Vacation Scrapbook
Nothing like giant mountains and wild bears to give you perspective!
Yesterday, my commute from Jackson Hole to a work conference in Big Sky took me through Yellowstone. As in the national park full of geysers, rivers, majestic open fields, and jaw-dropping canyons. I’ve sat through many traffic jams but never have I ever looked out my car window to see a gigantic Bison marching down the side of the road. Until yesterday.
That’s the magic this corner of the world holds. There’s a tangible connection to the Earth and to the past when you’re in parts of the American West. Landscapes haven’t succumbed to time and people they way they have back East. Jagged mountains rise up to form a dramatic skyline – so dramatic you half expect a Tolkien story to unfold before your eyes at any moment. It’s a thrilling place to be – in part because of those stunning views, but perhaps even more so because there is a real threat of danger lurking behind even the most mundane activity. Signs consistently remind you of the presence (and hunger!) of bears. Accounts of people walking into geysers feel like a campfire horror story until you read about it in the newspaper.
It's good to be surrounded by things that are much larger than yourself. This is why people flock to mountains and the ocean and to cities filled with skyscrapers. Nature is an especially powerful grounding force in that its sheer size and force provide perspective. Perspective has been on my mind this week as I gaze at so many wondrous things. Life is brilliant and beautiful and achingly short when you stop to think about it.
I hope you’re also able to take lots of vacation photos this summer!
Beautiful! Husband and I are headed West this summer. Can't wait for endless skies and fresh air.