On the Salt River

A few days ago I was talking to a co-worker and he brought to mind memories I have of days spent tubing the Salt River with friends. I only went a handful of times but each trip was a mini-vacation and good times and good memories. Two in particular come to mind that I want to remember. 

One trip was the day after a massive monsoon storm. The evening before there had been a tremendous storm, lots of rain, major wind. I remember the power went out when I was working at KFC. It was an odd experience because the power went out but only in half the store. We figured that it must be that the store was on two power grids because on the side of the store with power the surrounding buildings had power but the side without power the buildings surrounding were also dark. The trip home was an experience, downed tree branches and road closures making getting to my home a challenge. I wondered as I headed home if my friends and I would actually be able to get to the river as planned. 

The morning of our trip the skies were clear and the temperatures were already soaring. We decided to go forward with plans to head to the Salt River and see if we could go, we didn't know if it would be open but figured we could go do something else if the river wasn't open for tubing. So we grabbed lunch supplies and coffee and headed on out. Luckily the river was open and the water was MOVING! We loaded our cooler, paid our rental fees and grabbed the shuttle down to the river.

That day on the water was amazing. The water levels were really high and we were really moving. It was a relaxing day, watching the landscape zip by and float with the current. We had a mini-marshmallow war drank water and make jokes as we floated along. At one moment we all had to dig in to fight the current. I used my whole body to lean into the current so I would stay in place and not float away from the rest of the group. We all were watching and waiting as one girl of the group was caught in a whirlpool she was unable to get out of. One member tried to move toward her to help pull her out. It would have been challenging enough but the amount of laughter staying put and moving against the current was even harder. This day went by so fast and we were at the end in such a short time about half the time that it normally would have been. It was such a fun day full of adventure and laughter.

The other trip was a typical summer day in Phoenix. Hot, sunny, and slightly humid. We loaded up the cars and coolers and headed out to the river. That day was very different from the last journey (the one after the monsoon). This day the river moved much slower and the water level was so low in comparison to my last experience. It was relaxing again, we enjoyed ourselves as we floated down the water. The water was cool in opposition to the hot sun and felt good to get out and cool down when needed. The entertainment portion of this trip was going into the rapids. This usually meant shallow water and in some cases we touched bottom on the rivers. So the person in front at the rapids would shout back to the group "butts up!" and we knew that the raft would keep moving but you'd best pick your bottom up or it would be dragged along the dirt and rocks (and goodness knows what else) of the riverbed. That day was a long day but so much fun. 

I'll never forget the memory of the day after monsoon tubing experience versus the "butts up!" experience of my second trip out. So different but similar at the same time. Both were fun in their own ways and memories I love to remember. 

Sunny days and sunny beaches

With the promise of summer not too far away I find myself thinking to the times my friends and I would head to California for a day of ocean, beach, and fun. There were times I would go and grossly under use sunblock to protect my extremely fair skin from sunburn. One such fateful trip my friends and I all spent the day on the beach, didn't use near enough sunscreen and came back from vacation with lobster colored skin. Those weren't pleasant experiences. Don't get me wrong, the water was great, the beach was beautiful and the sun felt so good with the cool California breezes. After a day on the water though, we were in pain. I remember after this one time having a sunburn so bad that I had to wear pajama bottoms for the drive home as my jean shorts hurt too much. My entire group spend the majority of time in the car, shoes kicked off on the drive because our feet were sunburned too.

I learned from that trip, I wasn't going to experience that level of pain again. The next trips to the beach, I slathered sunscreen with high SPF on a regular basis. When my friends decided to lay in the sun for a tan, I laid one towel beneath me and put another over me like a blanket. I still enjoyed the warmth of the sun but, dang it, I wasn't getting another sunburn. Not if I could help it! They laughed at me, but I didn't get burnt.

I still have longing to go back and spend time on the beach or on the water. I love being on the water or even near it. Seeing the cool water rush at the shore, feeling the warm sand between my toes. Crossing closer to the water and feeling the sudden shift in temperature of the sand as it goes from dry and warm to wet and cool. I love standing ankle deep in water and feeling the pull of the tide as it washes the sand out from under my feet. I love standing, waiting as waves rush in and out, taking a little more sand each time until I can't keep my footing any longer. I find a new spot, stand in the water, and wait. This hasn't changed but now instead of lightly coated sunscreen and no hat as I enjoy the water, I now stand hat firmly in place on my head, a coat of SPF 50 on my skin as I watch and wait for the sand to wash out from under my feet.

A New Journey

Four years ago today I began a whole new type of journey. This wasn't a vacation but rather a move to a new city. This new home had been a vacation destination of mine for a few years and one I tended to escape to when I needed to get out of town. Now here I was, moving to that city. This was a new journey for me. Something I'd never done before. A new city, no job yet, and not really holding a plan for the future beyond the next year. This was a trip into the unknown.

As I headed up the highway with my mom I reflected back on some of the trips I taken to what would now become my home. I thought back to the first time I "ran away" from home, for an overnight trip. It was a moment of desperation, a need just to get away. I recalled the various Thanksgiving vacation trips I'd spent in rental places or hotels around town and how I'd explored the town and neighboring small cities. I also recalled how much I loved coming up with my family to visit my grandparents when I was a girl. This new home was a familiar and yet unfamiliar destination. I didn't know what the future would hold, I didn't know if I'd be moving back down after my year was up. All I knew was that this new journey, a new chapter in my life had just begun.

Here I am four years later, 34 days from completing my master's degree program. Counting down to graduation and finding that, once again, I'm on the precipice of a brand new journey. Another step into the unknown. What does the future hold? Will another city be in my future or will I stay where I am now? Only time will tell..I only hope that fate will be kind.