Last month during our R&R trip back the the States, Rob and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary with a river rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. My sister aptly remarked on how perfect we must be for each other if our ideal anniversary trip would entail sleepaing on the ground, not showering for days, and only getting to take a backpack worth of stuff with us. We both thought it was the perfect trip and a fun reminder of how perfect we are for each other.
The hours just melted away on the river. It felt both serene and adventurous. A lot of laziness as well as a serious hike from the river all the way up to the top of the south rim. Cat naps on the boat under the hot sun whenever I felt the slightest bit drowsy, sandwiched between exhilarating rides through frigid rapids. Just the way I'd like life served up all the time.
Even the 8 hour drive home was a good time. We stopped whenever we wanted, taking in some side adventures of ziplines, rock shopping that just blew my mind (I really love cool rocks and fossils, much to Rob's surprise after he thought he knew everything about me), and eating some of very fine small-town shakes and burgers. On a side note, I must say that the people and lifestyles in those small little rural towns seem every bit as intriguing and culturally different to me as those I meet abroad. It was a reminder of how big regional differences are even just within the US.
It was really nice to leave behind all the worries of being a parent for a few days and have Rob all to myself (and myself all to Rob). But I also can't wait to do it again when Michael and Ella are old enough to come along!
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| The milky looking river behind us is the Little Colorado. We hiked up where it fed into the Colorado and got to float down it in our life vests, even through a few small rapids. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. |
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| The "DUKE". Couldn't resist a picture. Never have I sat on a toilet with such a great view! One of the rules of the river was "you can't get privacy, you can only give it." |
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| We stopped to immerse ourselves in every waterfall we could find along our long, HOT hike up to the top of the South Rim. |
The hours just melted away on the river. It felt both serene and adventurous. A lot of laziness as well as a serious hike from the river all the way up to the top of the south rim. Cat naps on the boat under the hot sun whenever I felt the slightest bit drowsy, sandwiched between exhilarating rides through frigid rapids. Just the way I'd like life served up all the time.
Even the 8 hour drive home was a good time. We stopped whenever we wanted, taking in some side adventures of ziplines, rock shopping that just blew my mind (I really love cool rocks and fossils, much to Rob's surprise after he thought he knew everything about me), and eating some of very fine small-town shakes and burgers. On a side note, I must say that the people and lifestyles in those small little rural towns seem every bit as intriguing and culturally different to me as those I meet abroad. It was a reminder of how big regional differences are even just within the US. 
