In the quiet aftermath of academic pursuits and amidst the uncertainty of futures hanging in the balance, my friend Maaz and I found ourselves at a crossroads. Life had looped us back to familiar starting points; Maaz was awaiting pivotal career news and I, at 27, had resettled into my parents’ home after COVID made my post-master’s plans fall apart. Our planned family trip had fallen through leaving us with flight credits itching to be used. Restless, waiting for the future to present itself, we both embarked on a road trip across part of the West.
Our journey, having started in Arizona, led us to Bryce Canyon National Park—a panorama of geological marvels that held stories of the ancient and the perennial. In the embrace of these towering hoodoos and vast amphitheaters, we surrendered our expectations, instead choosing to immerse ourselves in the profound beauty that unfurled before us.
Arriving at the park, the visitor center greeted us with an unexpected culinary delight—elk chili. This hearty dish, steeped in the traditions of indigenous peoples and pioneer settlers alike, was an uncharted taste for us, offering a nuanced connection to the land that contrasted sharply with the Eastern upbringing.
As we ventured deeper into the park, the landscape’s grandeur enveloped us. We stood in awe, attempting to comprehend the eons of slow sculpting that shaped this natural coliseum. Each spire and crevice whispered tales of earth’s inexorable artistry, and we were mere spectators to its ancient craftsmanship. Imagining the astonishment of early wanderers upon discovering such an awe-inspiring expanse, we felt a kinship with those long-gone voyagers, all of us bound by the timeless spell of Bryce Canyon.
This trip was no ordinary exploration but a pilgrimage of sorts, a voyage that brought into sharp relief the vast transformations of the earth and the transient nature of our own endeavors. In the silence of the canyon, with the dance of the setting sun casting shadows upon the hoodoos, we connected with the millennia of history and the enduring beauty that this land generously shared. And when it was over, we continued our journey.
