Lean On Me

When I moved to Utah in 2009, my eyes were opened to all the amazing natural attractions in the western region.  One of these places was the gorgeous Havasupai Falls in Arizona.  It is extremely difficult to get permits to, but we were fortunate to tagged along with another group this last weekend.  So, after five years, I finally visited this little paradise in the desert!

This trip was memorable one.  We met some awesome new people and had some good conversations.  It was a unique opportunity for us to step back and truly remember what matters most.  Too often we get tied into work, school, and technology, that a weekend in pure nature really reminds you of how incredible our world is.  Beautiful places like Havasupai make it really hard to deny God.  He truly has an artistic hand that continues to leave me in disbelief.

I was also grateful for the opportunity I had to try out our new camera.  Ever since I was in high school, I wanted to get into photography (actually considered art school for a while), but never did.  This is just another avenue to take my creative imagination and Havasupai was a perfect place to start!

I wish the pictures could justice for how incredible the falls really were.  There were four different sites we visited and it was the most refreshing, blue, clear water I've ever seen inland.  It is difficult to describe it in words, so I will in pictures instead!

(Video Courtesy of PJ)

When I describe the infinite beauty we experienced, it didn't come without a cost.  After our 6-hour drive, it was an 8-mile hike to the Havasu village and another 2 miles to the campground.  We carried our 3-day packs in the whole way in.  Once we arrived to our campsite, we still have shorter hikes to each waterfall.  In all, we hiked a little over 30 miles in 3 days...  Crazy!!  Riley and I learned that we are not quite the backpacker type haha.  It took a few days to get over the blisters and soreness.

Throughout the weekend, we grew more convinced we were to take the 10-minute helicopter ride out.  We were tired, sore, and hungry.  We were supposed to stay until Monday morning, but decided to leave on Sunday because it started storming.  When the time came to leave, we had all the opportunity in the world to leave in the chopper, but instead we decided to make the 10-mile trek back out.  Luckily, we were able to fly our bags out for $20/bag (best $40 ever spent!!).  

We left with a two friends we met on the trip who happened to be a couple of Hulks that booked it along the trail.  I am concerned that they didn't even break a sweat during the final mile-long vertical up the mountain ha!  I'm so happy we had them with us because they really pushed us and got us to the car in half the time as when we hiked in! 

Despite how difficult it was, I wouldn't have changed a thing.  More than the physical, it was such a great experience for Riley and I as a couple.  Not only was it a completely new and crazy adventure, but we also had to rely on each other more than ever before.  I remember telling Riley while we were hiking back to the car about how happy I was because it was something to say that we did.  It would only hurt for a short amount of time, but in the end we would be grateful we pushed through it... together.  Thus, are some of the trials we face in life.

This trip was truly symbolic of the strength we have in our marriage.  Although it is not ideal, living away from our homes is seriously the best thing we could have done.  Over the last four years, we have learned to rely solely on one another.  If we need a ride, a favor, etc, we have to allocate our own resources to execute whatever we need done.  We have spent a lot of holidays without our families, missed important events, and spent a lot of nights missing the little things.  However, the lessons we have learned about responsibility, hard work, accountability, and independence are worth more than we could have imagined.  The trials we face living on our own can be difficult, but it makes the successes at work and school that much sweeter!

I am sad to see some of my good Omaha friends moving away this year, but I could not be more anxious for them.  If there is one piece of advice that I (I can speak for Riley on this too) would give to a young person/couple, it would be that they need to move away for at least a brief period of time.   My time at Utah State and beyond has allowed me to reach a new level of maturity that I would not have been able to reach otherwise.  All my sisters have lived or are living away from home and I think they would all agree with me on the subject.  I have grown to truly appreciate my home, friends, and family.  I am proud of where I come from and it is always so exciting to go back to visit.  

I think we all need experiences every once and a while that make us step back and examine our lives.  Every now and then, do something that takes you away, reminds you of what truly matters in life.  Something that reminds you of your belief in a higher power and the beauty that we have been blessed with.  I've noticed myself stepping away more from social media this last week and focusing on school, work, etc.  Needless to say, I've been very productive!  I am so grateful for Riley and the loyalty and strength that he has shown me over the last four years.  We have been fortunate to travel together and experience the world together.  As our four year anniversary approaches on the 21st, I can say that I love him more every day and I look forward to more adventures to come.

I shot this at the very end of our hike back to the car.
Remember: No matter how rocky the road, there is always something beautiful about it.