first and second day

It still feels like we’re on vacation, but it’s starting to feel a little more real now. Yesterday was really fun. We drove for a total of 11 hours through all of Texas and half of New Mexico. We had fun though, and stopped in Amarillo at Cadillac Ranch and took some really great pictures. Maybe we can post some of those later. The scenery was beautiful. It started out flat with these fields that stretched out forever. When we got out of Amarillo we started seeing a few Mesas on the horizon, and as we got closer to Albuquerque, where we spent the night, it was more and more beautiful. The mountains surrounded us on all sides and as we drove down a hill into the city a huge mountain rose before us. A storm was starting to blow through the range and it turned them purple. It was so beautiful! The houses were all built into the hillside. Later that night, after we had eaten dinner, we watched the lightning over the city. The air was so fresh…
Today we had a lot of fun. All we had to do was make it to Flagstaff by dark. That was a bout a four hour drive that turned into about a seven hour drive. We got lost a few times and made a lot of stops. Once we stopped at an Indian outpost where they had all these crafts( mainly touristy souveniers). We drove through the petrified wood forest and stopped at the continental divide. There we met a man who was bike riding cross country from California to South Carolina. He was really cool and had hiked and backpacked in a lot of the United states including Alaska. We met another team member, Kelly at her cabin near Flagstaff. We ate dinner and took a hike through the Aspens later that night. I haven’t had a shower in a few days or worn makeup or changed my clothes. Its amazing! I feel so free and so like myself. As I get farther and father away from my hometown, I feel the burdens of the past couple of semester lift off my shoulders and fly out the car window. I can really be myself with this group, and we’ve laughed a lot today. Its really good and everyone is really chilled out. There has been no drama, no disagreements, no arguments. We are making good time and really having fun! I can’t wait till we get to Yosemite, we’re so close now, and I’m starting to get really excited. I still have that butterfly feeling in the pit of my stomach but it’s the good kind now ☺ Grand Canyon tomorrow!