I had been told several weeks earlier that my tires were literally falling apart. Of course, this would happen when I was 10 hours away from the nearest Discount Tire, where they were under warranty.
Rather than head south, I stayed in Montana.
"You can whistle as you walk past the graveyard, or you can cross the street so you don't have to whistle," my dad said. He was not pleased with my decision.
Once I got to SLC, I knew my trip was pretty much over. The weather was way too warm for hiking between there and Phoenix, and I was low on funds, so I couldn't go too far out of my way. I also just felt like it was time to get home. I wanted to bake and craft. And when I found myself lingering at IKEA and Target and Jo-Anns in SLC, I knew it was time to get back to the real world.
But first, I was hoping to get in just a few more hikes in southern Utah. It was on the way, and there were some canyons I'd been wanting to see.
I texted Jason to ask about weather conditions since it's monsoon season. He responded that there'd been a lot of rain and it probably wasn't a great idea to do canyons. I thanked him and said I'd think about it.
My phone immediately rang.
"We are having a MAJOR WEATHER EVENT," he informed me. "Do you realize what happens during a flash flood??" And proceeded to lecture me for the millionth time.
But this time, I listened. Sia called me out for being a brat the last time I asked Jason's advice and then argued with him. I asked his opinion because I value it, and if he felt it wasn't safe, I should listen.
I came home that night.
The following night, I had my friends over for homemade pretzels and Mario Kart. Jason couldn't come, but otherwise the evening totally lived up to expectations. I was happy to be home and happy to be with my friends again.
I had a great summer, and I felt like I made the most of each day. But I did feel like I had just a little too much time to myself. I'm an extrovert. I definitely need time alone, and I'm not afraid to do things by myself. But I get energy from being with other people, and there were a lot of times this summer when I wished I had someone with me. When you're seeing/doing something totally amazing, it's nice to have someone to turn to and say, "Can you believe this is happening right now???" At this same time, there is something beautiful and special about having memories that are all my own.
I plan on taking on the Pacific Northwest next summer. Paula is outside of Portland, so I can go roam the mountains for a while, then come into town every so often and see friends. I think it will be the perfect balance.
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