A [Spring] Break from Normal

The change feels immediate. One second we’re driving through the flat, boring Texas panhandle, and the next the bushes have changed to manzanita shrubs and the dirt is red. The land begins to bump and swell into massive mountains.

Mallory and I  can’t stop grinning. We’re almost there!

As the sun sets, the shadows in the mountains deepen and the harsh light turns soft and golden. We pull up to our friend’s house where we’ll be staying for a few days, the cozy adobe blending into the surroundings.

In the horizon is Sandia Crest, a mountain range that juts up out of the nothingness of the flat plain.

The mountain’s brown sides are turning a beautiful pink in the sunset, just like the fruit it’s named after (sandia means watermelon in Spanish).

I wouldn’t trade going on an adventure with friends during Spring Break for anything. Going to school together is one thing, but hiking up to the top of the Kasha-Katuwe National Monument together is a whole lot more fun than doing homework.

Don’t be afraid to try new things and go exploring. It can be tempting by the time Spring Break rolls around to just spend the week sitting on your couch, but it’s such a unique opportunity to go and experience more of the world.

Think of all the places you could go exploring! You could see the Grand Canyon, go to the beach in Mississippi, fly to the west coast and climb Mount Rainier in Washington, or go camping in the Ozark National Forest.

The only thing that’s limiting you (besides the size of your wallet and depths of your pockets), is you.