April 1 , 2014

Today Chris and I woke at the break of dawn in Palm Desert. A beautiful sun rose behind the mountains and amongst the clouds as we packed our last belongings together. My parents and Grandma woke up to say their goodbyes as we started the engine of our RV called “Bucket” (The Bucket List) and drove away. We drove 11 hours, which took us back towards Los Angeles, through Las Vegas, and into a town called Hurricane. (The weather was fine!) 3,248 ft above sea level, we passed red mountains and plenty of Walmarts.

When we arrived in Hurricane and our goal was a place called Gooseberry Mesa, a famous mountain biking and camping area right before Zion National Park. The sun had already set and the night had come. Not able to find the mesa camp site nor another Walmart, we pulled off the side of the highway and prepared our beds. It was our first night and we did not know where we were and it was very cold.

Chris and I had been thinking about this moment for the past 2 years. There was so much I wondered about what we would face and the people we will be by the end of this. We went to sleep with uncertainty, but with a great feeling of independence.