In Awe

5/6/24

So much over this last week has caused me to just stare in awe, at the vastness of Horseshoe Bend, at the Strength of the Glen Canyon Dam, at the incredibleness of both Lower & Upper Antelope Canyons. I am often in awe of what I find in nature, which is one of the reasons why I like spending time in it! The unexpected view, the flowers peeking from behind bushes, the colors of a bird, the vastness of the sky… all bring me peace. 

A long time ago I tried some meditation activities. One was to picture a place that brought me peace. I have always pictured the dam my grandpa helped his father build. I spent hours there, fishing, exploring, sitting, listening. It was calm & quiet, with only the buzz of insects, the calls of frogs and the songs of birds (and the occasional plane overhead). 

Maybe having such a meaningful place to visualize encouraged me to think of nature as peaceful. (I’m sure lots of others find nature peaceful, too!) I think it’s also encouraged me to seek out other places – if a dam on my grandparents’ farm can cause me to feel this way, then there must be other places that will do the same. 

And this is one reason why we decided to come out here, to Arizona, to start the part of our trip that involves staying multiple days exploring.

Going through pictures, deleting blurry or duplicates, still leaves me with hundreds. HUNDREDS. Since no one wants to sit through them all, here are just a few. I hope looking at them will bring you some peace, too.

Painted Desert

Painted Desert

Walnut Canyon

Walnut Canyon

Horseshoe Bend

Our campground

Glen Canyon Dam

Lower Antelope Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon

Near our campground