I know I might be a day late, but it took a little longer for me to figure out what I'm thankful for this year. Because my family we're all going separate ways, I decided to take this Thanksgiving weekend and try to fit in one last camping trip. I planned on going to Zion National Park, and camped just outside the park last night, but this morning I wasn't excited to go on any hikes there, as I've already done nearly all of them. I realized that the Grand Canyon was only a couple of hours away and in newfound spontaneity decided to make the trip.
I haven't been to the Grand Canyon since I was probably about 12 years old. I remember seeing little children running around the edges of the precipice and being afraid they were going to fall. That same acrophobia presented itself years later while visiting Arches national Park. But in recent years I've overcome that fear in a large part. This evening, I climbed out on the jutting rock looking out over the vast canyon below me. I wasn't being reckless, there was plenty of a safe distance between me and the wedge. But as I sat watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon, I realize I had made a lot of improvements in my life. I am more content with who I am, more willing to go with the flow, and better able to deal with the stresses of day today life.
And so today, I am grateful for the ability to change and to grow. I'm grateful to have the freedom to spend a weekend on an adventure. And lastly, I'm thankful for Mother Nature, and that the human race has not altogether killed her just yet.
