(Note: I began writing this post three weeks after returning from the trip we took in April and only now have finished writing. It's been very busy since we've returned!)
Three weeks after returning from a three week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, I'm finally readjusting to being home again. The first week back, going to work was tough, and I was slow to regain interest in what happened in our absence. River life is simple and not once did I miss the Internet or Facebook. The river reminds you of what is important in life and the little things we often get hung up on in life, no longer seem like a big deal. As expected, it was a trip of a lifetime, yet it was much bigger and "grand" than I ever imagined.
Before we left, some friends of mine who have done the trip told me it was a spiritual experience for them. At times it was for me too, but not all of the time. What makes the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River so amazing is that it is "grand." I didn't always experience bliss on the river; there were moments of extreme frustration, cold, and craziness, as well as moments of extreme elation, warmth, and serenity. Even in the tough times, the beauty of the river and the canyon is vast and it only takes a moment of observation and revelation to get snapped out of the "river blues."
The trip was amazing and will be remembered as an experience much larger than myself.
Three weeks after returning from a three week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, I'm finally readjusting to being home again. The first week back, going to work was tough, and I was slow to regain interest in what happened in our absence. River life is simple and not once did I miss the Internet or Facebook. The river reminds you of what is important in life and the little things we often get hung up on in life, no longer seem like a big deal. As expected, it was a trip of a lifetime, yet it was much bigger and "grand" than I ever imagined.
Before we left, some friends of mine who have done the trip told me it was a spiritual experience for them. At times it was for me too, but not all of the time. What makes the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River so amazing is that it is "grand." I didn't always experience bliss on the river; there were moments of extreme frustration, cold, and craziness, as well as moments of extreme elation, warmth, and serenity. Even in the tough times, the beauty of the river and the canyon is vast and it only takes a moment of observation and revelation to get snapped out of the "river blues."
The trip was amazing and will be remembered as an experience much larger than myself.
Below is an excerpt I wrote in my journal on April 25th near the end of our trip:
"Time isn't the same in the Grand Canyon. When you look up at the Canyon walls and rock formations, its humbling and beyond anything in our lifespan or human comprehension of time to understand that its taken thousands-billions of years to sculpt and shape the landscape. The many faces in the canyon walls seem to speak and remind you that life is much bigger than yourself and that we are simply a mere blink in time and space.
The Canyon brings out the best and worst of people. At times, it brings our your primordial self- the part of you that doesn't first think of others, but is merely there for survival. Pure instincts. That part of the self deeply attached to the ego. The Colorado River and its many turns and currents reminds you that even the most selfish or egotistical parts of yourself are not all of you and perhaps even temporary. Revealing that aspect of yourself is like a drop of water amongst the vast river of life and our own individual experience. Our lives and even our own experience of the river are comprised of thousands of individual moments and droplets of time. Just like the canyon walls are built of conglomerates of geologic history, our experience on the river gets melded and shaped as the days pass and experiences fade into memories."
Scroll down below to view more photos.
"Time isn't the same in the Grand Canyon. When you look up at the Canyon walls and rock formations, its humbling and beyond anything in our lifespan or human comprehension of time to understand that its taken thousands-billions of years to sculpt and shape the landscape. The many faces in the canyon walls seem to speak and remind you that life is much bigger than yourself and that we are simply a mere blink in time and space.
The Canyon brings out the best and worst of people. At times, it brings our your primordial self- the part of you that doesn't first think of others, but is merely there for survival. Pure instincts. That part of the self deeply attached to the ego. The Colorado River and its many turns and currents reminds you that even the most selfish or egotistical parts of yourself are not all of you and perhaps even temporary. Revealing that aspect of yourself is like a drop of water amongst the vast river of life and our own individual experience. Our lives and even our own experience of the river are comprised of thousands of individual moments and droplets of time. Just like the canyon walls are built of conglomerates of geologic history, our experience on the river gets melded and shaped as the days pass and experiences fade into memories."
Scroll down below to view more photos.
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