When I was a child, my father went on a trip very similar to the one we took on this adventure. I believed that trips like my dad's were once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and I wasn’t sure I would ever get the chance to see the Grand Canyon or other such places. When my wife temporarily moved to New Mexico for a travel nursing assignment, we seized the opportunity to explore the surrounding area with its many national parks, national monuments, and various other beautiful sights.

Our first major trip was to Sedona, AZ, and Canyon Lake at Apache Junction. After taking photos with my iPhone, I realized I wanted more and as a result invested in a camera kit. Soon after, we visited our first set of national parks. Zion was the first national park I had been to outside of the Great Smokies, the Everglades, or driving Skyline Drive in Shenandoah, and while I still cherish those experiences, Zion absolutely blew my mind. The whole trip, I kept turning to Tara and saying, “There’s no way this is real.”

We did face some disappointments on this trip, such as our reservations to kayak Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon being canceled (after we had already driven halfway there which was about an hour and a half) and driving all the way to the Hoover Dam only to find it had closed(despite Google indicating it would be open for another two hours). So, instead of exploring Antelope Canyon, we took the opportunity to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon - which was well worth it - and we had to make a stop at Horse Shoe Bend. With our plans being interrupted we still absolutely loved this trip. The above image is from Lake Mead, taken with an FLD filter after our Lake Powell reservation was canceled. This trip definitely taught us to be flexible and to avoid setting major expectations but instead simply enjoy the moments that we do get knowing that each moment is a gift from God to be enjoyed.