Our Honeymoon to Utah

There's so much to say about this place. Words or photographs, for that matter, hardly do it justice. I'll do my best to try and capture how it went. We decided to go for more of a traditional route with our honeymoon and leave pretty much right after the wedding. We talked about where we wanted to go and if we could drive there or not, and what was feasible. We ended up on Moab, Utah because of it's location to two national parks and it's driving distance from Omaha - that we split up into two days. The only problem was... Kyle was sick. He was really sick and he came down with it the week of the wedding, only getting a few days of rest prior to - giving him enough time to get into a better state for the wedding itself only to crash the night after. We ended up going to urgent care the morning we were set to leave for our honeymoon, only a day and a half after the wedding. The doctor loaded him up with medicine, gave us the okay to leave, and we set off towards Denver - me driving and Kyle sleeping the whole way. Podcasts and road snacks (thanks Kim + Stu) aiding our journey. When we arrived to Denver our friends Rob + Joe, again let us stay at their place. We are so grateful for you and appreciative of your continued hospitality - it was so nice to have a familiar room to rest in especially when Kyle wasn't feeling all too well. A day on antibiotics greatly improved his state though, and in the morning he felt somewhat normal. We stopped at our favorite Denver breakfast place Snooze and I had pumpkin pancakes the size of my face. After demolishing our plates, we drove over to see Kyle's good friend Rob at work and chat for a bit on his break before leaving town.

The drive from Denver to Moab was about six and a half hours - and we went through mountains a lot of the way. If there's anything that's apparent about my character it's that I do not do well with heights. One of my earliest memories is a family road trip from Omaha to California through Colorado and Utah - and that's when I realized I was terrified of riding through the mountains. Those steep slope drop-offs with just a guardrail to break your accident - no thanks. I asked Kyle to drive. We arrived to Moab just after dusk and settled into our airbnb before grabbing dinner. I had spoken to several people who had been to Moab before the trip, and the town exceeded my expectations. I had expected a town built along one single road, which it was to an extent - a town literally in the middle of nowhere surrounded by plateaus and stars. But there was more to it then I had anticipated and we were both impressed throughout our entire visit. We ended up on pizza that first night!

The following morning Kyle was feeling practically back to his old self so we decided to tackle a hike. The weather overall was gorgeous (what a perfect time of year to go), a cool array of mid 70s. Chilly in the early mornings and late evenings - slightly warm throughout the day when the sun shined the highest. After scouring the map we ended up on the delicate arch trail (pictured above), one of the hardest hikes in Arches National Park - which is to say not incredibly hard if you're prepared and aware of your surroundings / stop for water breaks and deep breaths. There's a point that you reach where you a walking on.. basically a rock - ascending up the trail with little shade, cairns every so far marking your way. I can only imagine how miserable it gets out in the desert in the dead of summer. Finally we made it to the arch, swarming with fellow hikers of all nationalities and languages - I swear we heard at least 6-7 different languages over the course of our trip. Such a melting pot for people who love the outdoors. Over the next few days we did different hikes across the park, trying to pick which ones we felt would let us see the most in the best use of time. There's just too much to see. We ended out our time in Arches with a guided tour from our friend Brooke, who took us through the Fiery Furnace - our favorite hike from the trip. We had to watch an 8 minute video and obtain a permit before entering, it's just that easy to get lost. Luckily Brooke knew her way well, and she was a great guide. Thank you again for taking the time to show us such a magical place. We spent the last bit of our time in Utah in Canyonlands, the other national park next to Moab. The sky goes on for what feels like miles and miles covering the brilliant aching canyon underneath. It's hard to describe the sheer vastness of the place.

We took a different route back and stayed in Colorado Springs. We picked an unusual lodge that aged of musk and mountains and we loved it. They greeted us with beers before even asking for available rooms. We made our way up to the Colorado Wolf Preserve before checking in, and saw wolves the size of tigers. I wanted so badly to breach the fences and stand close to them. Some of them were tame enough, but the extra cash to do was more than we cared to spare. We left in awe of the creatures but also feeling slightly unsettled about the visit. The drive back from Colorado to Omaha was flat - as always. Probably one of the most boring drives in the United States. Finally home, familiar and cozy like we had never left - we could hear Dibs meowing for the stairwell in excitement as we unloaded the car. The trip meant so much to us - those jagged mounds of colossal earth - thousands of years in the making. I can only liken it to seeing the ocean for the first time, feeling the power of something so innate to your life but completely out of your own control. Such a thing will be a hard to forget, at least here's hoping so. We so hope to see it again someday. Back at home - back to the grind, now as husband and wife - ready to take on the rest of what adventures 2016 still has in store for us and of course the many years ahead. There is no better person for me to share them with.