the canceled 2020 plans, then the 3-day delay, my anticipation was sky high, and it was only getting worse. I kid you not, I was having literal dreams about it. They would wake me up in the wee hours of the morning and I'd be unable to fall back asleep. I thought, there's no way the reality will be up to the hype in my mind.
In case you're wondering how we had the camera rolling for my initial reaction, that's why. We were driving up Route 64, through the entrance station, and I was extraordinarily giddy. I knew that my first glimpse would warrant some reaction, and that reaction would need to be captured.
The Instagram Post:
The extended version of the Facebook post:
What is it really about the Grand Canyon that elicits such a reaction? It's one thing to say it lives up to the hype and that some places are really that special. But it really is the sheer grandiosity of the landscape. It doesn't matter how many pictures you see; the naked eye sees more: more distance, more definition, more dimension. It's funny how natural landscapes are either better seen in real life, or better seen with the camera, as in the case of wonders like the Aurora Borealis. The Grand Canyon is most definitely a sight to see and behold.
The other side of it is that this place radiates peace and healing. Even when it's crowded, it has an energy to it. The Native history, the vastness, the surrounding mountains and pine trees. The air is crisp and has a clean, fresh smell to it. Deer and elk wander along the roads, grabbing food from the trees. You can't help but feel connected to everyone who has been there, dating back to the first people who came upon this wondrous feature. What they must have thought!
2020 was a year of a lot of disappointments to a lot of people, and yes, canceling an epic road trip wasn't fun, but the stress of 2020 really wore me down. A trauma from a long time ago reared its ugly head during this time and I was diagnosed with PTSD, which was added on to my previous diagnoses of anxiety and depression. This was a big reason why we decided to hit the road. I had heard stories of nomadic life helping folks with their PTSD. Of course you need to know yourself and actually like this kind of lifestyle, but for the right person, simplifying life and getting to nature can be a very healing experience. The Grand Canyon is the epitome of healing nature. I immediately felt like I was uniting with a special friend I had yet to meet. All the experiences of this life of travel culminated in that one moment. This is why we travel.
Once the camera was off, I composed myself enough to take some pictures, my dried tears hidden behind my sunglasses. And then we walked the rim, soaking in every vantage point along the way. Every so often the emotions would hit me again, and I'd start crying again and exclaim, "I'm at the Grand Canyon!" What a blessing to be truly present in each moment that day. At one point I called my mom on video chat, flipped the camera around and let her see what I was seeing. She started crying too, the tears of a mother who told us before we went full-time that all she wants is for her kids to be happy. I'll bet she was feeling the culmination of our experiences too.
My Instagram reel did pretty well, getting a few thousand views. I didn't have any real intentions when I posted it; I just wanted to share my experience and the canyon's beauty. But I started getting a lot of comments from people also sharing their stories. So many of them shared that they, too, felt that connection to the canyon as soon as they arrived. One person told me that she was supposed to visit the Grand Canyon with her father in 2020 and their trip was canceled. Her father passed away in 2021 and they were never able to go. She had recently been able to visit with friends and mentioned how hard the emotions hit. Other people commended me on my major life overhaul for mental health. It really doesn't matter how many views the post gets, because it allowed so many of us to share our experiences.
I noticed the same connection at the canyon too. People walking by with jaws dropped. A man with his family who was talking logistics of taking photos, then suddenly stopped to remember where he was and blurted out "Holy crap!" before resuming his camera discussion. A woman approaching the South Rim at sunrise, losing her words and then finally being able to say, "This was worth getting up early for." On Easter Sunday, a sunrise service was held at Mather Point. Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the resurrection as they witnessed a new day beginning with the sun's glow over the canyon. I took a couple of pictures of the crowd, everyone huddled together in the cold morning air, with the vibrant orange sun shining behind them. Even through the photos, I had so many people tell me they felt the poignancy of that service, as though they were getting a glimpse of early Christianity through this act of worshipping in nature.
How incredible for a place to bring everyone together in shared emotions and reactions. That's not just a testament to the magnificent landscape; there's an aura to this place that can't be fully explained, but can't be denied either. It truly is nature's healing, right before our eyes.
